I’d never thought of myself as someone who likes weird design or unusual interiors. I always thought I had a safe and rather neutral decorating style (if you can even call it a style) but two weeks ago everything changed.
We were at a kitchen studio for our second kitchen planning appointment. We’d already been a few weeks earlier to decide on the basics of what we’d like and this was the day where we’d get to see what design the kitchen planner had come up with and decide on all of the details.
Just as a reminder, this is the room we’d like to move the kitchen to.
The kitchen looked great. It had been planned well, we made a few changes and ironed out a few niggles but it somehow felt off. It just didn’t feel quite right and I couldn’t put my finger on it (even before we were told what it would cost).
Then it suddenly dawned on me – it was boring!
It was just so conventional, so grown-up and really just unexciting.
I loved the cupboard fronts we chose and I loved the Silestone worktop that looks similar to marble. The texture, colour and quality were all perfect (unless you compare it to the Bulthaupt B3 which is the kitchen of my dreams and obviously way out of budget) but it still didn’t feel right somehow.
In addition, the kitchen planning process in Germany isn’t exactly customer friendly as you don’t get any paperwork, pictures or even details of what you discussed until you sign on the dotted line so I can’t even show you what exactly we had planned.
A total nightmare for someone like me who compares the life out of everything and loves to get the best value for money possible (which is why I guess they do it). The images I’m sharing here are a rough version of the kitchen that I drew from memory with their free kitchen planning software to give you a rough idea of what was planned.
Whilst we do want all of the gadgets, all of the clever cupboards, something that’s high quality and built to last we’d also like something relaxed, fun, not so stiff or conventional.
Don’t get me wrong, if ever you’re going to want to install something that’s tried and tested it’s going to be in the kitchen but I personally don’t think that having a kitchen that’s fun has to contradict also having something functional.
The whole process was a total wake-up call and has made me question my whole way of thinking about design.
Even if we could afford to spend over 20k (yikes!) on a kitchen I’m not sure I want to.
I still love parts of the kitchen and I’m not saying that we’re not going to at least try to incorporate a version of it in our home but there will have to be some radical changes both in terms of design and to the overall cost to make it work for us.
I’m still not sure what exactly I would like our new kitchen to look like but in the few hours we spent at the kitchen studio I definitely learned a lot about myself and about what I don’t want.
A new kitchen is still high up on my list of priorities and we’re also still planning on moving the kitchen to the front of the apartment but for now, it’s back to the (kitchen) drawing board.
Have you ever had an “aha” moment when designing something? Am I the only person who finds planning and buying a kitchen super stressful? Did you know that over 80% of kitchens sold are white or off-white (according to our kitchen planner)? What would your dream kitchen look like?
Genie says
I had my ideal kitchen planned before I even bought my house! to be fair, i knew the sort of property I was after – all the Victorian homes in the area I was looking have more or less the same galley-kitchen design. I knew I wanted to stay true to the personality of the house, so an ultra-modern kitchen was never an option. I used a little app called RoomSketcher to work up a basic design for the kitchen and extension. It worked surprisingly well!
But please tell me you’re not going to put those awful recessed ceiling fittings in :( … i know it’s a matter of personal taste but I find them so awful – they make everywhere feel like a mid-priced hotel.
Christine says
Haha, you’re not going to find any recessed light fittings in this apartment, Genie! The room we’d like to move the kitchen to has an amazing ceiling with lots of intricate plasterwork so we’re definitely going to keep it as it is.
I guess our biggest problem now is that we really don’t know what it is we want which is why I totally envy you! In our last house I knew exactly what I wanted but for our new home, I’m really struggling to define what it is I’m after. I would like something contemporary but I also want something fun and interesting. There’s no real rush though and I’m sure we’ll manage to find something we love (sooner or later!).
Cx
Genie says
it’s a tricky one for sure! if it were mine I’d be looking at a mix of vintage and modern – basing the design around the proportions of that wonderful unit that’s in the existing kitchen – looking at reclaimed 1930s tiles and possibly sink as well, and playing around with juxtapositions of modern materials. definitely not a space that asks to be done all in one style!
Christine says
I’m leaning towards a mix of vintage and modern at the moment, too. We may not be able to keep the existing antique fridge/food storage cupboard (it’s a long story). For now, we’re back to gathering some more inspiration and ideas.
Cx
Lo says
Whilst renovating our home, I spend my life second guessing myself. We rushed our master bedroom to give us a usable room, and I really don’t like it. Furniture that worked so well in our old house doesn’t sit right in this room and I can’t for the life of me figure out why!
I totally get where you’re going with this, poor you!
Lo
http://www.themixtures.com
Christine says
At the moment it feels like nothing that worked in our old home works in our new apartment. It’s great to have large rooms and high ceilings but everything own looks sooo dinky.
I guess it’s just all part of the fun of moving somewhere new. We’ve definitely also been guilty of rushing to get rooms finished in the past – hopefully, we’ll both get there in the end!
Cx
Jean says
I bought a second hand kitchen on eBay.. .had it fitted in a different room, with new tiles and tops. I tgen paid a carpenter to put in coordinating shelves and recycling bin store.
I then changed the old kitchen to a utility room.
The Howdens kitchen cost 100. It ame with a cooker I sold for 90..so I got all ten units for £10.. Its pine in a shaker style with very fancy metal handles. Best bargain ever.
Christine says
Wow! That’s definitely a bargain – thought you’d missed a few 00 at first! I’d never even considered a secondhand kitchen (which is a bit weird considering we love to buy secondhand furniture) will definitely keep my eyes open!
Cx
Marg says
Yes, hear everything you are saying. Our tiny condo kitchen is literally at the door-it lines up with the front door like a bowling alley, is a galley kitchen. On the left, the d/w, sink, w/d; the right, the stove, counter, fridge, all in a 5′ x 8′ space. The first thing I saw when we toured, was the overpowering plank fluorescent light spanning the ceiling like it wanted to take over. Then, the cabinets that lined the walls seemed like they were wanting to fold down and envelope me into their shelves. First thing I did was remove the upper cabs, thinking I could salvage the lowers, but they were too water-damaged. Thought I could salvage the brown laminate (yes, I know), counter tops, but the more I looked at them, the more sad I got, regardless of trying to save money. Still do not have a kitchen after 1 month, but you know, it’s fine because I hated what was there. Ideally, I want polished metal cabinets in deep blue, open shelves, maybe 1 glass front corner cabinet, and a stove hood that spans to the ceiling. You’d think that would be affordable-ha! We did get a 30″ stove, replaced the 30″ fridge with a 24″ (repairman said, “Oh, you need a larger fridge, and knock down some walls!”–I just about knocked him for saying that, silly Millennial), and installed a 27″ w/d combo, dark vinyl plank floors, blue walls, flush mount light (it’s amazingly bright). I know we need to decide on cabinets soon, but hoping I can find an alternative to Home Depot, but budget-driven choices prevail. If I were in your spot, I’d keep the existing kitchen in the same location to save money, and choose the materials that bring you joy. In the long run, saving money means more freedom for retirement, and that’s when you won’t remember trying to jostle kitchen locations, etc. Plan with joy, it will turn out wonderful for you!
Christine says
Ohh, choosing a kitchen is soo difficult at least you know what you want, Marg!
There are a few reasons we want to move the kitchen. We think the apartment will flow better if it’s at the front of the building but another big reason is that we’d like to turn the existing kitchen into the main bathroom. The current bathroom is really small and just doesn’t feel right for an apartment of this size.
We’ve not yet got the quotes back for moving the kitchen and finances are (always) a big consideration. Having said that, we believe that the changes will increase the value of the apartment.
Cx
Maks says
Buying a kitchen in Germany is worse than buying a car ;-). You see all these great functional extras but can’t afford half of them. And you have your kitchen virtually for forever, so you want it all. From what I’ve seen so far I can see that you like to give things a certain twist, you make them your own. I’m not sure what exactly you have envisioned for you kitchen, but it’s possible a standard solution will not make you happy.
Have you thought about asking a carpenter (Schreiner) to help? This is not what Germans usually do, they like to pick things from a catalogue or have a kitchen planner plan it all out for them. But often custom made solutions are not really more expensive than the “I want it all-standard approach”. Maybe you find you can use some cool stand alone or modular pieces you can incorporate into you design to keep the cost manageable or you compromise a little regarding the material (looks similar but costs much less without compromising on usability/functionality)? Since you like to think outside the box I’m sure you will get exactly what you want :-).
I know you are still “new” here, but Berlin is a great place for creative minds and you should be able to find help and/or what you want and still stay inside your budget. Wishing you all the best and I’m really looking forward to seeing what you come up with :-)
Christine says
I honestly thought I wanted a standard kitchen (with all of the gadgets, of course) and I surprised myself a bit when I found it too boring.
I had considered using a carpenter to do exactly what you’ve just suggested – standard cupboards with bespoke fronts and it’s something I’m looking into at the moment. As always there are so many things to do and just not enough time to get it all done!
One of the reasons we chose to move to Berlin is because of the creative and more relaxed vibe. I’m sure there’s a solution out there that will work both within our budget and give us the look we want (although I’m not quite sure what it is yet). Now all we have to do is find it! ;)
Cx
Anna International says
I had this ‘Aha’ moment when designing our new kitchen too. We are moving from a tiny galley kitchen to our dining room to have a much more spacious kitchen, and when the design process ended and they quoted me an insane amount of money for the cheapest mdf cabinets and a laminate worktop, I freaked out. The cabinets we have in the existing kitchen are stunning solid wood, and I just couldn’t bear to pay all that money and still have an inferior kitchen to the one we have now. So I jigged the plans to accommodate the cabinets we have, and now we are moving it to the new room. A local company are going to match the wood for us and create any missing panels, and now I can have the quartz worktop I so wanted, and it is still half the price of the one I was looking at! Win! Sometimes it pays to go with your instinct on things – I am sure you will end up with something you love! x
Christine says
It’s so reassuring to hear your story, Anna! Paying a lot of money for something with inferior quality to what you already had would have been an awful thing to have to do. Less waste, better quality and a better kitchen – what’s not to love!
I totally agree that putting a bit of thought into things and going with your instinct can often give you a much better result!
CX
Andrea says
Have you decided what colour you’re painting your current kitchen yet? I’m not sure on the stat about white kitchens – plenty of people have wood effect or painted shaker. I’m spending lots of time comparing options for mine so I know exactly how you feel!
Christine says
Well, we said we’d go with what got the most votes in our little poll and that’s still what we’re planning on doing. I’ll share the results next week!
I was surprised about the stats, too. I guess preferences and trends vary from country to country.
So glad to hear I’m not the only one who’s struggling to compare all options!
Cx