ᐅ Kitchen Photos Thread – Show Us Your Kitchens!

ypg schrieb:

Whether you spend a lot or a little on design, whether the furniture is stylish or not – who actually sets the standard? Why does it have to be expensive design, whether second-hand or new?

Sure, but the same applies to a kitchen, right? Furniture quality also matters, which is reflected in the price just like with kitchens. At some point, design (or hype) starts to drive the price—this is the same for kitchens, furniture, clothing, and so on. The question is also what you consider "design." I have to say I really enjoy looking at beautiful things; visible brand names are less important to me since I don’t have many visitors to impress anyway.

ypg schrieb:

The resident feels comfortable with their own standards, but many people look down on those who don’t have a “Benz” or the lamp brand that apparently has to be in every home because it’s so hyped up.

Looking down on others is generally not nice because everyone has the right to live as they want. On the other hand, I also find it somewhat unfair when, for example, a Rolf Benz sofa is dismissed as pretentious, but an expensive Bora cooktop is described as a necessary basic appliance (to exaggerate). As I said, I can understand both sides, including a friend of mine who drives a €100,000 (about $110,000) car but doesn’t want to spend money on his home. It doesn’t bother me, and he obviously feels good that way—which is great!
You probably mean people who buy things (kitchen, lamp, sofa...) just to show off. You don’t need a sofa for that; it starts outside the house, with clothing, holidays, choice of school, or children’s musical instruments... kitchens and sofas are no exception.

ypg schrieb:

Personally, I enjoy every piece in the house and like looking at them, but just as @pagoni2020 apparently does it (at least that’s how I understood it), collecting designer brands can also make a room... or house, feel overloaded or exhausting.

I either described this wrongly or it was misunderstood. Because of some twists in my life and multiple places I’ve lived, I have packed my belongings into five moving boxes several times. If I had to, I could do it again tomorrow and let go of things. I don’t collect anything, not even designer pieces, branded items, or souvenirs from abroad.
Over time, we’ve simply acquired what I think are really nice, high-quality pieces of furniture that will outlast us and never lose their appeal. I often didn’t even know the brands; I have to look them up when they’re mentioned.
Since my house was rented out as a holiday home for years, new pieces were sometimes needed. For myself, though, I’ve always preferred a rather minimal furnishing style. Crowded windowsills or overstuffed drawers drive me crazy.
My secret: I like empty cupboards and drawers and for 30 years in my own home, I practically had nothing in the large attic storage—I literally had nothing to put there.

Yaso2.0 schrieb:

What price range should the rest of the furniture be in compared to the kitchen to be considered similarly high-quality?

My concern is not the price but the quality expectations. People buy a sofa and accept a level of material quality they wouldn’t even consider for a kitchen. While kitchens are inspected closely down to the grout lines, sofas receive much less attention regarding the seam design of the cushion covers.
My question is, why do we scrutinize kitchens so much more carefully than sofas, cabinets, or other furniture pieces?

It’s clear that the other furniture and fittings would be more expensive if we applied the same standards as we do for kitchens. Likewise, kitchens would be much cheaper if we adjusted our expectations for them to match those we have for the other furniture.

I believe that the kitchen industry’s marketing works so well that we have grown accustomed to kitchens being expensive and have effectively been "trained" to accept this. The same goes for bathroom furniture, mobile phones, and cars...

pagoni2020 schrieb:

sitting in a Passat is probably not necessarily worse than in a BMW.

But both are better than some office chairs in a home office. The question is: where can I find an office chair with 12-way electric adjustment, adjustable heating and ventilation, and 8 massage programs? 😱
I sometimes let myself be influenced by quality terms that someone throws at me. It makes sense to pause and think about what just happened.
I believe it can be helpful for homebuilders not to focus too much on “class categories” and “price groups.” Once you’ve done that and taken a moment to reflect, you can still consciously choose something from the “higher end.” It’s only problematic if someone with a tight budget picks from the higher end because they really believe they need it or because they think an IKEA kitchen is inferior.

Beds, specifically the frame and mattress, are important. However, compared to the kitchen, the frame is relatively inexpensive. There are far fewer options and much less that can go wrong.

Is it really necessary to debate whether to choose 160x200cm (63x79 inches) or 200x200cm (79x79 inches)? Replacement is straightforward.

The frame and mattress need to be chosen and tested individually. How can a forum really help with that? Every body and every sensation is different. Work processes are less individual.

Removing an old kitchen and installing a new one is not as quick as taking out a sofa and putting in another one. 🙂

I would like to know who actually uses their steam oven enough to justify the purchase and the extra space it takes up. I have come across several kitchens where it is only used as storage for pans.