Haha, I totally get the lighting thing. When I first installed my sink, it looked fine during the day, but at night under those harsh overhead bulbs, every tiny flaw seemed magnified. Drove me a little nuts too for a while. Eventually, I swapped out the bulbs for warmer LEDs—not expensive at all—and suddenly the countertop looked way better. It's crazy how much difference lighting makes.
Honestly though, I'm still not convinced we really "stop noticing" imperfections completely. Maybe we just get tired of obsessing over them and accept defeat? 😂 Or maybe our brains just decide there are bigger fish to fry...like why the faucet handle squeaks slightly when you turn it left but not right. Anyone else have that issue, or is my kitchen just haunted?
- Can confirm lighting is weirdly important. When I had my backsplash installed, it looked awesome in the showroom, but once home under my kitchen lights, it was like a totally different tile. Took me weeks to stop noticing how off it seemed.
- Eventually, I did the same thing—switched from cool white bulbs (which made everything look clinical) to warmer LEDs. Instant improvement, but honestly, I still notice the imperfections if I really look for them. Maybe you're right about just accepting defeat...
- As for squeaky faucets, mine doesn't squeak exactly, but it does have this weird resistance when turning left. Like it's slightly tighter in one direction. Thought it was faulty installation, but the plumber said it's "normal." Still skeptical about that explanation though...
Lighting can seriously make or break a room. Had a client once who chose these gorgeous matte black cabinets—stunning in natural daylight—but under their kitchen's harsh LEDs, they looked flat and kinda gloomy. We added under-cabinet lighting (warmer tone, of course), and it totally transformed the vibe. On faucets, that resistance thing sounds off...maybe an internal cartridge issue? Did your plumber check that specifically or just give it a quick glance?
You're spot-on about lighting—it can be a sneaky game changer. Had a similar issue with dark marble countertops that went from luxe to gloomy under harsh overheads. Switched to warmer recessed lights and added dimmers, and the difference was night and day. About your faucet, sounds like you're on the right track suspecting the cartridge. If your plumber didn't specifically check it, might be worth asking them to dig a bit deeper...sometimes quick checks miss subtle issues. Hang in there—kitchen upgrades always throw curveballs at first.
Good call on the cartridge—had a similar faucet issue myself, and it turned out to be exactly that. Upgrades always have a few hiccups, but once you iron them out, you'll enjoy the space way more. Hang tight...almost there.
