musicman Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Link fixed. several of those are bad designs. the last one especially. when the oven or dishwasher is open you cant access the sink. when the dishwasher is open it'll block the lower cabinets and makes the upper ones harder to access (when you'll actually be emptying the dishwasher) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 Here's an example of terrible dishwasher planning: What dishwasher you say? It's way over there! This house was a total investor remuddle. It took forever to sell. flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 not to mention the upper cabinet situation. if you're standing at the sink the nearest doors open away from the sink and the left cabinet will be difficult to access in general. they are basically useless. where's the stove ventilation? won't even mention the frig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheeats Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 not to mention the upper cabinet situation. if you're standing at the sink the nearest doors open away from the sink and the left cabinet will be difficult to access in general. they are basically useless. where's the stove ventilation? won't even mention the frig. Is that it? Are those all the cabinets available for over-counter storage??? What a miserable kitchen. And what are those random little cubbyholes in the wall opposite the range? Did someone try to make a cabinet area out of what used to be double wall ovens? Why wouldn't you just replace the wall ovens (double wall ovens = value!, for me, at least) and stick with a stovetop on the counter, which is what I'm sure was in the kitchen before that fugly range? ETA: nothing beats the geniuses who decided that it would be a great idea to have the washer and the dryer in the kitchen, flanking the main counter on either side. I can't tell you how much I hate having them in there. We've seen other people in the same floorplan as ours reroute the plumbing and electrical into the massive hall closet downstairs, then put them in there -- which is where they should have gone in the first place. That's just too rich for our blood right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longhornguy Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I absolutely loathe the laundry room in the middle of the house setup, especially if it's on the first floor.This forces the vent for the dryer to be vertical, which creates a huge fire hazard becaues of the lint that collects at the bottom of the pipe. This, along with inadequate ventilation units for rooms that generally have lots of people (I tend to be very sensitive to temperature changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Thanks for all the great insight in this thread guys. It's given me a lot to think about while contemplating a possible remodel of my home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 I hate when people leave a few inch gap between a vanity and a tub or shower. You can't clean well in there and it just smacks of poor planning. You can avoid it by doing it like this: flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 What...the...HELL? Is that really a house? Or a cult compound? I really like the rusted shed to the rear of the house; adds that perfect touch of insanity to the whole tableau.That's the Franco Pignataro "castle." Mr. Pignataro, an Italian immigrant, is a concrete sculptor by trade and he owns Franco's Italian Restaurant on NASA Road 1 in Webster (it may be Franca's now, if his daughter is running it.) The restaurant is lavishly decorated with statuary and fountains which Mr. Pignataro crafted. He also built the family home to look like a castle. Last time I was at the restaurant he was there, still greeting people. Pretty good, if somewhat commonplace, red-sauce Italian food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 That's the Franco Pignataro "castle." Mr. Pignataro, an Italian immigrant, is a concrete sculptor by trade and he owns Franco's Italian Restaurant on NASA Road 1 in Webster (it may be Franca's now, if his daughter is running it.) The restaurant is lavishly decorated with statuary and fountains which Mr. Pignataro crafted. He also built the family home to look like a castle. Last time I was at the restaurant he was there, still greeting people. Pretty good, if somewhat commonplace, red-sauce Italian food. The castle was originally built in the 1920's by a family named Christian. It was called the Christian Castle up until the 1950's. After that the building was subdivided into apartments, hence the swimming pool out front. The Pignataro's acquired the estate some time in the early 70's. They once had several restaurants, one was located adjacent the estate. The retaurant had all of the same concrete sculptures as the castle does now. The family has been selling off parcels of the estate through the years. A classy residential subdivision aptly named "Castle Estates" now covers a good portion of the orginal castle grounds. The gaint horse statues, copied after St. Marks in Vienna I presume, standing on their hind legs is really startling to unsuspecting passers by. The artist did not skimp on underbody details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 If you put a tablecloth over the washer and dryer in the kitchen, you get more counter space:) That's what we do in our Timbergrove house that's had teh washer in the kitchen since it was built. The dryer, a device not imagined when the house was built, lives on the back porch. My wife frequently used the washer as a counter. It does make watching TV in the den a pain when the washer's running.The worst room addition we saw a few years ago when looking for a house was a 20x15 room with a 7 foot ceiling. Plain panelling on the walls, plain, cheap vinyl on the floor, and an owner who was not forthcoming about whether all the proper permits were pulled (I don' tthink they were). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Drop-in Stainless sinks w/ granite. You spent the money on the countertop, now spend ~$350 more and put in an undermount sink. Take advantage of what granite gives you vs. formica.Crown-molding, everywhere.12x12 ceramic tile/slate installed anywhere but the floor (tub surrounds, backspashes - yuck!). 12x12 tiles belong on floors, not on vertical surfaces.Newly added to the list: pressed tin backspalashes.Some older homes are real challenges... the washer/dryer may be in one end of the kitchen (at least together as a pair and not separated!), the house may be so old that dishwashers were not around when it was built, extremely small kitchen or bath spaces where you are going to have two appliances next to each other, bathrooms that have the tub/toilet next to each other... In all these cases, you have to work as best you can with the space you have.There's been talk about hating beige, etc... If you're appealing to the masses in terms of trying to sell your house or rent it - you need to move to the middle. If that means beige, stainless, and granite - that's what it is. Now if its just "for you" - go all out, be as exotic as you want. Be like Vern Yip on HGTV and paint an entire room BLACK. Anyone see that episode? "This is going to look GREAT when we're done!" ... uh... NO... Thought it would like crap before... and it looks like crap after.In terms of retro, I really like terazzo floors. It makes me kinda of sick when I see a home in Glenbrook, where carpet was install over terrazzo - and the entire perimeter of all rooms that had carpet are pitted and destroyed by the tack strip for carpet. You really can't repair that kind of damage and get it to look right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 In terms of retro, I really like terazzo floors. It makes me kinda of sick when I see a home in Glenbrook, where carpet was install over terrazzo - and the entire perimeter of all rooms that had carpet are pitted and destroyed by the tack strip for carpet. You really can't repair that kind of damage and get it to look right.be nice another rps story just gets old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rps324 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 In terms of retro, I really like terazzo floors. It makes me kinda of sick when I see a home in Glenbrook, where carpet was install over terrazzo - and the entire perimeter of all rooms that had carpet are pitted and destroyed by the tack strip for carpet. You really can't repair that kind of damage and get it to look right.Ceramic tile installed over terrazzo trumps the tack strips. There is one guy I know of that can restore the jacked up terrazzo and it looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 Oh Snap! These people apparently forgot to drop a 110v circuit down low for the range. flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Oh Snap! These people apparently forgot to drop a 110v circuit down low for the range. That's hilarious... That picture also features another design feature I hate: long skinny cabinet pulls. Especially when they are used with raised panel cabinet doors; they're more tolerable with slab-faced doors. Here's another winner, er, loser... Mis-matched windows in the same wall plane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Painted brick. Especially if a house never had painted brick... and then someone decides "hey, this will look good." You had maintenance free siding... now you have maintenance nightmare siding: you're always going to have to paint it from here on out... and there is no pressure washer strong enough to undo it. I've seen so many fireplaces just ruined in this fashion (painted out). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Bowl sinks. For some reaseon, they make me feel like i'm going to accidentally smash my forehead on them. Just for you: flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 access to the hot/cold valves is poorly done IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Hollow (core) doors / simulated wood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahiki Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Just for you: flipper Is this your project? I just stumbled upon the listing this morning on HAR.com. Nice house. Despite my stated disapproval of bowl sinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Is this your project? I just stumbled upon the listing this morning on HAR.com. Nice house. Despite my stated disapproval of bowl sinks. Nope, not mine. Just came across it also... flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Arched openings next to square openings! flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmihl Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Just for you: flipper Gah! Glass bowl sinks! Shards of glass straight into the brain! On the other hand, a quick death means not having to look at those mirrors for very long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Gah! Glass bowl sinks! Shards of glass straight into the brain!On the other hand, a quick death means not having to look at those mirrors for very long.and is that a white painted metal or wicker chair in front?is there another view of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Arched openings next to square openings! flipper gahhhh. Another bad Great Room. Why not just leave the wall? I could really go for some upper cabinets in the vicinity of my countertops. The island and sink look very lonely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 gahhhh. Another bad Great Room. Why not just leave the wall? I could really go for some upper cabinets in the vicinity of my countertops. The island and sink look very lonely.I don't really care about things being open, but you are right about the cabinets. That's ridiculous. It would take all day to unload the dishwasher.flipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas911 Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Arches in general. They are over used, yea in the 80's it was cool to have them, but now, designers just throw them anywhere, without real knowledge of why they were used in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goastros Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 We just moved into our "new to us" house and I have to say, I really miss having my toilet next to the tub even if it is a design no-no. It was so easy to give our toddler a bath while sitting on the toilet lid and leaning over my claw foot tub. Now I have to crawl around on my knees in front of a really low tub to bathe him. There is a reason for the toilet next to the tub for people with kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 We just moved into our "new to us" house and I have to say, I really miss having my toilet next to the tub even if it is a design no-no. It was so easy to give our toddler a bath while sitting on the toilet lid and leaning over my claw foot tub. Now I have to crawl around on my knees in front of a really low tub to bathe him. There is a reason for the toilet next to the tub for people with kids! Problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west20th Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 while this is an extreme example, neither the sink nor the toilet should be in front of the tub. i see the toilet example quite frequently. that is a poor design. At the risk of dropping the discourse down a few notches. A toilet in front of the tub is quite handy if you, maybe food poisoning, have the runs and are throwing up at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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