I was really surprised to see how much the yahoo commenters loved this kitchen. I'd say 90% of the commenters gushed and drooled over it.

Here's my take on it. The stone backsplash looks really hard to keep clean. There's only 24" of space between the sink and cooktop and the dishwasher is there. The cooktop is directly next to the ovens which makes the right burners near useless. The angled wall that the oven stack is on almost guarantees freezer door dings. Outside of general layout issues, it's really dark and cave like.

What do you all think? Incidentally, my fave of the bunch was Ellen & Portia's light & bright painted kitchen. Here's a link to the yahoo article with insane commenters.

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in."

To say nothing of the fact that the source "The Death of the Hired Man" is not exactly a cheery piece, so to couple that quotation with that forcibly cheery kitchen is a horrible choice.

End of English major's rant.

Diane Keaton's is too noisy for me. I want a calmer look while still being fun.

I love Elton's kitchen and think it is a happy/silly look. Notice how easily one can change the decor and colors without gutting it....

Ellen & Portia's is very pretty and one I'd also love to have.

Sting's is cold and the edges are too harsh for my tastes.

Apparently Sting and Trudie Styler do white on white in most of their houses (?) There was a comment by another celebrity who bought one of their places that people had to wear sunglasses inside because the glare was blinding at certain times of day. (They redecorated)

Isn't it interesting what people choose to do when money isn't a big factor?

Individually, I like a lot of the pieces and components. But you know how that is. It's all how they're put together.

That backsplash? Wouldn't wish it on someone I disliked.

Christine

It was really hard to find another angle of this kitchen, but here's another view. Imagine prepping on the island so as not to be right over the dishwasher, scooping your veg and Guhhh right into the column.

The rugs really bother me in Portia and Ellen's kitchen. What are they hiding under there?

I like Diane Keaton's peninsula tiles, and love that glass case over the island in Ellen and Portia's kitchen...Great storage, and still light. It's the only kitchen with a nice amount of windows and natural light shown in the photo, which really affects the feel. It's just designed to be warmer and homier in the first place. --But they need drawers in the island. ;-)

The ones that look relatively sterile and unloved probably are part of really effective architectural spaces. One hopes! I've appraised fine homes that just felt fantastic to move through even as there was very little to specifically look at. Since I'm a "things" person, I was always bemused at how wonderful empty spaces can be and how wrong "personality" finishes and personal treasures would be in them. Just the artistic use of light--ummm!!

:)

It must look kind of absurd in a NY loft??? Talk about keeping with the architecture....

That big glass box over Ellen's island is the thing that really astounds me. No way!

I'll take Keaton's kitchen, but paint out the quote.

needed a warning for that post. I was eating lunch and choked laughing at your comparison. Spot on! This kitchen is dark, ugly and looks like a set, not a house. Certainly not a home.

Ne

The ONLY way I'd like Gerard Butler's kitchen was if he was in it--preferably spread out on the island with an apple in his mouth.

... with an apple in his mouth and that banana in his pocket?

As for Gerard Butler's kitchen, I'm sorry, but it looks like he brought the island in from a full life in the barn along with the posts/pillars. I can see old Bessie tied to one of those to be milked. The chandelier is an interesting touch, makes me think of the Adams Family.

The cleaning comment is a little silly. Anyone who travels and entertains as much as a celebrity will not be a heavy user of the kitchen. Plus yes, he has cleaning, as do many of us who post here do, I suppose. I think for a kitchen of this budget cleanability is like nowhere on the list.

yawn.