Haven't you noticed that when you throw a party, everyone usually ends up congregated in the kitchen? That's probably why people want such nice kitchens!

No to mention that it's so much easier to cook in a well designed kitchen where everything is at your fingertips.

I dropped $5K on my recent kitchen reno, and that's doing the work myself which means about $5K in labor (I'm expensive), so theoretically $10K. It was worth every penny. I feel so much better when I'm cooking (almost like meditation) and the first thing a guest says is "wow, this is a really nice kitchen!". Now, if I could just get my wife to see it as meditation.

It is also a good investment. For home renovation, you get the highest return on your money when you upgrade a kitchen or a bathroom.

I think it's important to differentiate between a well-designed kitchen and a *designer* kitchen. There's nothing wrong with upgrading a kitchen to take advantage of new appliance features, make it more functional, and create a pleasing, lasting aesthetic but so many of the designer kitchens we see go far beyond that. It so often is more about aesthetics over function, labels, and showing that you are aware of and can afford the latest and greatest. If that's a priority then that's your choice, but we shouldn't delude ourselves that it's a need. I even roll my eyes when people talk about it as an investment. It can be, if done carefully, but often these kitchens are so over the top and trendy that I imagine the next owner will be gutting it and 'making an investment' in just a few years.

We're in an old house and the kitchen is a decent size and really nice (original cabinets and some updates since we've lived here) and a very good place to cook, which we do a lot. Having cooked in some fancy kitchens, they often seem too big and too hard to navigate at least compared to my 11x13 space. And they can look out of place (I've seen some wow kitchens in small bungalows and they just look awkward). So a good kitchen to cook in is worth a lot, but I don't really get the high end kitchen.

But some of them are JUST SO GORGEOUS! :) Case in point: http://hammer-and-heels.com/2012/07/30/kitchen-envy/

What @FOODEFAFA said. Fixing a kitchen makes sense. Upgrading it for show usually doesn't.

We've done the former twice - both kitchens improved the functionality by leaps and bounds and both created a small space for eating/hanging out in the kitchen. Both times we (two adults, two teens) became much more inclined to cook better meals and eat together more. Well worth it. But neither re-do included granite or marble anything, SubZero appliances, or even $8 Anthropologie knobs. Just decent materials and improved storage/counter space.

Much of it is for resale value. I know a huge turnoff when looking at homes is a kitchen that is very out of date. Yeah, I'm being a snob, but home prices are so high here that we can't afford to buy and remodel.

We redid our bungalow kitchen last year and it makes a HUGE difference to cook in a kitchen where everything is well-placed, with ample counterspace and a nice big sink. Having the experience of cooking in the old kitchen that suffered from a houseflipper that got caught on the wrong side of the housing boom and ripped out anything he could and replaced it with a bunch of temporary junk, it's STRESSFUL to cook in a bad kitchen. I'm sure that sounds really "first-world," but it's true for me. Like the other posts say, a designer kitchen and a kitchen that is well-designed are two very different things, so you don't need top of the line stuff, but you do need stuff that works for you. And the way I look at it, cooking/baking is my hobby, plus it's something I do practically everyday, so why would I want to spend so much of my time in a place that I hate and doesn't work for me.

I really, really hate the "massive restaurant kitchen as status symbol" thing that some people with more money than sense are into these days. Renovate your kitchen so it works better for you, sure, but if you tear out appliances that work fine but aren't this year's model or the fad brand of the moment, that's just disgusting and wasteful.

I firmly believe in "function over form"...and that includes my kitchen. It is first and foremost a WORKSPACE and any decisions about layout and appliances reflect that.

Aesthetics are the LAST consideration.

My idea of an improvement to my kitchen would be a spot where my ever-vigilant dogs could lay WITHOUT BEING IN MY WAY.

(Normally, I ignore the "show off your kitchen" posts on here, but the " we think we need.. in the thread title made me go "we?...we?..." and compelled me to respond.). Now get off my lawn ;-)

My favorite kitchen I've used was a small, galley-style walkthrough. Basically I could pivot two steps in any direction and get what I needed. It was great! It did open to a small dining area, so I could still chat with guests while cooking.

I look at it this way, my kitchen is where I spend about two hours a day between cooking, eating, hanging out, doing bills etc. My kitchen is functional but a bit clunky. It lacks usable cabinet storage (it has plenty of unusable or awkward storage, though.) and a sink so shallow that it gives me a bath whenever I wash dishes.

Some people just do stupid things with their homes. I know people who sold or *gasp* tossed out functional appliances to get Stainless steel ones. To me, that's the height of stupidity and waste.

Think of a cocktail party on Mad Men -- the guests stay in the living room. People didn't need kitchens that wowed because parties stayed in the formal rooms of the house -- the living and dining rooms.

Now that gatherings happen so often in the kitchen, people want their kitchen to work well for cooking, to have good traffic flow and seating for mingling, and to look great during that mingling. It's a lot more demanding on the design.

We just spent 15K to update our 25 year old kitchen. Appliances had been replaced a few years ago. So we replaced the hardware on the original cabinets to bring up to date, new contertops, sinks, faucets, back splash under cabinet lighting and flooring. I liked the original floor plan, because it worked for me. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and did the update for our family, if it helps the value of our house, Great! There was no waste in our remodel. Old sinks, faucets, countertop and lighting were given to a Habitat for Humanity Restore. God has blessed us, so we want to help others.

The kitchen is the nicest room in my house, where I spend most of my time when I'm home. I have a Smeg range (worth every penny), custom cabinets and two dishwashers. Whilst these things are not essential, they do make cooking for large numbers that bit easier, although I would be happy to cook in a non 'designer' kitchen too.

A kitchen is not an investment. In fact this very website and Apartment Therapy is about renovating an existing kitchen that you aren't happy with. What are the odds that the house you will buy has the kitchen you want - very small odds.

Build the kitchen you want but it isn't an investment.

We are just in the final stages of a kitchen remodel. The old kitchen was 25 years old, cabinets were particle board and yellowed from age. While our stove was functionally fine, I wanted a slide in to avoid having a gap between my counter and the stove. I have the uncanny ability to drop things into those gaps daily.
And we did the best we could do. Removing a wall to give us an island, adding well planned out lighting, extra deep sink and granite counters.
While I do think that our reno could be considered a bit frivolous (while it's not even close to anything designer), I'm in love with the added functionality. And since we're planning on being in our house for quite a few more years if not decades, I think it was absolutely worth it.

I spent $150 on a room full of old steel kitchen cabinets, refinished them myself, bought three $100 IKEA laminate counterops, layed $400 in porcelain tile and it looks almost as good as the photo above. Our appliances were fine and we kept them.

New kitchen $850

And the kicker, I bought really cool stainless steel MCM pulls for those cabinets from Walmart. 79 cents each.

I'm not sure a lot of people on AT are renovationg a kitchen because they think it's keeping up with the Joneses; I think a lot of people are doing it out of necessity because their kitchens are just plain inefficient.

I hate over the top designer kitchens. It's nice to have lovely things, but be honest with yourself about why you think you need a $7,000 refrigerator, or a $5,000 built in coffee maker. It's like people think the more money they spend on themselves, the more worthy they are. It's unhealthy. I think design should be appropriate in size, scale, architecture and quality to the house or apartment being renovated.

I have been doing high end kitchen design for almost 10 years and yes, the majority of those "designer kitchens" never get used. It's sad really. We have clients that will completely gut a perfectly good kitchen, one that most A.T. readers would die for, just because they are sick of it and want something new. I would honestly say that 99% of our clients will never cook in their "designer kitchen", even though it has all the high end appliances and super functional internal accessories. It is a status symbol to them and nothing more. Clients ask me what I have in my kitchen, ha, I live in an apartment and don't even have a dishwasher or a functioning hood.

I see high end designer kitchens in magazines and think they're always trying to impart a feeling of wealth that is gauche. I see these super decorated faux Tuscan kitchens with all the bells and whistles and think that people who are confident in their own abilities, whether to be a good cook or do well at their job or make tons of money, don't need a status symbol like this. They just don't need to try as hard to show everyone how far they've gotten in life.

In the past fifteen years, I've had ten different kitchens. Design and layout mean everything. My favorite kitchen was actually the smallest, and the largest, most expensive kitchen was the worst design ever---and it had been done by a professional. Deluxe materials and finishes are nice, but function first wins hands down.

I dont like that the word "designer" is attached to high-end pricetags. Actually, hiring a good designer will ensure you have the most efficient use of space and best function in your design. Whether you use IKEA cabinets and counters, or custom is up to your budget. Getting the most function isnt dependent on the pricetag it can be done at almost any budget with the right design plan.

My house is a 926-square-foot house built in 1952. It has lots of character: hardwood floors, coved ceilings, fireplace, French doors leading to the backyard. When I bought the house, however, the kitchen was depressing. A previous owner had painted it a very pale lavender, put up a wallpaper border of purple grapes, dark green leaves, and oranges that crossed the tops of the walls and cabinets, and laid grey linoleum for the floor and fake marble tiles on the countertops. That may not sound dreary but it was. As I said above, it depressed me. I don't know how many times I said to myself and others, "I hate this kitchen."

I wish I knew what the original kitchen looked like. I've gone to open houses in our neighborhood of similar houses and seen kitchen remodels that are true to the period and some that look like they belong in a McMansion. I don't particuarly like the latter even in new houses as they all tend to be brown and beige with vomit-hued granite countertops. I think they look ridiculous in more modest houses, particularly if a wall has been removed to open it up to a dining room or living room of a completely different vintage. And, I prefer kitchen colors that shout "Clean! Cheerful!"

As my budget allows, I am gradually changing my kitchen. I have painted the cabinets white and the walls a sunny yellow. I recently had the countertops redone in white tile (with extremely thin grout lines). I added a white subway tile backsplash with a glass tile stripe in cobalt blue. I plan to extend the subway tile/blue stripe to cover an entire wall behind the stove. I also replaced the fluorescent light box with ceiling-mount lighting from Rejuvenation lighting. All that remains is a new floor. I'm thinking of blue and white Marmoleum tiles or cork. Opinions on the floor are desired.

In a way, I guess I would say I will have a designer kitchen in that I designed it (with input from my daughter and numerous friends)! It won't be outrageously expensive and it will make me happy when I'm in there, much happer than if I'd invested a lot more money for the typical McMansion kitchen.

Spend a little bit of time on design sites and Pinterest and you'll notice that kitchen design is just as trendy as anything else. Kitchens, no matter how expensive, date themselves quickly. A fancy new kitchen may be a good -short- term investment if you're trying to sell very soon, but they are not long term investments. I don't care how awesome your kitchen is, in 10 years someone will wrinkle their nose at it.

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting quality materials in your kitchen if you'll appreciate using them. I don't believe, however, that you should purchase granite or stainless or whatever because it is 'in'.

I also think there is something to be said about bigger and bigger kitchens with less and less real cooks.

If you are a cook; love to cook and live in the kitchen most of the time, then yes; upgrade to a kitchen that suits your lifestyle, wants and needs.
If you go hog-wild on a renovation with all the designer touches,then no, you will not get your money back on the remodel.

Our old house came with (low-end) contractor cabinets that were starting to fall apart, peeling chipped formica counters, and harvest gold appliances. It's a tiny L-shaped galley wrapped around a lav, so we'd have to forfeit the lav to get a bigger kitchen, not something we wanted to do.

We installed new vinyl tile flooring (looks like slate, but softer underfoot). We got light maple Shaker cabinets in a nicer configuration and all Energy Star stainless appliances which were mostly on discount (floor models etc.) Our big splurge was granite counters, but it was a small kitchen so it wasn't that bad, and it made a huge difference in making the small space seem classy. By getting a range hood microwave, we regained precious counter space, and we had a corner diagonal installation for our cook top and oven, which also helped. By taking upper cabinets to the ceiling, we got a lot more storage and a cleaner, more contemporary look. In other words, while some of the project was for aesthetic reasons, mostly it was to make the space more functional.

Two years later we sold the house and built our new one. (We kn ow the kitchen helped make the sale, and increased our profits.) After agonizing over the design decisions for the previous place, and really liking the results, we just went with the same basic plan -- similar cabinets, same granite, same general kinds of Energy Star appliances, etc. We had to substitute the slate-look vinyl flooring since the original kind was discontinued, but it's still very similar. The floor plan is different, and it's a little bigger (feels lots bigger because of the open floor plan, but actual space is quite close...) Right now, I work and commute, so I don't cook much, but we still use the kitchen for breakfasts, snacks, pets, and entertaining guests, and I'm approaching retirement, so when that happens the plan it to eat at home more. (I'm just too tired to cook after a full day of serving the public.)

I really do see judicious investment in kitchen upgrades paying off when you sell -- but I'd never go the full Designer route -- not my style.

Honestly, I prefer a simple galley style kitchen with functional simple appliances that are easy to clean. If it's plain and neutral I can dress it up myself. I don't need granite counter tops or other fancy accouterments. I cook a lot too.

In response to some comments re outdated kitchens - I would prefer to purchase a house with an outdated kitchen so that I can rip it out. I love to cook, so I redid my kitchen (about 95 percent DIY with IKEA) with lots of counter space and storage (almost all of it behind drawers, not doors - I'm really picky about that). I love that my new kitchen is modern and streamlined and, most important, functional for my needs. Although, admittedly, in a fatter wallet world, I probably would have gone more high end with Henrybuilt.

@David @ justveggingout.com, I agree completely.

I would redo my apartment's kitchen if I could, both to make it more functional (old, dying fridge, hard to clean, chipped tile floor, A/C would be nice) and more attractive (painted cabinets). Would I spend 25k on what basically amounts to 4 feet of counter space? No. Would I spend hundreds of dollars per square foot on those silver backsplash tiles in the header photo? No, even though they do look awesome. Stuff like that has definitely gotten out of hand, but if I were looking to buy a home, I would either want some baseline of attractiveness/functionality or a completely non-functional space that I could redo.

I did mine about 15 years ago as part of a whole apartment renovation....Stainless cabinets and appliances (my apartment is very minimalist) with a concrete floor. It wasn't inexpensive - but it functions great, looks timeless...and I really enjoy it. I think the key is to not have anything that makes too much of a statement.....those are the things that date a space so quickly....and buy appliances that hold their value. I have a Northland fridge and have spent a whopping $450 in maintenance (including a new ice maker) over 15 years..I have fixed a sparker on my range once....about $50...and I haven't touched the DW, washer/dryer or any of the cabinets....

I'm with FOODEFAFA: well-designed and "designer" aren't synonymous. Doesn't everyone who uses a kitchen with any regularity want reasonable function from the space and components? Beyond that, most of us who read design blogs care enough to want to make our homes comfortable places that reflect our tastes. Beyond that, however, what's the point? My famiily may be relocating and downsizing soon. If that happens, I'll look for a kitchen with good work space bones. If the cabinets are decent wood and I dislike the finish, I'll paint them and replace hardware. If the appliances are white, fine with me. If the counters are grungy, I'll consider Ikea butcher block or even take a serious look at the latest line of Formica products--something that would have caused my younger, Yuppier self to cringe. I did plenty of unthinking consuming in my life and paid what I now consider too much attention to labels. It took a lot of living and changing of societal perceptions to prod me toward a more reflective approach to *stuff,* including kitchen design, but I'm glad that change happened.

My favorite apartment was small, had low ceilings, bad lighting - everything you don't want. BUT it had a kitchen with a lot of (granite) counter space, nice appliances, disposal, and best of all, it opened into the living room loft-style, so I could cook and clean while watching tv or my bf playing video games. I cooked more, cleaned more, and had more fun while I did it. Totally worth it.

To be fair, I love to cook. It makes no sense to have a nice kitchen if you don't cook.

I heard a quote years ago, "We don't need more cookbooks. What we need are more cooks."

I will amend it to say "We don't need more glamorous kitchens; we need more cooking in more kitchens."

We did a number of 'facelifts' on our kitchen after we bought our house, and finally got to the point where we needed to renovate. The cupboards were falling apart, and we just didn't have enough useable storage space. My husband ended up doing all of the work himself, we bought mostly Ikea and I love it.

But I have to say, when we have friends over, no one congregates in the kitchen, at least not for long. And that's the way I like it.

I've found that I don't like the really big kitchens with big refrigerators or luxury ranges. Somehow they always look like nobody cooks in them. Don't get me wrong, I like upgraded appliances and beautiful counter tops just like everyone else, but I prefer kitchens that look like people actually use them.

PS. No one congregates in out kitchen either.

"Need" is the wrong word, entirely. All this house lust has absolutely nothing to do with need - it has everything to do with "want." The separation of "need " from "want" is one of the things I think Americans have failed at, miserably. And lost something of their soul in the mindless pursuit of things they don't need, but convince themselves they do. Money, debt, sleepless nights. ::Sigh::

Having said that, I lived with the most horribly ugly, mismatched, 60s-meet-80s kitchen for three years. Walking through it every day made my spirit CRINGE! So, when I got the needed bathroom makeover, I had them throw down new linoleum and beadboard in my kitchen, and I painted the cabinets white. The whole bit cost maybe $2000 - I can't really say, since it was included with the BR redo. My kitchen is clean and neutral-looking now, though it has nothing stainless or granite. And when I walk through now, I feel calm and collected - no spiritual cringing!

You can have good design and functionality without building a kitchen that could be a TV set. Going overboard to have what-the-Joneses-on-TV have is wasteful and bad for the Earth.

I just want a basic kitchen that fits against one shorter wall of an open-plan kitchen/living/dining space, with a long island as the interior border of it. Nothing fancy, definitely NO stainless steel or granite counters, just enough to keep my food, my cooking goodies, and enough space to work while still being a part of the rest of the family over in the dining and living area.

Kitchens are workspaces first and foremost; they need to be functional. It's easier and more efficient to cook in a smaller kitchen. Once they are functional, you can do a lot to pretty them up for a limited budget. I admire imagination & creativity much, much more than huge expense.

I'd rather see @Duane Hill's $850 kitchen (mentioned above) than any number of those huge barnlike designer kitchens, no matter how elegant or expensive. They often seem as if they'd actually be really inefficient to cook in.

I'm interested in creative problem solving. There is no delight for me in anything done with an infinite budget. I am completely uninterested in decor where there are no limits.

It adds value to the house and is where the heart is. Anyone that spent the time and money on a "dream kitchen" will undoubtedly say it was worth it.

My current rental kitchen is galley style but it only has counters/cabinets along one wall so I don't have enough storage. I prefer a small kitchen as long as they have enough storage and counter space.

Staged kitchen photos are nice. However, I have only ever been in one kitchen that impressed me and that was in Mexico. Personally, I like my kitchen to have a door on it...it's actually more personal than my bathrooms. My guests are not invited into the kitchen. I guess I'm just old fashioned, prefering guests to be served in the dining room.

We have been looking for a new house off and on these last two years, and I have one simple rule: It either has to have a terrible old kitchen I won't feel bad about ripping out or it has to have a kitchen I love and can cook in well. I do not want to buy a house with an updated kitchen that is ugly or not conducive to my cooking work-flow and then need to rip that sucker out. Oy! The guilt! So, we stay put in our awesome rental until the right old or perfect kitchen comes along.

I actually prefer a small cozy kitchen. As long as the appliances work and there's a dishwasher (besides me:)) I'm happy. Every time I'm in my mom and her partner's run down dated country kitchen I feel so happy. I love to smell the cornbread and mustard greens cooked in the fancy goose fat that I gave them.

So long as the quality of cooking that comes out of the designer kitchen matches the quality of fixtures/appliances I don't really mind. I think you have to earn things.

Truthfully the answers scream out from my mouth easily. I spend MOST of my waking time in the kitchen and it's where I am the happiest. If I had the money and the control to do whatever I want with it, I would change darn near everything I could about my kitchen. It's great for a rental, believe me, but so many things could be better and more functional, and more ME!