"Trying to be too trendy."
-- Cyndy Cantley, kitchen designer, Birmingham

"The biggest mistake that I see is not maximizing cabinet space. You should take your cabinetry completely to the ceiling and let the crown wrap it. It makes the kitchen grand and you can get a lightweight step ladder to access the space."
-- Susan Massey, designer, Rosemary Beach, Florida

"Using too many materials mixed together -- my limit is 3!"
-- Alison Spear, architect and interior designer, Miami

"Designing dark kitchens and not providing adequate lighting."
-- Michael Imber, architect, San Antonio

"Inexpensive cabinetry and polished marble countertops, which look harsh unless paired with sleek cabinetry."
-- Barbara Westbrook, designer, Atlanta

"Trying to live in the house during renovation and beginning construction before all the design aspects, including the cost, have been thoroughly considered."
-- Ken Pursley, architect, Charlotte

"Thinking a granite countertop makes a great kitchen. Granite on top of mediocre cabinets with a bad layout makes for an unattractive kitchen. Consumers should select a kitchen design that they are willing to live with for many years to come or that the next homeowner will appreciate. Think resale vale, rather than a trendy look that will rapidly fade."
-- Tobin Mansfield, kitchen designer, Atlanta

"Not hiring a kitchen design specialist. Also, a boring ceiling and inadequate lighting seem to be the most common mistakes."
-- Matthew Quinn, kitchen designer, Atlanta

"Having poor work circulation, not enough counter space, cooktops in islands, not having countertops by the refrigerator or cooktops, placing windows over cooktops or too close to the sink so there's not enough rooom for a sill, tiles that are too bright or busy, busy marble or granite."
-- Cathy Kincaid, designer, Dallas

"Making the island out of the same base cabinet as the rest of the kitchen. It needs to be its own feature and stand out."
-- William Baker, designer, Atlanta

"People have too much stuff and therefore try to build in too much storage. Also, I think they spend too much on cabinetry and hanging cabinets."
-- Cindy Smith, designer, Charlotte

"The tendency to incorporate too many elements -- overdoing the architecture and the grandiosity of the cabinets. Simple can be more elegant."
-- Carolyn Malone, designer, Atlanta

"Most kitchens I see in the shelter press these days are too heavy on architectural features. A kitchen should feel homey, not pretentious, expensive or showy. The kitchen shouldn't upstage the living room."
-- Milton Grenfell, architect, Washington, D.C.