The Expensive Kitchen Remodel Detail Most People Would Regret — But I’d Choose Again and Again (It Brings Me So Much Joy!)

When we moved to Knoxville, I was lucky enough to be able to design my kitchen. I absolutely love the immersive blank canvas of a room that’s yet to be designed — plus, I knew how I used my kitchen as a busy mother of five. I included a workstation sink, a counter-depth fridge for the best flow, and a heavy-duty garbage disposal (which cuts down on so much waste). Every design decision was based on making our kitchen functional and efficient. Well, almost every one.

For instance, I chose two-toned cabinets to minimize the appearance of messes on the bottom cabinets while maintaining a light and airy look with the white on top. But there’s one decision I made that many would consider a major mistake — and I made it knowingly and purposefully: I chose clear glass light fixtures throughout the kitchen and dining room. 

I know full well how dirty kitchen light fixtures get. In addition to the regular dust that collects on surfaces throughout the home, kitchen surfaces get tacky with airborne grease. Dust and dirt then stick to this grease, making it even more of a pain to clean. And clear glass really shows this mess! But the upside of how beautiful the glass is ultimately beat out function.

Does the glass collect dust? Yes, and it does really show. I have to clean the eight-light chandelier over our table and the three larger pendant lights weekly to keep them looking their best. But, honestly, I really don’t mind doing it. It only takes me about 10 minutes to clean all the light fixtures. I use glass cleaner, sprayed onto an E-cloth microfiber rag, wipe down the glass, and then dry it off with an E-cloth polishing cloth.  I get so much joy from the sparkly look of the light shining through the glass (when it’s clean) that having to clean them regularly was worth it to me. 

Knowing that I went into the choice with my eyes wide open makes the task less arduous than if I’d inherited hard-to-clean light fixtures. Plus, seeing the difference between dirty glass and clean glass is pretty rewarding. The other key to enjoying my renovation “mistake” is that I don’t strive to get the glass perfectly clean. They’re not always pristine, and even when I do clean them, I’m not able to get all the flecks of dust, and I’m okay with it. 

The glass light fixtures in my kitchen are a testament to the joy of choosing something “wrong” that I absolutely love — which of course makes it, in fact, the absolutely right choice. 

Do you have a kitchen design decision others might call a mistake? Let us know in the comments below!