Where's the dish drainer? And other questions about real-life homes...

6 years ago

SO I've been pretty religiously looking at photos on Houzz, putting stuff in my ideabooks, thinking about various kitchen layouts, stressing about budgets. We have appointments with a couple of designers next week to see if what we want is realistic or will we have to compromise in some areas.

But here's the thing ... none of these beautiful kitchens and bathrooms look "real". They all look like they are out of a magazine. No one actually lives in a magazine! Where do you guys keep your dish drainer? I have yet to see a single dish drainer on any counter anywhere! Does EVERYONE keep their coffee maker neatly tucked away in a convenient cabinet all the time? No one keeps it out where they are going to use it daily? Where is the bulletin board of family appointments and kid's artwork and that expired coupon you never got around to using? Is everyone on this board except me a Domestic God(dess) whose kitchen is eat-off-the-floor clean all the time (or you can afford that much domestic help)?

I guess I'm asking, what does your beautiful, functional kitchen that you spent a lot of money and time on ACTUALLY look like once you and your family have been living in it for a while? Same question for your bathroom, really. And family rooms with all the beautiful generic accessories. Where's the picture of that ugly vase your aunt gave you that you HAVE to keep out for fear of offending her? Or that painting your nephew made that he's so proud of that doesn't really match your decor, but you love him so you'll put it up? And kid's rooms! Dear God, can a kid's room really stay as beautiful and coordinated as the designers make it look?

Featured Answer

miss lindsey (She/Her)

6 years ago

I'll play!

My kitchen at this precise minute. Six kids being in spring break plus a three year old doesn't help but I'll freely admit, it's not only them!

OP you said "so I can know that even after all the expense and disruption, I can still be myself. Just in a better kitchen."

You don't need permission from a social media website for this! Do what makes you comfortable in your home, BUT be honest with yourself. I know I function better in a tidy kitchen and I know that I'm lazy. So I don't pretend I want my house this way, and I don't pretend that I don't have time to do it right. I do have time, it just doesn't bother me enough to prioritize it!

I mean, I could be tidying that kitchen instead of playing Houzz, right??

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Comments (142)

NJ Mom
Original Author
6 years ago
janecalle, your "real" photo is much more appealing than your "staged" one! Also, I love your floors!
aprilneverends
6 years ago
okay..spring break, at last! DD is home, and her smartphone is too, obviously so I asked her to take honest shots as of now lol

(dish drainer, coffee maker..four teapots I think..hard to see them all. actually I have 6.))

(yeah..obviously most used condiments etc are outside too. Then we have two spice etc. cabinets..two. My DH loves spices)
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Sabrina Alfin Interiors
6 years ago
If the designer you hire is doing his/her job, there will be a lengthy input session on your functional needs, storage needs, your lifestyle, and how you cook. All of the designer photos you see on this site don't often show you the drawer inserts, the cabinet pullouts, the hideaway trash bins, or what's inside the appliance garage. But I guarantee you that most new kitchens have these features so you don't have to have a lot of stuff on your countertops. If you're not a neat freak, great. Hiding that stuff won't be a huge priority for you. For others, especially those who entertain frequently, it is. And as someone mentioned above, they make kitchen sinks these days with a built-in dish drain so that it doesn't have to sit on the counter. And yeah: the designers who supply these photos take them for their portfolios and upload them to Houzz. Hence the look of perfection. ;-)
Jennifer Dube
6 years ago
I'm not exactly a neat freak (haven't dusted or vacuumed my house in a couple of weeks) but clutter drives me nuts and makes me anxious. Hubby and I are now empty nesters and we moved once the kids were launched, and renovated our "dream home" in such a way that clutter could be easily tucked out of sight on a daily basis, as part of our routine.

My pots & pans too big to fit in the DW and the knives dry on a draining pad. I put them away before bed, and hang the pad on a cabinet knob. We are in the routine of doing a "sweep" every night before bed where we pick up and put things away before retiring. We fold up the throw blankets and put them in a drawer. We take dirty glasses, put them in the DW, and start it. We toss any trash. Tidy our reading material or bring it with us to bed. Pick up shoes and bring those to our closets, if we're not wearing them again the next day. We like to wake up in the morning to a neat and tidy place, so we "re-set" everything before bed.

We are huge coffee drinkers and the (HUGE & ugly) coffee maker makes such a mess with coffee grounds and splashes. So we did tuck it away in a dedicated spot in our walk in pantry, out of sight behind a door. It sits next to our toaster, which also gets crumbs and mess all around it. I confess I only clean up around and under these appliances once a week or so.

No coupons or papers on the fridge as it's got a cabinet front so isn't magnetic. Bills do come in to the house when hubby picks up the mail on his way home from work. We sort through them together and by bedtime they have disappeared from the counter (recycled, scanned, piled, filed). Coupons go in my nightstand drawer, as that's where I empty out my handbag every day.

The "worst" eyesore in my kitchen, apparently, was a container of Dawn sitting out at the sink, which is in our island. My SIL recently visited and afterwards sent us a gift: a cute container for it to live in, along with the sponge. I guess it bothered her more than it did me!

But don't ask me to photograph my bedroom: hubby and I hate making the bed, so while it's generally clutter free, the bed is usually a huge rumpled mess, getting made only when company is coming or we are changing the sheets.
User
6 years ago
You all have such beautiful kitchens!
Kathi Steele
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
THANK YOU SABRINA!!!!! When we redid our kitchen, I moved most of our things OFF of the countertop and found a home for them.

kathi_steele's ideas · More Info

kathi_steele's ideas · More Info

kathi_steele's ideas · More Info

kathi_steele's ideas · More Info

My dish drainer is in its place under the sink. The dishes are washed, dried and put away 90% of the time.

My coffee maker (I don't drink coffee but DH does!) is in the "drink station" place next to the fridge.

I made a message center for all of the stuff that gets put every where.

I took all of Jan's suggestions to heart and got rid of all the clutter and I love walking into my kitchen. I always feel like I can begin to cook any time without having to "clean" the kitchen first.
rebecca_adia
6 years ago
Aprilneverends I love your kitchen and view!!
aprilneverends
6 years ago
thank you.you're too kind...my view(it's just a backyard, really) informed my kitchen..:)
janecalle
6 years ago
Ok, I just have to share photos of my Mother-in-laws' kitchen as I'm for ever amazed when we visit "the farm" in TN. She's an artist and a "character". You should see the rest of this 1800's farmhouse! Oh, and no dishwasher or microwave. "Whatever would I used that for?" (I spy a dish drainer:)
chiflipper
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
QUESTION...did anyone else's Mom "hide" the dirty dishes in the oven when an unexpected guest arrived? (Circa 1950's)
PRO
Anglophilia
6 years ago
OMG, janecalle! My eyes hurt!!! Is all that stuff kept dusted? Will you be the one who will responsible for its total clean-out someday? Yikes, just yikes (says this neatnik!)
Indigo Rose
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I had several ss drain trays and racks over the years, but in this house I found cherry red fabric drain mats, and have 2, one atop the other for maximum absorbency. The mat is better as I have less counter space and the mat lives there filling the counter above the 18" DW. I like color and truth be told, a little "clutter"; purposeful clutter. So I have a basket with a potted vining philodendron on one side and a clear vase of red and orange fake poppies adding their cheer on the other side of the sink, next to that a stainless holder with a riot of utensils, all metal, wood or bright red silicone, including a small red strainer perfect for rinsing berries. Dish soap and hand soap are behind the sink in white utilitarian plastic pump and bottle - Salt and pepper store grinders next to the stove with a bottle of olive oil and a cutting board I don't put away. The biggest clutter bomb though will be the stainless rack I'll be moving in from the garage as an experiment instead of ordering a matching custom cabinet next to the refrigerator to house my commercial microwave and the Breville smart oven air I intend to get (anyone not like theirs?) along with pots and pans. With paper towel roll on top...

What a joke - wrote the above from another room, then walked into my kitchen and saw how much more is out than I recalled, from a blender, spoon rest, iron 3 tiered plate rack with green dishes, and more!!!!!!!! Nothing like Janecalle's MIL's kitchen, though! Although I couldn't tolerate that kitchen for myself, I would enjoy visiting there , meeting her and looking at and conversing about her interesting stuff/choices. Once, anyway!
janecalle
6 years ago
Ha! She actually does keep it dusted. it's a pretty clean house. And your comment, anglophilia, about the "some day" clean out, has in fact kept me awake on a few nights. I can't even... And this is JUST the kitchen!
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Janecalle, I love your MIL.

I want to be adopted and go live there.

I see "stuff", but I also see ordered fridge magnets and no real dirt. It seems like she must be a real character...
janecalle
6 years ago
Well pennydesign, here's the guest house. I'm sure you would be more than welcome.
And the living room:
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Makes you a little twitchy when you visit, huh? (loving that she dressed a manikin and stood her in the corner)

I totally get that. I used to work for a lady like that, but it was NOT clean. I didn't last very long as I couldn't breathe.
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
6 years ago
april, your kitchen is my favorite. The large windows on two sides with the bougainvillea peeking in on a very tidy and functional kitchen that looks fairly new just make this so special.

My kitchen has not been updated since 1980 except for the new stove top. I just now took a picture, forcing myself not to remove anything, but there are just two of us, and it's morning so no pots and pains in the draining board. We have a two-bowl sink and the draining board is permanently in the left sink. We never use the ancient dishwasher because a "short" cycle takes 80 minutes so it's incredibly wasteful. The microwave, toaster, coffee maker, flowers and phones are always there, and also the bowl with oranges.

The true center of our existence is the TV room so I gritted my teeth, walked in and took a picture of anything and anyone present, no lining up of books and stuff on the coffee table.
threelittlelights13ny7a
6 years ago
Love this thread and all the beautiful kitchens!!

Janecalle, I’m not surprised your MIL is an artist. Some of my classmates in fine arts courses were really inspired by stuff and loved having the things they loved around them all the time. I don’t know how else to describe it.... it was just random stuff. And your kitchen is beautiful! And looks very clean!!

aprilneverends, your kitchen is beautiful and the view is gorgeous!! What a great space to work in.

chiflipper, I never heard of the dishes in the oven trick lololololol

And I’ll play the original game! I let my dishes dry on the rack inside the sink. It also forces me to clean as I go and not let them build up. There’s one in there now!!! My kids’ artwork gets hung up in the front hallway. The coupons are filed in a drawer. All the random papers that come with being a family of five, mail, school work, etc are in a shallow storage cabinet equiped with wall files. One side of my island has dedicated storage for the kids art supplies, etc.... it’s really all about good design that encourages things to be put away. Always on my counters: knife blook, oversized butcher block cutting board, utensil crock, paper towels, some kind of plants, coffee pot, and my little inspirational sign reminding me to have a good day :)
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Well I walked into my kitchen with my iphone just now to take a picture but changed my mind. There are 2 things hanging above the kitchen sink that clearly show my last name (a matted and framed crochet piece and my grandmother's cookie recipe burned into a small cutting board that my DIL gave me for Christmas) so I therefore didn't take a picture. And I had forgotten that I had set the kitchen trashcan on the counter because my robovac is working this afternoon and the trashcan is in her way. So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I haven't owned a dish drainer since 1984 and don't use a towel or anything else either. If there's anything to drain, it's setting in the left hand sink for a brief period of time and then I put it away. No canisters either, for probably more years than the dish drainer. And I don't own a knife block. Clutter makes me nuts.
miss lindsey (She/Her)
6 years ago
"my grandmother's cookie recipe burned into a small cutting board that my DIL gave me for Christmas)"

What a great idea!
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
6 years ago
Oh yeah. It's titled Grandma _____'s Sugar Cookies. When I opened it, I cried. (DIL was sneaky. She told me that she took a picture of the recipe card with her cellphone when I wasn't looking, then sent it off to a company that does this specific product.)
janecalle
6 years ago
And now I'm off googling the recipe cutting board! I know what my siblings are getting for Christmas. Thanks littlebug!
miss lindsey (She/Her)
6 years ago
Yup.
maddielee
6 years ago
The top rack of my dishwasher is our dish drainer.
Jennifer Dube
6 years ago
I answered earlier but here's our kitchen at the moment.

Front and foremost you can see the dish soap caddy my SIL gifted us as the Dawn soap on the counter must've bugged her, or she is just really thoughtful SIL (the latter).

We were out and about most of the day and went out to eat so it's looked like this all day. You can see there's one piece of mail on the counter we still need to handle before bed. Our mail comes late in the day -- we've already tossed the junk mail. You can't see from this angle, there are a few dirty dishes in the sink that'll be put away before bedtime, along with the wine glass I'm drinking from right now. I'm pretty good at putting my dirty dishes in the DW immediately throughout the day. Hubby, not so much.

We don't always have fresh flowers -- these are the last remaining from five vases of flowers we had for MIL's funeral two weeks ago. They'll be tossed tomorrow. I do like having fresh flowers and hubby (despite not putting his dishes in the DW) is a total dear and often surprises me with a bouquet for no particular reason. This is where they sit.

If we had cooked dinner, at this time of night, there may be a couple of pots and pans sitting on a drying pad to the right of the sink, which would get put away at bedtime as we "re-set" for the next day.

Here is a pic of our walk in pantry which is behind a door to the left of the fridge. You can see the toaster and coffee maker station, including crumbs, coffee grounds, splashes etc... as I said I only clean this every other week or so.
jhmarie
6 years ago
I do have a few pictures of my kitchen on Houzz - mostly to help anyone working with older oak cabinets. My dish drainer is on the counter as well as coffee pot and canisters. That said, I did remove some things that are often out (vitamins, a few things that pile up on the island.) I do dislike clutter and usually make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed. I am not always that successful with the rest of the house:)

My pics -work in progress: · More Info

No one here has said an unkind work about my oak cabinets:)

(Someone saved a pic of my sink with the word "yuck", but hey, whatever:)
Evan Langlois
6 years ago
I turned the dish drainer into a centerpiece. Its a rental and we needed cabinet and counter space, so we built this (it hangs there, not permanently bolted to anything). Dishes stay in the drainer on display! ((and yeah, cabinet door was missing when we moved in ... its cheap until we can build our own place))
NJ Mom
Original Author
6 years ago
Your counters are beautiful! What are they?
arcy_gw
6 years ago
Some would die for hardwood, high-end cabinets like yours jhmarie!!! What's to disparage?
jhmarie
6 years ago
NJ - Thanks! The countertops are LG Viatera White Pearl.

arcy_gw - Some have said that they don't want to post their kitchen because of what other might say. I have seen oak kitchens posted and the OP is told the cabinets are horribly dated - arched doors are awful, no full overlay door, get rid of the soffits - that sort of thing. However, I have noticed a decline in those types of responses. Sometimes it is the OP who make such remarks about their own cabinets, and that is OK. Sometimes a person buys a home with an older kitchen and is not happy with it, but sometimes people are influenced by design shows, or perhaps an unkind remark from a friend or other remarks they read on a forum.

The layout of my kitchen is perfect. The island and pie safe (not shown) are Amish and very well made. The cabinets themselves are 20 years old and mid-level by Medallion. I am happy to have seen Sophie recommend Medallion as a decent mid level company. The doors are solid wood and the drawers are dovetailed, but I need to replace the drawer guides with the soft close and of course the doors are not full overlay. My cabinets do not go to the ceiling and I have lower cabinets rather than big drawers - drawers would be nice but not worth changing out my cabinets:)

Here is another older wood kitchen I think looks great:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/finally-finished-with-kitchen-updating-dsvw-vd~4512247
Kathi Steele
6 years ago
jhmarie, no one has said an unkind thing because your kitchen is very nice. You and it know what it is. You are not trying to make it something it is not. You have gone with a countertop that complements what you have. Your corner cabinet glass front goes perfectly with your kitchen. It is all very neat, organized and all of the elements work together to create a nice scene that is pleasing to the eye.
suedonim75
6 years ago
I have crappy paneling on my kitchen walls that I haven't replaced yet. It's a summer project.
pamghatten
6 years ago
My kitchen is a few years away from a total gut remodel. I use a dishtowel for anything that doesn't fit in the dishwasher, but I love the idea of the three bowl sink for when I do remodel. I posted these 2 pictures on Facebook this weekend, I put peel-n-stick tile over the dated tile, just to make me like my kitchen a little better until I can afford to gut it ... and obviously, I leave stuff out ...

First picture is the before ...

And after ...
User
6 years ago
Ok, ya'll know that most of the photos on Houzz are taken right after everything has been done and cleaned and not lived in yet, right? Especially if the work has been done by a professional.
PRO
User
6 years ago
Would you really like to look at some ones clutter and mess as an inspiration.
miss lindsey (She/Her)
6 years ago
No, but I would like to know how the designer suggests I manage my dishes or where I would put my toilet paper.
beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
6 years ago
Don't put the toilet paper near the dish drainer : ) .

Not a designer though lol
User
6 years ago
MS Colors, I found this thread to be therapeutic and lovely and normal and a little bit of a dig at the people who show photos of their houses and would like us to believe that it's just a normal Tuesday afternoon and they were lounging on the sofa and THAT'S why the throw is so artfully draped over one arm and the Spode tea cup and saucer got left on the coffee table...

I am not inspired by mess...but it's awful nice to be reminded what normal looks like.
Olychick
6 years ago
"Would you really like to look at some ones clutter and mess as an inspiration?"

Sure...it might inspire me to keep mine with less clutter and mess, lol!
Evan Langlois
6 years ago
Looking at clutter makes people think that there isn't a convenient and organized spot to out things. A well organized space makes it convenient to put things where they belong rather than an effort. Of course, this is just a psychological reflection (especially if you had parents that drilled "put your stuff away" into your head so often that you now suffer from OCD. In the real world, there will be SOME mess.

What I hate was this video I saw the other day from a house builder. It's a brand new subdivision so one is living there, but they show families with kids running and playing and fishing. They didn't even bother to put down some sod first so the kids are running through the dirt-lawns of freshly built houses. Marketing at it's finest! Psychology used to make you spend money. Just like the way they describe the prices as "starting in the low nines" which is marketing speak for "you are gonna pay nearly a million dollars for the cheapest thing we got, so bring your checkbook" SMH.
User
6 years ago
I am living alone for the first time ever. I am 54. I also raised seven children back in the day. I really really work better with as little clutter as possible. When those kids were growing up, I found all kinds of ways to stay organized. Our family home was nice, nothing spectacular. Yes, I was sometimes a nag (my kids would likely say, always lol). I was the "clean up before bed" mama, schoolwork/art work was sorted and put where it needed to be put every afternoon (with seven of them, it would have taken over if not done daily). The kitchen was always cleaned up every evening. Having seven kids can make a mess but seven kids can do a large number of chores too lol.

Now I am by myself. My little place is never messy. In fact tonight, as I am reading here, I cleaned out several little annoyances. And I went a bought the drainer that April recommened.

My my tiny tiny kitchen.
greenshoekitty
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
The dish drainer is on the counter over the dishwasher that in the last seven years has been used only two ar three times. Oh the dish drainer is full of dish’s that I won’t put away till I am fixing my coffee in the am.
User
6 years ago
Louise, you have a perfect little kitchen there...
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Yes I do. Perfect for me. I am actually enjoying cooking again (I do one of the food boxes, 2 meals for 2 people, feeds me almost a full week). I wnt from my fathers home/restaurant to my husbands home with seven children to a manfriend's home who didn't like my cooking to this. I can make an entire meal and stay (almost) in the same spot. And that? Is priceless lol.
EvaElizabeth
6 years ago
Love this thread, it was so fun to read!

DS thought the MIL’s house was BEAUTIFUL, “Especially the creepy lady in the corner because It’s so unique.”

Years ago I started slowly (and obsessively) replacing anything that couldn’t go in the dishwasher with items that can. Smaller cookie sheets, glass/stainless measuring cups, silicone tools, etc. It took years of careful purchases and I kept a list and watched for sales because some of those items were pricey. The only thing I use on a daily basis that doesn’t go in my dishwasher now are sharp knives. Anyway, I just knew hand washing dishes would always be my weakness, but I’m great about loading the dishwasher every time I use something. So, pots and pans that do well in the dishwasher are my friends. My second weakness is unloading the dishwasher. That job became my kids’ first ever daily kitchen chore! Starting in preschool they did it together before school while I made breakfast. Now they switch off days. We make a great team!

At Christmas my mom offered to wash crystal goblets and asked where my drying rack was. I do own one, but it collapses and was way at the back of the sink. After rummaging around to pull it out, and rinsing it off because it had dish soap on it, I gave it to her. She asked where a towel was to lay under it. That’s when I remembered that earlier that day I opened the towel drawer to find that half the towels had been used once and thrown back in the drawer with the clean ones by my kids. In annoyance I dumped them all in the wash, along with the ones in the bin in the laundry room, and I forgot to put them in the dryer. I told my mom it was fine to use the rack without a towel. It was NOT fine with my mom. She bought me 2 dish draining mats for Valentine’s Day, which is really only a gift holiday for romantic relationships.

Whenever people are coming over and it’s messy I tell them they should feel complimented because I’m treating them like one of the family.
mainenell
6 years ago
It took me a while to realize that all those photos were staged. And my kitchen will probably never look like that because, just, well, it will rarely be that clean. And I don’t need to hide the toaster, mixer, or coffee maker.

Usually the dish drain is full. I don’t put any pots and pans into the dishwasher.
Waynette Bailey
6 years ago
I have a dishwasher that I do not use. I wash by hand and serm to always be in the kitchen, cooking or heating something in the microwave. My dish drainer stays on the counter and ALWAYS has a few dishes in it.
Waynette Bailey
6 years ago
I have a dishwasher that I do not use. I wash by hand and serm to always be in the kitchen, cooking or heating something in the microwave. My dish drainer stays on the counter and ALWAYS has a few dishes in it.
HKO HKO
6 years ago
I happened to have just finished the dishes when I read this....so here’s mine, complete with coffee maker askew and bowl o’ compost waiting to be taken out. We have the Kohler sink that has a built in drainer and dish pan which are great, though I admit they end up getting left out too often.
PRO
JAN MOYER
4 years ago
Thread resurrection !!!

Dishes, the drain board, dish mats and all.

It takes 18 to 254 days to form a new habit. We have the "gift" of 15, forced on all of us.

Whenever possible USE the darn dishwasher, The water is hotter, and it uses less water.

Airborne germs. You need them? No. Corona can live on stainless for HOURS. It hardly matters you washed the knives unless you dry and stow the knives.

Crap on the counters. How much stuff do you want to keep sanitizing all day?

There are only five entry points for a virus in your entire body:

Two eyes, two nostrils, and your mouth. That's the purpose of the incessant hand washing we are all doing. Because hands have a habit of going to one of these entry points. So too, do knives, forks, mugs, and glasses. Corona can live on HARD surfaces for hours. .........

If you lose one habit and make a new one? this is a great start. Not to mention, you will have a cleaner kitchen. and a far better looking kitchen, all day long. : )