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Same Kitchen - Different Design Choices

6 years ago

Almost all of the units in my condo (built in 1965) have been remodeled. Because of structural constraints, they have all retained the footprint (more or less) because moving plumbing or moving the stove away from the vent is prohibited.

When I started my own remodeling project, I downloaded as many of the kitchens (and baths) as I could find - thought others might be interested in how the same space can look completely different :-)

This one just sold less than a week after listing. It's very personal and I thought the wood raised counter was an interesting choice - not MY choice - but attractive.

This is very glam - design choices of a Hollywood agent - middle aged woman :-)

Design choices by an 19 year old actress who has since gone on to super stardom and multiple multi million dollar homes :-)

This was done by a flipper and sold about two weeks ago. I think the design choices reflect that it was done to please a potential buyer rather than illustrating personal design choices.

These two IMO are rather bland design choices - nothing wrong with them but I don't think much personal taste. They aren't in poor taste but at least to me don't seem very personal.

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Comments (11)

Helen
Original Author
6 years ago
A few more

This is another view of the starlet's kitchen - not sure I would have matched the granite to counters, floor and backsplash.

Very safe and obviously not a cook as he or she didn't bother to move the stove from the right wall - it's an easy thing to do and the wall really hampers one's ability to cook - I am going with a cooktop and ALSO moving it to the left so there is counter on both sides.
Helen
Original Author
6 years ago
A few more

This person did the bare minimum as far as I can tell. I wouldn't be surprised if he or she simply replaced the doors or even just had them painted :-) - But there's granite and stainless steel which is all many potential buyers care about LOL Stove remains in the same awkward spot.
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I agree about the two different heights being OK, but also agree about the functional problems that this kitchen has. It won't be a friendly space for more than one person to operate in and will be difficult for anyone from outside the kitchen area to come in and get a drink or snack without disrupting the prep, cooking, or cleanup process. Island cooktops can be great places when you create "cockpits" for the prep to occur beside them. To do that, you need a water source, and good overhead ventilation. You don't have the first, and there is no indication about what you've chosen for the second. It does cost a lot more to do right, but if it's not done right, you end up not using the island for the social prep zone or with greasy dirt all over the house. Cooking is only 10% of the time you spend in your kitchen, while prep is 70%. The island has to work well as the prep area to match the vision that most people have of an island cooking zone. Swap the fridge and the wall ovens in order to get the fridge more accessible from those outside your kitchen. I also would just consolidate the two pantries on the L leg close to the eating area and leave the fridge as the only tall cabinet anchoring the taller cabinet area with tall wall cabinets and a too the counter cabinet only in the corner to match the fridge on the end. This gives you better counter space next to the fridge where it's needed. I'd also put a prep sink on the island. As it is, you'll be doing a LOT of twisting back and forth back to the water at the sink under the window when you are prepping. That's bad on your back, and doesn't lead to successfully having two distinct prep and cleanup zones. It creates crossing zones and means that you can't efficiently have two people working in the kitchen at the same time. The sink and the cooktop are also butt to butt, which is poor ergonomics for more than one worker. Shift the cooktop closer to the eating end, and put a prep sink on the corner close to the new fridge location. I'm not real fond of the raised bar area either. It doesn't add anything to the island when you already have seating at one end already and it chops up the island badly visually and functionally. If you are doing it merely for safety's sake, then cut it back to just a 4" topper to the wall, but I'd just eliminate it entirely as long as you can have 12" behind the cooktop.
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If I had a dollar for every time I heard "I've never seen that done before" and "everyone else does/has...." I agree with cpartist. Having the hood, shelves and counter stools wood will be a good balance, along with a light floor, backsplash and walls. Between the kitchen and laundry room/back hallway in our last house, I had a floor to ceiling black hutch. No windows, only light from laundry room window (kitchen was in center of house), and the black hutch was not a hole of doom and gloom when the hallway light was off. One thing to consider is taking aways one wall cabinet on each side of the range hood to visually open up and lighten that area just a bit. What is happening elsewhere in the kitchen area, like around the corner of the far right wall? I currently have black soapstone counters on the F&B Blue Gray cabinets (walls painted the same color) with a counter to ceiling scalloped soapstone backsplash behind the range. It's countered with light French oak wood floors and light ceiling. Taking chances can pay off if executed well, but you will have to listen to a few naysayers along the way.
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Helen
Original Author
6 years ago
And more

This person went to same trouble to remove the soffits that enclosed the kitchen. Since there is HVAC duct work, that's a pretty major choice. The upper cabinets have to be fake doors because that is a structural beam running horizontally the length of the back wall so there isn't any way to install real cabinets there.
Helen
Original Author
6 years ago
michoumonster
6 years ago
thanks for sharing all of those pics! it was so much fun to see how different those kitchen are!
Rita / Bring Back Sophie 4 Real
6 years ago
Thank you for sharing those pictures. That was fun and instructive.
mark_rachel
6 years ago
I like the look of the single level bar. It really opens up the space. I also like seeing the same floorplan of my home & what other people have done with it.
johnsoro25
6 years ago
This is a fascinating look at the differing styles in one set space. I’m intrigued by the Hollywood agent kitchen, but my style is most in line with the flipper kitchen. I look forward to seeing what you will do. Thanks for sharing!
nosoccermom
6 years ago
Pretty cool.

I like the first one but just don't think that the raised wood counters go with the more sleek cabinets and rest of the kitchen.
Helen
Original Author
6 years ago
Here's a few new ones. This one was designed by an architect - way too minimal for my taste and definitely doesn't look like it is really designed by someone who even heats take out :-) I'm also posting the bathroom she designed which (at least to me) is non-functional in that it lacks adequate storage; adequate counter space and has neither a rod for a shower curtain or even a frameless glass enclosure - in her defense the odd artwork is NOT hers but hung by the person who bought from her after she moved back to the East Coast.
Helen
Original Author
6 years ago
Here's another. I find the design choices to be somewhat confusing. The Subzero refrigerator is obviously a significant investment and yet the entire kitchen seems more aesthetically designed than functionally design. The upper cabinets are all mock glass doors since there is a structural beam behind them - i.e. the doors are really just fancy disguises for what would otherwise be a soffit. It was expensive to remove the soffits topping the sink wall sink ductwork was in there - and the wall exists by the sink because that's where the plumbing and drains run for our building. Where a functional upper cabinet used to exist to the right of the sink, there is now just emptiness :-)

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