(And I'm not talking about family members.)
As I scrolled the posts on the Kitchn, I came across Leela & Dave's Imperfect Kitchen. It caught my attention because the first picture had a) a woman I assume to be Leela looking adorably disheveled in pj's and a robe and b) the kitchen reminded me a whole lot of my kitchen in my old apartment.
I need to preface what comes next by admitting that I hated my old kitchen. I hated the ugly countertop, the faded linoleum floor and the stupid cabinet doors that just wouldn't close.
Now, looking at Leela and Dave's kitchen I feel like I may have been a little hard on that old kitchen, a little quick to overlook its innate charm.
I don't particularly like this kitchen, but I do love it. Like my old kitchen, it has tremendous potential to be a "magazine kitchen" if you're willing to invest in a complete overhaul.
Home decor magazines and blogs have made my expectations way too high. This post reminded me that while you need a space you love to be happy, that space shouldn't need to be defined by designer standards. It's important to strike a balance between your style and your lifestyle. Having lots of shiny stainless steel and pristine glass may look really nice when its brand new, but fingerprints happen.
We shouldn't sacrifice the comfort and homeyness of a messy, imperfect kitchen for the sometimes impossible standards we set for ourselves.
And when I say "we", I really mean me.
{images: the kitchn}
