Granite Countertops and European Cabinets?

On occasion I watch the TV programs devoted to home improvement. Some of the shows are pretty funny and interesting. Others show the true pettiness of people these days.

One show, House Hunters, profiles people looking to buy a home. Sometimes that home is local, national and international. A common theme I have noticed is how the buyers have become so picky- some brag that they have looked at hundreds of properties. But they could not find ONE to their liking.

WHY?


Because the KITCHEN! It's counters aren't made of granite. Or the cupboards need to be replaced. Or the appliances aren't new enough. Most often it is the kitchen that needs **upgrading** and the people buying homes insist upon high end surfaces and stoves, refrigerators and wine coolers. New, fancy polished cabinets are required. Granite or concrete, or recycled glass, counter tops are a must.

 I watch countless women proclaim, with their noses pointed rightfully (in their opinion) to the air, "I cannot cook in here! We would need to totally gut and rebuild the kitchen!" And walk away all insulted that they had to endure being in such a room.

And I hear, all the time, about the cabinets having "European" design in that they don't SLAM close. Hmm.

Watch House Hunters International, where they frequently show European homes, I've yet to see a cabinet that doesn't slam shut, or heck, even stay on it's hinges. In fact, European kitchens are nothing like I visioned: They are highly practical rooms that often are also the homes living room. Small, efficient and boring, European kitchens are located in small homes, flats, where high end doesn't exist.

This is a high end kitchen in Europe- France to be exact.

Now of course, Windsor Palace houses some very fancy kitchens. That family that lives there truly can afford it. But one has to ask- how often does the Queen actually cook? Or even step foot in one of those kitchens? I feel safe wagering a big fat 0 on this.

When I was growing up, my mother did not have, or require, a fancy well fitted kitchen. We had the basics- a stove, fridge, a freezer, some cupboards...my Dad built a pantry into a closet that used to be in their bedroom. I'll never forget the day Dad bought Mom a dishwasher. She was in heaven. It was a portable model and did it's job and it lasted 26 years. It was a white Maytag model.

A real old fashioned kitchen in Germany

So Americans, Canadians and other modern world nationals demand high end and won't accept anything less. I get it. I like granite counter tops just as much as the next woman. Could I live without them? YES-- and I have lived without them- life is good. Do I have to have stainless appliances? NO- in fact I hate them because they scratch and get dull quite easy.  As long as the stove works, it does not matter to me what it's made of.

A kitchen in Maine

I'm happy in a kitchen that has a working group of appliances, some space to prep food, and a place to store food. So many women just. Have. To. Have. The fancy shiny hard rock counters and slick shimmery stoves and refrigerators with multiple drawers where food can be in easy reach of yet another generation of kids who are spoiled beyond their worldly means. It's funny how these home improvement shows detail the desire for European kitchens- which are in fact, much more bland and boring than most people think.