Author Topic: comedy home revovation  (Read 9310 times)

monarda

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OtherJen

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2019, 06:56:56 AM »
What a cool house, but I’m stuck on the fact that they spent almost the purchase price of my own house on replacement flooring and HVAC. Yikes.

MayDay

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2019, 07:51:19 AM »
I like the changes from an aesthetic POV, although obviously they aren't functional (which the owners acknowledge).

The one thing I didn't like was the single pour concrete floor. That seems like a nightmare to repair if/when it inevitably gets damaged.

I thought the window thing was interesting. They were all rag rah about wanting double panes but then put in aluminum windows/doors? Not the most well insulating choice. And the purchase of aluminum doors/windows with no glass is super weird. If hat window company didn't have insulated glass as a choice, I am worried. I bet 1$ they are ripping out the aluminum windows within 5 years because they are junk. And/or because clearly they actually wanted steel.

Cadman

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2019, 09:48:47 AM »
I like the "before" pix better

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/20/realestate/follow-every-step-of-a-major-midcentury-modern-renovation.html

Me too. As an MCM fan, this turned up earlier this week in one of my FB groups. Let's just say the comments were less than kind, lol. BTW, hate the new floor.

ysette9

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2019, 02:25:27 PM »
The old floors were definitely ugly, but overall the house wasn’t so bad to begin with. Not like some atrocities I see around here as “before”.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2019, 02:39:03 PM »
They state that they don't use the kitchen, they don't cook, and there's seldom food in the house, but they just haaaad to have very expensive kitchen appliances and they spent a fortune renovating a room they basically don't use.

Cpa Cat

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2019, 02:49:36 PM »
I also liked the before pictures better. The kitchen cabinets "before" were not to my taste, but not bad enough for me to do a full remodel.

I liked the "before" floors much better than the new floors.

The house has a very cold and industrial feel after the reno.

Dee18

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2019, 03:12:58 PM »
And the only route to the master bedroom is that tight spiral staircase.  Sounds like an inconvenient house to live in. 

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2019, 03:30:57 PM »
And the only route to the master bedroom is that tight spiral staircase.  Sounds like an inconvenient house to live in.

Especially for an art collector: all that glass? Really?

calimom

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2019, 06:09:09 PM »
I like the new counters over the granite, and it does seem the radiant floors needed to be fixed, but the new cement floor seems ugly and impractical. They didn't seem all that interested in the MCM house they bought, so why not just do a build from the ground up?

The NYT comments that I glanced at seemed brutal. Wonder what they regret more: doing the remuddle or doing the interview?

MayDay

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2019, 06:18:59 PM »
Also: just from the article these people are like epic nightmares to deal with. I hope half the cost is the contractor's upcharge for having to deal with them.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2019, 05:18:07 PM »
Also: just from the article these people are like epic nightmares to deal with. I hope half the cost is the contractor's upcharge for having to deal with them.
Wow, you're not kidding.  For example there's this:
Quote
And in their quest for a stripped-down aesthetic, the homeowners did not make that situation any easier.

They didn’t want cabinets in the kitchen or extra closets. They didn’t want visible outlets. In the kitchen, they replaced a large pantry with a blank wall.
And this:
Quote
In the kitchen, outlets were tucked behind drawer panels, in place of storage. “I think they thought we were a little crazy,” Mr. Barnes said. “A lot of times people are thinking about functionality, but we were thinking about aesthetics.”
...to the point where they eliminated the space for their washer and dryer:
Quote
The old kitchen had a dated granite island, partially enclosed by a column that housed the washer and dryer on one side and an oven on the other. After removing the column there was enough extra room that “we literally got the biggest piece of Caesarstone we could get,” Mr. Barnes said.
Of course, then they realized they had to put those two appliances somewhere, so...
Quote
"...the architects turned one of two full bathrooms on the first floor into a half bathroom with a closet for the washer and dryer."

This whole article reads like a The Onion version of Tiny Details Exaggeration Syndrome.

I wonder how much it would have cost, and how long it would have taken, for them to simply demolish and build anew.  Seriously, they basically reframed/replaced the exterior walls/windows/doors, they jackhammered up and replaced the floor, they completely redid the utilities, gutted the kitchen, dug a trench through the house to address water issues, etc.  About the only thing that didn't get replaced was some of the framing and the roof.

Zamboni

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2019, 10:47:49 PM »
Okay, wow, that was really a tragic remodel.

We just bought a similar home which was built in the 50's by an architect to be his own home. The realtor had the previous owner whitewash much of it, and paint the original steel kitchen cabinets and all of the brick, which was a shame, but it still has plenty of excellent details from the period like parquet floors, a square tub, his and her (pink and brown) bathrooms. After doing some research, we decided to keep as much of the midcentury modern character as possible. Sure, we redid the rusted out plumbing under the house and got the electrical up to code . . . but everything else is just charming the way it is. Why buy a home of this type if you are just going to basically gut it?
« Last Edit: December 22, 2019, 10:59:52 PM by Zamboni »

LiveLean

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #13 on: December 26, 2019, 07:28:02 PM »

The current trend of all white everything is not going to last. Several years ago a lovely little home on 2 acres behind us was torn down and replaced with an 8,000 square foot monstrosity --- the entire interior in white: walls, floors, kitchen, everything. The lawyer douche hubby built a detached home office/pool cabana larger than the previous home. He does not work from home, of course.

GreenToTheCore

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2019, 11:06:03 AM »
This made me snicker: "outdated granite".
And so it begins.


I'll give points to them for openly admitting that they messed up by choosing aesthetics over functionality.
Great example of Tiny Details Exaggeration Syndrome.

roomtempmayo

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #15 on: December 29, 2019, 02:56:35 PM »
This made me snicker: "outdated granite".
And so it begins.

The same granite that was worth the price in 2005 because it would last forever.

I think lots of people like to dump money into houses just to do it.  I doubt that totally impractical remodel added much value to the house, if any at all.

Just Joe

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #16 on: December 29, 2019, 03:08:53 PM »
Count me in on preferring the original house - problems repaired of course.

Throwing out granite. That seems smart. Hopefully someone is re-purposing the used material?

Zamboni

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #17 on: December 29, 2019, 04:31:54 PM »
Tragically, we had a granite counter put in my past newly constructed home in 2000 (ubatuba, for you inquiring minds.) It was extra thick and had a fancy ogee edge profile . . . no bullnose for we high rollers! Bullnose is for the peasants! It was quite de rigueur at that moment. We paired it with the highest end cherry cabinets in the most expensive configuration. Paneling and molding upon molding as far as the eye could see. My ex- insisted on only the best for our dream McMansion. Then, when the home when on the market in 2009, agent after agent had the nerve to write that the kitchen was "dated" on the showing comments. Pffft, Philistines!

Moral of the story: the more you spend, the faster it will be dated. Oh, and talk your soon-to-be ex out of the two tone faucets. . . that was the only decorating battle I won, and no one said the plain Jane bathrooms were dated.

Maenad

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #18 on: December 31, 2019, 06:17:44 AM »
This made me snicker: "outdated granite".
And so it begins.

I am thrilled to the gills that granite is now "dated". We put in laminate countertops in 2005 when we remodeled and DH now wants to replace with granite (there's been water incursion that's delaminating some of the laminate). Maybe it'll be cheaper! We should look for some that's been ripped out of another house.

monarda

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #19 on: December 31, 2019, 08:50:26 AM »
This made me snicker: "outdated granite".
And so it begins.

I am thrilled to the gills that granite is now "dated". We put in laminate countertops in 2005 when we remodeled and DH now wants to replace with granite (there's been water incursion that's delaminating some of the laminate). Maybe it'll be cheaper! We should look for some that's been ripped out of another house.

This same strategy is what we used when we remodeled our rentals' kitchens with corian from someone else's house. When the owners  just HAD to have granite our tenants got perfectly good corian. Great for rentals, sand out any dings.

roomtempmayo

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #20 on: December 31, 2019, 09:06:04 AM »
How much longer do you suppose stainless steel commercial looking kitchen appliances have before looking "dated"?

I'd sure like to pick up a Wolf range off Craig's List for 200 bucks.

EricEng

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #21 on: December 31, 2019, 11:12:58 AM »
Removing kitchen cabinets would be annoying to me.  Some of the renovations like the wood doors I agree with, but then walling off some of the window space seemed strange.  I think it looks nice though.

GreenToTheCore

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #22 on: December 31, 2019, 03:47:24 PM »
This made me snicker: "outdated granite".
And so it begins.

I am thrilled to the gills that granite is now "dated". We put in laminate countertops in 2005 when we remodeled and DH now wants to replace with granite (there's been water incursion that's delaminating some of the laminate). Maybe it'll be cheaper! We should look for some that's been ripped out of another house.

Agreed!
Granite seemed overkill for raw material use and definitely requires extra care.
Luckily we found a house without granite.

+1 for laminate. It's so quiet and I don't worry about  breaking a dish if I set it down too hard.

Just Joe

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #23 on: December 31, 2019, 10:59:08 PM »
...or concrete countertops. We're leaning that way for a future redecorating. A few bags of $5 concrete and plywood forms.

Dicey

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #24 on: December 31, 2019, 11:42:21 PM »
So...fucking...pretentious.

Metalcat

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #25 on: January 01, 2020, 06:46:59 AM »
So...fucking...pretentious.

It's like a bad Kardashian-West tribute.


Papa bear

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #26 on: January 01, 2020, 09:19:24 AM »
That floor.  There are 3 guarantees with concrete.

1) guaranteed to not catch on fire
2) guaranteed to not get stolen
3) guaranteed to CRACK

3 years before their precious floors have random crack patterns and looks like shit.  Time to replace!




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Sibley

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #27 on: January 01, 2020, 08:22:56 PM »
...or concrete countertops. We're leaning that way for a future redecorating. A few bags of $5 concrete and plywood forms.

FYI, concrete stains, chips and cracks. Just be aware.

Just Joe

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #28 on: January 01, 2020, 11:47:47 PM »
Thanks. Maybe we'll do a test section to play with in the garage.

Papa bear

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #29 on: January 02, 2020, 07:45:32 AM »
...or concrete countertops. We're leaning that way for a future redecorating. A few bags of $5 concrete and plywood forms.

I’ve done a concrete counter, there’s a lot more that goes into it than some quikrete and some plywood. Haven’t done another one since, not worth my labor for rental turns. 

I’ve got a write up on these forums somewhere from years ago on a thread specifically on the topic.


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Just Joe

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #30 on: January 02, 2020, 07:12:32 PM »
Good to know. i figured it would be alot of work but was willing since the materials cost was low. I'll take a much closer look when we get to that project. Our kitchen needs a whole re-do.

Previous owners made some choices that resulted in an inefficient space with trendy details that aren't terrible but could be better.

Papa bear

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #31 on: January 02, 2020, 07:36:52 PM »
Good to know. i figured it would be alot of work but was willing since the materials cost was low. I'll take a much closer look when we get to that project. Our kitchen needs a whole re-do.

Previous owners made some choices that resulted in an inefficient space with trendy details that aren't terrible but could be better.

It’s still cheaper than stone if you diy it. Probably in the 10-15/ sf range depending on how you do it and how fancy you get.   


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roomtempmayo

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #32 on: January 13, 2020, 08:43:09 AM »
Yesterday there was an article in the Times declaring the death of the white kitchen.

If anyone is interested in trying to salvage white subway tile, I predict there will be a bunch of it removed shortly.  I hear it pairs well with salvaged granite countertops.

Just Joe

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #33 on: January 13, 2020, 12:03:02 PM »
Gotta keep the spending treadmill rolling... (good grief...)

Just keep what'cha got. sooner or later it'll be back in style.

Zamboni

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #34 on: January 13, 2020, 05:15:33 PM »
Yes, I used to work in flooring. There is a cycle between "high gloss" (looks wet) and "low gloss" coatings every few years.

roomtempmayo

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #35 on: January 13, 2020, 07:44:40 PM »
Gotta keep the spending treadmill rolling... (good grief...)

Just keep what'cha got. sooner or later it'll be back in style.

I'm still waiting for my formica to make a comeback.

OtherJen

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #36 on: January 13, 2020, 07:52:35 PM »
Yesterday there was an article in the Times declaring the death of the white kitchen.

If anyone is interested in trying to salvage white subway tile, I predict there will be a bunch of it removed shortly.  I hear it pairs well with salvaged granite countertops.

Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #37 on: January 14, 2020, 05:28:26 AM »
Yesterday there was an article in the Times declaring the death of the white kitchen.

If anyone is interested in trying to salvage white subway tile, I predict there will be a bunch of it removed shortly.  I hear it pairs well with salvaged granite countertops.

Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

Metalcat

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #38 on: January 14, 2020, 05:37:29 AM »
Yesterday there was an article in the Times declaring the death of the white kitchen.

If anyone is interested in trying to salvage white subway tile, I predict there will be a bunch of it removed shortly.  I hear it pairs well with salvaged granite countertops.

Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.

Granite and stainless steel??? What is this? 2005???

OtherJen

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #39 on: January 14, 2020, 05:40:34 AM »
Yesterday there was an article in the Times declaring the death of the white kitchen.

If anyone is interested in trying to salvage white subway tile, I predict there will be a bunch of it removed shortly.  I hear it pairs well with salvaged granite countertops.

Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*

zolotiyeruki

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #40 on: January 14, 2020, 07:22:37 AM »
Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*
FWIW, our kitchen has maple cabinets (absolutely gorgeous) and corian counters, and I think it's stunning, personally.

jinga nation

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #41 on: January 14, 2020, 08:29:07 AM »
Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*
FWIW, our kitchen has maple cabinets (absolutely gorgeous) and corian counters, and I think it's stunning, personally.
It is. A friend has that, he wants to paint the cabinets to match his walls. :facepalm:

zolotiyeruki

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #42 on: January 14, 2020, 10:21:24 AM »
Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*
FWIW, our kitchen has maple cabinets (absolutely gorgeous) and corian counters, and I think it's stunning, personally.
It is. A friend has that, he wants to paint the cabinets to match his walls. :facepalm:
The white cabinet fad bemuses me, because it's so obviously, horribly impractical.  Seriously, white cabinets in the *one* room most likely to have a mess?

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #43 on: January 14, 2020, 10:39:26 AM »
Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*
FWIW, our kitchen has maple cabinets (absolutely gorgeous) and corian counters, and I think it's stunning, personally.
It is. A friend has that, he wants to paint the cabinets to match his walls. :facepalm:
The white cabinet fad bemuses me, because it's so obviously, horribly impractical.  Seriously, white cabinets in the *one* room most likely to have a mess?
The fad is to try to look like you don't cook, except that the people you're trying to impress go into other people's kitchens.

Metalcat

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #44 on: January 14, 2020, 11:18:38 AM »
Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*
FWIW, our kitchen has maple cabinets (absolutely gorgeous) and corian counters, and I think it's stunning, personally.
It is. A friend has that, he wants to paint the cabinets to match his walls. :facepalm:
The white cabinet fad bemuses me, because it's so obviously, horribly impractical.  Seriously, white cabinets in the *one* room most likely to have a mess?

???

I would consider this highly practical, I like to see where the mess is so that I can keep it cleaned properly.
My old kitchen was white, my new kitchen has maple cabinets and I look at them with distrust.

When I moved in they looked fine, but once I started scrubbing them, I saw that they had decades of oily buildup. It took an entire day to clean them.

OtherJen

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #45 on: January 14, 2020, 03:17:31 PM »
My cabinets are painted white. We cook daily. I should probably just see myself out.

monarda

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #46 on: January 14, 2020, 07:57:11 PM »
We had white cabinets in our old kitchen. We replaced them with new white cabinets.
Gray laminate countertops.
We cook daily and white makes it easy to see what needs wiping down.
And we have white appliances.

MayDay

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #47 on: January 14, 2020, 08:02:41 PM »
Wait, when did white happen? I thought it was all granite and stainless steel. Clearly I pay lots of attention to home fashion.
Hey, there, Rip Van Winkle.  Granite and stainless is *so* five years ago.  All the cool kids have moved on to quartz and white cabinets!

*Slinks back to kitchen with wood counters and 15-year-old appliances in shame*
FWIW, our kitchen has maple cabinets (absolutely gorgeous) and corian counters, and I think it's stunning, personally.
It is. A friend has that, he wants to paint the cabinets to match his walls. :facepalm:
The white cabinet fad bemuses me, because it's so obviously, horribly impractical.  Seriously, white cabinets in the *one* room most likely to have a mess?
The fad is to try to look like you don't cook, except that the people you're trying to impress go into other people's kitchens.

So I can speak to this.

We've had various wood cabinets in multiple houses. They ALL get dirty. We've had two with white cabinets- one white painted wood, one that sort of plastic coating (a vacuum formed film I think) over chipboard.

White is fine. You can actually see when they get dirty and you wipe them clean right away. They are actually easier to keep clean because you give them a quick wipe when they get dirty rather than waiting until it builds up.

And to being it full circle we just got white counters put in with our white cabinets, and are thinking about white tile.... And subway tile is cheap..... And neutral...... So we can add color easier with paint or pictures or whatever.

Dicey

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #48 on: January 14, 2020, 10:58:51 PM »
Shhh...it's called thermofoil, and it's notorious for delaminating. I once did a budget reno on my kitchen, keeping the boxes, removing the gawdawful Euro cabinet doors, and replacing them with thermofoil doors from HD. It was a huge upgrade snd turned out well. After five or six years of regilar kitchen use, they started delaminating.

When DH and I married, we sold both houses and bought one together. To prepare for the sale, he used a heat gun to remove the melamine (surprisingly easy), sealed and sanded the raw melamine doors, then painted them with a spray gun. They looked fantastic, and the place sold for way over asking. The buyers have three young boys and cook often. The revived cabinets have held up quite well - seven years and counting. The paint job has lasted longer than the original thermofoil.

StashingAway

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Re: comedy home revovation
« Reply #49 on: January 15, 2020, 06:51:44 AM »

The current trend of all white everything is not going to last. Several years ago a lovely little home on 2 acres behind us was torn down and replaced with an 8,000 square foot monstrosity --- the entire interior in white: walls, floors, kitchen, everything. The lawyer douche hubby built a detached home office/pool cabana larger than the previous home. He does not work from home, of course.

Methinks it will age better than the Barn/Rustic trend that is running amok. Like any trend, it will date itself, but I think it will survive the decades better than some previous ones (green shag carpet, brass victorian hardware, etc). Those are just my projections, and I happen to like the aesthetic so I'm biased. And after renovating with neutral colors, I'm surprised to find that they're easier to clean, like others have mentioned. And you can change the feel of a room better with a large colorful pictures, rugs, appliances, etc.

But, what this couple did to the kitchen is horrendous. Removing cabinets and replacing with pictures? Insulting to the core. Cabinets are king in a kitchen.