Kitchen Renovation Mistakes I’d Fix If I Were Starting Over

TL;DR: Kitchen Renovation Mistakes I’d Fix If I Were Starting Over

If I were starting over, I’d keep the layout, but I’d make five practical changes:

• Bigger sink in the island for easier cleanup

• Skip the six burners and choose something you’ll actually use (griddle or induction)

• Go stronger on ventilation if you cook with high heat

• Don’t build in a microwave if you never use one

• Try integrated vs. standard fridges in person before you commit

Kitchen Renovation Mistakes I'd Fix If I Were Starting Over - Audio Narration

10:36

I’ve been working at Yale full-time since 1986. Even with all that experience, there are things I’d do differently in my own kitchen.

Over the years, I’ve remodeled three different apartments. Back in 2017, I completely renovated a burnt-out brownstone here in Boston’s South End.

In this article, I’m going to walk you through what worked, what didn’t, and the appliance decisions I’d change if I were doing this again.

If you live in Boston, or you’re working on an older home or a brownstone, pay attention. These are the kinds of details you only learn after you’ve lived with the kitchen.

Let’s get started.

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Kitchen Renovation Mistakes I’d Fix If I Were Starting Over

Mistake #1: The Sink

⚡ Quick Answer: I’d keep the sink in the island, but I’d choose a slightly larger sink for more flexibility and easier cleanup.

Let me start with something I tell people to think about first: the sink. This is where I didn’t follow my own advice.

I put a basic, standard-size sink in my island. The placement is right. I don’t have to deal with venting, and from a layout standpoint, it made sense.

But I undersized it.

Living with it every day, I realized how limiting a smaller sink can be. Big pots are harder to deal with. Sheet pans don’t sit comfortably. There’s just less flexibility than I expected.

Now, you don’t need to go all the way to a Galley sink with every accessory. That’s not what this is about. I just should’ve gone bigger than average.

A slightly larger sink would’ve given me more room to work and made cleanup easier.

If I were starting over, that’s one easy change I’d make. Same location, just a bigger sink.

🔍 Read more: What Appliances You Should and Should Not Place in a Kitchen Island

Mistake #2: The Six-Burner Cooktop

⚡ Quick Answer: Most people rarely use more than three burners at once. If you want everyday performance, a griddle or induction may be a better use of a 36-inch space.

This one surprised me.

I placed a 36-inch, six-burner Wolf rangetop in my kitchen. I like the brand. The cooktop works exactly as it should.

But here’s the honest question: How often do you use six burners? Or five? Or even four?

Basically never.

What I really needed wasn’t more burners. It was more utility.

If I were doing this again, I would’ve made a different choice. I could’ve gone with the same rangetop but added a griddle in the middle.

That alone would’ve been more practical: grilled cheese, breakfast, quick meals, the things you actually cook every day. Yes, the vent hood would need to be a little deeper and a little stronger. That’s solvable.

But if I’m being completely honest, I probably would’ve gone induction.

What I actually care about is speed. Speed for mac and cheese. Speed for soup. Speed for boiling water and getting dinner on the table.

Induction is just faster. And in a 36-inch space, almost any other cooking setup would’ve worked better for how I really cook.

So if you’re looking at a six-burner cooktop, stop and ask yourself one question: Do you really use six burners?

If the answer is no, there may be a better option.

🔍 Read more: The 3 Fastest Induction Cooktops

Mistake #3: The Vent Hood

⚡ Quick Answer: If you cook often or use high heat, prioritize performance over looks. A deeper hood with a larger capture area can matter as much as CFM.

This one will surprise you, especially coming from me.

I have a Miele hood. And to be clear, it’s not a bad hood. I actually like it. The lighting is great, the design is sleek, and it looks good in the kitchen.

But if I’m being technical, I should’ve gone more utilitarian.

This hood is 600 CFM. For how I cook, it’s fine. But it could be deeper. And if I cooked more aggressively, it really should be stronger.

If I were doing this again, I’d probably choose a more professional-style hood: deeper capture area, baffle filters, something designed first to grab smoke and grease, not just look good doing it.

I know that sounds ironic, because I talk about ventilation all the time. This setup isn’t a failure. It works.

But if you cook a lot, or you’re searing, sautéing, or using high heat regularly, you’ll want more hood than you think. Capture area matters.

So if you’re choosing between a beautiful hood and one that’s more purpose-built, lean toward performance first, especially if you cook.

Mistake #4: The Microwave

⚡ Quick Answer: If you don’t actually use a microwave, don’t automatically build one into your plan. Spend money on the appliances you know you’ll use every week.

Here’s one I really question: Why do I even have a microwave?

Let me be clear. I never use it.

I reheat everything in a steam oven. The food actually tastes good coming out of it. And I’m fine waiting an extra eight or nine minutes if it means leftovers don’t come out rubbery.

So with that in mind, why did I put in a microwave at all?

It’s a Wolf drawer microwave. And if you’re buying a drawer style, you’re usually spending $1,200 to $2,000, or more, on an appliance you might never use.

That’s the bigger lesson here.

Before you spec everything into a kitchen, stop and ask yourself if you actually use it, or if you just think you’re supposed to have it.

Because it’s very easy to spend $1,400 on something that looks right on a plan, but never gets used once you live there.

You can always justify it with resale. I get that. But for your own kitchen, don’t buy appliances you know you won’t use.

Mistake #5: The Integrated Refrigerator

⚡ Quick Answer: Integrated refrigerators look seamless, but they can be less ergonomic because the compressor placement often makes you reach higher. Before you commit, try both styles in person and see what feels better day to day.

This one I can live with, but it’s still worth talking about.

I have a Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator. It’s fully panelized, so it disappears into the cabinetry. You can’t really tell where the cabinets stop and the refrigerator starts. Visually, it looks great.

The trade-off is accessibility. With integrated refrigerators, the compressor is on the bottom. That means everything inside sits higher. You’re reaching up more, especially to the top shelves.

If I had gone with a standard counter-depth Sub-Zero, the compressor would be on top. Everything inside would sit lower and be easier to reach. The downside is it sticks out a bit more. You see the appliance instead of hiding it.

For me, the seamless look was worth the reach. I knew that going in.

But this is something you really need to experience in person. Stand in front of both. Open the doors. Reach for the top shelf. Then decide what matters more to you: the look, or the everyday ergonomics.

There’s no wrong answer here. You just don’t want to discover that trade-off after it’s already installed.

🔍 Read more: Integrated Refrigerators: Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying

What Did I Get Right in This Kitchen Renovation?

⚡ Quick Answer: The layout works because the most-used appliances are close together, which keeps the kitchen efficient. I also made a few smart appliance choices that improved how the kitchen functions day to day.

The Layout

Now, if you’ve watched some of my other videos, you know I don’t get everything wrong.

The first thing I got right here is the layout.

Yes, I shouldn’t have bought a microwave. But notice where it is: it’s out of the way. It’s not in the center of the kitchen. I’m not walking around it to get to appliances I actually use.

What matters most is that everything I use all the time is close together.

The sink is in the island. The cooktop is right there. The dishwasher is right there. I’m never more than a step away from any of them. That’s the kitchen triangle, and I still believe in it.

From a layout standpoint, this kitchen works really well. I’m not fighting it. I’m not walking laps. Everything flows the way it should.

So even with some appliance decisions I’d change, the layout itself is something I’d absolutely do again.

The Ovens

The other thing I got right is the ovens.  Instead of defaulting to a double oven, I went a different route. I didn’t want two identical ovens when I knew I’d barely use the second one.

So I put in a steam oven. And that decision actually changed the way I cook.

Food just tastes better out of a steam oven. You’re adding moisture, not pulling it out. That matters whether you’re reheating leftovers, baking, or cooking proteins. It’s the opposite of a microwave, where everything comes out dry or rubbery.

I use the steam oven constantly, far more than I ever used a second traditional oven.

For a lot of people, a steam oven can replace that second oven and actually improve how you cook day to day.

So before you automatically spec a double oven, it’s worth stopping and asking if a steam oven makes more sense for how you really cook.

🔍 Read more: Speed Ovens vs. Steam Ovens: Which Should You Buy?

Refrigerator Drawers

One other thing I got right was adding refrigerator drawers at the end of the kitchen.

They’re right next to the microwave, but still out of the main work area. I don’t have to get up every time my daughter wants a Poppi soda. She can grab it herself.

They’re great for canned drinks, which are always awkward to store in a regular refrigerator. And for a nine-year-old, they’re easy to reach and easy to use.

It’s a small detail, but it makes the kitchen work better day to day. Less traffic at the main fridge. Less interruption. And a lot more convenience.

Final Takeaways

⚡ Quick Answer: Where you put the kitchen changes how you live in the house, not just how it looks. Choose the layout that best supports your day-to-day traffic, noise, light, and how each floor gets used.

In any home, kitchen placement is a lifestyle decision as much as a design decision.

In my brownstone, I put the kitchen in the basement. That came with real advantages. It’s convenient from where you park. Bringing groceries in is easy. We also cut in windows from above, so it gets great light and doesn’t feel like a basement.

That said, if I were thinking about it today, I might make a different choice

Because once the kitchen went downstairs, that’s where everything happened. The second floor didn’t get used as much. In hindsight, I could’ve made the first floor a better play space for my daughter and moved the kitchen up.

There’s no perfect answer here. It’s a trade-off.

Where you put a kitchen in a brownstone changes how you live in the house. Traffic. Noise. Light. How each floor gets used.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both layouts. Just make sure you pick the one that best supports your lifestyle.

If you’re looking for renovation mistakes to avoid, grab a snack and watch this webinar.

Additional Resources

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