What’s the mistake amateur kitchen designers make the most often? The answer can be summed up with the old expression “Trying to put eight pounds of sausage in a six-pound wrapper.”
When you are an amateur kitchen designer often you will judge your design success by how much you can fit in a kitchen. Getting 5 stools at the island instead of 4, getting the tallest cabinets in the room possible or fitting the large appliances that you have pre-selected into your design are judged as accomplishments. Fitting all of your “must haves” into the kitchen is the only criteria for success when you can’t appreciate the problems that are created when your jam those eight pounds of sausage into your six-pound wrapper!
Kitchen designers make more money when they sell you more cabinets so when your designer objects to what you are pushing for and tells you spaces are too tight, they are putting your best interest above their own pocketbook. Becoming annoyed with the professional or thinking you know better will make it likely that your kitchen will be full of mistakes. Because after you don’t listen to the first few warnings, many designers will stop being critical of your ideas and simply sell you the bad kitchen you seem to want and stop giving the professional advice that is only frustrating you.
Unfortunately, because of THE IKEA EFFECT, a delusional disorder that makes people believe that what they have designed is far better than what is reasonable you may very well think your design is great. However, the people that visit your home will be remarking at how crazy and tight your kitchen is. And when the time comes to sell your home, you will get a more objective evaluation of your design by the offers you get from perspective home buyers.
Kitchen designers have to shake their heads at the reasoning many of our customers will give for why they are OK with things being too tight. When the island is too big customers tell us that they will be getting very small stools. If something else is too tight or doesn’t work, it might be OK because it is “better than what I have now” or “my friend has it”.
The best designers will not stop objecting at each new wrinkle that lacks the space needed, but many designers will be worn down quickly. One of my customers with a great sense of humor assures me that she is coming to her appointments with her boxing gloves on. It is her ability to laugh about our collaboration but still take my advice seriously that has helped her design a great kitchen.
Hoping that you will allow your designer to put your interests above what you think you “must have” as an amateur designer.
And of course . . .
BON APPETIT!
Paul