Tired of "showcases". Show me something real!

So as I'm working on my bathroom I've noticed something: places that sell fixtures all seemed fixed on the concept of the 200-300 square foot bathroom. Try to find any place showcasing a small half-bath idea. I can show you several bathroom showcases with a fireplace, claw-foot tub in the center of the room, toilet, bidet, and huge cabinets. Sure, I'd love to have a bathroom that big. Why can't you show me some ideas for an <20 square foot half-bathroom?

Same with kitchens. The new big innovation seems to be focused on building houses with 400-500 square foot kitchens when Americans are increasingly going out to eat. Why does everyone want a show-case kitchen with two ovens when they only cook in it maybe 20-30 times per year? Seems like a big waste of space.

I have modestly sized bathrooms and kitchens in my 30 year old house. The focus is on larger living spaces. Are the showcases dictating design? I can see bathroom and kitchen appliance and fixture vendors wanting to create the concept of larger spaces since these rooms tend to have more purchased and installed parts and since they may be the only "branded" rooms in the house (meaning visible matching logos everywhere).

I think about the living room. This is where my TV sits and my son likes to play. It's relatively safe (in comparison with the kitchen) and quite comfortable. I think about the non-electrical purchased items in this room: sofa, recliner, tables, chairs, blankets, furniture. No one ever asks me "What brand of sofa is that?" It's "Where did you get your sofa? Where did you get your tables?" Yet you can walk into my kitchen and see Kitchenaid everywhere. Nice matching appliances like a good little kitchen.

So do furniture manufacturers need to start self-branding in order to achieve focus on the living room?

In 20-30 years, will big kitchens and bathrooms still be considered trendy, or will people realize how often they cook and say "Why on earth would anyone want a kitchen this big when it's eating into the Family room's space"?

Good points. But i think you answered your own questions. You cant sell a 50k living room remodel. showcases are all about the wow factor. nothing wow about a 20 sf 1/2 bath. plus what design ideas do you need from a space that small?

I agree w/ Cheese.

I've got a modest sized house, with a 12 x 12 kitchen area to "design" when the time and $$$ comes. Also I've only got less than 8ft ceilings.

Everyplace that has a model kitchen, etc. is usually significantly larger, and shows cabinets w/ crown molding that extend well past the 8 ft mark.

Let's see the "remodel" displays show something real.

When you have a small space to begin with, that is where REAL design work shows. If you have 2 1/2 acres of space, it doesn't take much imagination to include the double wall oven, a soccer field sized island, double sinks and dishwashers, a "kitchen office" nook, a fridge big enough for a football team, etc.

Lets see some of the really usefull ideas incorporated into a 100 square foot kitchen.

Any cabinet sales place can show you a perspective design of your kitchen. When I was selling them I had to draw the picture but now they can just punch them into the computer and get a full color picture to perspective or elevation/plan views along with the price. It works for any size room just take them your measurements, location of your present sink, range, refrigerator and such; tell them your ideas of what you want and they will show you how it will fit.
Glenn

My home is a "reality" type showcase. A true wake-up call indeed!

My back bath reality....gaping hole in wall where the sink was, nasty looking subfloor, and a ladder by the side of a very ugly beige shower/tub. Almost broke my camera.

In 20-30 years, will big kitchens and bathrooms still be considered trendy, or will people realize how often they cook and say "Why on earth would anyone want a kitchen this big when it's eating into the Family room's space"?

We are going to have real problems with cost of energy soon, if not starting now. Also we are competing with some rapidly developing economies for commodities like wood and cement. Really big bathrooms and kitchens could start getting unpopular, not to mention two story high "great" rooms especially when the heating bills roll in. 2030 or so, unless we can burn anti-matter, it's gonna be tight.

guyod said:

...nothing wow about a 20 sf 1/2 bath. plus what design ideas do you need from a space that small?...

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I too have a small bathroom that I'll be redoing in the spring. It's roughly 20sq ft, and I'm looking for design ideas to maximize space. Huge bathrooms can handle anything thrown at them, whereas the smaller bathrooms require better planning and selection.