One way to experience intimacy with your kitchen is to patch holes, prime and paint.  It's the only time your head is literally up in the corner of the walls and ceiling and skimming the floor while you do the painting cut-in work down at the baseboards.  There's no getting around the familiarity after discovering the waves and warps of drywall, hairline cracks at the ceiling line and a little too much gap between the baseboard and wallboard. You discover these endearing qualities of your kitchen after spending long hours together.  Once you know its strengths and weaknesses, you know you'll be able to bring out the best in your kitchen.