I think it is one of those things that many people visually screen out, and they don't even notice the outlets. It would drive me crazy.

To avoid this the backsplash design would have needed to be finalized in the framing stage so the outlets were in a different position.

I try to do this, and it makes the electrician unhappy, the drywallers unhappy, everyone unhappy, because the process can't just go boom-boom-boom if you finesse outlet locations.

I know what you mean, why pay all that money for a novelty tile only to have it cut up for outlets. My husband and I worked up different tile and novelty layouts and then figured out the placement of the outlets to gave the electrician the exact height off the floor in the rough opening. I then double checked the height of the outlets myself before drywall went up! I want to enjoy all of the novelty tile not just pieces!

The outlet location isn't the only thing that's off. Having that deco strip be interrupted by the framed piece behind the cooktop would also drive me crazy. I'd have put the deco straight on the counter, below the outlets, and then let the framed piece start just above. it. Or, use the deco strip as part of the frame around the focal point. Overall, the backsplash is poorly thought out. But, no more poorly thought out than having the DW and ice maker in the space between the sink and cooktop---and at least another half dozen details that are poorly thought out. This looks like a "flip" where someone without any kitchen design experience tried to hit all of the "must haves" without understanding anything at all about anything.

Oh, my.
That's what I'd say were I viewing the house.
Oh, my.
And my innervoice would say
No accounting for taste.

Not limited to flips. Your basic builder/contractor level of "design" and craftsmanship will return the same type of results, lack of attention to details.

Undercabinet power strips flanking the cooktop might have worked but you might have to eliminate the receptacles closest to the range for code, so the cords wouldn't be dangling so close to the fire. Then again, the one to the right is next to it.

I don't like the way the border hits the framed area either.

It would still be better than a lot of kitchens around though; a huge upgrade for a lot of people, in spite of its flaws. All the storage alone. I can imagine many people could make do with it, lol.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Aug 18, 13 at 13:52

So close, yet soooo far.

I hope that is not a GWer's house!

Note the blind corner appliances set up, I wonder if they have acess to that corner from the other side of the wall.

I don't like that contrasting strip to begin with. And something seems off with the inset panel over the cooktop, or maybe that's the perspective.

I don't like the contrasting strip, period. I wonder what's behind the laptop (or is it a tv?). Of all the things to include in the staging. The cabinet to the far left seems too short, but underneath is some piece of electronics that seems odd there.

Hollysprings, that thing to the left of the stove is an ice-maker? I thought it was a trash compactor. :) My DW is similarly located between my sink and stove and it works fine in my space.

I think the thing on the wall may be some kind of home automation touch pad, whose location dictated the short cabinet.

>Not limited to flips. Your basic builder/contractor level of "design" and craftsmanship will return the same type of results, lack of attention to details.

Too true. One of my neighbors is currently spending a small fortune on a lower end townhouse where a unit is worth the price of a unit and no more, no matter how you gussy it up, to replace a badly designed, ugly, less-than-functional kitchen with the exact same kitchen, only with custom built cabinets. Go figure.

Given how many people have been working there all day every day for the past month, they must be spending half the value of the unit to do this.

Shrugs.

For linelle's example, aside from the outlets, I'd prefer it if they'd done either the inset or the glass tile, but not both.