The Sub-Zero love/hate relationship; are some high-end brands really as horrible reliability-wise as it seems in threads here or are we getting skewed feedback toward the negative? (Viking, Subzero, Dacor, for example); why do people saying island cooktops can only be ventilated by downdraft or at great expense?; What's the matter with a work triangle?

How about "design your perfect"..... I know I can't seem to find a decent countertop yet. I want something as durable as granite, with movement, natural (or at least natural looking!), and has some COLOR, and perhaps is easy to install.... Every time I get close, something knocks a material back down. Like the neolith conversation - I can't get over the "sound" and the risk with cracking / substrate mounting.

Design your perfect faucet, sink, range...

Let's have a look at various under counter lighting options.

Marble lookalikes is always good for a discussion.

All good, practical ideas. Don't forget to throw in some 'fun' stuff, like 'What famous person would you like to invite over for dinner?'

mushcreek... don't forget to include what you would cook:)

How about gas vs. induction vs. electric? I'd love to learn more about induction.

How about - show me your kitchen or favorite kitchen? Similarly, countertop. (So much lovely eye candy)

beachem - Thanks for keeping this going!

Sounds like all great topics for those of us still in the process or just beginning beachem! I'd also like to know what each person has found to be their best 'storage' (I know, drawers, drawers, but aside from drawers!), and the most unexpected 'positives' and any possible negatives they've found since moving back into their new kitchens.

Hmm I was browsing through houses on the market and wondering what GWers look for in the kitchen when they're buying a home. No matter the price range, so many bad layouts....or no drawers. Is it better to pick the most liveable kitchen, or the one that would be easily remodeled?

Jannicone, we just went to an open house on my street, and it was bad. Expensive house but crappy design. I'm glad I'm not buying.

Ooh - how about a Kitchens with problems/Problem layouts? Post pictures of the ones we come across and how the problem could be solved...

I look for fixer uppers with really old, terrible kitchens. :-) I don't want to pay for someone else's renovation when I can make it the way I want it.

How about "ideas I stole from kitchens I've lived in"?

"How I Met My Kitchen Designer"?

So, this may be unpopular, but I'd love to see more info/articles on kitchen remodels for those of us who don't have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on appliances, let alone all the other costs involved. What are some decently-valued, perhaps mid-grade options (for counters, appliances, cabinets, etc.) that we should be aware of?

We've got our budget and reno planned, our appliances pre-ordered, but I want to strongly second Lizzie Bennett's suggestion of mid-grade renovations. I see a lot of people here and in person, meet a lot of people, who aren't spending the kind of $$ others are. They are applying money towards retirement, their kids, and things that outweigh higher-end home improvements not in their income range. Sometimes the suggestion to 'buy this brand or do this expensive upgrade or don't bother' gets pushed too often here. GW has such a diverse community, internationally, regionally, and economically. And why not take it a step further, with another topic on what did you DIY and your experiences?

@2ManyDiversions - I agree with what you so eloquently said!

Here's an example of a DIY that we did when first moving into the house - the kitchen was so ugly, it was painful. The goal was to get rid of as much ugly as possible without actually totally remodelling; here are the results

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/kitchen-update-on-a-very-tight-budget-dsvw-vd~3019135?n=22

Now that there's a little bit of budget to do more, we'll be replacing cabinets (which are painfully, unspeakably dysfunctional), the countertops, appliances and flooring. But it still won't be a $50k + remodel.

Just for random fun, here's what I did for the master bath, until one fine day, when that can be fully remodeled, too.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/and-a-bathroom-update-on-a-very-tight-budget-dsvw-vd~3032249?n=6

^^ "A picture is worth ten thousand words". ^^ I feel there are people here who want to renovate later, but want to refresh now, or want to update without a full renovation and the costs.

I realize this forum is very much about doing the right thing, the right way. For some that means a big budget for renovation, for others it means not spending a lot, and then there are those in the middle.

Great work, Lizzie : )

Lizzie Bennet (my fave literary heroine, by the way!), I agree about low-cost facelifts.

I did a similar thing to our kitchen four years ago, while we saved up for the next iteration.

After:

Before:

@Renov8or - Wow! gorgeous! It's *amazing* how much the backsplash and cabinets make the countertops pop so beautifully!! (And thank you for the note to self as I navigate backsplash he*l).

@2ManyDiversions - Thank you! And yes, absolutely agree - I love that this forum is about, as you say, "doing the right thing, the right way" - it's why I'm always here. :)

There's DIY, and there's DIY. We did a budget refresh on our last house, and a complete new kitchen (and house) here, both completely DIY. I think there's been threads about DIY, but I could be wrong. I'm a fan of all different levels of kitchens, but have special place in my heart for budget and/or DIY projects. I have a harder time relating to kitchens that cost as much as our house.

Actually, it seems a common phrase seen here is "we don't have the huge $$ kitchen so often seen here", so I'm guessing that it's just that the $$ grab our attention, when really there are a lot of "normal" kitchens. And normal kitchens are the best. Nothing sparks creativity like limitations, whether the limitations are space, budget, construction factors, building codes.

Ooh, here's another possible subject: How We Got Around A Limitation

or maybe My Favorite Hack. Renov8or brought that one to mind: I like your towel bar at the kitchen sink! I didn't have room for one, and my dishwasher doesn't have a handle (that will be part of my multi element entry for "How We Got Around a Limitation") so I used a long drawer handle on the sink base cabinet doors acting as a shortish towel bar.

I'd like to second 'My Favorite Hack'. There was a reveal not real long ago where the homeowner stuck a slim, pullout cabinet in an unusual space. I may be recalling the details all wrong, but I thought then that it would be fun to see others' bright ideas (also looking at you, Cheryl's hanging stepstool).

I would like to see a "show me your kitchen" topic. I would especially like to see the pro's kitchens who post here regularly.

lisadlu16, I like your suggestion also. On the same lines... I see and read about so many financial advisers going bankrupt... makes one wonder. I'd love to see the Pros, and retired Pro's personal kitchens also, to get an idea of their own personal styles and tastes. Some of the Pros do have Project books, which is great, but we are sharing our personal home/kitchen photos here, so...

Cookie dough vs. Reese's cups.
Red over white whine? (oops on that typo!)
I got nuttin' else at the moment.

How about “ what’s cooking in your kitchen ?” KAW Thread.

so many times we see a finished kitchen that looks like the house is up for sale ( I have to include myself in the guilty lot :) ). I would love a glimpse of how we use our kitchen

Christine, no debate there: cookie dough.

Just thinking, I prefer "my favorite workaround" to " hack". "Hack" sounds like kitchen tips like pouring chicken broth into ice cube trays, not "how I solved a design/layout/function issue in my kitchen". The first is Facebook clickbait, the second is much more apropos. Or create any thread title that doesn't bring us tips and tricks. You're doing a great job on this, btw!

Contuing on mushcreeks DIY comment, if you all recall that’s where the “week” thread started years ago, a DIY progress thread, how worn out we were, where we were at, what was left...

Maybe we recap?

Lol, bp, maybe I've been watching too much cable news and have hacking on the brain. What I was thinking of is some creative idea folks have devised that doesn't necessarily address a problem, although it could. Like the towel pig or using the inside of a pantry door to hang up your cat or creating a coffee bar out of two stools and a bread board.