Man, I have opened the flood gates people.

I thought it might be interesting to branch out from the ramblings about Starnes Ave. to share some design pet peeves and let others weigh in with theirs. I’ve gotten so many contributions, I’m going to have to do this in installments.  Who knew people were so opinionated?

OK, let me issue a disclaimer first.  These can sound really elitist, so let’s just put it into perspective….these are people’s opinions and do not reflect criticisms that should be taken to heart if you’re an offender.  So, keep a healthy sense of humor and humility, and take a rocky ride through the annals of the tacky, the cheap and the poorly executed in the world of design pet peeves.

Since I’m the boss here, I’ll start off with a couple of mine…both centered around the refrigerator.  See if you can guess, based on the pics:

 The first one defies reason in my opinion….why would you put a 12” deep cabinet above a 35” deep refrigerator?  Going all out for the deeper cabinet really isn’t much more, and then your cabinet contents won’t be barricaded behind the schmutz you set on top of the fridge in front of the 12” deep cabinet.

The second one isn’t quite so obvious.  People salivate over stainless steel appliances, spend extra for the ss refrigerator, and then stick it in their kitchen with the  black sides exposed.  That’s sort of like painting the front of your house and not the side because, well, it’s the side and not the front.  Doesn’t make much sense does it?  Just buy the refrigerator side panels and make it look nice and built in.

Alright, now for some contributors:

I would have to agree with Sara-Peyton McCormick who weighs in with the bed placed on a diagonal.  These are usually accompanied by a disembodied palm taking up the lost space created behind it.  Exhibit A from one of the cheesier shows on HGTV, “Design on a Dime”:

Until we see the invention of wedge shaped bedside tables, I just don’t think this is a good use of space.  I sort of don’t like any arrangement on an angle.  It seems to be the rage among home stagers for some reason…I think they think it’s wacky.

Shannon Parrish provides a unique perspective on kitchen design with her pet peeve.  She doesn’t like floors that match cabinetry perfectly.  It could be disorienting when you walk straight into your cabinets because you can’t tell where the floor ends and the cabinet doors begin.

Here’s one more before I wind down installment #1. 

Why does one need to pretend that plants grow on kitchen cabinets?  I need say no more.

Stay tuned for future installments….there are many more peeves to come.  And feel free to contribute your own….everyone has at least one!