Episode 3: Kitchens & Bathrooms: Where Decisions Matter Most
In this house, some of the earliest renovation decisions happened in bathrooms.
At the time, the focus was simple: make the space functional, get it done, move on. Budgets were tight, experience was still forming, and long-term thinking hadn’t fully arrived yet.
Living with those choices was revealing.
Not because anything was wrong, but because daily use highlighted what could have been better — layouts that worked but weren’t intuitive, finishes that looked fine but didn’t feel considered, and moments where hindsight quietly crept in.
Those experiences shaped how later decisions were approached. Planning slowed down. Questions changed. And the thinking shifted from “Will this look good?” to “How will this feel to live with?”
Kitchens raise the stakes
If bathrooms reveal decisions over time, kitchens do it loudly.
They’re high-use, high-pressure spaces. Morning routines. Family dinners. Entertaining. Everyday mess. Everything converges here.
Living with a temporary kitchen during the build stripped things back quickly. It made it obvious what mattered most — bench space, layout, storage, appliance placement. And just as importantly, what didn’t.
The kitchen that followed wasn’t about chasing trends or creating a statement. It was about clarity. Function. And choosing elements that would quietly support daily life for years to come.
What this house taught us
Over time, a clear pattern emerged.
The decisions that aged best were the ones made with restraint.
The spaces that felt easiest to live in were the ones designed with real routines in mind.
And the choices that caused the most frustration were usually the ones made too quickly.
That experience now shapes how we approach kitchens and bathrooms in every Luxe project — with more care, more planning, and a longer view.
Key lessons we carry forward
These spaces deserve more time. Early decisions in kitchens and bathrooms are felt daily, and rarely forgotten.
Function always outlasts trends. Good layout and thoughtful planning matter more than finishes alone.
Living with a space teaches you what drawings can’t. Real use reveals what truly works.
This house didn’t just give us finished spaces - it gave us perspective.
Kitchens and bathrooms taught us to slow down, ask better questions, and design with longevity in mind. Those lessons now sit at the core of how we build, guiding decisions that are meant to be lived with, not just admired.
And that shift - from designing for impact to designing for everyday life - continues to shape the future direction of Luxe.