A video about a couple who initially believed their newly installed kitchen was the wrong color—only to realize later they’d made a “simple” mistake—has gone viral on TikTok.
The video, posted by user @thecollinsreno_61, has received over 172,000 views since it was shared on February 1. The clip documents the homeowners’ initial panic as they thought their kitchen had been installed in dark gray instead of black.
A note overlaid on the video reads: “We were freaking out that our kitchen was dark grey, not black. We were so upset…”
However, the couple soon discovered the cause of the mix-up—a layer of dust and the reflections from shiny appliances.
A subsequent message in the video said: “We were kicking off over dust and shiny appliances.”
The woman says in the clip that she wiped down different surfaces, which revealed the actual black color underneath.
The post comes as home renovation spending in the United States has increased in recent years, with the median spend rising by 60 percent between 2020 ($15,000) and 2023 ($24,000). That is according to a survey of 32,615 users, including 17,713 renovating U.S. homeowners, conducted by Houzz, a home design website.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
On average, homeowners dedicate around twice as much time to the planning phase of a renovation project, compared with its construction phase, the Houzz report said. Kitchen renovations were found to have the longest timeline last year, with 9.6 months devoted to planning and 5.1 months to building, on average, according to the report.
‘Absolutely Kicked Off’ at Kitchen Fitters
A caption shared with the post says: “We thought our fitters had installed the wrong kitchen.”
When the woman called the kitchen fitting company to report the problem, it reassured her that the kitchen was the correct shade, saying, “It’s definitely the right color.”
The realization began to set in after she wiped off a top cabinet and noticed the difference. “In fairness, the camera makes it look even lighter…. I wiped the top half of this and it’s definitely looking more black.”
Pointing to another cupboard, she said: “I’ve wiped this cupboard and that’s definitely black.”
The video concludes with her admitting the overreaction. “So it’s black, guys…it just needed a wipe…it’s definitely a black kitchen,” she said. Earlier in the day, she had been “absolutely kicked off” at the fitters, she added.
In later comments, the homeowner admitted to feeling deeply embarrassed about the situation. “Omg honestly felt like such an idiot, how embarrassing,” she wrote. “Honestly, I am so happy that it was something so simple.”
Do you have a home renovation-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your story could be featured on Newsweek.