Getting ready to remodel?  Here’s a list of the most common mistakes you can make, and mistakes you should avoid with your new kitchen cabinets at all cost.

1.  Selecting beautiful cabinets is only half the battle.  Ensuring you have enough storage for your plates, pots and pans is the other half.  Incorporate dividers and pull out shelving that will make storing and finding them a lot easier.

2.  You think bright pink cabinets could be fun.  While personality is important to reflect your style, your kitchen cabinets isn’t exactly the place to go hog-wild.  Select fun pulls, knobs and incorporate small colorful counter top appliances to accentuate your kitchen.  Your kitchen cabinet choices should be something that both you and your family can live with for the next 15-20 years.  Don’t forget, color trends, styles and patterns change all the time.  You’re probably better off staying as neutral as possible and go wild with the hardware and accessories.

3.  A kitchen remodel is a massive undertaking.  Unless you’re a contractor or cabinet maker and installer, leave this one up to the experts.  Make sure they are licensed and bonded and seek references where possible.

4.  Design with the future in mind.  It might be ok to do lower counter tops for your kids right now, but they grow up and get tall,  and that “little bitty” cute spot you built for them becomes useless.

5.  Your kitchen lighting is very important.  Work it into your budget and have a plan in place.  It sets the mood for your kitchen and keeps it safe.  You don’t want poor light fixture placement to cast shadows on your lovely earth toned cabinets making them appear to be brown and worn.  You spent a lot of time selecting those cabinets.  They deserve to be the star of the kitchen.

6.  Be sure of your decisions before the project begins.  Changing your mind half way through will cost you big time.  If you’re tired of walking across the room to get to your pantry then move it.  Move it at the planning stage, not when the remodel is almost done.

7.  You have Extreme Home Makeover overload.  Gutting your entire kitchen may not be necessary.  Figure out what you really need in advance and plan for just those changes.  You only need to spend on what you really need.

8.  Be realistic about your appliance package.  If you’re not a gourmet cook, you don’t need the Martha Stewart version of appliances in your kitchen.  That is money not well spent, and it’ll be years before you figure out how to use all the features.  Be practical and smart about your choices.