3 Fixes for Common Remodeling Regrets

The new high-gloss cabinets show every fingerprint, the handsome farmhouse sink is a wine-glass graveyard. You sprang for the best your money could buy. So why aren't you totally elated? Here, readers reveal the downside of some of their upgrades, while TOH offers short-term fixes-and longer-term advice. -DEBORAH BALDWIN

See more solutions to common remodeling woes at thisoldhouse.com.



1. Deep China Sink Breaks Dishes and Glassware

"Our porcelain farmhouse sink hits the right vintage note, and it's deep and wide enough to hide stacks of dirty dishes when we entertain. The problem: Within a week we dropped, and broke, two nice glasses while washing up. And the carnage continues."

How to cope: Cushion falls-and shorten them-with a thick plastic sink mat. And start saving your skin and your cash by donning a pair of nonslip rubber gloves.

Next time: Get farmhouse style without those cold, hard landings: Think about buying a basin in more forgiving Corian, copper, or stainless steel.

MORE:Read This Before You Remodel a Kitchen


2. Pro-Grade Range Heats Up the Whole Room

"I finally bagged a trophy stove with high-Btu burners. It looks great! Unfortunately, it cost so much that I cheaped out with a recirculating vent-hood fan. Now when I'm sauteing onions on one burner and boiling pasta on another, our small kitchen feels like one big oven."

How to cope: Open a window and plug in a table fan. Seriously. Just direct any breezes away from those high-Btu flames.

Next time: Invest in a vent hood that sucks up hot air and moves it outdoors. Figure that for every 100 Btus it should move 1 cfm-rangespeak for "cubic feet of air per minute." Look for a model that puts the noisy motor outside, too. (See range hood accessories)

MORE:Wackiest Kitchen Products V


3. White Floors Highlight Every Speck of Dirt

"My old wood floors needed a new look, so I painted them glossy white, and now they are so beautiful they could appear in a magazine spread. But minutes after friends walk in, I feel a need to mop."

How to cope: Ask visitors to park their shoes at the door to keep out dirt and allergens.

Next time: Opt for a more muted (read: less demanding) effect by color-washing the floor with diluted white paint. You could top it if you like with a stenciled pattern, also in a muted, diluted color. There are entire books devoted to the art-Decorative Floors in a Weekend, anyone?

MORE:72 Easy Upgrades for a Healthier Home


See even more fixes for your remodeling regrets at thisoldhouse.com!


More on thisoldhouse.com:

Best Whole House Before and Afters 2011

26 Low-Cost, High-Style Kitchen Upgrades

A Year's Worth of Smart Home Solutions

Illustrations: Zohar Lazar