We moved into our apartment six years ago. The kitchen was in good condition but there wasn't enough cupboard space. Although we added some cupboards the kitchen was never comfortable to work in. It just wasn't an efficient design - and I HATED the fridge being right at the entrance.
When the granite countertop developed a crack it was a good excuse to totally rethink the kitchen. I spent six months reviewing kitchens on Houzz, went against our architect's advice, and came up with a kitchen which I absolutely LOVE. Working in it is such a pleasure - it's brighter, the cupboards are much more accessible, we have more countertop space, and the kitchen looks like we enlarged it, even though the floor space remains the same! I'm so happy with it and couldn't have done it without the inspiration I got from Houzz!