Curbly

Wow, I didn't even click through to the AT link before I commented here! Looks like a lot of people feel the same way (in addition to those who are inspired). But anyway, you're right, it's good to have inspiration. Maybe I just need to take a break from having too much inspiration for a while, lol. Too much design on the brain - it's Friday, and I need to relax!

True, it is more of an upgrade or re-do. But as for being "Curbly-worthy" or not, the point of Curbly.com is to share design ideas, especially those of the DIY variety. Not everyone can afford a traditional gut-and-replace kitchen remodel, so it's good to also show modest and budget-friendly ideas. In this case, you can see the couple went so far as to install a subway tile kitchen backsplash, crown molding, and a creative desk/office setup in the corner (viewable on Apartment Therapy, where the story came from).

The way I see it is, if someone comes across this and gets inspired to make small design changes in their own kitchen, then the post has exceeded its call of duty.

Thanks for writing in.

The thing that bugs me about some of these "re-dos" is that the before picture is almost always taken with unflattering light (flash with no ambient), a long, narrowing lens, and showing clutter while the after gets the royal treatment from the camera (flash off + all wired lights on + good depth-of-field) and is staged. Had the former picture been taken the same way as the latter, the effect would not be nearly so eye-catching. It's a lovely kitchen to begin with, and the new counters make it even nicer, but it's not really Curbly-worthy, IMO and certainly not a remodel.