Yes... yes I do.

Yes! But then again, I'm another one with a bad case of TKO.

yep. me too.

and sometimes my dh can tell exactly what I'm thinking and I'll see the slight shake of the head as to say "don't say it".

Not in most peoples' houses, but if it is an open house, or I have looked at it from a real estate point of view, I mentally remodel the kitchens, baths and floorplan in general. I was even picking fixtures and finishes in my top contenders during my house hunt.

I was going to say, of course I don't because it's not my place to do that. But, my brothers kitchen really doesn't suit an island and he should have put drawers there, my friends kitchen has her prep sink in the wrong place because it never gets used, and .... You get the idea.

no ; because, like in any other field where you know a lot, you accept the way it was done at that time for those reasons that prevailed then.

Absolutely, but only in my head if I'm physically in said kitchen. A bad layout shouts at you and is hard to ignore.

How many kitchens have you seen in House Hunters with acres of counter space where the stove and sink are 2' from each other with a corner between? The words come out of my mouth without realizing. DH gets tired of me commenting on kitchen layouts all the time.

Yikes, I mentally re-do kitchens and other rooms too. When my DH and I go for walks for the dogs, I pick different paint colors for the houses we pass. When I visit the houses of friends or my book club I am always mentally redecorating. There's always something in my own house that I have it in mind to change. Not to say I'm always actually changing, but there's always a list.

Yes, I do. Now that I've spent time at GW, I know why it bothers me that my sister-in-law's microwave has a huge island between it and the refrigerator, and why it bothers me that there's counter space on only one side of her stove.

I do, but only if they're really bad. I do it more to movie/TV kitchens which are designed by carpenters and are more about what looks good in the camera angle than looking like real kitchens. It's not that I'm unaware that the kitchen is totally fictional. It's that if I see something weird over the actor's shoulder I can't help it!

I do, but always mentally, never verbally. My BFF's neighbor just redid her kitchen, and I had to bite my tongue. I loved the backsplash tile and floor tile, and the counters were really pretty, but the layout - Eek! The range was butted up to the frig on the one side of the room with about 12" of countertop space while there were miles of counter on the other side of the room. A good stretch of it with no purpose whatsoever. I of coursed gushed over the tile, but I mentally moved everything around.

I am so busted!

"sometimes my dh can tell exactly what I'm thinking and I'll see the slight shake of the head as to say "don't say it"."

This happens to me all the time! I try to keep it to myself....

By all means, Natalie, have a gander at mine! "Peach's Typhoon Bordeaux..." I'd rather you tell me now than want to re-do it when I post finished pics....eventually! :) It's a condo. The cabinets were re-faced 8 years ago. They are staying for now. The granite, floors, wall color, molding and appliances are new. Now trying to decide on BS. Probably going with a creamy subway.

I like to look at others' kitchens and get ideas for things that work or don't. These are mostly layout features, interesting appliances, and little construction details.

I usually don't pay much attention to the ''look'', except in really vintage houses with vintage kitchens which I fnid fascinating.

In most houses, the cabinets could be cherry or white or oak or ?, the counters granite or soapstone or wood or ?, the backsplash tile or paint or ? - all these choices would have an equal chance of looking good or looking bad, it would depend on how well the choices worked together. In most cases the kitchen looks fine already. Admittedly, I don't get into too many horrid kitchens.

Definitely I don't mentally re-layout a kitchen when I'm visiting. Thinking layout is too much work.

In the Boston area, you have to mentally renovate every kitchen you see at an open house, because if you focus on what is already there, your visit will end with screaming on the lawn and emergency medical professionals who are there to "help" you.

I'm constantly amazed at how easy it always is to see immediately exactly what other people should do/should have done to their kitchens, while I still can't figure out what's best to do with mine.

I'm also prone to a subsidiary ailment where I spend way too much time noticing things like crown molding, etc. in any building I'm in. It took a conscious effort this morning at the pulmonologist's new office this morning not to ask the name of the floor tile.

I tend to notice more "look" and less layout. It interests me whether or not the materials work. But other people's layouts, not so much. Probably because in our reno our KD did our layout and we merely tweaked it. Whereas I spent much more time and energy choosing our materials.

Johnliu read my mind. I do things about exactly the same way. I'm not into finishes as much as details and what works/what doesn't, and if I'm visiting, I'm busy visiting.

I DO judge and mentally re-do whenever I see a kitchen especially touted on a show, in a magazine, or in a real estate listing. If someone wants to brag about what a great kitchen it is, I have to see if I agree. ...I rarely do. ;-)

I also notice kitchens on TV shows and in movies. I like to find stupid things like Susan's and Mike's 6-ft high, built-in microwave on Desperate Housewives. DH expects this behavior and is amused by it. He's very proud when he can catch some of the things he knows will bug me. What can I say? We don't get out much.

Guilty as charged. Yep, I do this all the time. Like most, I do it in my head, not aloud.

I also still obsess about cool things I see places. My friends laugh at me about it and they know when I'm noticing things when we're out together. I actually took pictures in a bathroom of a place where I was attending a meeting, because I liked the tiles so much. I took some ribbing for it at the time, but I think I may end up with the same tiles in the bathroom I'm about to redo. So there! :)

After my first remodel, yes. Going on the third one and now I wouldn't even think of it. Too exhausting.

Of course not.

I don't walk into anyone's kitchen and think, "you know they would have so much more space if that refrigerator range were to trade places. Oh, and maybe, if they painted those golden oakies, it would look just a little brighter. And if they took down part of that wall, it would be a whole new space and the sun could stream across it and really make it look airy and spacious. Oh, and over there, if they had some sleek polished nickel hardware to replace that gleaming brass, that would look really sharp. And wow, I didn't think anyone had carpet in their kitchens anymore. Hmmmm, I wonder how much dust really gets on top of those cabinets. Does she have to dust that faux fern weekly? What IS that picture hanging over the dining table? I mean do dogs REALLY play poker? Seriously, it has NO relationship to that velvet painting of Elvis over the fireplace."

No never.

Because that would be just...wrong. ;^)

I'm SO glad it's not just me! Of course I would never say anything out loud - well, okay I did hint to MIL that changing the colors a bit might liven up her space when she mentioned wanting to add cabinets - but I can't help noticing and planning other people's kitchens. Now, I'm not so bad when it's simply a kitchen that's not to my taste - I'm talking about builder-grade kitchens, or those that have solid construction but nobody ever bothered to think about color schemes or efficiency.

Writersblock, that is so funny about your pulmonogist's office floor tile. I get the same urges when I come across design elements I love at unexpected places, like holligator I have not been above taking discreet pictures!

The problem is that the ones I see most often are the ones that especially make me want to scream, and of course the owners - not having the benefit of reading this forum - are blissfully unaware. One has the range right up between an open doorway - no frame, no counter - and the other side is the 2' depth of counter space running along the wall at a right angle. There is however a beautiful open space to put in more counters and turn it into a galley kitchen, but no, everything is crammed along a single stretch. Funny enough though, my French aunts have typical teeny-tiny European kitchens where everything is diminutive and there is practically no counter space at all, and it doesn't bother me one bit! Go figure!

Of course we don't all have the same needs or tastes, but when I see the UNplanned dysfunction and stubborn ugliness of the kitchens where nobody has ever questioned the original design, I have to wonder, was this really put in ON PURPOSE???

Yes I do and not only with kitchens. But I rarely say anything, just think it. And it's not just layout but decor and upkeep.

Of course, I'm sure people think the same thing when they come in my house.

You can only imagine how bad it is for me because I walk into at least 25 new to me kitchens/houses a week. I immediately think of what can be done easily, and what can be done for more long term (staging vs renovation). I mentally stage most houses and oftentimes make a small suggestion or 2 (mostly to the listing agent and not directly to the h.o.). When they are my homeowners, I have gotten good at making carefully word suggestions about how to get bang for the buck. Often, it is just de-cluttering, but other times paint and/or pulling up carpet is the way to go. With kitchens and baths, changing hardware & paint is commonly a good way to get a new look easily.

When it comes to kitchens, I find it best to suggest to buyers some simple cheap touches that can make it look better. If I tell them how to rip it apart, it can scare them silly. I love selling houses to contractors or very handy buyers. I can then feel free to offer tips on what can be done (usually, once it is safely in contract) and not worry about them getting sticker shock over simple things.

:)..Being in the granite business, i am called to do that!I think, suggest and redesign kitchens to help people realistically see their dream kitchens in their homes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Granite Worktops

Dianolo, you are a good Realtor if you have the courage to guide your sellers, especially in this market. Our neighbor should have followed her first agent's advice, and maybe she would have sold her house instead of ultimately losing it to foreclosure after 3 years of not selling.

No, but I do think most people play it too safe with neutrals. I'd love to inject a little color into some homes! A cannister set isn't always enough to bring some color and personality, into a kitchen, IMHO :)

Hmmm, mcmjilly. Huge island between refrigerator and microwave. Counter space on only one side of the stove.

Just wondering...am I your sister-in-law?!