Couple more views.

The range should have been on the exterior wall because that vent looks ridiculous. What were they thinking? And it looks like the sink is on an exterior wall but there is no window above. The windowed cabinets are not proportional and there's way too many of them. I would pass.

I agree. For the price of this home, you can do better.

It's surprising that so little light from the ceiling actually hits the floor or illuminates the room. The 3 lights over the island don't seem to line up with the island

Wow for custom, builder went cheap on the cabinets. If they had gone up all the way to ceiling, it would have looked better.

Unless the location is spectacular, it’s a lot of money to fix the design choices if you’re already unhappy with it.

Yes I noticed that about the lights above the island too - so weird. Not difficult to fix but...why not just do it right the first time. I thought they didn’t go up to the ceiling because it was too high. But I feel better design choices could have been made. Good point about the “should have been” window above the sink. Yeah I don’t think I could get ever past that hood area - it would have to be fixed. It’s on a nice amount of land and is actually pretty well priced for the area and land it’s on. Just running figures in my head on how much/what could be done to fix it if anything. I’m not pressured or anything. Thanks for all the advice so far!

-to me, the backsplash is wrong both with counters and with flooring. That's the main thing that jumps to me and would bug me

-I'd reallign the lighting and add pendant/s much like Beverly suggests...also would help with the feeling of scale.or so I think

-flooring might indeed be too slippery when wet. You were there though..how did it feel? Some floors are so slippery one feels it right away even when dry..

-a hood does look a bit strange, no ideas yet as to how improve.

-if I'd go for the house-my main objective would be bringing this kitchen more to the ground so to say, since it's indeed very big with ceilings that are very high..I'd add elements that would potentially make it "cozier"..but that's already styling. Easier to tackle. So yes, I might look into adding a wooden table..would soften things..but after I decide on everything else.

At a quick glance it is pretty, but upon closer inspection it is a poorly designed kitchen. The vent for the range hood could have been hidden behind molding or just eliminate the issue by putting it on an outside wall. And why on earth does it have that bigger box at the top? And the fridge doesn’t have a landing space nearby. It also looks like a major traffic pattern goes in front of the fridge. It’s too bad. It began with the potential for a great kitchen.

And usually a matching interior is used for glass doors.

I'd be putting a table in front of the windows, space allowing.

Agree about the vent, that looks odd. I’m curious why they didn’t finish the inside of the upper cabinets. Generally the insides would be white so there wouldn’t be such a contrast. You could resolve that by replacing the glass with mirrors. I did that with my uppers and it helps reflect more light as well.

If you get 80% of what you are looking for in a home you are doing good. No pre-built home is going to be 100% what you want. The pros are you have lots of storage and counter space.

I would put a soffit above the cabinets. Do you really want to drag a 6 foot ladder out to get stuff from a cabinet that goes up to 12 feet and the soffit would also hide the stove vent.

If possible I would see if a window could be put in above the sink. The days of spending hours washing dishes if gone. You really don't spend much time at a sink anymore and when you do you are busy with food prep. So a window is something that isn't necessary anymore. I would take down the shelving and add a nice picture.

I would put solid doors in place of the glass.

Lighting change isn't that hard of a fix.

Yea, the floor does look slippy, but some runners will help with that and add some color to the kitchen.

In my last house I didn't have a landing area next to the fridge, I used the island as my landing area. I still don't use the counter next to my fridge as a landing area. I use my island or just take the items from my fridge to where I am prepping food. in fact I would extend the island towards the fridge. To were the wall of the hall starts.

If you like the rest of the house, kitchens can always be changed. Not cheaply, but they can be changed.

Since this is not merely a kitchen design but a decision about buying an entire house, I guess for me it would all depend on other factors if I want to go to the trouble and expense of fixing the things about the kitchen that are bothering you. Important factors would be:

• Is this a house you are considering to stay in/grow old in...or just flip or turn around and sell in the next few years?
• If this is a forever-type house, is everything necessary on the main floor (garage, master BR, master bath and guest bath, laundry, etc)
• If flipping/selling, is the neighborhood, price and land good enough/abundant enough that it makes this kitchen issue irrelevant?

If so, I would consider:

• Investigating replacing the uppermost (glass) cabinets with taller cabinets with no glass (or boxes with fixed panels painted the same color) - pricy but those current upper cabinets create a lot of issues visually and are an obstacle to fixing the vent issue
• Filling in above the new cabinets to the ceiling with a soffit to bring the very tall ceiling down and hide that afterthought of vent issue
• Add two large pendants over the island
• Change the cabinet hardware to something slimmer
• Investigate getting a window put in above the sink (pricy but worth it both visually and functionally/making it a happier place to be :)
• Adding counter stools with fabric seats to absorb some of the echo you are sure to experience with that floor and high ceiling
• Getting a gorgeous long, focal-point, table/chairs with a substantial chandelier over it (if chairs are fabric it would add some warmth and absorb some sound)

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Ugly way to do the hood! Possible fix box out the skinny area so it matches the lower and upper area? Or request a new hood that goes up taller? My glass cabinets had a required up charge to color match. Have them paint the inside to match the cabinetry. Will the builder add a window over the sink, if it is an exterior wall behind it?

Extremely poor layout IMO (and I'm being kind). Are you prepared to walk a marathon every time you need items from the fridge and will you happy with placing grocery bags on the floor for transfer into the fridge? Range should be on the exterior wall for efficient venting. This kitchen is "all show and no go", I'd pass on this house.

You have plenty of cabinets for storage, so maybe just removing the ones at the range hood would give you other options for a more attractive installation. Can you add one more base cabinet and a new top to the island so it is closer to the fridge?That might bring your island lights into alignment too. Are there LEDs under the upper cabinets? I think you'll need them to light your counter tops at night; the ceiling lighting seems inadequate to reach the work area. Four barstools (with the new extension) and a big table at the window will be great. Hopefully, you can hang a nice chandy over it, but I can't see an installation for that in the pix.

That kitchen is just really bad.

The glass cabinets are too narrow in height to put anything in that will actually be seen.

The hood is just awful.

If you take food out of the fridge, microwave or coffee station there is no landing space near them unless you want to walk the 5' or more back and forth from the island each time.

No window at the clean up sink.

The prep sink is exactly opposite the stove.

Not nearly enough overhead lighting.

Overhead lighting in wrong spots to be useful when prepping or cooking. Should be over the counters.

The real marble backsplash is competing with the quartz "marble" counters.

Looks like he cheaped out on using all drawers.

Floor will be a nightmare to keep clean.

Are the floors slippery?

Are the uppers interior unfinished?

The top molding on the cabinets looks all wrong for the house and the cabinets. That molding should fill in a gap between a cabinet and a ceiling because it's a real crown molding. Instead they stuck crown molding on where there's no ceiling.

If you're still in love with the house, if it were me, the first thing I'd do is drop the ceiling in the whole kitchen to the height of the crown molding and add lots more lighting.

Horrible out of proportion hood.

Solution square it out to depth of cabinet.

Add crown where ceiling meets top of walls.

Add a couple of glass cabinets with frosted glass & lighting within.

Try some innovative lighting.

You all make wonderful points, this is why I love you guys!

This is a 95% (?) finished house. The builder will still either make some changes and/or compensate if I use my contractor. I don’t know for sure but I think someone else’s financing fell through before completion so they just sat on it like it was.

• So yes things like insides of cabinets are unfinished (probably would put frosted glass on there and remove a lot of them).
• I’d probably remove the prep sink all together, add to the island cabinets and make a bigger island with a quartzite top.
• Get rid of the marble backsplash and do something softer and prettier.
• Add a window at the sink.
• I would remove the hardware and replace it with pulls and knobs and not so thick and heavy. (Especially in the front of the island, I’d basically make those invisible because I want seating there).
• I’d also probably paint it a deeper blue.
• The floors are not as slippery as they look, believe it or not. I think the lighting really makes them look that way.
• And yes, this house needs wayyyyyy more lighting. I just don’t know if I could really fix that hood situation! I do like cabinets to the ceiling (I have them to the ceiling in my house now) but I only have 10 foot ceilings, and these are 12 I think. These are already 42” cabinets.

Again I’m in no rush to buy, in fact this house has been sitting a while and was just reduced, I don’t think potential buyers can see past these issues, but maybe I can if I get the right ideas and the right price on the house. lol

There's no landing space for the ovens. Imagine taking out a turkey or anything else right when someone is walking between you and the island (because of course they would) - that could be bad. You could consider changing the pantry cabinets to the left of the ovens to lower drawers, counter, and uppers. Or move the ovens to the left with counter between them and the built in refrigerator - then you have landing space for both. Still across a traffic pattern, but at least you have some landing space close by. And yes, that hood would make me nuts.

i was scared to say anything because that kitchen made go omg and not in a good way, looks like some kind of crazy insane institutional space, it’s scale is sooo large and the surfaces are so cold and shiny and nothing is where it should be, I would never have guessed it was new, looks cobbled together, like desperate people were FORCED to put stuff in strange places, in strange ways. The blue island looks completely random. I would not want to pay for this, if you do put an offer in. I wonder if the owners cooked anything ever, or if the kitchen was just a conciliatory gesture, like I guess this house needs a kitchen, or for show... I wonder if you could do a dropped platform sort of thing from the ceiling over the island, to improve the lighting situation.

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/572660908844261514/

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/remembering-john-cade-father-of-lithium-treatment/7826850

i like the glass in the upper cabs, but would see about painting the interior the same blue as your island. I think it would jazz them up a bit.

the vent thing,,yeah,,a soffit would solve that issue

good point about having a landing space next to oven. otherwise you'll be setting everything down on the island. it's a long trek over to the other side while carry a hot pan. Some man who doesn't cook designed this, didn't they?

personally I would have done wood floors just to warm things up a bit, and don't mind the marble splash. once you get lighting, table, counter stools, etc, it won't look so cold

absolutely put in a window over the sink. who wants to look at a wall if they don't have to?

this layout needs a lot of tweaking to be workable, but it's up to you if want to do that. could have been such a better design w/all that space.

to me the worst part is the floor. reminds me of a commercial space like a shopping mall. This kitchen is large and should have “zones” also. More self contained zones. It’s like they used a medium sized kitchen layout and just made it bigger, with things further apart. Instead of designing a really great large kitchen.

may be expensive but I might bring the kitchen “inward” if possible. Bring the fridge to the end of the run right of the sink. Looks like you have a range so that’s ok. Just make the kitchen fit in the L section to the right of the doors. The stuff on the left wall is extra, unused, or storage. Then you have a fine medium sized kitchen again.

sounds like the house has a lot of things going for it so good luck with your choice! I don’t really hate the uppers. I think they are so far up there you won’t notice them as much in person.

I can’t understand why they ordered such short glass cabinets. My cabinet company had a minimum cabinet size of 15x15” tall for my glass doors (though that’s probably because of the X mullions). Would see if they are willing to increase the height of the glass cabs and have interior painted to match. Possibly change some out to solid doors. They might be separate stacked cabinets, so in that case more doable than if all one cabinet.

I like the idea of a soffit above the cabinets in that kitchen. Maybe even with a coiffured ceiling?

I would most likely change the hood to a statement hood free of the cabinetry.

I would definitely want to lengthen the island toward the refrigerator/oven wall, at least until the end run of cabinets on back wall. Then maybe the sink could move so it won’t be directly behind the range, if you center it on the longer island.

I really dislike the color of the backsplash with the floor. Wood floors would look beautiful and warm it up but that could be a very big undertaking as it looks like the floor flows into other areas. Colorful runners as suggested previously might be nice. If floor stays change backsplash. Can’t seem to add more than 4 photos at a time from my phone.

More statement hoods

This is a pretty large home and a very open floor plan so changing the floors wouldn’t be an option, the house is also pretty modern so the floors do work (despite looking cold, I think they could be warmed up with my obsession for area rugs lol). They’re porcelain marble look. Couple more photos so you see how it flows into the kitchen area. I like the idea of putting in a huge hood! I would definitely get a few kitchen designers in there.

Also this is in south Florida where it’s nice and humid so not unusual to have tile floors, have them in my house now.

Gosh, I'm looking forward to the day when kitchens don't look like operating rooms...

So many large windows in that house, not understanding why they skimped on windows in the kitchen. Is that supposed to be an eating area in front of the kitchen? I would want more windows there too instead of the wall space between the windows if you are putting a big table there. Or is that a designated family room? Tv location on that wall?

Wow, now the kitchen seems almost normal size. The power of context!

If the house overall hits your boxes, and you do have money/time/energy to bring in a good KD, and rework/tweak some things..I think you'll be good.

I agree it's hard to get 100% of whatever one wishes in the house one didn't build himself(and even then sometimes)

My "almost 100%" house(was actually two storey condo) had all boxes ticked, but had one big minus I couldn't spot on time-I almost didn't get to live there..))

Yes I think it’s meant to be a tv wall - at least that’s how I would treat it. I’d probably do a large dining table in front of the windows that are not sliders. Pretty sure that’s where the dining area is meant to me because there is also a dry bar area there. Lots to think about for sure.

Karen, I love the floors! And I think you're right, rugs will define spaces and warm it up. I'm in the same boat with my travertine floors that go throughout our house. The kitchen reminds me of the direction my kitchen started going with all the glass doors (too many) and mismatched sizes. Thank God we were able to have it corrected. We had some cabinet doors replaced so that they extend up to the stacked boxes, eliminating the separate glass doors on the stacked boxes. It helped tremendously. I think, like others recommended, having a soffit above the cabinets will look great and would eliminate the hood issue. I also have high ceilings and didn't want cabinets towering to the ceiling. The 58 inches of upper cabinets I have now is high enough and is just reachable with a 3 step ladder. If you love everything else about the house, I'm sure that kitchen can be greatly improved.

Notice the taller doors to break up the glass we used to have on top, plus we replaced the doors on the refrigerator side to eliminate the stacked glass doors.

Love the way that looks! Beautiful! Yes I have closed cabinets over my fridge now, looks way better.

I agree with roccouple - the floor is the first thing I noticed in a bad way. It looks like a just mopped hospital or cafeteria floor.

Hi,drsaj, love those chairs ;)

Thank you, @artistsharonva! My husband picked out the fabric! :)

If someone (the builder) made so many poor design choices in one room, I’d be concerned about the rest of the house too

Not nearly enough overhead lighting.

Overhead lighting in wrong spots to be useful when prepping or cooking. Should be over the counters.

cpartist beat me to it, but that is one of the first things I noticed - such random placement of the ceiling lights! They all need to be repositioned.

Ask the builder if it would be possible to swap the placement of the stove and sink - if there is a basement, it can be done. Then the hood can vent outside efficiently (does it vent through the attic now? is it powerful enough to vent via a long run?)

I think that changing the cabinets to the way Chicagoans suggested would be very useful also

The refrigerator is way too far away from the cooking area. Someone mentioned no landing place for things from the frig, or to go into the frig etc. Someone else said, they used their island for that, but, looking at that picture, the island is not anywhere close to that frig, so that would be very inconvenient. I also do not like the fact that the sink faces a blank wall. Who ever designed the layout for this kitchen did not do a good job.

Have built a new case for the hood. Paint the inside of those top glass cabinet white so it blends in better.

Island lighting would help. The hood I would bring straight down would be the least cost. Another option would be to take out the glass cabinets above and bring the cabinetry to the ceiling. I think the biggest thing other then the hood, would be to add texture and warmth to the space with rug under the dining table and decor on the counters it will definitely add to the space.

Overall it is a beautiful kitchen and home. The island serves as a landing zone for both the fridge and ovens. People are commenting as if it is awful and that is just not the case. It looks like lots of counter space and it is a very workable kitchen. The large windows seem like they would bring in a lot of light. I would look at the home as a whole and not get distracted by the hood above the stove.....easy to change and you will forget about it a few days after you move in. Perhaps a neighbor's window is opposite the sink so there is no window for privacy :). A window by a sink is ideal so there is more to look at from the sink, but not required.