In this episode of Love Your Kitchen, host Faye Newman shares the most common mistakes to avoid when designing a new kitchen. Faye draws on her experience to highlight design pitfalls such as overcrowding with unnecessary cabinetry, poor appliance positioning, and not considering door swings or work surface space. She offers practical solutions and advice to help listeners future-proof their kitchen layouts, ensuring functionality, comfort, and personal style remain at the heart of their design.

Key Takeaways

Filling every wall with cabinetry can lead to a cluttered and impractical layout. Choose cabinets based on what you actually need to store, and focus on internal mechanisms that maximise usability rather than quantity.

Take the opportunity to declutter your kitchen before redesigning. Group your items into functional zones (e.g., cooking, cleaning, prep), and design storage to suit your daily, weekly, and monthly habits.

While Pinterest and showrooms are full of ideas, your kitchen should reflect your lifestyle, your taste, and your home. Go for timeless design over trend-led choices, and personalise your space with colour and materials that resonate with you.

Think about clearance space, door swings, and workflow. Avoid placing frequently used appliances like ovens or dishwashers in congested areas or near doorways. Make sure appliances are at a safe and comfortable height, especially if stacking ovens.

Best Moments

“It’s not about how many cabinets you have, it’s about how usable each one is.”

“A beautiful kitchen on paper can be a nightmare in practice if your appliance doors are clashing or you’re hitting your head on the extractor.”

“The less stuff you have, the more usable space you’ll gain, and that’s always the goal.”

“Worktops are working surfaces. If you’ve no room to prep, cook, or dish up, the kitchen isn’t doing its job.”

About the Host

Faye Newman is a freelance Kitchen Designer with eight years of experience in the industry. With a background in furniture design and a passion for creating spaces that reflect the essence of the home, Faye brings a unique perspective to kitchen design. Her dedication to client satisfaction and love for her craft shines through in every project she undertakes.

Connect with Faye Newman Design:

Visit: www.fayenewmandesign.com for kitchen inspiration and design resources.

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