Cash for Clunkers: money pit design mistakes

One of my Favorite blogs, hands down is Velvet and Linen.

 Brooke Gianetti is an amazing, creative designer and her posts are beyond special.  She always shares her resources and continues to inspire with each new project.  Her design is current and smart and thoughtful, need I say more?

She recently did a post about a light fixture for her new office which you should absolutely read.  She thought she might be settling for second best because the light fixture was a catalog purchase and not an original.  It was a well read post with so many great comments from readers.

Here's the fixture from Wisteria at around $250 dollars.  And below is the fixture in Brooke's office, which I think looks really wonderful and the scale is perfect.  Well spent money and a great look!

This really got me thinking about some of my worst design decisions and poorly spent money.   My husband would probably have a list a mile long but most of those bad choices have gone to the great "consignment store" in the sky.  Should we ask for our money back ?  And better yet can we get some cash for our clunkers?

Clunker #1 Copper Cookware:

 I can honesty say I will never buy copper cookware again.  I was having a Martha Stewart moment about 10 years ago and decided I needed copper cookware to be displayed proudly in my little kitchen, just like Martha:

 I wanted the real deal, the kind of stuff Jacques and Julia use.  And so I dove in...credit card in hand.  By the time I finished this collection of sauciers and stock pots I think I was in over 3 grand!  Ouch.   And here's the topper,  I hate it.  Not that its bad to cook on but it is the biggest pain in the neck to keep clean.

 I had glorious gleaming pots turn black in a mere 24 hours.  Living near the beach didn't help.  This 3 piece set of Mauviel is $650 dollars at Sur La Table and I have lots of this stuff.

 Not to mention the fact that I like putting stuff in the dishwasher.  I will confess right here and now that I have put the copper in the dishwasher on that occasional lazy evening. Martha would be appalled!

 I have also put expensive knives in the dishwasher.  So flog me now with a wet dish rag...I deserve it.  Copper pots, never ever again!  Here is Martha's current kitchen:  not a copper pot in sight!

Clunker #2: again comes from the kitchen or perhaps the dining room:  Vietre stoneware

 I love a well dressed, gorgeous table with all the wonderful glassware and cutlery etc.  I especially enjoy beautiful stone ware and china.  So here we go again.  Leave it to the Italians to bring me to my knees and make me loose all my common sense with the production of Vietre dishes.

 Something about the colors and hand painted motifs are so special.  So once again without a care in the world I bought Vietre in various colors and styles.  Platters and servers, gravy boats and bakers,  mugs, saucers, bowls.  I had to have it all.  And guess what...it's so impractical!

 You can't put it in the microwave and it chips and cracks like crazy.

This collection is called Sorbetto and is supposed to be microwaveable but it's not because I bought some and fried it in my micro just trying to heat a cup of soup.

 I had a baker split in half with a wonderful lasagna happily cooking away.  What a mess and the baker set me back $200 dollars.  I still have all the stoneware but I rarely use it, except for the coffee mugs.   It looks pretty in my butlers pantry but no no no, never again will I buy Vietre.

 My third and final Clunker #3:  the Trophy Stove

 We've all seen them in show houses and magazines.  The stove that takes your breath away in all of its stainless and enamel glory.  Here is the most notable example: the AGA.

 This amazing example of kitchen eye candy will set you back $13,857 dollars and it's only 33" wide. What could you possible fit in those 3 tiny little ovens? It also happens to weigh 900 lbs and requires a special installer from the far reaches of the northern hemisphere to install or repair it.

I do not own this oven and I never will.  I have an acquaintance who put this in her kitchen because she had to have it.  Her idea of cooking is making toast, so it made absolutely no sense for her to own this thing.

  She also didn't know the the pilot stays continually on and it makes the kitchen hot.  Please no more trophy stoves!

 I did a post recently  about my new Bertazzoni stove, but I love to cook and the oven was less expensive that a Viking so I have spared myself a "cash clunk" disaster...at least I think so.

And so I have confessed, not fully, but I can't remember all of the expensive "dogs" that I have spent well earned money on.  Probably because there are too many to even admit to.

 I will just say this however;  today I think more wisely about what I buy and don't feel like I need to have the real deal all the time.  I still put expensive knives in the dishwasher but I stick with Stainless All-Clad and basic white dinnerware as my everyday favorites.

Cash for clunkers; hopefully never again.  I'd love to hear your cash clunker stories, I can only imagine how funny many of them are.   And thanks again Brooke for the thoughtful inspiration!

Have a great week~*~kelley