Ice, ice baby
I’m not especially good at decorating, and if you knew the excruciating way I’ve made decisions in my kitchen, you’d know this. I should really have put quotes around decisions, as I usually begin to doubt them within twenty-four hours. Sometimes, I troll kitchen forums for ideas but this is hard, really. These people have huge, elegant spaces, the better to put in islands and baking centers and butler’s pantries. While I struggle to find a refrigerator both shallow enough and narrow enough for my space, they wish heartily that fridges came wider than 48″. So instead, I went surfing though the local real estate listings where galley kitchens and spaces so narrow they look like they’re being photographed through fisheye lenses predominate. I assumed that these would be the crème-de-la-crème. They’d need to be to sell, right? Fantastic place to get design inspiration, yes.
Let’s have a look, shall we?
I like to call this one, “field of ugly neutrals.”
And this one, the “hallway of bland.”
This was a common theme in for-sale kitchens. The all stark white look. I’m not sure if it’s “I just couldn’t pick a color” or “I’m afraid color will ruin my resale value – can’t you see yourself in my milk-white cucina?” I chose this one in particular because the pictures seem to say, “no! No! I’m not all white, see?” Where instead they just seem to make everything whiter.
Still not as bad as this one, though. Ice cube, anyone?
But both are better than bisque. The white fridge next to everything else bisque is a nice touch.
Or maybe it’s just horrible lighting that causes half the kitchen to look like it has a bad case of jaundice. I’m not sure which is worse.
They tell people to de-clutter before sale but some people don’t get the memo.
This kitchen broke my brain.
By the way, this is the most popular fridge in all Manhattan. I know why. It’s from Amana (and now Whirlpool) and it has excellently narrow and shallow dimensions. I should have gotten one, but no, I had to get the one with actual handles. Now it can’t open all the way without banging into the cabinet across. Anyone want a fridge?
Speaking of appliances, I think this kitchen is my favorite. Yes, it’s ugly. Yes, it’s cluttered. But the best part is, it’s tiny, and yet the owner used a major chunk of real estate for a full-sized dishwasher. I’m betting he stores the dishes in there too.
Don’t forget, follow kitchen “progress” here!
