When I worked for This Old House, I can't tell you how many kitchens I went in, even in relatively modest homes, that seemed designed for Instagram/Pinterest and not for real life. I had to be polite about it, but I really wanted to ask who the homeowners were designing for? It didn't seem to be a comfortable place to actually live, but it looked impressive to visitors I guess.
I’m a big fan of House Hunters and one thing I’ve noticed a lot in the homes they are showing is kitchens without upper cabinets. The cabinets are usually replaced by narrow shelves. Shelves that probably aren’t anchored to support any significant weight, rendering them completely useless. Stark white cabinets would be better than no cabinets!
I’m surprised external kitchen ventilation isn’t required by code in your area. It definitely is in my community (Dallas suburb), though most vent hoods are too small and inefficient.
Mar 21, 2023·edited Mar 21, 2023Liked by Addison Del Mastro
That essay of Clare's was actually on my list of saved ones to read. She always has intriguing thoughts. We have 3 boys 3 and under, so I'm thankful for the forgiving hardwood throughout our little 1940's house. And our kitchen also has mostly forgiving surfaces and appliances. I would go absolutely nuts in one of those shiny, pristine, white kitchens I see a lot of DINKs buying — considering the amount of dirt and food grime tiny boys naturally get on everything... combined with me being home caring for them throughout the day... that would be a maddening task to keep up with. haha
We have a cleaning lady in once every two weeks and she has told us that we’re her only clients that actually cook. I guess these impractical kitchens are fine if you’re using meal kits or buying takeout.
Incidentally, our kitchen has grey-green walls, a beige backsplash, wood cabinets and black granite countertops. We figured that we would use it up and think about renovations once we don’t have small children anymore.
One downside on the wood cabinets is that it’s hard to find anyone to restore or maintain the wood. They want to either paint the cabinets white or replace them with particleboard. Another factor pointing towards white. It’s just easier for contractors.
Kitchen to watch. Instead of a nice picture on the wall - a whole nice room to admire.
Well, we've landed in a strange culture fixated on appearance. The more people see this, the better chance we have of changing it.
Here where I live, white furniture and walls in the kitchen are in fashion, but the sinks, taps and vent hoods are now black. If you had a steel tap in your kitchen and it broke and you want to replace it, it's hard to find one. A black tap doesn't match, so... replace the whole kitchen right away!
Well, and in Europe there are standards, permits and inspections for everything in construction. It is impossible to have a kitchen with gas without ventilation.
Eh. I share the frustration with insufferable rich people building expensive kitchens they'll never use, but this grasps at a few too many straws. For example, one criticism I would never make of a kitchen is being too "sanitary" and "sterile"! Let's just say I will happily pay extra to have my food prepared in a sanitary kitchen. I also don't get the objection to wanting to combine commercial-grade functionality with design elements appropriate for a room that's part of our homes and daily lives as opposed to hidden in the back of a restaurant. And yes, our upgraded fridge and stove were worth every penny.
The source of the frustration, I suspect, is that kitchen fashion has evolved so fast it's given us whiplash, and is used for status signaling by the aforementioned insufferables. But that's true of all fashions. In this case, modern kitchen fashion is still preferable to the fashions prevailing when I was a kid, with formica and faux wood veneers everywhere and appliances that are no easier to clean than their modern counterparts.
Addison, this is a little much. I love to cook and cook every day in our brand new "professional" kitchen. Who doesn't put in a venting hood? We did and it would have been absurd to build a new house without one.
We bought a house with an all-white kitchen and I hate it. It's not in the gleaming, ultra-modern style though; it's more like 90s "country" aesthetic. And now every little nook and cranny is dirty all the time. The stove touches the counter on either side, so it's impossible to clean unless you pull the whole thing out...
It's so much more of a hassle than our old kitchen with green/black Formica counters and wood cabinets - and room to move.
Don’t get me started on “Internet of Things” appliances! Just keep my milk cool, that’s your only job, fridge.
When I worked for This Old House, I can't tell you how many kitchens I went in, even in relatively modest homes, that seemed designed for Instagram/Pinterest and not for real life. I had to be polite about it, but I really wanted to ask who the homeowners were designing for? It didn't seem to be a comfortable place to actually live, but it looked impressive to visitors I guess.
I’m a big fan of House Hunters and one thing I’ve noticed a lot in the homes they are showing is kitchens without upper cabinets. The cabinets are usually replaced by narrow shelves. Shelves that probably aren’t anchored to support any significant weight, rendering them completely useless. Stark white cabinets would be better than no cabinets!
I’m surprised external kitchen ventilation isn’t required by code in your area. It definitely is in my community (Dallas suburb), though most vent hoods are too small and inefficient.
That essay of Clare's was actually on my list of saved ones to read. She always has intriguing thoughts. We have 3 boys 3 and under, so I'm thankful for the forgiving hardwood throughout our little 1940's house. And our kitchen also has mostly forgiving surfaces and appliances. I would go absolutely nuts in one of those shiny, pristine, white kitchens I see a lot of DINKs buying — considering the amount of dirt and food grime tiny boys naturally get on everything... combined with me being home caring for them throughout the day... that would be a maddening task to keep up with. haha
We have a cleaning lady in once every two weeks and she has told us that we’re her only clients that actually cook. I guess these impractical kitchens are fine if you’re using meal kits or buying takeout.
Incidentally, our kitchen has grey-green walls, a beige backsplash, wood cabinets and black granite countertops. We figured that we would use it up and think about renovations once we don’t have small children anymore.
One downside on the wood cabinets is that it’s hard to find anyone to restore or maintain the wood. They want to either paint the cabinets white or replace them with particleboard. Another factor pointing towards white. It’s just easier for contractors.
Kitchen to watch. Instead of a nice picture on the wall - a whole nice room to admire.
Well, we've landed in a strange culture fixated on appearance. The more people see this, the better chance we have of changing it.
Here where I live, white furniture and walls in the kitchen are in fashion, but the sinks, taps and vent hoods are now black. If you had a steel tap in your kitchen and it broke and you want to replace it, it's hard to find one. A black tap doesn't match, so... replace the whole kitchen right away!
Well, and in Europe there are standards, permits and inspections for everything in construction. It is impossible to have a kitchen with gas without ventilation.
Eh. I share the frustration with insufferable rich people building expensive kitchens they'll never use, but this grasps at a few too many straws. For example, one criticism I would never make of a kitchen is being too "sanitary" and "sterile"! Let's just say I will happily pay extra to have my food prepared in a sanitary kitchen. I also don't get the objection to wanting to combine commercial-grade functionality with design elements appropriate for a room that's part of our homes and daily lives as opposed to hidden in the back of a restaurant. And yes, our upgraded fridge and stove were worth every penny.
The source of the frustration, I suspect, is that kitchen fashion has evolved so fast it's given us whiplash, and is used for status signaling by the aforementioned insufferables. But that's true of all fashions. In this case, modern kitchen fashion is still preferable to the fashions prevailing when I was a kid, with formica and faux wood veneers everywhere and appliances that are no easier to clean than their modern counterparts.
Addison, this is a little much. I love to cook and cook every day in our brand new "professional" kitchen. Who doesn't put in a venting hood? We did and it would have been absurd to build a new house without one.
We bought a house with an all-white kitchen and I hate it. It's not in the gleaming, ultra-modern style though; it's more like 90s "country" aesthetic. And now every little nook and cranny is dirty all the time. The stove touches the counter on either side, so it's impossible to clean unless you pull the whole thing out...
It's so much more of a hassle than our old kitchen with green/black Formica counters and wood cabinets - and room to move.