5 Kitchen Layout Mistakes Designers Want You to Stop Making

If you want to create a kitchen that’s both functional and fashionable, you have to nail the layout. Wood-drenched cabinets and built-in bars might warrant a lot of compliments, but if you have a hard time going from the stovetop to the dishwasher? Forget about it.

Some of the West Coast’s chefs shared their hottest takes on common kitchen design trends, but we couldn’t help but wonder what professional decorators thought. After all, it’s their job to create culinary spaces for everyone: Burgeoning home chefs, avid entertainers, and, yes, those who rely on food deliveries.

From nonsensical storage to “eyesore” islands, dodging these kitchen don’ts will yield a space that’s delicious and design-minded in equal measure.

Say Goodbye to Superfluous Seating

Kitchen by JRS Interior Design

Design by Jessica Risko Smith; Photo by Chad Mellon

One of the biggest configuration faux pas, Jessica Risko Smith says, is designing a kitchen around a feature you’re really not going to use. And more times than not? That’s the stools that flank an island. “If your family gathers around a breakfast table just outside the kitchen, those stools become expensive, space-stealing obstacles,” says the Santa Barbara-based designer. “Every inch of island perimeter that goes to seating is an inch lost to storage or prep surface.”

Instead, Smith prefers to use this space for items her clients will actually enjoy such as an integrated microwave or coffee station.

Choosing Symmetry over Function

Kitchen by Dezirae Bruni

Design by Dezirae Bruni; Photo by Kayla Bowen

“Kitchens start to fall short when they are designed for symmetry instead of routine,” says Dezirae Bruni, an interior designer based in Las Vegas. “The best layouts today are not just about chasing a perfect work triangle, but about making daily life feel easier, more intuitive, and ultimately more enjoyable.” The biggest culprit: Your cabinets.

“The most functional kitchens are planned in zones,” she says. “Prep, cooking, cleanup, and storage, so that everyday items live exactly where they are needed.” For example, glasses should be near the dishwasher whereas spatulas and tongs will work nicely by the stovetop.