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Don't Design for One Person(2 of 5)

Relax. This mistake rests squarely on the designer's shoulders. Often, Stimmel says, designers don't look physically at the people who are going to live in and use the kitchen. If the wife cooks a lot but the husband doesn't, the designer will meet only with the wife. Say the husband is 6-foot-5 and the wife is 5-feet tall. The designer creates a kitchen island with space for bar chairs. "She's perfectly comfortable sitting at the island," Stimmel says. "And even though the husband tells you 50 times that he doesn't care about the project, when he can't fit into a chair at the kitchen island, he's going to care."

Designers must involve everyone in the household at some point in the process, Stimmel says. "Drag them kicking and screaming, but get them involved."