DESIGN DILEMMA ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME POSTERS
housegal200
3 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (47)
Colleen
3 years agoRelated Discussions
first time poster...long time reader -- all kit appliances advice
Comments (6)Thought I'd chime in with one more thing, since I just read the "4 y/o Bosch bites the dust" thread... Maybe it's attributable to my fastidious dish rinse routine or sheer dumb luck, but I have managed to make my low end Whirlpool Gold d/w last 12+ years. Not even really sure how old it is -- it was here when I bought this place 10 years ago and I vaguely remember hearing that the previous owners replaced all appliances two years before I bought it. I have not, not once, not a single time EVER, had to have it serviced. It sounds pretty much like a freight train during an atomic bomb detonation but it runs every time, all the time. That is the kind of reliability I need in my life. I'm wondering if I can realistically expect that with a Miele or Bosch or any other manufacturer (including Whirlpool) for that matter. ::Thinking twice about even posting this, due to the jinxing risk::...See MoreFirst time poster, long time lurker need advise on appliances.
Comments (9)I disagree with Emily_mb. In my home growing up in the '60's, we had stainless wall ovens and cooktop. Stainless has been classic for the kitchen for decades, and isn't going anywhere. She didn't specify what "first signs" she is referring to, but you can open any Architectural Digest, which typically shows $100K kitchens, and find stainless appliances. You will also see panelled appliances there, but panelling appliances is more costly. You have not mentioned a budget, which it would be helpful to this thread if you did. Anyway, things that go "out" quickly, usually have also come "in" quickly, such as avocado green appliances, which burst on the scene in the '70's, and then were gone just as quickly. Having said that, I myself have white cabinets and a mix of stainless and white appliances in my kitchen. The combination is a little more "homey" than all stainless would be. I also have my dishwasher panelled, because that appliance is the most prone to water drips down the front....See MoreFirst Time Poster
Comments (43)it won't be long before your child is out the door to college and beyond. Another way to look at that thought: You intend to stay in this house at least a while, and you'll have an adult child in the moderately near future. You should build him a bedroom that'll hold a queen or king-sized bed so that when he comes to visit with a wife in tow, you'll be able to house them comfortably. I understand where everyone is coming from on the take advantage of the views aspect, it seems whimsical and romantic to wake up to a gorgeous view everyday. But what is the reality? This makes sense. If you have an ocean-front or fantastic mountain view, I can imagine you'd pay more attention to it than you would a pretty woods view -- and that's what more of us have. I'd say what matters more -- for most of us -- is orienting the house properly towards the sun. Also, the reason for us moving to this location and building this house is so we can be closer to my parents and hopefully enable them to stay in their own home as long as possible. They will be less than a mile away. With them so close, your chances of needing to move them into your house is greatly reduced. You can get to their house quickly to help them with heavy cleaning or cooking. Soon your son will be able to drive -- well, he can ride a bike to their house now. This is all good. Having a spare bedroom for them will give you space to let them stay with you briefly -- say, during an illness -- without the need for a full-blown place for them to live. My son frequently comes in the house and immediately has to take his clothes off in the laundry room before he is allowed to take one more step into the house. Perhaps it'd be wise to group his bedroom, the back door entrance, and the laundry room close together. Sounds like it'd be convenient. It hadn't occured to me that the distance from the garage to the pantry would be an issue. Don't bank on what you're doing now. Think through how you'd do it in an ideal world. My answer: We're planning a large pantry just by the back door ... and it'll include a workspace (a place to set bread to rise or to let a crockpot run). We'll come in the back door, go into the pantry and both sort and put away in the pantry. It's not just distance. It's also walking through the kitchen. You want your food to be a straight-line process: Food comes in ... is stored near the entrance ... when it comes out to be cooked, the prep area is right there ... then it goes to the table ...you want to keep things moving in a straight line rather than "backtracking". I'm just trying to explain why we made the choices we did in hopes that it Sometimes explaining makes everyone say, "Oh, okay. That's not typical, but it makes sense." Other times it's simply justification of a bad idea. It's important to be honest with yourself about which one's which! Disclaimer: This comment is just a general thought; it's not related to any specific item being discussed here. The office is really just an area for us to store necessary household papers. An office can mean a whole lot of different things to people. For example, we're close to retirement and neither of us works from home (I'm a teacher, he works in a lab). We want something along the lines of a "pocket office", and our needs don't match yours at all: We need a place to store boxes of craft items, shelves upon which to leave laptops to charge, a mail-sorting spot, a printer ... and a small spot for my husband to sit and listen to music on the computer with a closed door -- and he prefers a small desk over an easy chair. If you really just need to store papers, I'd consider a couple large filing cabinets ... perhaps in the laundry room? A laundry room /office combination could work out nicely....See MoreAdvice For First Time Working With an Designer
Comments (35)This is where you have a big disconnect with what you want, what you’re willing to do, and your budget. You just don’t want your complacency with mediocre challenged, even though you want better. You aren’t willing to do what it takes to get better. Which is fatal to design. The kitchen needs help. It was an unfortunate design, and needs attention and changes to turn it into something that will have been worth that expense. You’re not willing to listen to suggestions to revisit the design and improve it. That’s a giant red flag for a designer. What makes the rest of the house different as a project? Will you listen to anything about it? What about this whole home redesign is going to be appealing to a designer to work with you, if you just don’t listen to the suggestions that you’re given? What’s in it for a person who wants to see the joy of something coming together better than the homeowner ever imagined it could be? Because that’s the why behind it. This is not a “portfolio job”. It won’t reflect well on their skills if you’re resistant to doing what it takes to get a result worth having. It’s not even a job where they are going to earn from product sales. And that isn’t about money, although that will rear its head. The communication style and fear of letting go to listen and trust makes for huge frustrations. That’s not fun. If they can’t really make a difference in the home, because you don’t let them, they are not going to be into you and your 2 year plan to timesuck more than they’re actually getting paid. Money isn’t enough for that frustration level. And there won’t be enough money either, because no one would be willing to pay the real time costs for the $500 lifeline 15 minute Zoom to fix a problem that could have been prevented with better listening and more trust. You‘re just are not a good candidate for a good designer. A newbie, who hadn’t yet learned? That you might get. The experienced one that you need will be “too busy”. So, DIY it to death, and just live with the results you create. It seems that you’re happy enough with that, and don’t really care to have a next level home. So why go to the angst and expense of having your worldview challenged for the better? Spend your money on the 1001 suggestions of a crowd sourced plan, and don’t take it up a notch. Why bother with wanting something better and more? It will just challenge your complacency....See Morenjmomma
3 years agosuedonim75
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agosuedonim75
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoflygirl519
3 years agosuedonim75
3 years agodani_m08
3 years agoBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agodani_m08
3 years agoRedRyder
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agosuedonim75
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agoDebbi Washburn
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agohousegal200
3 years agoQuentin Parker
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agoQuentin Parker
3 years agohousegal200
3 years agohousegal200
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agohousegal200
2 years agodani_m08
2 years agohousegal200
2 years agoDebbi Washburn
2 years agohousegal200
2 years agohousegal200
2 years agohousegal200
2 years agosuedonim75
2 years agoMarci
2 years agohousegal200
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agola_la Girl
2 years agohousegal200
2 years agohousegal200
last yearhousegal200
last yearhousegal200
last yearhousegal200
8 months agolast modified: 8 months agoJilly
8 months ago
Related Stories
LIFEWorld of Design: Discoveries of 10 First-Time Homeowners
See how people around the globe have shaped their starter houses and made them their own
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGNDreaming of a Spa Tub at Home? Read This Pro Advice First
Before you float away on visions of jets and bubbles and the steamiest water around, consider these very real spa tub issues
Full StoryDESIGNING A BUSINESSDesigning a Business: New Advice Column for Pros Tackles Hiring
Design business coach Chelsea Coryell is ready for your questions. First up? How to know when you’re ready to hire
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESHouzzers to the Rescue: Users Solve Design Dilemmas
The proof is in the painting — and the pond. As Houzz users hit 100,000 discussions, see some of the results of their advice and ideas
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNDesign Dilemma: My Kitchen Needs Help!
See how you can update a kitchen with new countertops, light fixtures, paint and hardware
Full StoryDINING ROOMSDesign Dilemma: My Dining Room Needs Revamping!
Watch a dining-room makeover unfold in the Houzz Questions forum
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESHave a Design Dilemma? Talk Amongst Yourselves
Solve challenges by getting feedback from Houzz’s community of design lovers and professionals. Here’s how
Full StoryDesign Dilemma: Keep or Nix Knotty Pine?
Help a Houzz User Choose a Paint Color for a Cohesive Design
Full StoryMORE ROOMSDesign Dilemma: Decorating Around an Open Entryway
How Would You Design This Narrow Space?
Full StorySMALL SPACESDesign Dilemma: Decorating a Dorm Room
How to Create a Stylish Collegiate Abode
Full Story
Aphaea