We've loved ours from the start. Initially, it was hard to not let all the "flaws" or all trials and tribulations we went through during the process, be the first thing we saw when we looked around the completed reno's (me more so than DH). But, we loved how our kitchen (and bathrooms, and FR, etc.) turned out from day one.

We can still "see" all the "stories" (behind the flaws and things that went worng, as well as the "lemons we turned into lemonade"), but the overall design(s)/elements we really still love as much today as we did at the beginning.

This is an ongoing battle for many. Sometimes we are too close to a project and lose that giddy feeling. I do not hate my house, but I certainly do not love it. We made some critical layout mistakes that were missed by many sets of eyes. There are very negative feelings with our builder that walked off the job just after dry in and declared bancruptcy or friends who "borrowed" our design ideas for their new home in the same neighborhood.

Like true love, it matures with time. It is not lust, but a greater feeling that grows day by day. Warts and all, it is home and I will love it - eventually.

I do love my whole-house reno. There are a couple of things that I would do differently in the kitchen for sure and occasionally i get a "I wish I had picked .....(fill in the blank)" instead of what I did choose but after a couple of days I'm back to "No, this is perfect for me".

And when all is said and done it is waaaaaay better than what I had.

Funny you should ask. I was telling DH just this morning how I hate seeing all the flaws in our recent bathroom remodel that is completed. He advised me to try to remember that the remodeled bathroom is not my life - there are other things to think about, LOL.
That said, I am enjoying the bathroom more and more. Hope there will be a time when I don't think about the flaws so much but the functionality is so WONDERFUL that even though the countertop edge is not right, I can get over it.
No one warned me that this was one of the aspects of remodeling, not only do you have to worry DURING the remodel but you remember many of those worries even after the remodel. Not sure I would buy an "older home" again - at least not us who have no DIYabilities.
But DO try to remember how much BETTER, WAY BETTER it is now. Cup is half full or half empty, I guess.
Does help me remember how important planning and worrying about little details is so important to avoid mistakes that will be with you a LONG time.
p.s. we don't have the money for do-overs.

This post was edited by elphaba on Sat, Apr 20, 13 at 13:57

The biggest adjustment for me is finding a way to accept all the little or big things that didn't turn out exactly as planned ... a difficult task for a perfectionist. In some ways, it was easier to live with my old kitchen because I could always tell myself I didn't have to live with it forever. Now that it is remodeled, I DO have to live with it for a very, very long time, if not forever. And I have to take responsibility for all the choices, good and bad.

I did rip out the first backsplash. There was nothing wrong with the installation at all, but I hated the way it looked ... samples can be so misleading. That was an expensive mistake. I also took out the first windows that we installed (double-hung) and replaced them with single-hung. I don't regret either of those re-dos and I am happy every day that I don't have to live with those poor choices.

If it were up to me, I would have re-done everything that wasn't perfect, but I was over-ruled by DH on some things. Those things continue to annoy and nag at me, but I am hopeful that the day will come when I'll be over it.

I can blame gardenweb for some of my dissatisfaction ... there have been instances where I was blissfully unaware of my mistakes until they were pointed out to me here.

This post was edited by jellytoast on Sat, Apr 20, 13 at 14:53

I see I am not alone in how I feel about some of the changes and original selections we made for our house. Nice to be in good company!

"I can blame gardenweb for some of my dissatisfaction ... there have been instances where I was blissfully unaware of my mistakes until they were pointed out to me here."

LOL.

I hear you sister! I would add Houzz to the list.

I think that Houzz creates totally unrealistic expectations about houses - just like beauty magazines and media in general have totally distorted our perception of female beauty. It is so sad to see 14 year old girls starving themselves so they could look like the "cover girls". No amount of explaining that the pictures have been photo-shopped, air-brushed, etc. does any good.

I am not going to post my kitchen - or any part of the house - on Houzz and yet, I am trying - mostly subconsciously - to "measure up" to the ones I have seen there.

I know it'd be unfair to compare GW to Houzz b/c people here are trying to help, not discourage, but it is the cumulative impression that perfection is possible that is "killing" me. :-)

In this remodel, I pulled my hair out after each finished stage and absolutely hated it. And every time - thankfully - I felt different the next morning. Though it is too soon to tell, I am sure that the final product will be totally "acceptable". But I cannot get rid of a nagging feeling that I got carried away in my sub-conscious "competition" with online designer kitchens (many of which might have been staged) and spent too much money on this remodel (money I'll probably never "recover" when we sell the house).

It's funny, my DH said exactly the same thing yesterday - to remember that the remodeled bathroom or kitchen is not my life - there are other (more important) things to think about. :-)

(edited for typos)

This post was edited by eleena on Sat, Apr 20, 13 at 18:09

I have loved our whole house remodel since day one. The initial remodel was in late 2002 early 2003 and we then did the kitchen and master suite and everything we didn't do the first time in 2006. So 10 yrs and 7 yrs. We can't DIY anything and our home was built in 1890.

We changed every single thing in the entire home including making the attic into 1300 sq ft of living space. I had never heard of Houzz and still have only looked at it once or twice. I have no desire to remodel again here or elsewhere and I very rarely read deco magazines or books. I do look at the magazines if we go into a bookstore but never buy one. I made my decisions based on what DH and I liked and didn't even think about looking at what others had done LOL. By the time I came to Kitchen Forum most all my decisions were long since made.

I am like blfenton in that occasionally I will think about something I could have chosen differently. But I too quickly realize how perfect DH's and my choices were for us and since mags and websites/blogs didn't influence me the choices really do reflect us. So it all still fits. I am glad of it too :) c Great topic !

I'm with trailrunner (Hi C!) I really do love everything about living and working in our remodeled home. All of my choices were run through GW so I was lucky I found it first! Last will be the Master Bath I'm getting to start.

I have loved my bathrooms and kitchen from day one. But I am sure that is partly due to GW. This is where I learned so much and I put it all to good use. Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention. (Thanks, Frank)

I'm still amazed , even after 7 years, that wife still loves her Kitchen. She comments on it at least once per week, "I Love My Kitchen".

Most of it was done before I discovered Garden Web, and I made a couple BIG mistakes, 36" Caldera Smooth Electric Cooktop, and a 36" Caldera "POP UP" vent.
Well the pop up vent would not fit, (even after being assured by granite company, Cabinet man & my "Kitchen Builder", so fortunately that never got installed, and the cook top died in less than 2 years.

Fortunately, we had discovered GW by then and went for Induction---love it.

Other than the above mentioned, we loved the kitchen from day one, and continue to do so.

The 2 "Screwups" were such a small part of the total kitchen, IE, We Love the Miele DW, the 48" built in JA Fridge, the Oven and speed oven, the bay window, the granite and "on & on & so on----
IE, We were "Instant Happy Campers" and continue to be Happy Campers, 7 years later!

Gary

I absolutely loved both my remodels from the day they were finished.
My bathroom remodel 3 years ago kept the same floor plan but getting rid of the 1988 raspberry hexagon shaped sinks and enlarging my shower made it seem like a totally different space. And the heated tile floors are fantastic.

My recent kitchen remodel was completed in 3 months time without any issues. Both my DH and I love the new layout. So easy to work in the new space. Love having separate cooktop and oven. Having a real vent hood instead of microwave/vents combo over the range is fabulous. My Amish made cabinets are like works of art. Also love my Advantium and Silgranite sink. There is nothing that I would change. For a relatively small kitchen (12x11) it is a functional, beautiful space. I can't imagine not loving it for years to come.

eleena, Sorry for the cliche, but you hit the nail on the head. I think if I had a professional photographer take a picture of my kitchen, it would look as good as the ones in the magazines. Having said that, I also have to add that I've seen many pictures here that weren't taken by professionals and the kitchens are spectacular. Bathrooms too.
nycbluedevil, LOL! Thanks for the serenade.
badgergal, I envy your heated floors.
I'm enjoying all your responses!

This post was edited by ruthie51 on Mon, Apr 22, 13 at 8:22

Hello all. This is my first time posting, but I have been lurking here for about 3 months! We are 5 weeks into our whole kitchen reno; countertops installed tomorrow (third install date so far, can you relate?). We removed a wall between kitchen and dining room and moved the whole footprint of the room but the dimensions stayed the same-20' x 14'. Just yesterday I was thinking that I have loved each element as it went in, but keep waiting for the "other shoe to drop" when something I picked goes in and I hate it. So far though, I really love the cabinets, appliances picked, granite slabs not yet fabricated, open shelves designed by GC, etc. We'll see how this week progresses. Thanks for all your help thus far, I couldn't have done it without you all!

Glad you're happy so far, mountaineer2. Looking forward to seeing your pictures when all is completed.