An interior design expert has revealed five kitchen trends they would never use in their own home – and explained why you should avoid them too.
TikTok creator Project 23 Designs, which uses the @project23designs handle on the platform, shared the information in a recent video.
In it, she outlines each of the five trends and also explains exactly why she thinks they are best avoided.
Many of the reasons are very practical, for example regarding how difficult it is to keep certain set-ups or design features clean and hygienic.
In the video she says, “(Here are) three things I wouldn’t do in the kitchen as an interior designer.”
An interior design expert (pictured) has revealed five design choices she says you shouldn’t implement in your kitchen
The first feature she outlines may divide opinion because it’s a look many people like: open shelves. But, says the designer, she would avoid “too many open shelves.”
She explains, “This might look great in photos, but open shelves collect dust and grease, especially if they’re near your cooktop.”
As a result, she says, she would limit the space to just a few open shelves, where a small number of carefully chosen stylish items could be stored, not just everyday cups and plates.
As an alternative, she suggests a tall display cabinet, adding that she likes smoked glass.
Her second point can also be a contentious point for some sharp distinctions. She says she would avoid “pans and pots on display,” adding that they’re more for cooking than their aesthetic value, preferring to “keep them for that purpose.”
The third trope the designer should avoid is having too many items on the counter.
“Avoid cluttering your cupboards with small kitchen appliances and utensils,” she advises. “This will help you maintain a clean and inviting kitchen space.”
Her fourth tip also pertains to keeping a space clean and well-maintained — avoid cabinets that don’t reach all the way to the ceiling, which creates gaps between the cabinet tops and the ceiling.
Tips like making sure you have more than one light source and building your cabinets to the ceiling were also on the designer’s list
“These openings will collect dust and we’ll make your space feel lower,” she says.
“If you have a standard ceiling height, I’d take the cabinets all the way to the ceiling for a more sophisticated look. This makes your space feel higher and your wall cabinets remain dust-free.’
If you already have cabinets that don’t reach the ceiling, she doesn’t recommend storing or displaying items in them.
Her fifth and final point relates to lighting and the optimal way to illuminate the room. According to the designer, her tip is to avoid having only one light source in the kitchen.
She explains, “Having only one light source in the kitchen… won’t be functional. You have to build in task lighting as well as mood lighting.’