You can spend $50,000 on a kitchen and still walk in feeling like something isn't right. The “expensive” look is rarely about the price tag. It’s about whether the details feel coordinated, complete, and intentional.

In this episode, I share the four most common design mistakes that make a kitchen look cheap, and what you can do instead.

Key Takeways:

• Mismatched metals and low-quality fixtures that visually fight each other
• Choosing finishes with intention so the kitchen feels coordinated
• Backsplash layouts that stop short and create an unfinished look
• Removing the countertop mini backsplash strip before tiling
• Skipping under cabinet lighting and the value of layered lighting
• Using dimmers to avoid harsh “bright as the sun” lighting
• How to spot cheap cabinetry by sound, gaps, glides, and box material
• Why MDF and particle board can fail under real-life wear
  
  

You're invited to my FREE live training where I'll be redesigning a real kitchen live AND sharing 3 hidden mistakes to avoid when remodeling your kitchen.

It's Thursday, August 6, at 4pm PT. And if you can't make it, I'll send you a replay so you don't miss it.

You can save your spot here

Design is better with friends...

• Let's Connect on Instagram
• Get Inspired on Pinterest
• Head to the Nestorations website

I break down the three decisions that determine whether your first conversation with a kitchen contractor stays clear or spirals into confusion and change orders. I explain why contractors build the plan but usually do not design it, and how getting prepared first keeps your remodel on track.

• Why a contractor executes your plan rather than creates it
• Decision one setting a real budget number you can say out loud
• How vague budgets lead to blind bids and missed scope items
• Decision two separating needs from wants to protect function
• Using specific choices like lighting and flooring to define scope
• Decision three setting a realistic timeline and aligning expectations
• Why TV remodel timelines mislead and flexibility still matters

I'm hosting a free live training to help you plan and design your kitchen remodel.

The Kitchen Mistakes You Won't See Coming (Even With Great Taste)

Plus...watch me redesign a real, audience-submitted kitchen live.

Go ahead and save your spot in that live training,

https:/nestorations.mykajabi.com/kitchenwebinar

Design is better with friends...

• Let's Connect on Instagram
• Get Inspired on Pinterest
• Head to the Nestorations website

Episode 88

If you're already picking out tile and pricing countertops, some part of you has already decided you're designing this kitchen yourself, and hiring out the rest. The real question isn't whether you can, it's whether you're about to do it the hard way or the smart way, and today I'm going to help you figure out which one you're headed for

Designing your own kitchen is completely doable, but the real choice is whether we do it alone or follow a plan that keeps decisions, budget, and timing under control. We lay out what DIY kitchen design really demands day to day, then share the signs you’re set up for the smart path instead of the stressful one.

• The real workload behind a DIY kitchen remodel, from selections to contractor coordination
• Why decision fatigue shows up fast in kitchens and how to spot it early
• The smart setup signs, including a firm budget, clear style, and high-end custom goals
• The hard-path red flags, including overwhelm, no budget, and not knowing decision order
• How a guided process changes the day-to-day experience without taking away ownership
• The two buckets of a kitchen remodel: design and construction, and how DIY applies to both

Download my free kitchen planning guide to discover the first 3 decisions you need to make for your kitchen remodel.

Design is better with friends...

• Let's Connect on Instagram
• Get Inspired on Pinterest
• Head to the Nestorations website