Most kitchen designs start with the wrong question. Designers ask what color cabinets you want and what countertop you like. The right first question is

Instagram is not real life. The kitchen photos with 47,000 likes were styled, lit, and shot at golden hour by someone with a $4,000 camera

The contractor’s bid says $58,000. You sign, you write the deposit check, you start picking out cabinet hardware. Six months later you have spent $74,000.

Walk into any kitchen showroom in 2026 and someone will offer to show you your future kitchen on a tablet. Photorealistic 3D renderings, augmented reality

Every Columbus seller hears the same advice. Update the kitchen. Refresh the bathroom. Get the place show-ready before listing. Some of that advice is solid.