10 Basic Kitchen Design Mistakes To Avoid (And How To Fix Them) 

I don't know if Garrett realizes this or not, but he's an excellent teacher. He explains everything so well. He provides examples. I can only imagine he invests a lo of time preparing his videos and it shows. It conveys love for his subject and respect for the audience.

Can we add high dinning tables that have barstools, to the things that should never be a part of any form of kitchen/dining? I hate it when restaurants have those horrible tables, let alone in a home.

I went with the microwave over the range because of lack of storage space. It made sense for my small kitchen.

I think mirrors in a kitchen would be an absolute nightmare. Happy Birthday Garret, I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise.

Happy Birthday! If an Airbnb has only bar stool / high table seating, I don't rent it no matter how nice the rest of the home may be. No, no, no to bar stools and high table seating. As for hoods, I bought an induction top, oven/convection oven with knobs on the front and no rise behind the cook top, with a built-in fan at the back of the cook top that sucks the air behind the stove from the cooktop rather than have an exhaust fan overhead. That leaves the space behind and above my stove completely free!

Also, I love this kind of video where you use actual home settings to teach us about mistakes, pitfalls and ideas for improvement.

Happy Birthday and vacation! You identify ALL the mistakes that are made in kitchens. So glad you point them out as so many people just don't see all the mistakes that designers see (and eliminate). Take note people: Garrett is the BEST at sharing all the tips and tricks of a designer with you! My peeve as a designer is lighting that is too high/too small. Just like range hoods that are too small, so many oendants are too small, or chandeliers above tables are too high. Sigh.

I had no idea, or rather I had never thought about having alternate numbers of kitchen pendants vs stools/chairs. I hadn’t planned it but we opted for two larger pendants instead of 3 smaller, and have 3 stools. I had been second guessing it until this video. Kitchen isn’t done yet, so I’m overthinking everything lol. 😘🥰

Keep the kitchens coming. We’re a year out from a complete remodel……only keeping the floor & ceiling…..and I want it to be perfect. Happy vacationing. 🌺🍾

I agree with you Garrett on the last kitchen, I lovee it! I think there are too many chairs at the island, gives it a commercial look, but all and all still love it. Like you said the space between the ceiling and the cabinets takes away from the perfection of the design, I wonder if they were forced to leave space do to the ceilings not being perfectly level. When we redid our kitchen we found that the ceiling slopes slightly do to house settling, leaving almost a one inch gap on one side, the contractor told us that the cabinets meeting the ceilings would emphasize the ceiling not being perfectly flat, to conceal it he suggested leaving a space. By the way you look amazing!!

Congratulations for your first successful year with this channel ... this time, i am really not of you opinion ... the kitchens you showed seem to me all cold, just designed and never used .. i love what in germany we call "wohnküche", i.e. a kitchen to live in ... lots of cabinets with glass to see the beautiful porcelain, a collection of great old tea-pots, candles on the table and on high standing cabinets. people say that in my kitchen it feels cosy and it effects a kind of "stand still" of time ....

The best kitchen appliance I ever bought is a counter depth refrigerator. The kitchen in my current home was built for Barbie; a full-depth refrigerator sticks so far out in the room, it's the only thing you see. With the counter depth refrigerator, I gain eight inches of floor space.

I truly enjoy and learn an immense amount from your videos, Garrett. I wish you might address what I see as a common design problem now, that of a busy (granite) countertop, patterned floor, and then equally busy backsplash. I see this in so many homes now and it is so distracting. I can see one pattern in a kitchen, maybe 2 if they are expertly done, but three? No, thank you! I also know that you don't like the microwave above the stovetop but I have to point out that in many small kitchens (none of these 10 kitchens even approached small) the only way to have venting AND a handy microwave is to place it above the stove. There simply isn't the room that these large ornate hoods require. I wish you might speak to smaller spaces as well as the larger ones.

love the clear and direct feedback. the only thing I would want to see is like edits on the original (like an illustration of what it could look like with the changes)

Happy Birthday, Garrett! Thank you for discussing the hoods. I'm struggling to pick one currently! I live in a 1930's brick bungalow and am trying to be respectful of the home's history in my kitchen remodel. We've got cherry wood cabinets (including beautiful "larder" cabinets, which I fell in love with after you talked about them!), soap stone counters, white subway tile, and SS appliances. I'm really drawn to copper hoods as objects and am heavily considering. It will be a stand alone hood much like the one you showed with the hood that was too small. I was thinking the warm copper tones would look good with the warm wood tones from the larder cabinets on the other wall. What do you guys think? Should one mix a copper hood with a SS range??

Those high bar dated kitchen countertops you were talking about earlier in your video we have one and I love it actually. I know a lot of people are having those taken out but the advantages in an open concept it hides The kitchen sink and dishes etc. The trick is to take away the barstools doesn't need barstools and people don't need to sit there. Then it works great to put out hors d'oeuvres I often use that to sit my candles while they're burning also when the guys come over it gives them a good place to lay their sunglasses and wallet. My mate is 6 foot three and he loves having the tall counter to place things on now and then.

After careful consideration with my kitchen remodel I went with a low profile over the stove microwave. It has a powerful fan and seems to do the job. My kitchen is on the smaller side and I could not give up any counter top or cabinet space to put a microwave in. I'm really happy with my decision.

Laugh at your "we gonna go, we gonna leave kitchen" 😅 Yeah, so agreed that's a busy kitchen look.

Just found your channel, I’m 70 and really like you opinions. I think you have great ideas an good common sense for those of us that have older homes and are updating but can’t spend thousands. I will look forward to your channel. Nebraska

Happy birthday, Garrett! I seem to recall this is a significant year for you, warranting a cruise, so enjoy! And thank you for not forcing us to go a week without you. Much appreciated. The last kitchen is the most luxurious, of course, but, frankly, I wouldn’t trade any of them for mine. In my custom kitchen, I avoided every complaint you raise in your video - well, almost. Regarding bar stools, I dislike counter stools, as well. My kitchen is large enough that we were able to install a table, 4’ x 4’, which abuts the back of my kitchen island. I had a beautiful steel pedestal made for it and finished in the oil-rubbed bronze of my cabinet hardware and plumbing fixtures. The island counter and table tops are Neutrino Bordeaux granite, while my counters are black granite. I have 4 upholstered chairs that fit under the table and are as comfortable as any dining chair. No perching in my house! I have a second sink in my island, but it is located at one end. Having a sink directly across from a stove top is, in my opinion, awkward, if not potentially hazardous. Because my kitchen table and island are, in effect, one, I did install matching fxtures over them, albeit one is linear and the other square. I don’t think you’d mind. All the best in the coming year❤️

Thank you for another great video, Garrett, and I hope you're enjoying your birthday cruise!!! I love your tips and ideas! I, too, detest a microwave over the stove, and I have NEVER had a great working exhaust fan on one of these microwaves. Your points about counter depth refrigerators are SO true! I just bought one, and it is much more pleasing visually. It is quite a bit smaller, though, so that may not work for a large family. Thank you for always thinking about different ability levels in your videos! We should be able to easily age in place in our lovely spaces!!! Happy Holidays!!! 🤗🎄🤗 Colleen

I love the coffee bar idea within the cabinet/closet. You have once again given me another great idea for my kitchen. Enjoy your fabulous "Birthday Cruise"!

I have a bar top, but I also thankfully have a oval shaped kitchen with an island. Chairs at the bar counter would block the walking path so the counter does just function to block the kitchen activity from the living space, which I love...more like I'm okay with it. I definitely wanted a kitchen that wasn't part of the living room. Separation please!

Happy birthday Garrett!! From me and my little toddler, she loves watching you as much as I do 🥰🥰

Happy Birthday!!!🥳🥳🥳 In Tina Turner Buddhism, winter always turns to spring. The thicker the mud, the more beautiful the lotus! So Happy Holly Daze, and Happy New Year too!!😇😇😇

Happy Vacation. The kitchen toward the end where you spoke of pentant lights and bar stools, I would have had a low table. The bar height table chairs with bar stools in the same roo. was too much bar height. For me.

Hi Garrett - I'm a new subscriber. I like most of your decorating advice! While I see from your photo examples, an above counter microwave is unattractive but the way mine is located and the function it has for me while cooking meals works for me. I think moving it to a lower cabinet wouldn't make it any more attractive....one looks up and sees it, or one looks down and sees it. My current struggle however is trying to find lights to replace "the girls" in my kitchen. So far nothing appeals to me. I also counted the number of them in my entire house: 10! That adds up when they all could/should be replaced.

Allow me to get my passport while I travel to the refrigerator! Kitchen #5, I think. Happy Birthday!🥂🎂 🙋‍♀️

Oh my goodness! Happy Happy Birthday! Enjoy your cruise, have tons of fun! Great video as always ❤️🎂

Happy birthday Garret! Enjoy your vacay! In the last kitchen, in addition to the gap above the cabinets, the second thing that drew my eye was the power socket on the side of the island. It's really conspicuous in that expanse of white. It would have been easy to move it around the corner and hide it under the counter.

That last kitchen i looove, except the high stools, they look like huge soldiers just taking over. Thanks for the vaca video, enjoy!!

It's so thoughtful of you to remember us on your vacation ☺☺ Ty for the video and Happy Birthday! 💙💙💙

Garrett, thank you so much for bringing us these valuable kitchen ideas on your cruise trip. I appreciate your solution to light up the gap between the ceiling and the top cabinet. I also learned my mistake to have island too far from my sink. They are 5' apart. I originally thought the wider the better as at family reunion, many ppl brings dishes into the sink. But now I realized I lost the golden triangle. I hardly use my island to prepare dinner, I still crowd my counter because the island is too far away. It's so important to have your advices.

Hello Garrett, I’m so happy I stumbled across your channel. I’m house hunting and will hopefully soon be moving from my apartment and looking forward to decorating my new home.

Happy Birthday!!! Working while you're on vacation....I hope you are having the best time.

This is so helpful since I am in the process of renovating my kitchen. I think my kitchen design doesn’t have these alarming mistakes 😊, but it definitely helps to get your take on what’s not to do. Love your channel and enjoy your cruise and happy birthday 🎉.

I agree with you about the bar countertop. I don’t mind sitting at the bar in a restaurant having a drink but have never wanted one in my house. We just finished removing that ‘step up’ counter and making the counter a bit wider and all the same height. The kitchen you show with all the pattern (floor, countertop, backsplash) could be less busy if the grout was painted the same color as the tile. This would be less expensive if you could not afford to remove the tiles. Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Garrett!🥳🎉🎂 This video came at a great time. My husband and I have been talking about remodeling our kitchen in the next few years. Right now it's horrible. Our dishwasher and fridge are right next to each other causing us to not be able to open them at the same time. Microwave is also above oven. Can't stand it. This video helped me to make sure we avoid those types of mistakes.

Happy birthday Garrett, enjoy your vacation. Your videos are so informative. I want to remodel my 1996 kitchen this year. I wish I could send you some pictures and get some ideas. I feel a little lost 😊 Have a great time on your birthday vacation.

Worse than microwaves over stove is the fridge that isn't built in. I can't deal with floating fridges.

Happy Birthday Garrett hope you guys are enjoying the break together. Fun fun fun. Thanks for taking time to do a video for us.

Happy birthday Garrett. I never knew about the rule for lights over the island versus the amount of stools. It makes perfect sense to me, but was a new concept to me. I'm thrilled I followed the rule without knowing it though.

Happy Birthday and Happy Vacation! Great information, as usual. Love the information about the bar stools. Now I know why a friend’s island looks off to me. I hate the microwave over the stove. As you age, that is too high for safety. We found that out when my oldest sister was ill. Thanks for all these tips and fixes! Already looking forward to your next video.

Happy Birthday Garrett! Love this episode as I am doing a new kitchen. I met you on the cruise and would have loved to wish you a Happy Birthday personally. So lucky to meet you in person. Hope you had a great time!

Just helped my MIL with her kitchen reno. In her open floor plan, we opted for a bar height counter above the sink area, just like in the video. However, we didn't include bar stools, because she thought a better use would be a bar for snacks, finger foods etc, for guests. You don't _need_ the bar stools at all, if your space has room for a dining table. She has a wine bar in the living room, also without stools, because its nicer to move around freely, and have a designated spot for mixing drinks, or wines. The design has to work for your purposes, not the other way! 😄💕

Happiest of birthdays Garrett! Thank you for sharing all these tips. I am in the process of designing my custom kitchen, and many of these I have already added. Thank you for your comment about the number of pendants versus chairs at an island. You are spot on! Thank you again for taking the time out of your wonderful trip!

We have a 75 year old family tile and granite company. The one thing I do in all my houses I've designed and built, I never do that 4 inch back splash anywhere in the house. I hate the line it creates when it is used. All my back splashes all start on the counter and then die at the cabinet bottoms or go all the way to the height of the top cabinets such as above the sink and behind the stove. And we never use tile on countetops. I do use natural stone tile on the back splash but then seal it with a sealer that makes the tile and grout impervious to staining. The grout we use between the counter top and splash is always a matching color sanded flexible grout that of course is the color match to the grout if using tile on it. Solid surface to solid surface is just a matched colored or clear calk. I also put things like the microwave, coffee machines and toasters and other small appliances in a pantry.

Happy Birthday!! We are in the process of gutting and renovating our 1925 bungalow, and the kitchen is a huge, exciting part of it. This video was very timely!!

Good Morning Garrett, Thankyou very much for the video and taking time out of your special holiday cruise:) Have a splendid vacation!! I did see the episode the day it was aired but was quiet caught up, and you know that I write to you in a connected way not just for the sake of jotting some words here and there, so today I have that Morning ME time🥰 Can I be honest, I didn’t love any kitchen in a way that made me think Aah this is something that I will pick for my another house😬but I like all of them for one or another reason. The things that I am not very fond of is the bulky ceiling lights in the kitchen. I like the sleek recessed lights. Rest all you spoke is always knowledge😍 You have a safe and wonderful holiday. XX Ramani

I’ve already benefited from your advice on rug size, side table lower than couch, making a seating space open and welcoming and avoiding overly matching colours. I’m now keen on getting some good kitchen tips!

Happy Birthday to you Garrett! 🥳 Hope you have a wonderful trip! 🏝🤩☀

I like the last kitchen and agree with you about eliminating the space above the cabinets. I don’t like the cabinets with space above them. A trend that I hope will fade out soon.

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉. I absolutely loved the mirrored kitchen!

My bar hides the mess in the kitchen from my dining table. Small space!!!

Garrett! You look great, fresh and rested! Happy birthday!

Hi Garrett, I am new to the channel. We’re building a new house and I am looking for ideas, since we made several mistakes in our previous one. I have zero ideas for the kitchen because I don’t cook that much 😄so anything you suggested sounds good to me 👍🏻

Savvy business man is what you are - love it.

Thumbs down on microwaves above stoves, ugh. Happy birthday and you're just trying to make us jealous of your cruise!😁

Hi Garrett Looks like you got some sun. Enjoy your cruise!

Happy birthday! I would have more counter depth refrigerators in many of these kitchens. And I never, ever use the cabinets above a refrigerator (if I put stuff in it, it's hard to access or I just leave them empty) and would prefer to leave that open for my large baskets to go on top of.

Happy Birthday to you Garrett. 🎉 I would love to see some kitchens with cabinets that are not white or timber colour. I personally am worn out by white, having had white kitchens since 1982. My parents had timber. I’m so bored with these choices. I would love to see a bit of colour. Not intrusive, loud or neon colours but elegant, heartwarming, inviting colours. Is this an uninformed request? Is it too much to ask these days?

Happy Birthday, Garrett. Enjoy your cruise!

How nice of you giving us a video during your birthday vacation…thank you! I have a cabinet that is hard to reach….I am going to reorganize my stuff so I can remove it. Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday Garett! Have a wonderful time!🎊🎂🎉🍾

A really pretty painting in a splash-proof gold frame would look so good over that sink! Monet-like cheap but good poster? Easy to replace if water damaged! I need a window over my kitchen sink. Looking at a wall (or that sign!) would turn me into a zombie-bot!

I’m so glad our builder told us to get a counter depth fridge since the one we were considering would’ve stuck out.

Happy Birthday Garrett! Enjoy your hot and fun Caribbean vacation life❣️ The last one with the space on top of the cabinets and your commentary took me out 😅 Bisous 😘

Happy Birthday and thank you for the design advice!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY and...why are you working on your vacation!?! Having said that...one thing I see in many kitchen remodels is they forget to or ignore hiding the trash can. All that thought into a smooth design flow, then bam! A trash can that doesn't quite go and often sticks out. Hide it and elevate your space :-)

Happy birthday, Garrett! Great video!

Happy Belated birthday Garrett 🎂🍸🍾 cheers from New Zealand. I Iove your show so yes I've subscrided

Ventilation is highly important in the kitchen space, especially with gas ranges. Microwaves above the range is a big NO for many reasons, but the lack of ventilation is tops.

I love the second kitchen! But I am very partial to lots of natural light, and I totally agree about the lonely range hood. The only thing I would add - to ALL of these kitchens! - is some colour! I'd be terrified of making a mess in a kitchen so white, lol. But truthfully I'd love any of these nice big kitchens with all that storage and counter space, and your wise advice on fixing the problem parts of course. 😉 I hope you had a wonderful holiday! I'm a bit envious up here in the frozen north! 😍🥰

Hi Garrett! Enjoy your cruise! I’ve been watching your videos for a while and finally subscribed. Love your content. While I appreciate your putting something out while on vacation, be sure to focus solely on vacation next time. We will all understand your absence.

I have three bars in my small kitchen as well as it’s on an angle AND big soffits therefore the crappy mdf cabinets are minuscule. The only thing I like is the slab taupe marble countertop which would have to be demolished if I remodel.

Happy Birthday! If possible, I'd love to see your home decorated for the holidays. Please!

Happy birthday, Garrett! Have a nice vacation🥳

Happy Birthday! The last kitchen is gorgeous indeed! I think another few inches of crown molding might even do the trick and add to the luxury custom built aesthetic.

Hello Garrett! MY first reaction here! Love your channel! I'm doing a huge and major renovation and hope you will save us! Too bad I can't post some of the designs. Thank you for your content.

Happy Birthday Garrett! I hope it is the best ever. You always provide the best information and have really helped me improve our home.

13:09 the chair closest to the camera -- I would hate sitting there and banging my feet and shins on that drawer! 🦵😆 Happy Birthday and hope you are having great weather and food! 🚢

Happy Birthday Garrett 🎉❤. Hope you have a lot of fun and relaxation on your cruise 🚢 🥰🤗🇨🇦

Cooking is my favorite hobby and good kitchen design is something I look for. You have a terrific sense of how a well functioning and esthetically pleasing kitchen should be built. 😁👍 Came back to say Happy Birthday and I hope your cruise was enjoyably for the both of you..

Happy ❤Birthday, Garrett, enjoy your voyage. 🎉

Happy Birthday, Garrett! 🎂Great video, as always! Have fun on the cruise!

My favourite kitchen is the last one you showed. Enjoy you vacation and thanks for the informative video.

Happy birthday, Garrett! 💖

Happy Birthday, Garrett! I really enjoy your videos. I’m not one to keep my garbage can under a cabinet (bug invitation?), but the stainless can in the farmhouse/industrial kitchen really sticks out and seems out of the way. I would have placed it on the other end, space allowing.

Love your videos! Great content as usual and enjoy your vacation!

You should be enjoying the private island but thank you for the ideas! I have a mess of a kitchen and want to do something with it after the holidays! I've been a fan for quite sometime but never introduced myself - I'm Sherrie from Utah. Enjoy yourself on you vacation!

Hi Garrett 😁 are you able to make a video about wall panels or moldings and which style fits what type of interior design style? I am trying to find a video about it but I can’t find anything. I would love to know your opinion 😁 HAPPY BIRTHDAY by the way 🎂

Hi Garrett, I always love how you pick examples that are relatable to us pheasants. I don't like when other designers show 50K kitchen examples in a $5M house ! Yours are always something we've seen and totally relatable. I keep hearing white kitchen is out, but white and cooler tone colors look so much cleaner... I am a bit scared of going back to warmer or dark color. Is there low commitment solutions to this change of trend ???

I’m a 12/12 birthday girl- happy birthday! Love your vids. I’ve been renovating my entire house since a massive flood in February and your vids are hilarious but also so helpful!!! Enjoy your holiday!

3:00 the thing I noticed in that kitchen was the fridge. It has a free edge that, to me, makes the fridge look like an after thought, plus, if you open the fridge door it impedes the exterior door. Also, the cabinetry over the fridge is wonky. It's like no thought was made when designing the fridge and cabinets. I'm not hating the micro over the fridge, I prefer that to a micro on the counter. In a perfect world, an island would help with needed counter space if you wanted to ditch the over the range option. But, man, the first thing I saw in this picture was that fridge! It looks like a diamond in a rhino's ass.

Happy birthday! Hope your cruise is perfection 🎉🎉🎉

Happy Birthday! For the final kitchen example, I thought you would address the too many too close together (my opinion) counter height stools. Would you speak to that?

I’m new follower definitely love love your channel. Thank you for sharing your thoughts trough videos ❤

Happy Birthday Garrett! Hope you had a great time on your cruise.

On the last kitchen- agree about cabinet height but also- find an enclosed spot for that trash can! Huge amount of money spent on that kitchen and they put trash as the first thing you see. I don’t get that.

Wow happy cruising! And Happy birthday!!!!! 🎂