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Avoid These Mistakes When Handling Your Own Kitchen Updates

6 June 2017

Troy Medina

A kitchen doesn't always need to be fully remodelled to look more attractive and to function better for you and your family; sometimes just a few updates are all that's needed to make the space seem more modern and to enhance how well it functions for food prep and storage. However, when you are ready to make some of those updates on your own, note a few common mistakes you'll want to avoid so you know you'll be happy with the end product and will love your new kitchen for years to come.

Floors not meant for kitchens

Real hardwood and smooth slate or granite are nice flooring materials, but they are not typically recommended for kitchens. Hardwood will absorb humidity from when you cook and then shrink and expand or otherwise suffer damage. A smooth surface like slate or granite can get very slick when wet, so any humidity that settles on these stones can make them downright dangerous.

Note, too, that very hard and dense materials can cause fatigue when you're standing on them for long periods of time, such as when cooking or washing dishes. For your kitchen update, opt for a vinyl timber-look tile or a porcelain floor that's softer and safer underfoot.

Upgrading appliances without updating wiring

Today's kitchen appliances may offer more features, but this may mean that they also need more electricity to operate; a refrigerator with zone controls may have an electrical panel that requires more power, and a dishwasher with pot scrubbing and a timer may also require more power to run. Rather than assuming that appliances of the same physical size will be fine in your kitchen, have an electrician check the wiring along with the volts and amps needed by your new appliances, and he or she can make updates to that wiring as needed.

Too many dark materials

New timber-look flooring in a dark walnut shade can make the space look very rich and elegant, as can dark cabinets and benchtops. However, too many dark materials can also make the space look like a cave! Those colours can also easily blend in with each other and look very dull. Be sure you opt for other features that is lighter in colour and tone so that it easily contrasts with the floors or cabinets; a light granite for the benchtops will look better against a walnut floor, as an example, or you might choose a glass splashback against a dark wood benchtop and dark wood cabinets.

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