DIY home sparks viral controversy over bold style
Imagine building something from scratch. A permanent home for a family, built from a bare foundation into a dream home. Who wouldn’t want to share the fruits of their labor online? Joseph Wilder, also known as u/itsjoejoeyjoseph on Reddit, did just that in hopes of inspiring other home builders. He couldn’t have predicted the internet’s reaction.
His custom homes quickly became popular. The photos of the kitchen and bathroom interiors were viewed more than 8 million times and received more than 11,000 comments in the first 48 hours. Unfortunately, the comments were not complimentary of this house.
Here are the kitchen designs that set the r/homebuilding community on fire.
People had a lot to say about this kitchen, from the granite countertops to the cabinets, color palette, and even the sink. “The more you look at it, the worse it gets,” one person commented. Others had similarly desperate comments about the style of the kitchen.
In the original post, Joseph, a home builder, was adamant that the kitchen is his favorite place in the house, and as a result, it perfectly matches his wife’s tastes. “The design choices came from our own interests and tastes. We wanted to create something that felt modern and rustic at the same time when you look at it,” Joseph told BuzzFeed.
He wanted the kitchen to be “quiet and inviting, yet vibrant and different: white doors with black hardware, cool white paint with gray undertones; Gray marble-style floors were chosen for their simplicity and elegance.”
In the description of the original post, Joseph said that his father was a furniture store owner and that the two of them completed the house. While the father’s job may have been simple when it came to securing and installing the cabinets, redditors were quick to dismantle the selection and design.
I found at least 18 cabinets. Most city dwellers would die for having this amount of cabinetry and storage space in their kitchen, but Joseph says cabinetry is “primarily a visual choice rather than an attempt to maximize storage.” ” was shared.
Despite its vast collection of tableware, utensils, and kitchen utensils such as fondue pots, woks, and sous vide cookers, its design left room for a squatter: Joseph’s son. “My 2-year-old son likes to put his toys and play with them, so he occupies some of the base cabinets,” he said.
Other interior design choices also puzzled many, especially the stark contrast between the black and white countertops and cherry cabinetry.
Opinions were divided on whether or not I liked the countertop. Many admired his unique granite selection and matching custom backsplash. Below are some of their more positive responses.
Many users also noted that the dozen or so recessed lights appeared to be randomly placed, with one user commenting that they “looked like they were installed with a shotgun.”
Another feature of the kitchen that people took issue with was the sink. Having multiple faucets in one basin makes little sense to many commenters. One of them said he was a plumber and had never installed a sink like that.
When asked about the controversial dual faucet feature, Joseph gave a heartwarming good reason for cooking with his wife. “Dual faucets make cooking and washing together easier and more enjoyable,” he told me. “Multiple faucets allow you to be playful and spend more time together in the kitchen, even when it comes to mundane tasks like making dinner,” she says, “and washing sippy cups.” ”
Joseph also included an image of the bathroom in his original post, and users were quick to comment. Their bathroom designs are as unique as their kitchens.
Overall, comments on this design were more kind.
However, some still had problems. One user pointed out the lack of “precious counter space” taken up by “yet MORE cabinets.”
Despite the most derogatory comments from cabinet haters, Joseph said, “It was a great feeling to see photos of my work being viewed millions of times, and I was happy to be able to share what I created with my dad with so many people.” With Dad I got a lot of messages from people saying they would do anything to do something like this. It really strengthened the feelings I have for this kitchen. ”
As for the haters, they haven’t pushed Joseph away from his love for his new home. He told BuzzFeed, “I’m not easily swayed by other people’s opinions. When I like something, other people’s opinions and preferences don’t affect me. I always I had a taste for unconventional styles, whether it was footwear, footwear, car paint jobs or, in this case, home design.”
Joseph was just 28 years old when he started building his home: “[My wife and I]were a few years into our engineering careers and had a lot of student loan debt. Equally disappointing was the suspension of my student loan payments, which allowed me to put a hold on payments that would eventually go toward building my home. ” By living with Joseph’s father while he built the house, they were able to use the rent savings toward the house itself. “It may sound crazy, but with just three years of student loan payments and 18 months of rent savings, we were able to pay for more than 50% of our home construction,” Joseph said. I did.
“It was absolutely worth it,” he added. “Overall, we were able to build a very unique home at a very low cost, especially compared to the cost of purchasing something similar.I would like to build this home for my family. I’ll always be proud of that.”
Wilder shared advice for home builders and those tackling DIY home improvement projects. “Don’t be afraid to be different. Do what makes you and your family happy. If the next person doesn’t like it, hopefully they too will have the opportunity to build their own home one day.” will come.”
What do you think about Joseph’s unique home? Let us know in the comments!
