Mine. Expensive, slightly older clientele.

Expensive, younger clientele

Pretty swank, sjhockeyfan! The first photo looks like it's oriented towards a more traditional aesthetic. The second is really, really nice IMO. The third looks similar to my "now" one - slick & "Euro" style.

feisty: Your 2002 version is a lot like the 2002 version in my city loft. But this one is circa 1997 (and we are debating what type of refreshes and updates to do)

There are a lot of examples of newer builds like the last one sjhockey posted (the darker, slicker one). Things in general have been getting more and more upscale as the prices have gotten ridiculous.

Here's an example of new build in a nearby neighborhood -- showing newer trends of mixed cabinetry, integrated fridges, Euro appliances and limed, greyed finishes...

Weird, I didn't post any - nosoccermom did. Is it coming up under my screen name?

Sorry -- that was my mistake, it was nosoccermom.

Wow, after looking at these I checked out my area. There are not really any condos, just townhouses, apartments and homes.

I looked at the newest apartment buildings and the kitchens look like the link below.

Then I looked at all the newly constructed homes and also at the homes for sale over a million dollars.
They all had rich wood, granite counters, tile floors and most even had the fake greenery displayed above the cabinets.

Conclusion- my area is about 20 years behind the rest of the country.

Here is a link that might be useful: apartment kitchen

texasgem - i live just north of albany, ny in the suburbs and the new builds in my area are like yours, dark wood, preferably cherry, granite, otr micro, no pro ranges. those very modern kitchens are unheard of here and would not sell. those kitchens look to me like nyc or san fran types of kitchens.

More in my 'hood. These are all rentals.

2013/14

{{!gwi}}

2010

Upscale condos for sale

{{!gwi}}

More rentals

2004
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{{!gwi}}

So nosoccermom, the question is, are you in NYC or San Fran?

I AM in San Francisco, and my own kitchen (just redone) is one of the modern ones (see pic), BUT the third and last of the ones nosoccermom posted are what they're doing here too in new-build high-end rentals and condos. Noone would put a kitchen like mine in a new-build that wasn't for a specific person.

First, sorry nosoccermom and sjhockeyfan! I apologize for mixing up your names. No rhyme or reason for when my brain zaps happen :/

Well, "soccer" and "hockey" - at least the theme is the same!

Sjhockeyfan, I still really like your kitchen. Here in Vancouver it looks like condo designers expect that look to be highly desirable :) .

Nosoccermom - pretty sharp examples!

Ardcp, interesting how different areas have such different trends.

Gooster, seems like similar looks are being marketed in our cities! That Shaker cab/black appliance kitchen was pretty cutting edge for 1997 :) . You have wood floors right? My reno will have horizontal grain oak cabinets stained Hardwick White (greenish grey), with River White (greyish) granite counters, and steel appliances to complement my oak floors. But I'm not going for a slick ultra-modern look.

Texas_gem - the dark-stained kitchen photo you posted looks on-trend, but it doesn't look like they're trying to create a super-slick/modern look as they are in my city - more homey.

Here in Vancouver it looks like condo designers expect that look to be highly desirable

They probably copied it from a picture on Houzz like I did!

Here is the most expensive home currently for sale. Nearly 11,000 sq ft, 4 bed, 7 bath 2.25 million.
Tile floor, very traditional looking cabinetry. Definitely nothing euro about this style!

Here is a link that might be useful:

In SF (I know it's insane), for $2.25 million, you'd be lucky to get 2,250 square feet!

I know! Real estate prices in other parts of the country are always shocking to me. Our first home was 1100 sq ft and we bought it for 64,000.

Of course I'm sure the average salary in areas like NYC and SF are also much higher so I'm sure it evens out.

Texas_gem, I would cry if I had to clean that kitchen!

Sjhockeyfan - good point. There may be very little original design involved on their part.

Condos in my 'hood go for $500K - and this is not the most desirable neighbourhood in the area.

so I'm sure it evens out

Ha Ha - I wish :-)

I think condos tend to be more modern, in general, than homes. The homes in our burbs and outlying communities do tend to be more traditional. The starter homes tend to be more modern, and the more expensive homes a mix of either modern or traditional.

The kitchen example I posted above is from San Francisco and is probably near the forefront of what's being put in. There was a phase a few years ago of things looking more industrial -- lots of raw wood and exposed ducts. And a phase with darker and mid toned woods -- then a phase with shiner lacquer. Whatever modern trend hit, people did it.

In my 17 year old case, it was probably slightly ahead of the curve at the time. Now, it reads pretty dated. I'm told that when these lofts first started being built/converted (from warehouses), the finishes were pretty low end. My building was part of the wave when the finishes started to get a little nicer. Now, the new builds are insanely expensive and prices beginning to start at $1,000 per square foot (yes, 1G). At that price point, the builders and flippers are putting in higher end finishes and appliances.

feisty: yes, my unit has wood floors. I'm debating on upgrading, tweaking (hardware/fixtures/lighting, appliances, maybe counters/BS), or selling.

I'm in the DC area, so plenty of international influence. While salaries are higher, home prices are still relatively higher. Median household income is 88K, the median home sales price is $372,500. The condo kitchens that are rentals go for around 2.5-4K/month.

Kitchen in 3300 sqft house on a 6900 sqft lot in a nice location in DC, asking price 2.4 mio.

5500 sqft, 1/2 acre lot, 9.8 mio

nosoccermom - 1,000 sf condo in older building on a very nice street in Dupont Circle, typical U-shape apartment kitchen open to living room/dining room combo, $700,000 before kitchen and bathroom redone, no parking.

If I have more time I'll post some pictures from Charleston. It'll be a time warp to 10 years ago.

The modern look is something that a lot of people we know think looks nice, but that everyone is afraid of doing on their own. I guess we're pioneers over here. :)

I know there are advantages to living in one of those cities (NYC, San Fran, DC, LA). But for the life of me I can't think why anyone who wasn't rich would want to live there. I live in Nashville, and it's a vibrant city with great cultural life. And I can support my family of 4 with just a teacher's salary. We live in a modest but well appointed 2200 square foot house with a decent yard and garden. And we have plenty of money left to save, travel, eat out, and give. I can't imagine both me and my wife having to work like dogs to barely squeeze out a mortgage payment on a postage-stamp sized dump!

Well, mine isn't a postage-stamp sized dump, but I hear you. I love living here, but I agree the cost of living is nutty.

As you move into the outlying areas and go into the various neighborhoods in the greater Bay Area, the price declines quite a bit and the size increases quite a bit. Affordability in the City itself is a huge issue, especially for families. I know of firefighters that live 80 miles away and only come in for their shifts. That said, 15% of most of the new construction is set aside for below market rate units, and there is rent control. Nevertheless, the booming economy is causing affordability to go down, in particular with neighborhoods popular among the techies.

And, I may work like a dog at times, and our loft is getting dated and too small for full time usage, but the location does have its appeals. However, the weather is too cool most of the year, the threat of earthquakes looms and there is the expense.

Having said that, attached is a nearby listing of a mid end example. The prior examples I posted were more entry level.

sjhockey, I certainly didn't mean to imply your house was a dump. Your kitchen is beautiful. But since I'm a teacher and my wife is a stay-at-home mom (who would no doubt go back to teaching) a dump is all we could afford. Or commute 2 hours every day.

"The DistrictâÂÂs average teacher pay of $77,512 in 2013 is the highest in the region. Montgomery County is second, at $74,855; Fairfax County is sixth, at $64,813."

Whoa! That's SIGNIFICANTLY higher than teacher pay in the South. The highest paid PhD teachers in our district make less than that. I've heard the DC schools are really tough, though.

I think I might have derailed the thread. Back on topic: Texas Gem, that $2 million kitchen is really awful

The world of condos is a fascinating phenomenon that is all about high real estate prices. What has been interesting here in Vancouver has been that, while real estate prices have soared and soared for decades now, the condos really don't increase in value proportionately to detached homes. In other words, if I had bought a same-priced house in 2001 instead of a condo, my real estate would be worth a LOT more.

Edb2n, it's great that you feel good about your choices. I know that we pay a high price for living where we do - and it does affect our quality of life in many ways.

So many interesting photos being posted! I actually really like the size of a condo kitchen - when the layout truly works. Though I love how they look, I don't think I would feel comfortable working in a huge kitchen. I've always worked in small kitchens because most of my previous homes were very old when small was the norm.

Yeah, derailing the thread. However, keep in mind that real estate is substantially higher than in most parts of the country. So if you want to live within 30 minutes drive and also in a reasonable school district, there is slim pickings for under 600K. This is what sold in suburban MD within the last 3 months for 540K, 3BR, 2BA, just under 1500 sqft. Nothing in the western part, downtown or Capitol Hill in DC.

160K buys you a cute efficiency that's 324 sqft. with 400.00/month HOA fee.

Here is a link that might be useful: Suburban MD house

edb, no offense taken - I really didn't think you were referring to my place at all!

We used to watch House Hunters on HGTV (until I found it was fake). This was pre-housing crash. Anyway, people in California would be looking at these tiny, dirty old houses that cost $600,000. We would wonder who all these people are that can afford these houses? And where do the regular people live? In Nashville, the only people buying $600,000 houses are surgeons, Titans players, and Country Music stars.

@nosoccermom, you posted a link to a house just down the street from me! Of course the only reason that one sold so inexpensively is that it sits just next to a bike trail that will soon be turned into a commuter rail. (the Purple line) otherwise it probably would have been considerably higher! Schools and commute are a big factor in the cost - a few miles away and it would be significantly less.

The real estate disparity in these forums is hard to miss. My house definitely qualifies as a dump to quote the PP. But even the McMansions in close in DC neighborhoods don't have kitchens as large as many of those posted here. And the huge amount of condo construction that has taken place in the city over the past decade is all targeted toward a high end clientele, which is why you see such slick kitchens in the examples @nosoccermom posted.

I saw a story recently that there is no home or condo in SF currently on the market that a teacher could afford on a single salary. For them, the answer is the suburbs or a double income household. On the other hand, a household with an engineer, programmer, or someone in finance with about five to 10 years of work experience in Silicon Valley generally could afford that 600K home, as long as they didn't have a lot of other debt and could afford the down payment. Affordability, however, is a big issue and more commonly you'll see two income families. The average programmer, according to reports, makes $110 to 130K, and things go up from there with education, experience and level.

Yes, and the kitchen in the 2.4 mio dollar house above wouldn't make too many people on GW swoon :)

The "real" people are two-earner families and/or live way out, or in a "dump." My house sure wouldn't satisfy even the House Hunters Virgins.

So, this house sold within a few days at above asking price. Nice location and good schools.

(Then, of course, you still pay about 12K in property taxes)

Here is a link that might be useful: what 1 mio buys