What Everyone Else is Doing, or Not?

I'm hooked on the steady stream of information from the design sources I follow on Twitter.

Twitter is stimulating and informative, but it never ends! After a while I can no longer absorb it all. There's only so much inspiration one can glean from it, or any other outside source of information for that matter. After a while it's important to sit quietly, look within, and figure out what's really going to work.

We usually know what works for us. We know in our gut when it feels right. When we look to exterior sources for inspiration we sometimes get caught up with what's in, what's trendy, what everyone else is doing, instead of listening to our own voice and extracting what it is we really want.

The kitchen in this picture is beautiful; it's stylish, trendy and sophisticated. It would look great in a showhome. Would it function well for the average person? Would it work for me? I don't think so.

This kitchen has hardwood flooring. Hardwood will cup if exposed to water, and will scratch and dent with regular wear and tear. Hardwood in a dark tone shows dust and dirt more than a lighter tone will, so requires constant cleaning to look 'showhome' perfect.

Marble countertops such as the ones in this picture, stain easily and need to be frequently sealed. Also, this particular colour and veining of marble is trendy, so will look dated in a few years.

The average person doesn't want the high maintenance this kitchen involves; but it's easy to get seduced by the emotional impact of the pretty picture, rather than asking what's really going to work for our own needs and lifestyle. I'm sometimes guilty of this myself. Are you?

photo credit: contemporist.com; Brentwood residence by MLK Studio.