Every remodeling project has one thing in common: It will require you to make tons of decisions along the way. Inevitably, some of the decisions you make will be things you’ll continue to love for years and others will be things you’ll wish you did differently. In my experience, reflecting on the things you wish you did differently helps you better understand your preferences over time. It helps inform design decisions you’ll make in future projects.

Some of the largest remodeling projects we’ve tackled in our two houses have been our kitchens. Since 2015, we’ve done three total kitchen remodels (with the help of our contractors)—one in our current home and two in our previous home.

Today I’m sharing what I regret from each of these kitchen remodeling projects and how I would approach them differently now.

First Kitchen Remodel: 2015

These are two things I would have done differently in our first kitchen remodel.

Selected a Different Kind of Flooring

The flooring in this kitchen is the main thing I would have done differently. We installed a beautiful cement tile flooring, unaware of the issues it would soon present. The primary issue was that the top of the tile was porous and, therefore, it stained almost immediately. While I loved the design, the amount of visible wear left a lot to be desired, especially from Joe’s point of view.

Overhauled Our Approach to Storage and Organization

When we remodeled this kitchen in 2015, our only “child” was Winnie. By the end of 2017, we had two kids under the age of two. Thanks to the influx of “kid stuff,” the way we utilized this space completely changed. There were issues with storage—partially because of the relatively small footprint of the kitchen and partially because we weren’t using our storage space as wisely as we could have.

With two young kids, I wasn’t hosting nearly as much as I had been before, yet things like serving dishes still took up prime real estate in the kitchen. Our storage and organization approach didn’t work for our new lifestyle, and changing it would have definitely improved the way we interacted with the kitchen in our everyday lives.

Second Kitchen Remodel: 2019

When we remodeled our kitchen a second time in 2019, we were looking to address the two issues listed above and create a better flow from the kitchen to the rest of the main floor. Looking back, there aren’t very many specific things I would have done differently in this kitchen. It served its purpose really well during our last year in our home and was a key selling point when we sold this house in 2020. My biggest regret is more about how I approached the design process.

When I was designing this kitchen, I made decisions more from the lens of my job as a content creator than from the lens of a person who was going to be living in the space. I sought out others’ opinions rather than trusting my own vision, and the design process was less enjoyable than it could have been. Reflecting back on this process has been a good reminder to follow my gut when I’m designing my home.

P.S. If you subscribe to my newsletter, House Call, you can read more about my thoughts on designing this kitchen in the following essay: “What Designing for Myself Feels Like vs. Designing for the Internet.”

Third Kitchen Remodel: 2021

I have so much love for this kitchen. We had good reasons for making every one of the design decisions in this space, many of which came down to budget and product availability. Yet as with any space, the more you live in it, the more you notice things you might want to change. Knowing what I know now, these are three things I would have done differently in our current kitchen.

Installed Custom Cabinetry

I wish I would have spent the extra money on custom cabinetry, which we opted not to do because of budget constraints. The cabinets we have do the job perfectly well, although they do require a bit of upkeep. The paint on our cabinets is chipping in some areas—my hunch is that this is because we opted to try a paintable cabinet prototype which wasn’t yet publicly available.

Installed the Flooring I *Really* Wanted

Don’t get me wrong: I love the flooring we selected for our kitchen. It’s beautiful and has held up really well in this high-traffic space. Yet I wish we would have gone with the flooring I wanted at the very start of this project.

From the onset of our kitchen remodel, I wanted to install flooring in a diamond pattern using two different kinds of marble. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the contact or the right suppliers to make it happen in a cost-effective way. I think if I would have kept looking for the right fit, I could have made it work. The moral of the story here would be to know when a delay or extra work is worth it!  

Selected an Antique Table Instead of an Island

The island we opted for in our kitchen’s dining area is functional and offers additional storage, which I love. However, over the years, I’ve continued to think about my first choice for this space: an antique table. I’ve always wanted the dining area to feel more separate from the cooking side of the kitchen, and there’s something about the style of an antique table that feels so relaxed and charming to me. 

Knowing how we actually use the island, I also wish I would have selected a different countertop. I’m totally cool with the marble in our kitchen developing a patina over time, but I’m finding myself less forgiving when it comes to the butcher block countertop we installed on the island. I plan to sand it down and apply a coat of mineral oil this spring! 

Kate Arends

Kate is currently learning to play the Ukulele, much to the despair of her husband, kids, and dogs. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.