We Asked Our Readers the Kitchen Upgrade They Regret Most, and Here’s What They Said
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It was an innocent article, so you’d think — a simple roundup of kitchen upgrades that home cooks regret. Some were obvious, like adding stainless steel appliances without considering the streaking and therefore constant cleaning they require. Others were little tweaks you might never think of until it was too late — like the direction your cabinet doors open. Instead of (or in addition to!) helping our readers learn from these mistakes, the comment section exploded with 40-plus other home cooks’ biggest kitchen design regrets.
The comments became one big venting session — readers jumped at the chance to share their frustrating upgrade choices and biggest regrets. There was no judgment — just lots of support, commiseration, and, most of all, suggestions so the same mistakes are avoided. Whether you’re in the midst of upgrading your kitchen, or have a vision in mind, knowledge is power! Below, find what readers said in the comments about their biggest kitchen renovation or upgrade regrets. And please, if you have more to add, the community you seek is standing by in the comment section!
1. Having an Inaccessible Pantry
Pantry organizing can truly be an art — but when the design of the pantry gets in the way, it’s a non-starter. User8832356 added a pantry cabinet that is too deep and hard to access. “I should have just added more lower drawers and upper cabinets and extended the counter,” they share.
2. Not Adding Enough Outlets
User_664454136 has three words for you: “MORE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS!” They thought just one outlet per wall would be fine, but “’NO!!!!” they scream. “Map out your appliances, one for your cell phone or tablet, cooking shows, etc., then decide where and how many outlets per wall will really suffice!” (This is also a major regret one designer has in her own kitchen.)
3. Not Installing Ample Lighting
When it comes to kitchen lighting, there are plenty of things that can go wrong. User Loopy1 recommends you “consider lighting. A single ceiling fixture is never enough.” Although their home’s previous owners were the ones who renovated it, they installed a single ceiling fixture and put a light in the microwave that’s over the range.
“It sucks. I can’t see what I’m doing at the sink, or in the corner at the end of the counter,” they comment. The solution? “I purchased a pair of pendant lights with rechargeable bulbs for over the sink. I also put up some little puck lights on the bottom of the upper cabinets. Our only window is 24 inches by 24 inches, two feet above the sink, and that’s the north end of the house, so no real light comes in.”
4. Putting Switches in Inconvenient Spots
Another commenter says to be mindful of where your light switches are placed. “The small under-cabinet light I leave on after evening cleanup — and is the last one I want to turn off before heading to bed — is across the kitchen rather than on my way out of the kitchen. It would have been so easy to swap them with the switch for the sink task lighting, which you want while you are in the kitchen, and it’s OK to turn them on and off in the kitchen. I gave it no thought and let the contractor do what made sense to him.”
5. Following Kitchen Design Trends
While different lifestyles and tastes in decor often affect your choices in your kitchen, some major kitchen trends just don’t work for everyone, like having colorful kitchen cabinets. User_230077333 admits to being at a stage where they want less work — not more. “A white [kitchen] suits me just fine! And something else I will never buy again? A glass-top stove. More work!” (The Kitchn editors tested the best methods for cleaning glass stovetops, and here’s the winner.)
