What I wish I’d known before I started renovating my kitchen
19/8/2025
Translation: Megan Cornish
Pictures: Anika Schulz
Countertop, sink, floor: my kitchen’s glow-up is taking ages. Here’s a short rant with four and a half insights.
I’ve bought my «old» rented flat. Finally, I can design everything the way I want. I also know the tradespeople. So, nothing should stand in the way of a kitchen glow-up, right? OR SO I THOUGHT.
Predictability? Forget it.
I’m the kind of person who sets a goal and then follows through. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work very well when other trades are involved. The chaos starts with the sink.
The first kitchen sink’s sold out. But, of course, the manufacturer doesn’t notice until five days after I place my order. The second sink arrives with a massive crack in it. I get a free replacement, but everything’s already taking way too long. Or is it always like this? In any case, I feel like Asterix and Obelix on their quest for Permit A38.
Why didn’t I order from Galaxus? Because, unfortunately, the EU range is still too small for now. In the end, I ended up with a model that looks very similar to the one below.
Next project: the countertop. I’ve been eyeing up a wood look for a long time. But, unfortunately, my fitted kitchen has an unusual dimension: it’s 70 centimetres deep – not the standard 60 centimetres for Germany. This means I can’t pick up a countertop from a DIY store. I’ll have to order it because it has to be custom-made. Delivery time: at least ten weeks. No thanks.
My tradesman suggests painting the existing countertop instead. It won’t create it a wood look, but at least the old countertop will look good again. Okay. I pick a colour, a nice grey-brown with a slightly reddish undertone. Or so I think. Because when the tradesman gets cracking, my first reaction is: «Wow, that’s much pinker than I thought.»
A friend I’m keeping in the loop via WhatsApp commented: «Well, considering you only want to make small changes, that’s pretty bold.»
The dripping siphon
What goes under the sink? That’s right, a siphon. You know, that curved thing that connects the sink drain to the one on the wall. My siphon’s dripping all over the place, and dirty water’s backing up into the dishwasher. Yuck.
A quick internet search reveals that a lot of siphons from a well-known Swedish furniture shop are impractical and should be replaced with a DIY store model. Great. Why didn’t anyone tell me this earlier?!
The DIY store: friend and foe in one
So, I find myself in a crowded DIY store on a Saturday afternoon. An annoyed employee in the plumbing department asks me: «So, what are you looking for?» Me: «My [insert Swedish brand name here] siphon’s driving me mad. I need a new one.» Her: «We don’t have anything that fits that. The Swedes have different dimensions.» Me, now in shop talk mode: «Yes, you do. Your website says that a 3.5-inch strainer valve and a standard siphon will work. I want to try that.» The employee rolls her eyes and wordlessly reaches towards the shelf. Girl, I feel you.
At home, I crawl back under the sink and install the new siphon. And then comes the surprise: it fits, the dripping’s stopped! Yesss – finally, a sense of achievement.
If I’d been able to order from Galaxus in Switzerland, this would’ve been the one I’d have gone for.
80 per cent’s the new 100 per cent
The person selling my flat’s paying for the new flooring in the kitchen. And of course, this project’s also off to a bad start. The manufacturer of my favourite vinyl planks has gone bankrupt. I now believe my kitchen’s cursed. At least we’ve found other planks that look similar. But it’s still a compromise. Since I’m running out of energy to get upset, I’ll let the professional install the flooring and not look too closely.
It doesn’t even bother me anymore that the guy forgets to clamp the panels to the base cabinets. I now know what my kitchen looks like from ground level, and I do it myself as best I can.
Good things come to those who wait…
…forever? There should have been a super-stylish after photo here. But the tradesman who’s supposed to be installing the second countertop is ill. So everything’s been postponed again.
Plus, I’m fed up now. With the kitchen glow-up and with this article. I’ve been living in a building site for seven weeks. I’ve had enough.
What are your experiences with renovating? Let me know in the comments!
Header image: Anika Schulz
Anika Schulz
Teamleader Editorial
Anika.Schulz@galaxus.deAs a child, I was socialised with Mario Kart on SNES before ending up in journalism after graduating from high school. As a team leader at Galaxus, I'm responsible for news. I'm also a trekkie and an engineer.
19 comments
later