It’s all about the quality of workmanship. Look at the corners always.

Inset cabinets are the best tell.

Black and white.

Honestly, sparkling clean, smelling good, clear/minimal items on counters.

Variety of lighting options in kitchen that all operate separately, especially under cabinet. Make sure all cabinets go to ceiling or build soffit. In bath---floor tile laid on the 45 degree angle, built in medicine cabinets, heated floors and skylights in shower---a skylight is transformational in tiny bathrooms. And exposed shower with a handheld attachment. Handhelds are super useful.

I think the wallpaper in my new kitchen is what makes it sing but certainly YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:Having the bathroom vanity be at LEAST waist level, but ideally a little higher up.

As a woman of average height, I completely disagree.

This is not something that one sees, but heated floors are da bomb!

Having the bathroom vanity be at LEAST waist level, but ideally a little higher up.

This is so hard to say, really.
We just had our kitchen redone. I do like the tiling a lot — just the way the pattern works with the shape of the tile is cool. We didn’t spend a ton on the pendant lights or hardware but they really do make it look so much better. So paying attention to those little things. But it’s hard to make all those little decisions. When they first put the handles on I was worried they were too big but now I really like them — I think the smaller size would have looked cheap.

Agree with thoughtful, cohesive design.

Very high quality tiling will absolutely stand out and make you not notice any flaws in the kitchen.

Thoughtful design. Seen a few renos / redos / refreshes where there was little to no thought or effort or plan put onto colors, patterns, materials, the overall vibe. They picked any old tile, fixture, paint, vanity, sometimes because it was the cheapest they could find. It ends up looking newer than before but not better.

Is Schluter trim the metal trim? If so, I hate that look.

We have Schluter trim in our kitchen, and it is incapable of making a space sing. It's just better than a raw edge you can't use bullnose for the edge

We have Schluter trim in our kitchen, and it is incapable of making a space sing. It's just better than a raw edge you can't use bullnose for the edge

What are the little things that made your kitchen and/or bath feel cohesive, intentional and well designed?

For a bathroom it’s things like grout color, Schluter trim, lighting, how you matched your paint etc. What little detail makes your space?

Same for your kitchen.

There was a recent renovation string about what people wish they added. But it was more focused on convenience and practicality. What I’m asking about is more a focus on aesthetics. Thanks!