Chapter 20
What we would build again
The decisions we would repeat—and the small details we would redesign.
The one-year scorecard
Most of the kitchen earned its space. The table below is the short version of what the road taught us.
| Decision | Our verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Large refrigerator | Do again | More food and fewer shopping trips. |
| Large sink | Do again | Actually usable for pots and dishes. |
| Cutting-board insert | Do again | Recovers counter space. |
| Butcher block | Do again | Warm working surface; needs water care. |
| Hot water | Do again | Easy while open and useful every day. |
| Portable cooktop | Do again | Keeps the counter flexible. |
| Oven / air fryer | Do again | Fits the way we cook. |
| Dedicated storage | Do again | Makes tiny-space living easier. |
| Separate drinking faucet | Do again, adapt | The concept worked; water sources changed. |
| Drawer orientation | Change | Braking can pull drawers open. |
| Manual-only latches | Improve | They depend on memory. |
| 90-degree clearance | Change | About one inch could stop daily collisions. |
| Main cabinet structure | Do again | It survived the roads structurally. |