Design Regrets

I know I can't be the only home owner/design blogger/decor enthusiast out there that has design regrets. These design regrets are not quite mistakes: they are still stylish but just don't work with your styles any more; they may look great on their own but fail to work in a room by the time you put all the elements together. They make you wonder had you chose something else, the room might have looked better and you might have felt more content. These design regrets are often expensive, hence they make you feel "stuck" - you are unlikely going to recover your cost if you choose to sell them so you often choose to live with them for as long as you can to squeeze some mileage out of them.

So here's my list of design regrets, so far.

1. Basement hallway chest: Notice something funny in this picture? I wanted a white lacquered dresser, simple, clean-lined and inexpensive to go with the Regency Faux Bamboo Chairs I scored. By the time we finished the basement renovation, I already ran out of steam so I didn't want to do any hack or DIY. Ikea's Hemnes Dresser seemed to fit the bill at the time, but the height of this dresser totally threw this basement hallway off balance. Not only is it too tall for the chairs, it also leaves very little room for the faux bamboo mirror. The pairing looks so awkward and uncomfortable. I have since been looking for a shorter dresser and preferably campaign style dresser before re-purposing this Hemnes dresser somewhere else.

2. Dining chairs in my dining room: Don't get me wrong, I still love them. They are made of solid mahogany and look so elegant paired with the rectangular double pedestal table, especially if you look at them from this angle.

But, the criss-cross back looks so busy! I know they provide great support to the chairs but I've seen other oval back chairs without them. I can't believe at the time I was actually attracted to this feature! The matchy-match stain also makes the dining set like a big box store purchase (they are anything but).

What I've really wanted is this - the Restoration Hardware Vintage French Square Back Chair in a different stain. I've seen similar pairing from Style At Home, which confirmed it would work for my dining table. I've since been kicking myself for jumping onto such a major purchase which I am now stuck with.

3. Dining chairs in our kitchen dining room: What's with me and dining chairs? These dining chairs from InVu Drapery are so comfortable but I hated the upholstery from day one. In addition, they are a bit on the big side and too formal for a kitchen dining area. I am thinking something more light and airy like bentwood chairs might work better.

4. Our kitchen cabinetry: this ought to be my biggest design regret. The dark maple cabinetry comes with the house and they are brand new. I designed the rest of the kitchen around it including paint, countertop and backsplash. For the past two years I find myself really wanting a white kitchen. The paint job shouldn't cost much, but my head is already spinning just by thinking of all the hassle associated with dissembling all the 36 cabinet doors and kickplates and putting them back on later on.

So do you have any design regrets? Also check out Janice's post on the same topic from Life Begins at 30.