In this series I imagine I have unlimited money, analyse interesting features I see and ask myself do you really need that? 

Because just because you can doesn’t always mean you should. 

You Don’t Really Need A 6-inch Ledge In Your Kitchen

I’ve been thinking about what I’d have in my dream kitchen a lot lately. To get some inspiration I started watching old episodes of Dream Home Makeover on Netflix.

Shea McGee started out by posting little projects she did in her own home and eventually built her style into an empire. Now she offers design services, furniture (found at Target) and a hit Netflix show.

I love a lot of Shea’s aesthetic. Some people might call it basic but that’s fine, I am basic. This isn’t a pretty design blog, this is a functional design blog.

On Season 4, Episode 1, Shea remodels the kitchen of one of her employees, Teresa.

She ran a marble backsplash up the wall behind the range and added a 6-inch matching ledge along the top. I loved the idea and have been comparing the pros and cons all week.

Unfortunately I could only come up with one good reason to have one and 2 reasons not to. So instead of a compliment sandwich you get a criticism sandwich. 

Criticism: I believe it would be a grime magnet from the range below and end up just being another space to clean. It would collect grease and dust just like a range hood does but instead it’s at eye level and obvious.

Compliment: It’s really pretty and creates a farm style kitchen aesthetic. 

Criticism: Not many people know this but you’re not meant to hold your spice bottles above your boiling food, the steam causes the contents to deteriorate faster and also clump together. Storing the spices above the range might be more convenient but probably isn’t the best environment for them. 

So no, a little ledge in your kitchen isn’t very useful for anything. But it does add character and I still want one! See more pictures of the complete remodel here.