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Kitchen envy?!

Kitchen_ Reno
9 years ago

We are more than 50% through our kitchen remodel, which included taking down the wall between kitchen and small/little used dining room. We will now have an open, informal dining area. I finally, finally decided on the counters (leathered jet mist). It's all coming together!

But here's the bummer. I still have major kitchen envy! Although our space is more open, it's still small. I look at pictures online (including here) and at friends homes and lust after all the options that come with more space. We've spent all this money and I just hope it's all worth it

I think I might be worn out...the counter decision was so difficult for me. We've had cabinets but no counters for about a month. i hope once it all comes together I'll feel excited. Anyone else have kitchen envy even after completing their remodel??

Comments (51)

  • greenhaven
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I totally agree with linelle, that it will pass. It is much like the crash that so often follows the Christmas/New Year holiday period, I think!

    It is way too flippant to simply say "Be content with what you've got," but it does help me, when I struggle with kitchen envy, to remind myself "That just doesn't work in my space," then focus on what does.

    There are sooo many beautiful kitchens here on the GW and Houzz, and however many else sites and catalogs feature showcase kitchens. But I *know* me, and know that I will be very happy with the functional and more-beautiful-than-it-was-before kitchen I have in the works. When I see cool gadgets I just ask myself (over and over, sometimes, lol!) "Yeah, but how often would I even use such a thing?"

    When I really get bogged down I make myself stay away from the best sites and put down the BHG magazines and cabinetry catalogs. The less time I spend longingly gazing upon what I cannot have the more content I am with what I *do* have.

    The same applies for my garden, barn and landscaping, too. ;o)

  • quesera1970
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I get it. Especially when I look here and see these freaking amazing, huge, gorgeous kitchens that are the size of our house, and that people have planned meticulously to the last detail. Our 10x12 kitchen is still that same size, although now U shaped and filled with light. But I didn't obssess over many of the details (when I finally post it will be 'our quick n dirty kitchen reno') and part of me wishes I had, and had been reading GW for a year before starting. But...when I step away from all that, I look at what we had before and it is a major improvement. It's a functional, livable, nice kitchen that works for our house and our family. In a few months I probably wont notice the little things that irk me now--and if I do, I'll fix. In terms of choices--sometimes you just gotta make a decision and move on. Remember, the perfect is the enemy of the good....

  • Kitchen_ Reno
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks all! These are exactly the things I needed to hear. I'm worn out. I've been obsessing, and I'm already 2nd guessing. It's exhausting. Hopefully soon I'll just be "living" and if I'm doing so happily in my new kitchen, all will be good :)

    At the very least, it's an improvement over the dark space it once was!

  • dcward89
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When I start to have a bout of kitchen envy I start thinking about all the things I love about my house such as it's paid for, we have a beautiful, humungous lot, a huge window over the sink that looks out on our beautiful piece of land, it takes no time to clean it, lol...as we are working on our reno, also about 1/2 way done, I think about how much I love that it's now open to the lr/dr, how much more counter space I will have, the beautiful cherry cabinets waiting to be installed...just typing it out I'm getting all excited. I also love to travel so having a "regular sized" house and kitchen affords us the opportunity to see parts of the world I may not have been able to if we were still paying a mortgage. Our house really is perfect for us and that's all that matters in the end!

  • Bunny
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Remember, the perfect is the enemy of the good....

    Ain't it the truth?!! Someone said that in a meeting I attended yesterday, nothing to do with home improvements (church actually, LOL).

  • blfenton
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree with all of the above. My kitchen is pretty simple but boy what an improvement over what I had before. My kitchen suits me, our house, our neighbourhood and most importantly our budget and lifestyle.

    I do admire some gorgeous kitchens here and in magazines but when I am not busy being envious and instead being truly honest with myself I know they wouldn't work for me.

  • fishymom
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a small kitchen also and it is hard not to envy the large, gorgeous kitchens, with huge islands, walk-in pantries and all the bells and whistles. But I am very happy with my newly renovated kitchen(will be happier when I finally chose a backsplash!). The one regret I have is not having drawers in two of my base cabinets. Yes, I admit it, I have major drawer envy!.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My kitchen is small (apartment) -- just one wall 13-1/2' long and a 10' island (no wall). Doesn't matter -- it looks great and its totally efficient. (It would have been even better if I could have moved the sink to the island, but I couldn't, so be it). I have no envy - never even wanted a huge kitchen, just an efficient one, which I got (this time and last). I guess my recommendation is to look at the good side!

  • amck2
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My guess is that when most folks are experiencing remodel fatigue their reaction to the final outcome is more, "Phew..." than "I love, love, love my new kitchen!" Few of us get the Ta Da reveal moment you see on design shows and blogs. Something gets installed or completed and you still see sawdust, plastic coverings, wires coming out of the walls, boxes and tools day after day.

    Regardless of the size of the kitchen or budget, I bet most people tend to lose their enthusiasm for the project when they've reached your stage. Hang in there! Many of us are pulling for you.

  • feisty68
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My kitchen is small, and my home is a characterless condo. My reno is in mid-progress so I have no counters, fronts, island, or wall repair/paint yet. So I can't say I'm inspired.

    Here's my plan:

    I have promised myself to have a casual cocktail and appie party in my kitchen when it's finished enough. I'll take photos of people enjoying themselves in my space. Those will be my new inspiration photos - and no internet photo could ever compete with them. It's all about creating memories.

    AND I will start scheming about bathroom renos...and I'll become obsessed with that instead of kitchens ;)

  • robo (z6a)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ^^^ totally agree about that "Phew" moment, and halfway through I started thinking so much more about what was wrong than what was right! Now I'm happy and contented. But it was a lot more stressful and disheartening at times than I expected -- and I was expecting a lot of stress.

    I am very lucky to have a great kitchen and sometimes I get kitchen envy for sure. It helps me to look around at my loved ones' and friends kitchens and homes in the real world - I don't remember the finishes so much as I remember the fun, love and happiness that happen in the most modest of settings. I also really limit my time on design blogs and houzz...unless I'm looking for something specific.

  • marthastoo
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Comparison is the thief of joy.

    We had a small kitchen for all of my adult life (13 X 13) and I too lusted after the huge, gorgeous kitchens I'd see in magazines and on TV (this is before I discovered Houzz and GW). I love to cook and was green with bitter envy whenever I'd see a pristine, untouched kitchen with only the huge Sub Z filled with takeout containers. I deserved a cook's kitchen with the high end appliances because I'd actually use them! I coveted (oh, how I coveted) an island.

    Well, we finally sold our modest house with the tiny kitchen last year. That modest house with the very modest mortgage and modest taxes had allowed us to live a very comfortable life with nice vacations and pretty much all the shoes I wanted. But, the right house came along and we "upgraded" (if you can call a 50 year old 3200 sf house with original kitchen, bathrooms and flooring an upgrade).

    We put in our dream kitchen (well, pretty much dream kitchen - I still wish I had gone with the Wolf double ovens instead of Electrolux, but whatever) and paid for it through the nose. Yes, I do feel happiness pretty much every time I walk into my new kitchen. However, I now know what it's like to be house poor. That new house with its 14 x 21 kitchen and its taxes that cost almost as much as my first salaried job and utilities that run three times what it cost at my modest old house - well, I cry a little every time I have to pass on a pair of shoes at Nordstrom. :sniff:

    Don't get me wrong - I don't regret the new house and the giant, high-end kitchen reno. I just realize now that the other side of kitchen envy may not be the better path.

  • patty_cakes
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sometimes I think doing a kitchen renovation is worse than building a house! I redid a small kitchen condo, and built a house about a year later. Needless to say, doing the kitchen was more exhausting, trying, and frustrating. Seems it's easier to just move! Lol

  • lavender_lass
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What you see in a picture, doesn't always tell you the whole story. I value what goes on IN my kitchen...with my family, friends, baking cookies, holidays, etc. I wouldn't trade any of those memories for the largest, most luxurious kitchen in the world! :)

  • amck2
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    marthastoo - your post serves as a reality check. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts regarding trade-offs. Hmmm.....

  • Mgoblue85
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kitchen envy is a classic case of "the grass is greener...", but in reality it's not. Many go into debt far beyond the story told by Marthastoo. I would never be able to fully enjoy a kitchen that I had to pay for years into the future no matter how lavish. Besides, as many have said, it's not the stuff that makes me happy (although it's nice), it's the family and friend events in the kitchen that make the great memories!

  • greenhaven
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    feisty68 said: "AND I will start scheming about bathroom renos...and I'll become obsessed with that instead of kitchens ;)"

    Ha ha, maybe I will see you on the Bathrooms forum next year! :P

    amck said: "marthastoo - your post serves as a reality check. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts regarding trade-offs. Hmmm....."

    I second that. We live below our means, and once in a while resent it, but marthastoo sharing her story reminds me why, and hat we have to look forward to.

    And no, the kitchen does not make the memories. We had a kitchen layout original (for all intents and purposes) to our 1947 home when we lived in town. Aside from the frustration of no counter space and nasty tiled countertops, after a while you do not really even think that much about the plywood cabinets and old sink.

    You bake the cookies when the kids' friends come over, creep out of bed at 2 a.m. to find out who is making spaghetti in the middle of the night and have the same poignant kitchen-floor conversations on the linoleum as you would have on tile or wood.

    I am now feeling a little fuzzy and sentimental....

  • fishymom
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Greenhaven, you are so right! I feel blessed to have this beautiful kitchen, I lived for many years with a truly appalling kitchen in our previous home. I had plywood cabinets in a dark walnut stain, chipped and peeling orange Formica countertops, a sink that was dented and scratched, a mix of white and brown appliances and gray terrazzo floors. But I raised my children in that kitchen and cooked many meals for my family in that God awful space! Between private school tuition and sports, it took 8 years for us to save the money to renovate that kitchen and I was beyond thrilled with the results when it finally happened. But I cherish the years spent in that ugly kitchen!

  • Bunny
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The thing is, we can change our kitchens, but it doesn't mean our lives will change. Although some will find themselves in a serious money bind afterwards.

    Our lives don't suddenly become the fantasy of the kitchen in the magazine (or Houzz), all those happy golden people without a care in the world.

    I have lived in some butt-ugly kitchens and they were possibly the happiest days of my life.

  • Gooster
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Awesome points by everyone made above!

    Even though I have a moderate sized kitchen, I still envy/lust after features, space and views. I still burn with the urge to renovate and still check out new homes, and am perhaps forever TKO. It is perhaps only natural, for the TKO, to pine for things we don't have.

    We'll just have to focus on the things mentioned above, and the feelings will pass and we can focus on that next project ;)

  • Skyangel23
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "...they are carefully designed to manipulate the viewer into discontent. We are manipulated into wanting more, larger, later, higher end, and faster."
    Beauty, thanks for posting. I needed to read that. It is very true. I know it, but I forget. :)

  • ReBe231
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I thought I was the only one feeling the kitchen envy. We are almost ready to install our cabinets in my small kitchen. I can only do so much in my space and hope that in the end I will feel it was worth all the money, time, and energy that went into it. I do love all the beautiful kitchens I see on GW and Houzz but they are not possible for me. So, I tried to make wise decisions and tried not to "force" anything that realistically wouldn't work, no matter how much I wanted it. I guess I will know in a few weeks.

  • infinitylounge
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It seems like half the time I'm looking at Houzz, I'm thinking, that's great, how did they fit such a great layout in this small space? Then after a minute I realize there is no refrigerator in the picture.

  • eam44
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm envious that you're 50% done.

  • FamCook
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Interesting read so far!

    Someone posted "the grass is always greener" but recently a friend said, "the grass is always greener, but only when it's well watered." I really liked that. It helps me realize that it's what's going on behind that green grass that is what is important. Is the grass green because its fake? Is it green because they pay someone else to pump it with chemicals? Or is it green because they tend to it and take care of it? I've had so many similar feelings over the years with house / kitchen envy, but I try to remember that I want what's behind the beautiful kitchen. Like others mentioned, the happy family that's close and not having to change our priorities to get it.

  • dcward89
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My DH says "the grass is only greener on the other side" because it's full of sh*t!

  • 1929Spanish
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's a picture of the kitchen in my last condo. I loved that place and while my kitchen was tiny, I made the best of it for many years. Today I have a larger single family home, vintage like I always dreamed and a brand new kitchen to my taste. But I will never forget how much fun I had in my first house and how happy I was to be able to own it.

  • 1929Spanish
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is the other side of the kitchen. When I lived there, I had a smaller white fridge.

  • Errant_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I still envy other fabulous kitchens. But I do believe I did a fabulous job with the one I have. I would love to have more square footage, but it's just not possible. I'd also love to have new cabinets, but mine are functional (and I'm frugal).

  • greenhaven
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Functional and frugal is a good thing to be! :o)

    Just to be clear, I do not begrudge those who have put in their dream kitchens with all the bells and whistles. More power to them! I will always live a little vicariously through them.

    Funny side story: I was at Pier One trying to help my DIL spend her money when I kept spotting things that would look great in 2LittleFishies kitchen, lol! Yeah, I should probably get out more...

  • lavender_lass
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dcward- LOL! That explains why my horse pasture is so green every spring :)

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My kitchen remodel is about 15 years old already. Amazing how fast that 15 years went by! I spent a year planning the kitchen. Drove myself and DH crazy over every detail. Took me about 3 months to pick out wallpaper for the now open Dining Room. The actual job took a couple of months because of a custom window that came in wrong and had to wait another 6 weeks for the replacement. Then some heating pipes had to be moved to get the window in. I remember how exhausted I was by the time it was finished. It took me 3 months just to start to feel normal again and be able to appreciate the kitchen.

    I have a small kitchen, about 11x12. It's nothing like the kitchens on Houzzz. I didn't have Houzzz or the forums when I remodeled, which I can see now, can be a blessing and a curse. [g] No high end appliances, no granite counter tops, but I've been satisfied with it since day one. I am happy I agonized over every decision. I figured out what was important to me and what would be quality materials that would last, and the most functional use of the space I had. Having those priorities I think is the reason I am still happy with my kitchen.

    The part of the remodel that was most important to me was a larger custom window. It was expensive, it was a lot of trouble getting it, but every time I walk into the kitchen I just love it. The kitchen is compact and I don't have room for everything we use in the kitchen. Some large items have to be stored in other areas, like the pan for Thanksgiving Turkey and the Lobster Pot. But despite the small size, we've had many happy meals there and two grown children who cook whenever they're here, so we manage to all work together in that small space.

    Avoiding 'comparing' is something I've done all my life and I think it was a great lesson to learn. There's always someone who's going to have more and some who have less. If you allow that to make you feel dissatisfied with what you have, it robs you of living your own life with as much contentment as possible. Your life is about you and making the best of it. So, with a kitchen it has to be about taking the budget and the space and the needs that you have and making the absolute best kitchen you can. Something that will last, that will have at least one thing that you absolutely love. Taking the time to be sure you know what you want makes you stop second guessing yourself.

    Over the winter, there wasn't much going on over on the gardening forums, so I found a lot of activity on the kitchen forum and wow, what a busy place. Some of the kitchen reveals are amazing and I hadn't been to Houzzz in awhile. It can foster dissatisfaction, and I felt a few twinges. I had to go measure my kitchen at one point to explain an idea on a post and I had forgotten how small my kitchen was. lol But, I thought about it and really I have long ago decided that I'd rather have just enough of what I need and not too much and my kitchen still fits our needs. The hardwood floor needs refinishing again and I hate my dishwasher and might replace that with something that actually cleans, even if it costs more, but that's about it. And most of the time, looking at another kitchen reveal here is just really interesting and not 'twinge' provoking, but I'm also happy that it's spring and time to get back in the garden and stop looking at other people's kitchens. :-)

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Shoot, another double post. Sorry. :-)
    I've tried 3x to edit this out but so far, it's not working. Maybe 4th times a charm.

    This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 20:50

  • carree
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think some level of kitchen envy can haunt any of us. But then we get over it fast and revel in all the components that are actually working as planned. My most favorite element in my fancy new kitchen is a 200.00 water purifier and faucet. I felt foolish ordering it, doubtful I would use it much. But I love it. So, my advice here is to quickly focus on the goodies you DO have and you will be happy.

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow.
    I'm feeling like I'm doing sumptin' wrong here.
    I don't have envy at all! I can't even imagine. I think that's another thing that I've found is gratefully just not in my nature. I love the pictures for ideas, and some I'd love to incorporate. Some? not so much. But I'm happy for the person who is enjoying their accomplishments. I get a lot of vicarious pleasure at someone else's excitement about their progress.

    Perhaps it's because my kitchen has been in the works since I started in 2008, two years after it was gutted from a fire. I love every tiny bit of progress, even with the 3 versions of cabinetry I've put in and ripped out already!
    I can't imagine someone not envying me and the flexibility I have.

    Envy? Never entered my mind.
    But then, my ex-DH would tell people he'd call me to tell me someone won a lottery in, oh, say Timbucktu, just to hear the pleasure in my voice being happy for something good happening to someone, somewhere.

    Really, what is the point of envy? Or to become a bit more biblical, coveting others' things? Don't give your joy away. Love things for someone else!

  • peony4
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I spent part of today browsing antique and consignment shops full of things that people once thought they needed in their lives. I look at my kitchen, and it's just what I need. And a little bit of what I want, too, to make me appreciate and enjoy it.

    Log off GW for a few weeks and spend time with family, friends and neighbors, and you'll realize what a great kitchen you're going to have. This site and the sources we point to are enough to skew anyone's vision of what's really needed in a kitchen.

  • Texas_Gem
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    peony4- thank you for that, so very true.

    I, like I'm sure many others have, created an account here because every time I was trying to solve a dilemma in my remodel journey and would Google it, the first page that would pop up was always GW.

    So, I joined, thinking to myself finally I can "ask the source" instead of googling and I can't wait until I can finally reveal all the hard work we have done, all ourselves, over the past 8 months!! Then I started seeing other posts and gorgeous, magazine worthy kitchens and, I feel bad about mine.

    I think, "no one is going to think this is awesome, look at their high end kitchens" and then, I try to remind myself that I didn't design this kitchen for someone else, I designed it for me. It may not be perfect, but I love it and it is perfect for me.

    If I do ever post pictures, I'm sure everyone will be kind, even if it isn't something they personally like, because we have all been through this journey of living through a kitchen remodel and we ALL know how torturous it is.

  • fishymom
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have seen many lovely, large kitchens here and on other sites that are gorgeous, well thought out, but not something I would want in my home. Everyone has their own taste and design aesthetic, but we can all appreciate the time and effort put into a kitchen transformation, no matter the size and scope. I personally LOVE seeing what people do with their smaller kitchens, they usually require more creativity than larger kitchens that offer many more options. I am always amazed at what people are able to do with a modest budget and a lot of sweat equity! My own newly remodeled kitchen is lacking in some areas of good kitchen design, but I had to work within the footprint of the original kitchen, a set of existing cabinets and a modest budget. And having lived with some truly awful kitchens in the past, my new kitchen is a blessing that I am very grateful for. (But I still admit to drawer envy, lol!)

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have to confess to sometimes feeling some dissatisfaction with my kitchen -- from little things that I thought that I had made clear but didn't get, or other little things done not quite right -- not so much from comparison with others' kitchens. That has somewhat to do with my personality, and also with resentment at not being listened to and obeyed! In time I will forget about those things.

    I knew and accepted that my kitchen was and would stay a "starter home" simple space (even though I did go so far as to use granite instead of something less expensive.) I enjoy seeing other beautiful kitchens, but I admire them for their beauty and do not much feel envy.

    Yet I was rather surprised at myself, at how obsessed I did get in searching for and choosing materials. And, obviously, I still haven't weaned myself off GW.

    Still, my kitchen is, to me, once again, just a kitchen.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love my kitchen but I ogle other kitchens. I couldn't do an island so bought a mobile cart.

  • zeebee
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm envious that you're 50% done.- EAM44

    This! Four months in, I'm still looking at a raw space.

    I hope when I'm done that I can look at other kitchens and appreciate them without envy. I'm sure I'll have some "wow, wonder what ours would have looked like if I chose white cabinets like those?" or "look at that fantastic high ceiling!" but our kitchen is as well-designed as we could make it for the space and for me, the cook.

  • lindanewc
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    About 10 years ago, my neighbors, who have the same floor plan as me, remodeled their kitchen with white cabinets, black granite, travertine floors, plus all new furniture so that their house looked like a model home. I would turn green walking into their house admiring it all. The funny thing is, afterwards, I would walk across the street to my house, and feel almost relief because what I found is my house and furniture fit my personality. Even though my stuff could be pretty run down, it still was my style.

    We are about 95% finished with our kitchen remodel and the same neighbor came over and was lamenting that she wished she had gone with cherry cabinets like mine. I told her how beautiful her kitchen still is. I know that her white cabinets and black granite fit her style and personality. I hope she walked across the street to her house and felt that same sense of relief.

    I see the big white kitchens and sometimes feel envy, but am quick to remind myself that I'm a "brown kitchen" kinda gal.

  • breezygirl
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I still felt a little twinge of the mean-eyed green monster event right after my kitchen reno was done to ABB. I thought, and still do, that my kitchen was beautiful, but I could still see so many imperfections that screamed at me that I didn't see when I looked at kitchens on Houzz. It took many, many months to stop clicking around Houzz all the time. Now I feel much better. I've lived in my new kitchen for almost 2.5 years now and love it more now than I did the day it was "done" (no tile). I still don't have have a BS, but most days I don't even notice the missing element. I do, however, appreciate the functionality of my new kitchen every....single....day. When I look at photos of dysfunctional kitchens, I feel the opposite of envy--pity. I realize how lucky I am to have a fabulously functional space, courtesy of GW.

  • andreak100
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ours is going to be a very nice kitchen. Not as fancy as some on here - we have "mid-level" appliances, etc. But we're putting a ton of money into this, at least to our standards, though again, not to some that I see on here.

    When I see reveals here, I don't so much have envy - I have appreciation for what others have done. There are times when I see something that I go, "I wish that I would have thought of that." or "I wish that would have worked in our kitchen." But, I didn't, and it wouldn't. So, that's that.

    In the end, I love what we've done to make our kitchen into what works for US. It's no small accomplishment. And even unfinished, it's a joy to work in. I owe almost all that is "right" to the knowledge that I gained here.

    I've made a few mistakes in spite of my best efforts in planning. Some of them couldn't be avoided due to limitations of the area. Some of them were just things that I couldn't have foreseen. Some of them can be remedied. Some of them can't. I think that every person here has at least one or two regrets in their kitchen. And it's easy to look at someone else's photos of their kitchen and not recognize that the person who has it also have a regret of some sort. It's easy to idealize what we don't work within. When we finally get done and I do my full reveal, I plan on putting in what I "did right" and also plan on expounding on my regrets.

    Use this area to learn. Enjoy seeing what options are out there. Be happy that you will probably wind up with a much more functional kitchen regardless of it's size or your budget by being here. And love seeing the eye candy. :)

  • heidia
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My kitchen is so awesome for me-I am cooking more in these last 2 months than I have in YEARS. It is so functional. And pretty too. So overall I am thankful and not upset or anything like that! But, after 2ish months in the space, I get bummed over some of my aesthetic choices, and I have soured on some of them! I almost want a do-over on the tile v. b/s or the cab colors. In making these decisions, there is so much doubt--I am indecisive by nature, and I had a hard time choosing elements and a ton of doubt even after they were installed! I do like it, but, I have "OH! I should have done that instead" moments. I know it will pass. Not really envy-more like regret, but not enough to waste money changing things up too much.

    I think a little bit of what I have or the 'phew' feeling or envy is hard to avoid in the depths of a remodel or build. ;)

    This post was edited by heidia on Mon, Apr 7, 14 at 11:06

  • CEFreeman
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok. I was watching one of those Renovation Realities shows recently. (Where do they get such snotty, whining women?) They were redoing their kitchen, making some good layout choices.

    Then.... the finished product.
    It was a nice, sweet kitchen.

    All I could think was, OMG, I hope they never come here because they're going to kill themselves after all that work when they find out how much they could have done (really)
    better. I mean, head shaking, OMG.

    Maybe what you don't know is also a good thing sometimes. No GW, no Houzz, no Pinterest, no magazines.

  • amck2
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CEFreeman, your post reminds me of most of my family, friends and acquaintances. Thank goodness for GW because hardly anyone in my circle (save for DD & DH) has anything more than a passing interest in their kitchen, let alone mine..

    One of my best friends who owns a large and lovely oceanfront home had her kitchen redone last year because her built-in appliances were older and beginning to fail. She loathed having to deal with even thinking about it. Turned the whole thing over to a KD who even chose the appliances. And this friend is a person who is energetic, artistic and detail-oriented. But she's just not into "kitchen stuff."

    So I'm thinking the people to really envy are those who are happy if they simply have a spot to cook, clean and eat, lol.

  • renov8r
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We started planning our kitchen reno with a designer over a year ago. The hardest part for us was the layout. We have a large kitchen, but there was a lot to fit in. This has been very stressful for me, but after 6 different layout changes (some major and some less so) we have arrived at our final design.All the while I was on Garden Web oohing and aahing over everyone's kitchen decisions. The next major hurdle was colour of cabinets. I always think choosing colour is so much fun, until you actually have to do it. I hope our renovation which starts Saturday with "demolition" goes relatively smoothly. But I am tired, before we have started. I keep thinking I will be disappointed.

  • feisty68
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I hear you renov8r...I worry about being disappointed too. Such a learning curve, so much work, so much money!

    Heidi, so cool that you are actually *using* your kitchen more. That is proof that you have done good work. I'm sure I'll be dealing with coulda shoulda woulda too. I am super indecisive, constantly second guessing myself, and very influenced by design trends.

    But, knowledge is power. I can't make my home bigger, so I am very very glad that I now have two 32" super susans installed in 37" corner cabinet. And toekick drawers. I have a Bluestar range that I love, but I never would have ordered it without reading reviews of it on a cooking forum. Things like that WILL and DO make a huge difference in my dainty space and I am already finding immense satisfaction in them.