STUCK IN THE '80s

Better Homes and Gardens magazine has a good website where readers can find useful recipes, learn about garden design, crafts and interior decoration. Unfortunately, when it comes to remodeling projects, BH & G seems to be stuck in the '80s when was conspicuous consumption was comme-il-faut. Its editors apparently value remodeling for the sake and they rely on cutesy headlines such as "Stuck in the '70s" to justify replacing a supposedly outdated look for one that will will most probably be just as unfashionable within a decade.

The transformation of the kitchen pictured above from a cozy to costly exemplifies BH & G's philosophy. Ostensibly, convenience dictated that the eating peninsula be replaced. Multiple people were forced to move when someone sitting on the inside needed to get up. Plus, the bulky dining spot offered little storage space." Well and good. Fake ceiling beams had to be removed and scratched counter tops had to be replaced. But as it happened when the economy was on the upsurge, expenditure called for expenditure and in the end, new appliances seemed to be a necessity. The result is a characterless, glossy magazine editor's idea of how a kitchen should look.

Possibly, the new kitchen is marginally easier to navigate. The new cabinets, however, are already filled with objects not in evidence prior to the remodeling. Nature abhors a vacuum. More is more. Whoever dies with the greatest number of toys wins. This is the message BH & G seems to offer its readers along with crafts and recipes.