Second thoughts
June 8th, 2008 by markAlways a good thing when you’re spending this much money.
This New York Times article on how to renovate your kitchen for resale caught me eye, and it says what I’ve been hearing from the few friends and family members who’ve responded to our ideas for glass tiles. The fact it pretty explicitly calls out colored glass tiles for obsolescence gives me pause. I absolutely, completely stand by the idea of the 4×4 field tiles, but am getting cold feet about a bold decorative element that would be very hard to remove in the future.
I’m not worried about resale because we have every intention of staying in this house at least until the Green Line arrives (current date: 2014) and it has everything we want or need: sufficient space for two of us, a good layout, great sunlight, a yard, and off-street parking in a decent neighborhood with very good access to Boston. We’re designing for us, and the kitchen will date regardless. I know resale is always a possibility, but Prospect Hill is not Manhattan, and it’s possible to overthink what the future market will demand or live with. I know what we lived with when we bought.
However, where I stand now is that I feel this is going to have to be a feature I’m going to really love and strongly regret omitting in favor of neutral beige tiles in order to proceed. I don’t understate this factor. I’m also considering that the feature is limited to one spot and not all that crazy.
We have a while to go before ordering tiles; it’s one of the last pieces of the puzzle. I see more trips to Home Expo in our future.
P.S. Mom, don’t think you’ve won 100% on this one. The article recommends hardwood floors.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I agree with Mark on our reasonings for doing this, and am simultaneously apprehensive about making a choice we’ll regret. I don’t want a sterile white kitchen. I’ve seen lots of kitchens in design magazines that don’t look good for cooking. They only look good for magazining.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Yes, I don’t want that. I’m thinking of the slate-y combination we took a photo of as a medium between too bold and too blah, and not ruling out the Copper Tone.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Missed your sally, Mark. Did the article mention washer and dryer in the kitchen???
June 11th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I don’t think it did. It’s another thing where Manhattan life doesn’t translate well to Somerville, they have less space than we do and probably send all their laundry out. The water and vents have been installed, so that’s pretty much a done deal for now.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:30 am
I saw an HGTV program about a Manhattan couple that did all recycled/renewable resources for their kitchen. Their W/D was right in their kitchen, and they talked about how it was all Energy Star. That said, they did a mosaic tile counter top and their main sink was a 12″ or 14″ round that they’ve had to re-grout several times, so all judgment goes out the window. Besides, not everyone can recycle French Chateau tiles for their flooring.