Honestly, the absolute BEST solution to lower cabinets that are deep and inaccessible is to install pull-out racks. I did this in my kitchen and it was life-changing. No more wasted space. No more lost pots and pans. No more crouching into an abyss.
I'm so envious! Have such a strong desire to do the same, but as a person who lacks the ability to get anything level (even when using a level) knowing limitations, I can only dream . Ps did you replace the cabinet doors with drawers?
@@bridgettstephens5582 I did not but that sounds like a good idea. With the type of pull out tray I used, a level was not needed, as it fastened to the cabinet floor. It was a double decker tray😆
It's nice to have a counter depth fridge because it looks way nicer than a fridge that sticks out but, it doesn't hold as much stuff as a regular fridge. If I can't have function and aesthetics, I would prefer to have function, but that's me.
@@candicemartin5394 That's great! at least it suits some people. I love to do a lot of meal prep because I'm so busy so it just wasn't a good fit for me. Because we had the space we just made our base cabinets deeper and added pull out shelves. The added counter space and storage was an added bonus.
@@cesarbattistini Actually, because we have the space, we made our base cabinets 28' deep and our wall cabinets 16' deep. The base cabinets have pull out shelves
The biggest mistake I made was with the fridge. Do not put the fridge at either end of the cabinets. You have to allow for it to be completely opened so you can take out the shelves or vegetable bins to clean them, or you will have to pull the fridge out to access them. Very important. Debra from Melbourne Australia xxx
I discovered this with a professionally designed kitchen when I could not take the ICE bin out!! He had put the french door refrigerator/freezer at the end of a run, against a wall, with no buffer to allow the freezer door to open completely. I have since designed a dozen kitchens, and have not had that issue, again!!
ABSOLUTELY!!!!! I have seen that happen MANY times on HGTV or other similar shows....that is my one pet peeve!!! ///that is also, why my fridge is in the middle of a wall...and sticking out just a bit..
I’m renovating our new home now, with exactly this problem. We are actually taking the wall back more than a foot to accommodate being able to adequately open the freezer. I don’t know what the previous owners did to work things out. We can only open the freezer (side by side) a few inches. Except for this problem, we really like the fridge that came with the house. And unless we go forward with plans to move that wall back, there’s not a frig design that will really work in that space.
My biggest mistake when designing/building our first kitchen was not listening to my wife. 44 years later I have just completed our latest incorporating all the correct design elements you highlighted including 53 drawers. If only I had access to such valuable advice 43 years ago I could have avoided the pain of learning by experience. Thank you for sharing your expert professional knowledge.
Our first Cape Cod style house was built by the contractor owner. It was well built with solid wood floors. BUT we could tell that he did not ask his wife about certain things: handmade mahogany cabinets that were not deep enough to hold large plates, and several other things. I would think, well, this was designed and built by a man who had no understanding of working in a kitchen. The next owners probably ripped out the kitchen and redesigned it. I sure hope so. That speckled linoleum tile. Whoof. 1950s.
My husband built pull-out platforms for all my low cabinets. There's a handle in the front I can just pull out with my toe. No bending! It was not expensive to do at all. Just a few supplies from Lowe's.
I renovated my kitchen summer of 21 when the (pricey) appliances I wanted weren't available (stuck on a boat somewhere). I had to go with what was available at big box DIY places. The stove I got was the least expensive on the market ($520) and the fridge about the same price. I thought I'd buy new appliances when they became available. Guess what?! Happy as a clam with these inexpensive appliances and don't have any intention of buying the more expensive ones.
Do not obsess about anything when first moving into your newly purchased home, pretend you are renting - settle in and determine your work flows in the kitchen, how light impacts on the room; next select potential appliances and research their specifications for example if you decide to go all electric and delete gas appliances, the billing advantage is you pay only one service charge plus usage. Ad now there is induction which I have fallen in love with because the cleanup is so easy and the advantage of timers auto switching the appliance off is so convenient - not so with gas. Finally colour scheme, there are paint sample pots you can buy and experiment on cards, festoon the walls and decide if you can live with that colour or mix of colours. As for lighting sometimes strategically placed table lamps (check IKEA) work quite well without committing to a permanent set of fittings and electrician's bill. Take your time and don't be pressured by sales people. Trust me, you will change your mind at least a dozen times before you are happy with your final choices and the final cost.
After we rebuilt our kitchen when the house flooded in Hurricane Harvey, I replaced most of the base cabinets with drawers on full extension soft-close glides, and I’m very happy with them. Something I would do differently if I did it again would be to increase the aisle space from 36” to 42”. That would mean cutting down the center island, but I would trade the extra storage space for enough room for two people to pass each other easily in the aisles.
I agree re kitchen island, Michelle. I don't even like the look of a large kitchen island. I would like something on industrial wheels that could be moved aside at times (presuming one has the space). G Ire
Another tip for the bold trendy colours, if you make your cabinets out of wood that’s painted the bold colour (as opposed to Melamine), it’s much easier to switch out the colour when you’re over it!
I have a mix of lower cabinets and drawers and I am glad I kept some lower cabinets for small appliances and heavy things like my cast iron pots. The everyday stainless and nonstick pans and storage containers are in big drawers next to the range and I love those. I’ll admit getting to the back of the lower cabinets means sitting on the floor. However, I just consider getting up and down off the floor good for maintaining mobility. Just some things to consider.
I think the 'Gap Above the Cabinets' "design mistake" is a personal choice the same as open shelving (which I personally think is a design mistake) is for some. I like to display my teapot collection where they can be seen but are out of the way. "But, they're going to collect dust up there!" So what? Don't climb up onto my counters and you won't swoon from the shock of it all.
I have now designed and built 2 kitchens all with only drawers(except under sink) and no upper cabinets in an open design I love the uncluttered look with just a beautiful tile and a few floating shelves for decor/display items. I know that's not for everyone but ...
I’m always shocked that people don’t put even fake plants up there at least. It’s such a waste of space if you let it be a waste of space. Or even beautiful baskets for extra storage of those once or twice a year items or extra stock of dry foods. I am a landlord and the cabinets have that gap, that is an absolute perfect spot to put baskets for additional storage, but on one uses it. I wouldn’t consider myself a prepper but there are basic things to be prepared for, having at least three months worth of food I never needing to worry about running out of things like toilet paper is just such a given to me, I was shocked in 2020 when I found out most people weren’t prepared, not a single prepper ran out and fight over toilet paper, we had toilet paper and canned soup, in fact I found myself sharing. We also had a water emergency about two years ago, and our family didn’t have to take from the store when everyone else was because we already had it. People should simply be more wise. Before you have money for a kitchen remodel, have at least three months worth of supplies for your family. As a landlord I see all the people that live more extravagant lives than I do renting from me even if they make more than me, yet they have no three months worth of security and literally “choose” to live paycheck to paycheck because that trendy crap at target or Starbucks drink taste so good to them that they just can’t sacrifice it for security or future goals. Forgive the tangent, maybe someone needs to hear it, I genuinely care about my tenants and have had talks with them, I’ve saved people from getting evicted, and I’ve helped people who have been evicted learn how to never let them be seen as a “thief” ever again. Most peoples money issues are not income issues, they are emotional and careless spending issues. People make an idol of a particular life that they can’t afford, but if they would just be wise with their spending while they’re young, they could afford it someday. Yesterday, I taught a going into $40,000 in debt 20 year old how to save $40,000 on their cell phone plan, granted it’s gonna take them 20 years to save that much, but those are the little choices that are unbelievably huge and completely within a persons control. She also needs to sell her car and simple live her income without embarrassment by getting real with where she is at and what she needs to do.
I would go ahead and take the cabinets up to the ceiling--it's only 8' anyway--but have the top 12-15" or so be visible through glass, would have my vintage collections on those shelves.
My cabinets have space above. The previous owner was in the cabinet business so they are nice cabinets. I don't care about the space above. I realize dust collects up there and someday I'll get up there and clean, but I can't reach the upper shelves of the cabinet as it is, why have more storage space up there when it can't be used? If you have stuff that you need to store that you'll never use, just get rid of it.
Same, ours almost reach the ceiling but not quite. There's like 3-4 inches of space between the top crown molding and the ceiling. Maybe it's dirty up there, who knows. I just liked a bit of a gap.
You can always add pull out drawers behind your cabinet doors on the lower level to make it easier to use bottom cabinets. It only cost about $20 per cabinet, way cheaper than replacing the cabinets.
Oh my goodness! How in the world did you get drawers so cheaply?!? Did you DIY them or something? If not totally DIY from scratch, links and info pretty please 🙏???
You don't hear or see them much any more but a trash compactor (I think) is more useful than the pullout bins - and only 15" wide. I have had one for more than 20 yrs...If you have a pantry a smallish recycling bin can fit there.
This! My kitchen is pretty much built for, pretty much, a trash can (under the sink). Now, in addition to the trash can, I have (while I'm considering better options) 4 additional recycling bags, in a corner in my kitchen. :/
I never dreamed of a curbside-sized garbage can in the kitchen, but ... well ... somebody did that. It was quite disturbing. Until we had to move it into the bathroom because the landlord didn't believe the roof leaked that much.
The biggest mistake I see layout wise occurs when people don't allow adequate prep space directly beside their cook-top (which the where you want it to be). People put impractical decorative columns around the stove or worse, cabinets that go all the way to the counter leaving only one foot of space or less. Having the prep space on the island across from the cook top is even worse because after you chop your onions, for example, you have to then transfer them across the gap between the island and stove. And then you repeat the process with whatever else the stove top dish requires. Makes no sense! Islands are great for baking prep or for something that is one and done right into the oven but otherwise, you need decent prep space beside the stove.
This. While you're chopping up the next thing to go in the pot you've still got your pot where you can see it, and you can give it a quick stir if you need to without turning away from what you're doing. I'm designing to disabled access standards, and that specifies a good bit of workspace right beside the stove so you don't have to turn around with stuff. It's easier and safer this way for everyone, even those who aren't disabled.
I like the mention about lower cabinets not having real usable space and do drawers instead.....however as a kitchen designer myself adding drawers to all bases cabinets sometimes doubles or triples the cost of cabinetry. If trying to make a sale this isn't always the best option for a budget
I encourage all my friends that are renovating to go with drawers. if nothing else the island. they were not as available when I was building my kitchen. I have thought about adding custom pull out shelves to my lower cabinets. There is noting wrong with my cabinets. They are good quality and maybe even better then what is available today.
I have back pain ,so i decided to turn all the lower cabinets into drawers,but as you said,the hinges prices will make it costy..so,i decided not to make any upper cabinets to save the money for the lower drawers..and then in another time when i get the money,i can then make the upper cabinets( may be a matching colour with the color of lower units)..am i right in my way of thinking or the kitchen will be weired and funny with no upper units?
@@nohahemdan8298 no I don’t think it would look odd. Many people are going with that look. You could add some floating shelves, or do a pretty wall treatment with wood, rile, or even wallpaper (since it is temporary).
We have lots of lower cabinets in our kitchen. They were here when we moved, and we don't plan on being here long, so it doesn't seem worth the time and expense to change that. But we also have a simple solution: we just have our 2 or 5 year old get what we need. Yes, I said simple, not cheap😆
If you like the kichen otherwise and don't plan to remodel, you can just buy rollout trays to be screwed in or have a professional install rollout trays (pullouts) in your cabinets with doors. Also, I bought a tray holder for my 12 inch cabinet next to my range and turned it into a tray cabinet and it still has the drawer above. I love it. Tray cabinets available from cabinet companies seem to not have drawer above. I need that drawer. (I want to remodel and have spent a lot of time planning a remodel with different cabinet lines). Still working in the best design.
In Germany, the refrigerators are hidden behind the kitchen front, so no one knows where the refrigerator is, but the refrigerators here are also half the size of those in the US/Canada 😆
High end kitchens in the US tend towards hidden refrigerators. But that is the exception I think. None of my friends have a hidden frig. The frig tends to be large. Sometimes with an additional full size freezer. I prefer them hidden. I love the English Smallbones look. The unfitted kitchen.
We have hidden refrigerators in the US but it costs more! Definitely makes for a more beautiful and seamless kitchen. BUT often we ou have to be doing the custom cabinet route versus the cheaper IKEA cabinets like us! 😅
Actually that trend is currently changing in Germany and more folks want one of those huge Side by Side fridges with integrated icemakers and a quooker. Personally I think that those fridge monsters are sort of ugly (even when they do not stick out ;-)) and only useful when you have a large family (like in the US). Considering that most people in Germany live alone or as a couple (almost 80%) and households with four people are only 9% that trend towards huge fridges is ridiculous (to say the least).
counter depth fridges have so little room, and i would never sacrifice the space for that. i agree with drawers. i had low cabinets and it seemed like i had to travel to the center of the earth to reach items. drawers are so much better. thanks for all the good advice!
I think that one of the most common mistakes (at least here in Poland) is to have too small and too flat kitchen sink. I had that too, and it was a nightmare. Imagine washing big oven tray, or stove crate.... never again.
A friend of mine solved her depth problem in the lower cabinets very simply. She blocked off the back area with cardboard boxes so that items didn't roll or slide into never-never-land in the back. All she gave up was some space she wasn't using anyway.
I HATE my counter depth fridge!!! We had a regular depth fridge that died, and my husband suggested the counter depth one as a replacement. It’s beautiful, but I can’t fit stuff in it very easily. I’m always rejiggering stuff to try to fit things in…it’s too much mental fatigue for a stupid fridge. Now we rely on having Another fridge in the garage for the overflow. I say Don’t Do It! Forget the aesthetics
I agree, when the one that existed in our house died, I replaced it with a full sized. You can't even put in a soda 12 pack without taking them out of the box.
I had a counter depth fridge. It was aesthetically pleasing, but when I remodeled and moved my kitchen to another room, I went back to full size. Everyone's needs are different, but for me, a single male - I need a fridge that can actually fit a large or extra large pizza box in, as well as a 12 pack of soda. I also need a freezer that can pack a lot of frozen dinners. If the counter depth fridge also houses the icemaker in the freezer portion, you have even less room. Then there is the price difference, which in most cases means you're paying more for less. In today's market, when a lot of us are having to save where we can, a full size makes more sense. I don't have a space to add a 2nd fridge, nor do I want to add electrical wiring or add to my electric bill. Again, everyone's needs vary, but most of the people I know that have counter depth aren't happy with its reduced capacity. The one exception is the friend that has an extremely wide, double door $5000 Sub Zero. And yes, if I had the space and money, sure, I'd get one. I tested the extra large pizza box, and it did fit in the Sub Zero.
I despised my counter depth fridge. Just not enough space for anything. Currently building and I will most definitely heed this advice! I purchased a very large fridge this time and I designed my kitchen around it. JMO
I think if you go wide enough, to make up for lack of depth, counter depth would be really good, as you can see everything, but larger items can still fit, just sideways.
@@merrywalsh2809 Except most kitchens do not have that as they are not 'designed' by a designer but a track home builder. So, for us - going counter depth is not possible. I am looking into expanding the panel to enclose the fridge more and extend the top cabinet to cover more of the top of the fridge.
@@merrywalsh2809 But then placement becomes an even bigger issue with the increase in width because doors need to open wide to pull drawers out fully, especially if your freezer is below with its drawers or ice maker etc.
The best decisions I made with our remodeled kitchen: 1. REMOVED the Lazy Susan! Did a cool pull out that used ALL the space! 2. Got rid of below waist cabinets and added big drawers. 3. Got rid of counter clutter by hiding the microwave in a low cabinet on a lift-up shelf. 4. Had a knife block installed in a drawer letting me get rid of the wooden knife block. 5. Added granite slabs to all back walls behind all counter space. Then I sold my home with my perfect kitchen to move south. Starting over now!
I updated my house in 2021, and into 2022. Oh my God! I had to wait eight months for a refrigerator. The cabinet maker was two months behind because he couldn't find any help. It was nuts. But I did do the drawers in the kitchen, and they are wonderful. Definitely recommend them to anybody.
So glad you mentioned the gap between upper cabinets and the ceiling, it's my biggest bugbear, all that happens is that people stack thingson top of the cabinets which looks messy and unsightly, ugh!
I have a kitchen with only drawers on the lower side and I HATE it! I have no place to store my pots and pans; even the huge drawers on the bottom don't have room for more than 2 pots and I would always recommend to have at least one low cabinetry for pots. Of course, if you have room for an extra cupboard or another place to store your pots, you're fine, but I only have the kitchen cabinetry, no extra space for storage. I have use for ONE set of drawers on the lower side, but I'm completely clueless what to store in the others. In former kitchens, I had low cabinetry instead of drawers and LOVED it! Not a design mistake at all, but pure matter of taste :) Also, I've seen several people loving their red kitchen for many years! But it's a matte darker red nuance, not bright shiny red.
You did such a good job with this subject! I like my kitchen, but I wish I would've watched this before we renovated...I think I'd have sprung for more drawers. They were very expensive and I couldn't really justify the cost in my mind, but now I regret it. Regarding the space above the cabinets, I would add another exception: I purposely wanted a ledge above because I have a colorful collection that I keep up there and it I think it makes the kitchen more attractive, and since my kitchen is mostly white, it adds the right amount of accent. (In my opinion). I don't think you mentioned under-counter lighting which I enjoy so much when cooking, chopping, baking, etc.
I think it depends on what you want to put in the cabinets. Our lower cabinets are for storage of countertop appliances, for the most part, with all of the smaller items stored much higher up. I really don't want to be pulling countertop appliances (like a stand mixer or an ice cream maker) out of drawers. It's too hard to get your hands around them. I put the pans in drawers, and I have 12 other drawers around the kitchen, but I made everything else cabinets. Not sorry. But, if you're someone without a lot of these heavy countertop appliances, who wants to eliminate your upper cabinets and store everything in lower cabinets-- I can definitely see how you'd want drawers.
I agree. We have a Cuckoo rice cooker, air fryer, Breville food processor, Vitamix, Instant pot, Nespresso, and a juicer. Most of those wouldn't fit in a drawer and some are very heavy. We designed one cabinet for appliances but ended up having to use the bottom drawer shelf in our pantry for spill over appliances. I know you can add those after market drawers to cabinets to make it easier (we had some before the renovation), but we haven't felt the need yet. I also don't think a sticking out fridge is the worst thing. I'd prefer to build out the cabinets to make it more integrated, but if that isn't possible, I'd still pick a standard size fridge over a counter depth any day. I don't find counter depth to be functional enough.
You can also have an 'appliance lift' installed. The stand mixer stays on the lift when stored but is brought to counter height with no lifting! Super nice and convenient for really heavy appliances you don't want on the counter 24/7.
@@Gunsnwhiskey perhsps you just have way too many appliances! Of course you could buy a larger house for them. Or add on to enlarge the kitchen you have already. But buying every item that comes along is not without its own set of problems, obviously. A food processor is mostly just a replacement for good knife skills, for example. Or for mixing dough that can easily be made by hand. Are all of those things, all of that stuff, REALLY needed. Often not! And some are duplicates of what is already in the kitchen. So EDIT, EDIT, EDIT! LIGHTEN THE LOAD, AND THE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE!
Lower cabinets are available with heavy duty pullouts so the entire cabinet is fully accessible. Every cabinet company offers them and many companies offer retrofit pullout. A refrigerator sticking out a bit is normal, receding your wall is likely not easy or practical. A counter depth refrigerator will need more than a 36 inch wide space because they are at least 36 inches wide. Refrigerators bulge a bit too. So choose a 37 inch refrigerator cabinet to give your refrigeratoe breathing room. You will need to pull it out once year and vacuum the dust off the back and coils to keep it lasting longer.
To be honest - I have never heard of someone pulling out his fridge to vaccum the dust off the back. As already said by a fellow commentator all appliances tend to be fully integrated in germany, means dishwasher, stove and fridge have own cabinet casings where the devices are screwed in with dishwasher and fridge hidden behind cabinet doors. Same appears to washing machines when placed in the kitchen. Means - noone disconnects the parts and vaccums the back,.
@@milchmadchen1303 Yes a refrigerator that is not built in (like most in USA) are recommended to have the back vacuumed from dust (especially if you have pets) or the refrigerator will not last as long. I had a rental with long term tenants and forgot to mention vacuuming behind the refrigerator and my Expensive Kitchenaid refrigerator died an early death of 11 yrs. It was crazy dusty back there. New tenants pulled it out and cleaned back there but the repair man said the condenser was shot. Had to buy a new refrigerator. If the refrigerator is not built in it is easier to repair though. Those fabulous sub zero refrigerators are a fortune to repair. I should have been going over to move and clean the back every 2 yrs but just forgot about it honestly.
@@dianeosgood6594 Can´t agree to that. German build-ins are easy to repair or better said - taken out. I have done it myself, a frew screws and you can pull it out. No rocket science at all.
About the triangle, a brand new home we purchased was designed with a long island down the middle of what was a very large galley kitchen. The stove, fridge, and sink were perfectly placed for ease of use, however the island cut into the triangle pattern and we had to walk in a U pattern around the island constantly. I wanted to saw off the last 24 inches to fix that problem all the time. It was frustrating. We eventually moved to a fixer and I had the chance to design my own kitchen. The center island is out of the triangle and I am thrilled. Just a thought about drawers. They are the best and I was fortunate enough to decide on IKEA cabinetry as I was doing the reno work. I planned the layout and installed the shells of the bottom cabinets and purchased drawers or doors depending on cabinet use over time. As we lived in it, we moved the drawers around, bought thinner ones, added some where we didn't have them, etc. Couldn't be happier. I have one more door to switch out for two drawers. That will happen soon. I am so glad I didn't have to plan everything first and just live with it. HIGHLY recommend IKEA kitchens. PLUS, you can switch out the fronts of cabinets to another style if you want. Solves the bold color problem.
Super happy to see you are back! Awesome kitchen tips and advice! I'm going to give our electrician a call early next year.. definitely need a new light in the kitchen. I laughed at no 7.. the oversized range hood. So much pressure from salespersons, really uncalled for. Thanks again for the video!
Why is this one of the best youtube videos I've ever seen? I just wanted to glance at some things to make sure I don't screw up my kitchen, and I got an in depth, overwhelmingly useful take on kitchens! Whoa.
To counter decision fatigue & lack of time, my sis used me as a triage assistant & last decision second opinion. Step 1: I did an easy excel spreadsheet for each category (ex: fridge), with one quality/issue (ex: has a vacation mode) per line & one product per column. Step 2: she could easily pick her 2 or 3 favorite choices (& at the same time learn which qualities are on the market in case she needed to switch because of delays) Step 3: we visited shops to really see & test products before me giving her a final, practical opinion then her deciding & ordering. I did that for most of the important items in the house. Poor woman was so overwhelmed but the sheer amount of daily decisions to make (& following her useless contractors around to point out remodeling mistakes) that, by the middle of the reno, she would have just chosen the first expensive thing in front of her just to get to the next problem. Lesson I learned: start the spreadsheets, the moodboards & the plans the second I feel like moving. This way I'll know what I like/dislike in detail & look for a place that fits my needs. Then I can adjust without starting from scratch once i actually find the place.
Thankyou for video. The drawers are excellent solution to low storage. My kitchen has lower cabinets and l’ve lost count how many time my husband and l have had disagreements over the corner cabinet. Which houses containers. . simply because all the containers l used are stored in that cupboard and husband complains because they spill out, basicall l get weary of searching for containers at rear of cupboard and scrambling on the floor, when he decides to use the microwave. A flaw in a tiny kitchen. Much love to you for loading this video. Yes we changed the two overhead lights to resolve the problem of poor lighting. I love my husband but he tends to hog the kitchen or decides to use it when lm cooking whatever. He cant understand why l wish to move to a house with a larger kitchen, suspect like many other viewers l’ve simply out grown compact kitchen living, which denies my creative abilities when one is continually working around the other person. Yes our hood sticks out and came with the property design.🙏🙏🙏😘👋👌🌈😘
Counter depth fridge was a game changer for us because we weren’t in a place free to renovate. The corn butter depth looked better AND gave us back about 8 inches of space between the fridge and the island. Made walking through that area so much better and the fridge door didn’t hit the back of the stool when we were sitting at the island. Warning: you’re losing space in the fridge but we have a second spare fridge downstairs so this didn’t matter to us.
When you have 4 kids you opt for the bigger fridge, regardless of looks 😂 When they are all moved out and the fridge craps out, we will opt for counter depth.
Just had our first Thanksgiving with our new counter depth fridge. Thankfully we hadn't gotten rid of our old full size fridge. We had to plug it back in and use it also. The counter depth could not hold enough food for everyone.
We just purchased a counter depth fridge that has the same cubic ft measurements as a standard one. It’s true, you generally lose space with counter depth, but it’s not the case with our new LG. Not sure how they did it.
@@momcatx2 Yup, we always have moved our older fridge to the basement and plug it in around the beginning of November... through mid-January. It gets us through the holidays including baking cookies to take to friends.
Wouldn't it be lovely if refrigerators were still designed to last 20+ years? My 1985 model 87 Kenmore hung on until 2013.. and it was not the mechanics that crapped out. It was one of those door in door fridges.. the smaller door just fell off one day.. the plastic gave up. Hinges were still great too. I miss that fridge.
Love your video. I’m a designer from Singapore and have practice and implement many of the things you mentioned for years. Glad to have found someone with many similar design philosophy as me and I look forward to learning more from you . I’ve been designing and building for 14 years and loving all the aspects.
I have a very small 1950s galley kitchen with the old metal cabinets and unused corner, dining room doorway at one end & exterior door at the other end. We’re getting new wall & base cabinets. The base cabinets are: A slim 18” pantry with pullout shelves, a 12” pullout tray drawer, a 15” drawer cabinet, a sink cabinet, a corner lazy susan and a regular 27” cabinet with top drawer and pullout shelves. Glad the door cabinets now offer pullout shelves.
For those with mobility issues that have cupboards below counter (because you need the depth of storage), please use tall/deep containers or bins to store your goods. You can still access them with a grabber (or if an option, a supported bend from the worksurface) and they work brilliantly for macro storage problems like biscuits, crisps, etc. I would always store jars or tins above waist height. Just a little tip from someone who has very limited mobility x
One other idea not mentioned for the space between upper cabinets and the ceilings: Plants/decorations and low-intensity lighting. The latter is particularly at night after meal time has ended, but you don't wish the kitchen to go completely dark.
You’re fantastic! I usually get bored half way through those kind of videos, but never with yours. Also your advice is so relatable and actually useful in real life. I avoided a terrible mistake on picking up curtains for my new house thanks to your video! ❤
The biggest advantage of a counter depth refrigerator is that food doesn't get lost at the back... but there is a solution. Our new downsized home has a counter depth fridge, but for the one in the house we recently sold I bought plastic bins with movable dividers and two little wheels in the rear (which also fit in the shallower fridge. You can't cram as much stuff in, but what is there is easily accessible and far less likely to be forgotten. During harvest season (whether you buy or grow your food for preserving) even a large fridge is often not big enough to hold all the produce, so having one in the basement or garage that you can plug in when you need it is a good idea. You don't want one with a freezer, though, because it will only be running at certain times as needed.
Thankfully, my new kitchen is not crippled with those mistakes! I don't have wall cabinets, my fridge is in a corner, and I insisted to have drawers units instead of cabinets (been there, done that!!!). And finally the hood is at the right height. BUT I have lived with a kitchen that presented all of the above for around 20 years. You learn from your mistakes!! I wish I'd seen your video 20 years ago... 🤣
We got our Ikea kitchen installed in 2021. Pretty much zero regrets, especially comparing it to a standard kitchen remodel that would have been double the price.
Great comment about the lower cabinets! I've been looking for solutions to the nightmare 80's kitchen where it's almost ALL lower cabinets with a static shelf set at 10.5". Really hard to find spaces for taller things like my Instant Pot. Pull-outs or drawers seem to be the only way to go.
Suggestion for drawers below was very helpful! That was a light bulb moment for me, as I am getting older and prepping for my one and only kitchen reno soon. I've got one chance to get this right. Most other things I had already thought about. Also, I thought I wanted a counter-depth fridge, but after reading some reviews and hearing about how some find them very hard to live with (shallow depth) I'm pretty sure I'm going with standard depth again.....but will make sure the space is designed to fit correctly. Great video! Thank you!
I can highly recommend the Mitsubishi fridge with the fridge component on top. A full pullout drawer for fruit and veg and the freezer below. It’s really well designed. I’ve never been happier with a purchase of a white good.
You really want FULL EXTENTION DRAWERS WITH A SOFT CLOSE FEATURE! DRAWERS THAT don't pull out ALL the way don't really solve that many problems! And, yup, they cost more but you will kick yourself if you don't get them! But what good is a drawer that only pulls out part way. Esp when what you want is in the part that isn't really, readily accessible
The next summer home I get will have the refrigerator in the pantry. With all of that pantry stuff! Plus the range might get the boot, too. I never need 4 burners at once, so why have them! I'm thinking about having individual induction burners in a drawer. And if I need 1 or 2 or 3 I'll simply pull the drawer open and put the required number on the counter to use. Afterward they go back in the drawer. With them out of my way, that frees up the counter for actual food prep, mixing, kneeding, a bar, etc. How nice to have a nice long expanse to work on when not cooking. And, yes, there would still be the requisite hood, vented to outside. And oversized to accommodate a row of induction cooking. With wall ovens, maybe in the pantry, too. With steam injection for my bread making! What is life without good, terrific, bread??? And no, I'm not bending to pick a turkey up out of the oven!!! Not at this stage in life! Or a 7qt Le Crusuet Dutch oven, loaded. The oven weighs what? Like 13 pounds empty? Yeah, no I'm not bending over to pull dinner out. Not any more! Plus a dedicated ice maker! Living in the desert it is MANDATORY!!! For drinks, aching hips, knees or whatever else. And should I get a wok burner it will be outdoor! Definitely. To have 20,000+ BTUs in the kitchen is--- crazy! So put it in the outdoor kitchen, with a fan to blow the heat away from the cook! And refrigerator drawers are nice, if used properly. I think they belong in the bedroom sitting/dressing room area. For a cup of tea in the AM, without needing to trapse to the kitchen for cream, milk, butter or OJ, and before wanting to face the world awaiting you, outside your BR doors! And put a 2.5-5 gallon hot water heater under the kitchen sink! I love the quick response for hot water and NOT waiting for it to come from the garage, 35 feet away! GRRR! Life is short! I'm not waiting for hot water to find me! Several times a day! Heck No!!!
I HATE my counter depth fridge!!! We had a regular depth fridge that died, and my husband suggested the counter depth one as a replacement. It’s beautiful, but I can’t fit stuff in it very easily. I’m always rejiggering stuff to try to fit things in…it’s too much mental fatigue for a stupid fridge. Now we rely on having Another fridge in the garage for the overflow. I say Don’t Do It! Forget the aesthetics
We bought an 1896 Victorian 2-story (my dream home!) in 1996. Although we did start renovating as soon as we could (house was in BAD shape), we lived here 20 years before touching the kitchen. We knew that would be our most expensive project, and we wanted to do it right. We designed and did it ourselves, and although there are some things I wish we had done differently, overall I am well pleased with the end result! One thing I do wish we had done differently was in choosing which door we would take out. There were two doors that inside the kitchen we’re basically side by side. One opened into the hall, the other into a room that had been a storage room. There was also a large doorway into the dining room, and yet another to the outside! Lots of doors! We planned to take out the wall between the hall and storage room to extend the hall the full length, then the storage area would be closed off to make a laundry room. I told my husband that I thought we should take out the door that led to the hall and keep the other one as the kitchen entrance. Looking back on this, had we waited until led actually we’re living here ( moved in ) weeks after buying) I think the other door would have been the better choice. Then again, maybe not.
We live in a 1904 Victorian and I completely understand the door choice. There are so many odd doors into odd areas that you really have to try to figure out how the space can be used. Our kitchen has been only moderately updated and remodeled and it’s a disaster to me but perfectly fine to my husband. I’m personally just over the constant unending need to repair update and renovate a huge house only two people live in.
The triangle does t work well for me. Our kitchen is way too large and without a good flow. So to get from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator is a trip around a room. With the enormous island blocking the center between the too large refrigerator and it’s water cooler and bottles from the sink, if two of us are working together it’s basically a dance to stay out of each other’s ways. The wall the fridge is on has no cabinetry and no plumbing. If I could redesign or remodel I’d move the dishwasher and place the fridge in the same wall the sink is on. But convincing my husband to do ,ore than paint over so,thing is never going to happen.
@@Swan.princess You don’t, but others who’ve lived in homes built in the same era get it. Move on if it doesn’t make sense to you; could be a you problem.
@@kelleywyskiel8513 Sounds like he should be deputized to be the household member to cook and clean up for awhile. I bet he’d come around if he lived the reality of it on the regular. 🍀 Wishes for the kitchen of your dreams sooner than you think.
My contractor made the mistake of not making the cabinets go up to the ceiling - even though that was why we removed the soffit above them. But the lower corner susans are still a treat in my 9x14 G-shaped kitchen so that I am able to keep all my appliances in them. All my other lower cabinets are drawers except one that has pullout drawers. I am considering a new refrigerator and am thinking of going counter depth this time. My other fix is to inset the gas line behind my Cafe range and to tile the blacksplash. What do you think about the color scheme that says to contrast from light to dark for cabinets, counter and flooring? My one tip is to get yourself some graph paper, a ruler and a pencil with a good eraser and draw out your floor plan to scale. Having a 'picture' marked in feet/inches is helpful for your builder and appliance dealer(s).
If I want something in the low cupboard, I usually have to take half the items out to find what I want...hard on the back and knees, so I'll be looking at draws in my next kitchen reno.
There are many companies that will retrofit your lower cabinets with pull out trays to make them fully accessible. Choose heavy duty glides if you have heavy items to store.
Wonderful video, love the workflow triangle idea as a guideline. Will be saving these tips prior to moving next year. In the UK some of the kitchen suppliers use the “sale ends tonight” trick then you discover the new sale always starts tomorrow!
I have low cabinets and put in the back those thing you use now and then. It´s been working perlectly for the pase 28 years. A crouch now and then is good for you... on another note, who has art with ligths in the kitchen??
I don’t care how much my fridge sticks out. In all the world of “ problems” this is the lowest of lows on my list. I grew up with no cabinets around my fridge, it was just in the room. I will spend some time being thankful I have a fridge.
That’s good for you but she did say one option was to live with it. It bothered me and I moved my fridge to a part where is was recessed and out of the way.
Frugal five-foot tall home owner here. I splurged on hand-crafted 29" countertop--bull nosed and homey like something from the Greek islands I love with wood stools underneath for sitting. This is my only built in. Cabinets (1/4 price of built ins) are beautiful, steel, highest-quality industrial, tall garage models, 14" deep on amazing casters. I can reach everything. Looks great, works great, saves a ton of money.
It's so typical that the kitchen designer and the engineers are at odds. I pulled my fridge away from the wall 6" to allow for best air flow. I don't care that it sticks out a few extra inches if this increases the life of the appliance.
LOL. Watching the video reminded me of everything I already don't like about my kitchen. I have a tiny open kitchen in a small 1970's condo. My refrigerator is an old-fashioned freezer-on-top single-wide white Frigidare. The entire side of the refrigerator does double duty as a wall. I have one narrow little kitchen drawer and two lower cabinets (one of which is under the sink). My lazy susan either sticks or won't stay put, depending on humidity and the balance of items in it. I had always said that the next place I buy would have a full-size "real" kitchen, but then I ended up forced to find something in one day and what I chose was perfect for me - except for the kitchen. Moral of the story: If you don't have a lot of money for renos, get rid of your crap and you'll have enough room to make anything work.
If I had that much lighting installed in my kitchen it would be a waste of money since my husband would be turning almost everything off in order to save money on electricity.
Changing them all to LED would save a lot. You could have all that light in LED for about the same or less that you would pay for the outdated incandescent or fluorescent lighting. As we age, we need all the light we can get in the kitchen for safety.
That gap above the cabinets always drove me crazy. The space above attracted dirt and grease and had to be cleaned several times a year. After a fire when we rebuilt, I insisted on having the cupboards reach to the ceiling.
I always wanted a lazy Susan until I got 2! I hate them. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, something falls off & it’s a big deal to reach it. I had deep drawers in an island, one I used for all of my baking supplies. I LOVED it! Everything in one spot & electric plug ins were close. As for short top cabinets, they’re the worst. Get tall cabinets & store holiday dishes or something you rarely use on the top ones. Multilevel top cabinets looks like someone couldn’t measure correctly & kept the cabinets…😀
After scrolling through the comments a bit, I didn't see anyone commenting on one of the tips you gave about the fridge, so I will. The guy building my mom's kitchen suggested taking a few inches away from the laundry room to recess the fridge. It was a great idea.
@@beeinterviewready I think he meant to recess the fridge into the wall behind it if there is a room or closet on the other side of the wall that could be moved back a bit. Would take some remodel work.
Thanks for sharing. Compiling all the tips like these so I can pretend I had a pro consult on my kitchen project, instead of me, some videos, and my imagination.
@@beeinterviewready Sorry, didn't see this. If the fridge is against an interior wall, it can be recessed into that wall, depending on what is on the other side. You could move the wall a few inches into into the other space and re-frame it, creating a little alcove for the fridge.
Great tips. But #2, you kept saying don’t buy lower cabinets. Maybe some people were confused by that. Of course you need lower cabinets but drawers, not doors is what I’m sure you meant.
The range hood is also our one mistake we made in our kitchen when we built our home twenty years ago. Many a head has bumped into it. Fortunately it’s a high quality brand and the edges are rounded. I cook nearly every day and we’ve become used to it, and we will be sure not to make the same mistake when we design the kitchen in our future home.
Really good info. I also have a fridge that sticks out but replacing it is not in the budget at the moment. And I hope you are shorter than your husband. That range hood had me laughing out loud 🤣
I have drawers instead of low cabinets. They have heavy duty rollers so my heaviest pots and pans all glide out and I use every inch of my space. No more getting on my knees to fish-out a container, appliance, or pan! I also have the slide out cabinet trash + recycle bins and I love them. My kitchen is usable and beautiful.
I have been doing short-term rentals for years and for me design = time it takes to clean and how easy and functional it is to clean Emoji and this is becoming more and more important the older I get. The pull-out drawers are a game-changer, on all fronts!!! The filler between cabinets and ceiling is a must and the built-in fridge is a cleaning time saver. I remember my mom putting newspaper on top of those low cabinets that she would change every few weeks, if she forgot it would get stuck from the humidity, grease and dust 🤣🤣 A few things I would never do in a kitchen again; microwave above the range, stainless steel fridge, cabinets with trim, standalone stainless steel hood, any sort of mirror or glass, any sort of fancy tap with swivels, fancy hanging lights/chandeliers, just to name a few I think that if designers consulted cleaning people and people that use their kitchens to do a lot of cooking and cleaning a lot would change in the way of design. I'm dreaming of the day when I can renovate my kitchen and get rid of the open concept .... I say bring back those closed kitchens to the side!!
wish I had seen this video before designing my kitchen - it could have saved me a lot of trouble. The tips on avoiding common mistakes were straightforward, and the solutions provided were easy to implement. Highly recommend for anyone planning a kitchen makeover.
You need some lower cabinets for appliances and tall pots. Your instant pot will not fit in a standard 3 drawer. Yes, i know there are some cabinet lines that offer deep drawers but remember budget budget budget! Use pull out shelves to increase access and you have more flexibility for height. And these are available after market for a lot less.
Yea, fridge, the worst mistake i made was to trust my parents to pick an appliance for me cos i thought they knew better, no they dont know anything, Asthetics and beauty is not on their mind, never ever let someone else touch your design, it doesnt save your time, it wastes it.
I concur with every point highlighted and now considering removing one cupboard with doors, putting some stools to create a bar space but really low on storage in my small kitchen... The use of light is essential and I had a window overlooking the garden put in which wasn't there before which is now the focus.. A feature on decor would be very useful too.. Great tutorial
Thank you SO much for these insights! We’ve literally watched dozens of kitchen design videos and none of them mention many of these extremely important details. Typically I measure height and depth but often forget the depth! I can just imagine forgetting to visualize how a protruding fridge would look. This is huge! Thank you again!
I agree with all except the drawers. I much, much prefer cabinets. Many drawers are too deep for the space to be used effectively, especially for food. I don't want to stack things in drawers, nor do I want to look at tops (dishes are different). I like being able to see everything at a glance. I also feel there is less storage space with drawers than cabinets due to the stacking/depth issue. However, as someone who lives in Japan, I have a tiny kitchen which means cabinets (or drawers) are not as deep as they are in the US/Canada. So there's no issue in not being able to reach things at the back. But they prefer drawers here too which meant it was really difficult for me to find lower cabinets anywhere!
I'm in a rented apartment so there's no chance of any real change even if I wanted it, but one of my base cabinets is only as deep as the upper cabinets, si it's only three cans deep. That's easy enough. The other base cabinets I have set up so that what's in the back is my back up supplies and I only need at that stuff a few times a month for the most part. So it works out.
@@michellebowers8652 Doesn't stop the problem of not being able to easily slip something out from a slightly raised stack and back in. You have to take the whole thing out the entire time just to get something.
Personally, I found this video super helpful. It broke down common errors in a way that anyone can understand and the suggested fixes are practical for someone like me who's not a kitchen expert. I'm looking forward to making some changes and avoiding those design blunders!
Have you thought about stick on subway tile? I updated our look on our yacht in half a day with stick on black subway tile, which was inexpensive. No one knows it’s not real, You can also add accessories to give it pop. Hope you get your own space soon!
It's always funny learning some of the differences in America compared to Europe, initially I was like why would your fridge ever stick out? Then when you said standard depth fridge, I was like oh you mean if you haven't got the space for full size/depth cupboards and worktops, then you said counter depth fridge. All home fridges in the UK are counter depth, that would be a standard fridge for us, I don't think that you can even get deep fridges or they would be very hard to find due to basically no one wanting them. Also our fridges are designed so that the front of the door is flush to the units, no poorly designed hinge so you have to have the door protruding from the rest of the kitchen units.
I avoided a few of these issues by not having upper cabinets at all! My husband and I bought live edge wood planks that I finished myself, and now we have gorgeous open shelving. Not for everyone, but they are practical and beautiful--and so inexpensive. I think we spent less than $200 for everything, including heavy duty black steel brackets. It looks like a French farmhouse kitchen.
Thank you - In particular, your vent hood bit... validated a design I just did for my son and his partner. The 6'4" person in the relationship will be able to use the range, and see the back of the counters in this kitchen, as opposed to what the architect and the kitchen designer specified. We did all lower drawers (except for the cookie sheet cabinet), and we made a plenty big fridge width for a counter depth fridge, unlike the architect. I'll add an 8th kitchen design problem - wall ovens for TINY kitchens. Nothing like choking the entrance to a tiny kitchen with a fridge that sticks out, and a couple of wall ovens. Oy.
I enjoyed this video, but funny story... I have always wanted kitchen cabinets that gapped. I saw baskets placed in the gap and other decorations, like Christmas lights, and I wanted that! I only have had cabinets that went under a drywall soffit/facia combination. Darn.
No, no, no. Decor up there looks so cheesy, low class and dated. Horrible to clean also, as they gather greasy dust. I know. I’ve had them. Put your dream to rest. It’s more of a nightmare.
The wife disagrees with Merry. Small kitchen so Mother's Hall (?) crockery, ancient cookie jar, old violet watering tin, Grandad's lunch pail (shaped like a tall jar), etc brighten up her life every time she faces the kitchen. They can be taken down and washed; she agrees on no baskets. Things have to be washable.
@@richardw3470 We all gotta display what brings us joy. A watering can for your wife, a pic of my Dad kneeling on the tarmac in front of his B29 bomber for me 😀
This video doesn't just point out flaws; it's a crash course in creating a well-designed and practical kitchen space. The host's engaging style and real-world examples empower viewers to navigate potential errors with confidence, ensuring their kitchens are both visually appealing and highly functional.
Lots of houses built before the kitchen triangle was invented have weird configurations jerry-rigged through decades of landlord-ownership. The kitchens are usually small, too. I bought a 100+year old house like that. It's a narrow space with appliances put wherever, no workable countertops, and architectural obstacles to the layout that would be expensive to change. The solution I'm considering most affordable is handmade counters on wheels. I can literally roll the food from the fridge to the stove, for instance. I can make it look good (instead of another jerry-rig) by choosing a nice wood stain and splurging on matching, quality countertop material.
Your range hood is sadly hilarious! We bought 200 year old cottage with low ceilings and although the range hood wasn't as large as yours, it was set at just the *right * height to ensure the pointy corner caught me above my eyebrow at least once a week.
I did put in drawers for a majority of my lower cabinets and those things are wonderful. Highly recommended.
1:45 1- Fridge depth
3:50 2- Cabinetry
5:58 3- Comored Cabinetry
7:11 4- Gap above cabinets
9:10 5- Lighting
10:17 6- Kitchen work triangle
11:46 7- My mistake
Thankyou.
Thanks!!! You’re a legend!
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Perfect! Thank you ;)
I've found if I wait long enough, everything wrong with my kitchen comes back into style again.
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Hilarious🤣and prob true!!!
Honestly, the absolute BEST solution to lower cabinets that are deep and inaccessible is to install pull-out racks. I did this in my kitchen and it was life-changing. No more wasted space. No more lost pots and pans. No more crouching into an abyss.
I have replaced the shelves in the lower cabinets with roll out trays. I got them at the hardware store for about $60.
Was surprised this wasn't suggested as a solution
I'm so envious! Have such a strong desire to do the same, but as a person who lacks the ability to get anything level (even when using a level) knowing limitations, I can only dream . Ps did you replace the cabinet doors with drawers?
@@bridgettstephens5582 I did not but that sounds like a good idea. With the type of pull out tray I used, a level was not needed, as it fastened to the cabinet floor. It was a double decker tray😆
What hardware store was that? They are stupid expensive here.
@@Kathywake23 Same in my area :/
It's nice to have a counter depth fridge because it looks way nicer than a fridge that sticks out but, it doesn't hold as much stuff as a regular fridge. If I can't have function and aesthetics, I would prefer to have function, but that's me.
I got a full-size counter-depth fridge! It was life changing lol
@@candicemartin5394 That's great! at least it suits some people. I love to do a lot of meal prep because I'm so busy so it just wasn't a good fit for me. Because we had the space we just made our base cabinets deeper and added pull out shelves. The added counter space and storage was an added bonus.
How about making a fridge depth countertop ahhahahahah
@@cesarbattistini Actually, because we have the space, we made our base cabinets 28' deep and our wall cabinets 16' deep. The base cabinets have pull out shelves
@@mariel6362 he was joking. That clearly went right over your head.
The biggest mistake I made was with the fridge. Do not put the fridge at either end of the cabinets. You have to allow for it to be completely opened so you can take out the shelves or vegetable bins to clean them, or you will have to pull the fridge out to access them. Very important. Debra from Melbourne Australia xxx
I discovered this with a professionally designed kitchen when I could not take the ICE bin out!! He had put the french door refrigerator/freezer at the end of a run, against a wall, with no buffer to allow the freezer door to open completely. I have since designed a dozen kitchens, and have not had that issue, again!!
@@psdeas7530 Yes PS Deas, mine was professionally designed as well!! Debra xxx
Same here, I cant get my veggie bins out!
ABSOLUTELY!!!!! I have seen that happen MANY times on HGTV or other similar shows....that is my one pet peeve!!! ///that is also, why my fridge is in the middle of a wall...and sticking out just a bit..
I’m renovating our new home now, with exactly this problem. We are actually taking the wall back more than a foot to accommodate being able to adequately open the freezer. I don’t know what the previous owners did to work things out. We can only open the freezer (side by side) a few inches. Except for this problem, we really like the fridge that came with the house. And unless we go forward with plans to move that wall back, there’s not a frig design that will really work in that space.
My biggest mistake when designing/building our first kitchen was not listening to my wife.
44 years later I have just completed our latest incorporating all the correct design elements you highlighted including 53 drawers.
If only I had access to such valuable advice 43 years ago I could have avoided the pain of learning by experience.
Thank you for sharing your expert professional knowledge.
fortunatly for me i divorced her after 19 yrs of complaining..
@@stevestadterman9270Fortunately for her too, if you see fit to leave comments like these!
Our first Cape Cod style house was built by the contractor owner. It was well built with solid wood floors. BUT we could tell that he did not ask his wife about certain things: handmade mahogany cabinets that were not deep enough to hold large plates, and several other things. I would think, well, this was designed and built by a man who had no understanding of working in a kitchen. The next owners probably ripped out the kitchen and redesigned it. I sure hope so. That speckled linoleum tile. Whoof. 1950s.
My husband built pull-out platforms for all my low cabinets. There's a handle in the front I can just pull out with my toe. No bending! It was not expensive to do at all. Just a few supplies from Lowe's.
Same!
I renovated my kitchen summer of 21 when the (pricey) appliances I wanted weren't available (stuck on a boat somewhere). I had to go with what was available at big box DIY places. The stove I got was the least expensive on the market ($520) and the fridge about the same price. I thought I'd buy new appliances when they became available. Guess what?! Happy as a clam with these inexpensive appliances and don't have any intention of buying the more expensive ones.
Do not obsess about anything when first moving into your newly purchased home, pretend you are renting - settle in and determine your work flows in the kitchen, how light impacts on the room; next select potential appliances and research their specifications for example if you decide to go all electric and delete gas appliances, the billing advantage is you pay only one service charge plus usage. Ad now there is induction which I have fallen in love with because the cleanup is so easy and the advantage of timers auto switching the appliance off is so convenient - not so with gas.
Finally colour scheme, there are paint sample pots you can buy and experiment on cards, festoon the walls and decide if you can live with that colour or mix of colours. As for lighting sometimes strategically placed table lamps (check IKEA) work quite well without committing to a permanent set of fittings and electrician's bill. Take your time and don't be pressured by sales people. Trust me, you will change your mind at least a dozen times before you are happy with your final choices and the final cost.
After we rebuilt our kitchen when the house flooded in Hurricane Harvey, I replaced most of the base cabinets with drawers on full extension soft-close glides, and I’m very happy with them. Something I would do differently if I did it again would be to increase the aisle space from 36” to 42”. That would mean cutting down the center island, but I would trade the extra storage space for enough room for two people to pass each other easily in the aisles.
I agree re kitchen island, Michelle. I don't even like the look of a large kitchen island. I would like something on industrial wheels that could be moved aside at times (presuming one has the space). G Ire
Good advice from someone who's been there. I have wondered about this - thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to mention this. I’m sure it would be my preference, too.
Another tip for the bold trendy colours, if you make your cabinets out of wood that’s painted the bold colour (as opposed to Melamine), it’s much easier to switch out the colour when you’re over it!
I have a mix of lower cabinets and drawers and I am glad I kept some lower cabinets for small appliances and heavy things like my cast iron pots. The everyday stainless and nonstick pans and storage containers are in big drawers next to the range and I love those. I’ll admit getting to the back of the lower cabinets means sitting on the floor. However, I just consider getting up and down off the floor good for maintaining mobility. Just some things to consider.
I think the 'Gap Above the Cabinets' "design mistake" is a personal choice the same as open shelving (which I personally think is a design mistake) is for some. I like to display my teapot collection where they can be seen but are out of the way. "But, they're going to collect dust up there!" So what? Don't climb up onto my counters and you won't swoon from the shock of it all.
I have now designed and built 2 kitchens all with only drawers(except under sink) and no upper cabinets in an open design I love the uncluttered look with just a beautiful tile and a few floating shelves for decor/display items.
I know that's not for everyone but ...
I’m always shocked that people don’t put even fake plants up there at least. It’s such a waste of space if you let it be a waste of space. Or even beautiful baskets for extra storage of those once or twice a year items or extra stock of dry foods. I am a landlord and the cabinets have that gap, that is an absolute perfect spot to put baskets for additional storage, but on one uses it. I wouldn’t consider myself a prepper but there are basic things to be prepared for, having at least three months worth of food I never needing to worry about running out of things like toilet paper is just such a given to me, I was shocked in 2020 when I found out most people weren’t prepared, not a single prepper ran out and fight over toilet paper, we had toilet paper and canned soup, in fact I found myself sharing. We also had a water emergency about two years ago, and our family didn’t have to take from the store when everyone else was because we already had it. People should simply be more wise. Before you have money for a kitchen remodel, have at least three months worth of supplies for your family. As a landlord I see all the people that live more extravagant lives than I do renting from me even if they make more than me, yet they have no three months worth of security and literally “choose” to live paycheck to paycheck because that trendy crap at target or Starbucks drink taste so good to them that they just can’t sacrifice it for security or future goals. Forgive the tangent, maybe someone needs to hear it, I genuinely care about my tenants and have had talks with them, I’ve saved people from getting evicted, and I’ve helped people who have been evicted learn how to never let them be seen as a “thief” ever again. Most peoples money issues are not income issues, they are emotional and careless spending issues. People make an idol of a particular life that they can’t afford, but if they would just be wise with their spending while they’re young, they could afford it someday. Yesterday, I taught a going into $40,000 in debt 20 year old how to save $40,000 on their cell phone plan, granted it’s gonna take them 20 years to save that much, but those are the little choices that are unbelievably huge and completely within a persons control. She also needs to sell her car and simple live her income without embarrassment by getting real with where she is at and what she needs to do.
I would go ahead and take the cabinets up to the ceiling--it's only 8' anyway--but have the top 12-15" or so be visible through glass, would have my vintage collections on those shelves.
My cabinets have space above. The previous owner was in the cabinet business so they are nice cabinets. I don't care about the space above. I realize dust collects up there and someday I'll get up there and clean, but I can't reach the upper shelves of the cabinet as it is, why have more storage space up there when it can't be used? If you have stuff that you need to store that you'll never use, just get rid of it.
Same, ours almost reach the ceiling but not quite. There's like 3-4 inches of space between the top crown molding and the ceiling. Maybe it's dirty up there, who knows. I just liked a bit of a gap.
You can always add pull out drawers behind your cabinet doors on the lower level to make it easier to use bottom cabinets. It only cost about $20 per cabinet, way cheaper than replacing the cabinets.
Oh my goodness! How in the world did you get drawers so cheaply?!? Did you DIY them or something?
If not totally DIY from scratch, links and info pretty please 🙏???
@@kkilljoy3588 - We live in the internet age. How can you not do basic research yourself? Don't be lazy. Clues were given.
@@GoAwayNow-iz3du their point was, they are more than $20 lol
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Yes I added pullout. Easy fix
Item 8 - not planning for built in trash and recycling cabinets, forcing you to squeeze an ugly trash can into your kitchen.
You don't hear or see them much any more but a trash compactor (I think) is more useful than the pullout bins - and only 15" wide. I have had one for more than 20 yrs...If you have a pantry a smallish recycling bin can fit there.
This!
My kitchen is pretty much built for, pretty much, a trash can (under the sink). Now, in addition to the trash can, I have (while I'm considering better options) 4 additional recycling bags, in a corner in my kitchen. :/
a build in trash cabinets smells cause your trash bin doesn't have a cover on it.
Rarely mentioned but true.
I never dreamed of a curbside-sized garbage can in the kitchen, but ... well ... somebody did that. It was quite disturbing. Until we had to move it into the bathroom because the landlord didn't believe the roof leaked that much.
The biggest mistake I see layout wise occurs when people don't allow adequate prep space directly beside their cook-top (which the where you want it to be). People put impractical decorative columns around the stove or worse, cabinets that go all the way to the counter leaving only one foot of space or less. Having the prep space on the island across from the cook top is even worse because after you chop your onions, for example, you have to then transfer them across the gap between the island and stove. And then you repeat the process with whatever else the stove top dish requires. Makes no sense! Islands are great for baking prep or for something that is one and done right into the oven but otherwise, you need decent prep space beside the stove.
You're complaining about having to simple turn around and put stuff on the stove???
Every professional kitchen has the prep space opposite of the range. Turning in one spot is way more efficient than transferring side to side.
This. While you're chopping up the next thing to go in the pot you've still got your pot where you can see it, and you can give it a quick stir if you need to without turning away from what you're doing.
I'm designing to disabled access standards, and that specifies a good bit of workspace right beside the stove so you don't have to turn around with stuff. It's easier and safer this way for everyone, even those who aren't disabled.
I like the mention about lower cabinets not having real usable space and do drawers instead.....however as a kitchen designer myself adding drawers to all bases cabinets sometimes doubles or triples the cost of cabinetry. If trying to make a sale this isn't always the best option for a budget
I agree. I’m short and upper cupboards store crockery that I don’t use all that often. Lower drawers for pots, glasses and even baking trays etc.
I encourage all my friends that are renovating to go with drawers. if nothing else the island. they were not as available when I was building my kitchen. I have thought about adding custom pull out shelves to my lower cabinets. There is noting wrong with my cabinets. They are good quality and maybe even better then what is available today.
I have back pain
,so i decided to turn all the lower cabinets into drawers,but as you said,the hinges prices will make it costy..so,i decided not to make any upper cabinets to save the money for the lower drawers..and then in another time when i get the money,i can then make the upper cabinets( may be a matching colour with the color of lower units)..am i right in my way of thinking or the kitchen will be weired and funny with no upper units?
@@nohahemdan8298 no I don’t think it would look odd. Many people are going with that look. You could add some floating shelves, or do a pretty wall treatment with wood, rile, or even wallpaper (since it is temporary).
@@aileenbatchelor683 thanx for your reply
We have lots of lower cabinets in our kitchen. They were here when we moved, and we don't plan on being here long, so it doesn't seem worth the time and expense to change that. But we also have a simple solution: we just have our 2 or 5 year old get what we need. Yes, I said simple, not cheap😆
😂
👏🏼😂😂😂
If you like the kichen otherwise and don't plan to remodel, you can just buy rollout trays to be screwed in or have a professional install rollout trays (pullouts) in your cabinets with doors. Also, I bought a tray holder for my 12 inch cabinet next to my range and turned it into a tray cabinet and it still has the drawer above. I love it. Tray cabinets available from cabinet companies seem to not have drawer above. I need that drawer. (I want to remodel and have spent a lot of time planning a remodel with different cabinet lines). Still working in the best design.
That is so funny. I once had an acquaintance who stored her toddler's toys down there because she said that's where toddlers love to go!
Haha! Not cheap. So funny. I'm sure it's cute, though! That's my solution, too
In Germany, the refrigerators are hidden behind the kitchen front, so no one knows where the refrigerator is, but the refrigerators here are also half the size of those in the US/Canada 😆
In the Netherlands the same thing 😉
High end kitchens in the US tend towards hidden refrigerators. But that is the exception I think. None of my friends have a hidden frig. The frig tends to be large. Sometimes with an additional full size freezer. I prefer them hidden. I love the English Smallbones look. The unfitted kitchen.
We have hidden refrigerators in the US but it costs more! Definitely makes for a more beautiful and seamless kitchen. BUT often we ou have to be doing the custom cabinet route versus the cheaper IKEA cabinets like us! 😅
Actually that trend is currently changing in Germany and more folks want one of those huge Side by Side fridges with integrated icemakers and a quooker. Personally I think that those fridge monsters are sort of ugly (even when they do not stick out ;-)) and only useful when you have a large family (like in the US). Considering that most people in Germany live alone or as a couple (almost 80%) and households with four people are only 9% that trend towards huge fridges is ridiculous (to say the least).
@@janesmith7288 Fully agree! 😉
counter depth fridges have so little room, and i would never sacrifice the space for that. i agree with drawers. i had low cabinets and it seemed like i had to travel to the center of the earth to reach items. drawers are so much better. thanks for all the good advice!
Yes, both my houses had them, useless. We bought another Frig for the garage.
I think that one of the most common mistakes (at least here in Poland) is to have too small and too flat kitchen sink. I had that too, and it was a nightmare. Imagine washing big oven tray, or stove crate.... never again.
We have that problem right now. Only one tiny sink. It is a disaster!😕
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGLE MOM !!! WATCH THIS TH-cam CHANNEL AND BE MOTIVATED
@@naturegreen123 wowsers,, i can take a huge frig,,,but small sink,,gonna jump off the island,,,lol
I dream of a life where an aesthetically unpleasant refrigerator is my biggest problem to tackle.
This comment is amazing. 😂
Couldn't have said it better.
😂😂😂👍🏻 legend
I dream of a life,where I dont need a refrigerator🎉
@@nelliebly6616 just go to jail and fridges won't be a problem.
A friend of mine solved her depth problem in the lower cabinets very simply. She blocked off the back area with cardboard boxes so that items didn't roll or slide into never-never-land in the back. All she gave up was some space she wasn't using anyway.
I am seriously considering this!
Why didn't I think of this?!!!?!!??
Replace the cardboard boxes with the same size container filled with all the nitty witty stuffs used once a year only.
@@Icecandy1882 mice love this !!
I HATE my counter depth fridge!!! We had a regular depth fridge that died, and my husband suggested the counter depth one as a replacement. It’s beautiful, but I can’t fit stuff in it very easily. I’m always rejiggering stuff to try to fit things in…it’s too much mental fatigue for a stupid fridge. Now we rely on having Another fridge in the garage for the overflow. I say Don’t Do It! Forget the aesthetics
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGLE MOM !!! WATCH THIS TH-cam CHANNEL AND BE MOTIVATED
I agree, when the one that existed in our house died, I replaced it with a full sized. You can't even put in a soda 12 pack without taking them out of the box.
What is your fridge model?
I love my counter depth…..for 18 yrs!
I had a counter depth fridge. It was aesthetically pleasing, but when I remodeled and moved my kitchen to another room, I went back to full size. Everyone's needs are different, but for me, a single male - I need a fridge that can actually fit a large or extra large pizza box in, as well as a 12 pack of soda. I also need a freezer that can pack a lot of frozen dinners. If the counter depth fridge also houses the icemaker in the freezer portion, you have even less room. Then there is the price difference, which in most cases means you're paying more for less. In today's market, when a lot of us are having to save where we can, a full size makes more sense. I don't have a space to add a 2nd fridge, nor do I want to add electrical wiring or add to my electric bill.
Again, everyone's needs vary, but most of the people I know that have counter depth aren't happy with its reduced capacity. The one exception is the friend that has an extremely wide, double door $5000 Sub Zero. And yes, if I had the space and money, sure, I'd get one. I tested the extra large pizza box, and it did fit in the Sub Zero.
I despised my counter depth fridge. Just not enough space for anything. Currently building and I will most definitely heed this advice! I purchased a very large fridge this time and I designed my kitchen around it. JMO
I think if you go wide enough, to make up for lack of depth, counter depth would be really good, as you can see everything, but larger items can still fit, just sideways.
@@merrywalsh2809 Except most kitchens do not have that as they are not 'designed' by a designer but a track home builder. So, for us - going counter depth is not possible. I am looking into expanding the panel to enclose the fridge more and extend the top cabinet to cover more of the top of the fridge.
@@executiveexhalecoaching I think you mean “tract.”
@@merrywalsh2809 But then placement becomes an even bigger issue with the increase in width because doors need to open wide to pull drawers out fully, especially if your freezer is below with its drawers or ice maker etc.
The best decisions I made with our remodeled kitchen:
1. REMOVED the Lazy Susan! Did a cool pull out that used ALL the space!
2. Got rid of below waist cabinets and added big drawers.
3. Got rid of counter clutter by hiding the microwave in a low cabinet on a lift-up shelf.
4. Had a knife block installed in a drawer letting me get rid of the wooden knife block.
5. Added granite slabs to all back walls behind all counter space.
Then I sold my home with my perfect kitchen to move south.
Starting over now!
I updated my house in 2021, and into 2022. Oh my God! I had to wait eight months for a refrigerator. The cabinet maker was two months behind because he couldn't find any help. It was nuts. But I did do the drawers in the kitchen, and they are wonderful. Definitely recommend them to anybody.
The low drawers vs cabinets advice is excellent, I will definitely incorporate that in my kitchen design renovation.
Regarding the fridge sticking out, a tape measure works wonders before you buy or build!
So glad you mentioned the gap between upper cabinets and the ceiling, it's my biggest bugbear, all that happens is that people stack thingson top of the cabinets which looks messy and unsightly, ugh!
And get really greasy and dirty fast
I have a kitchen with only drawers on the lower side and I HATE it! I have no place to store my pots and pans; even the huge drawers on the bottom don't have room for more than 2 pots and I would always recommend to have at least one low cabinetry for pots. Of course, if you have room for an extra cupboard or another place to store your pots, you're fine, but I only have the kitchen cabinetry, no extra space for storage. I have use for ONE set of drawers on the lower side, but I'm completely clueless what to store in the others. In former kitchens, I had low cabinetry instead of drawers and LOVED it! Not a design mistake at all, but pure matter of taste :)
Also, I've seen several people loving their red kitchen for many years! But it's a matte darker red nuance, not bright shiny red.
You did such a good job with this subject! I like my kitchen, but I wish I would've watched this before we renovated...I think I'd have sprung for more drawers. They were very expensive and I couldn't really justify the cost in my mind, but now I regret it. Regarding the space above the cabinets, I would add another exception: I purposely wanted a ledge above because I have a colorful collection that I keep up there and it I think it makes the kitchen more attractive, and since my kitchen is mostly white, it adds the right amount of accent. (In my opinion). I don't think you mentioned under-counter lighting which I enjoy so much when cooking, chopping, baking, etc.
Think she mentioned that. But I agree the under cupboard light is nice.
I think it depends on what you want to put in the cabinets. Our lower cabinets are for storage of countertop appliances, for the most part, with all of the smaller items stored much higher up. I really don't want to be pulling countertop appliances (like a stand mixer or an ice cream maker) out of drawers. It's too hard to get your hands around them. I put the pans in drawers, and I have 12 other drawers around the kitchen, but I made everything else cabinets. Not sorry. But, if you're someone without a lot of these heavy countertop appliances, who wants to eliminate your upper cabinets and store everything in lower cabinets-- I can definitely see how you'd want drawers.
I agree. We have a Cuckoo rice cooker, air fryer, Breville food processor, Vitamix, Instant pot, Nespresso, and a juicer. Most of those wouldn't fit in a drawer and some are very heavy. We designed one cabinet for appliances but ended up having to use the bottom drawer shelf in our pantry for spill over appliances. I know you can add those after market drawers to cabinets to make it easier (we had some before the renovation), but we haven't felt the need yet. I also don't think a sticking out fridge is the worst thing. I'd prefer to build out the cabinets to make it more integrated, but if that isn't possible, I'd still pick a standard size fridge over a counter depth any day. I don't find counter depth to be functional enough.
You can also have an 'appliance lift' installed. The stand mixer stays on the lift when stored but is brought to counter height with no lifting! Super nice and convenient for really heavy appliances you don't want on the counter 24/7.
@@Gunsnwhiskey perhsps you just have way too many appliances!
Of course you could buy a larger house for them. Or add on to enlarge the kitchen you have already.
But buying every item that comes along is not without its own set of problems, obviously.
A food processor is mostly just a replacement for good knife skills, for example. Or for mixing dough that can easily be made by hand.
Are all of those things, all of that stuff, REALLY needed. Often not! And some are duplicates of what is already in the kitchen.
So EDIT, EDIT, EDIT!
LIGHTEN THE LOAD, AND THE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE!
Lower cabinets are available with heavy duty pullouts so the entire cabinet is fully accessible. Every cabinet company offers them and many companies offer retrofit pullout. A refrigerator sticking out a bit is normal, receding your wall is likely not easy or practical. A counter depth refrigerator will need more than a 36 inch wide space because they are at least 36 inches wide. Refrigerators bulge a bit too. So choose a 37 inch refrigerator cabinet to give your refrigeratoe breathing room. You will need to pull it out once year and vacuum the dust off the back and coils to keep it lasting longer.
To be honest - I have never heard of someone pulling out his fridge to vaccum the dust off the back. As already said by a fellow commentator all appliances tend to be fully integrated in germany, means dishwasher, stove and fridge have own cabinet casings where the devices are screwed in with dishwasher and fridge hidden behind cabinet doors. Same appears to washing machines when placed in the kitchen. Means - noone disconnects the parts and vaccums the back,.
@@milchmadchen1303 Yes a refrigerator that is not built in (like most in USA) are recommended to have the back vacuumed from dust (especially if you have pets) or the refrigerator will not last as long. I had a rental with long term tenants and forgot to mention vacuuming behind the refrigerator and my Expensive Kitchenaid refrigerator died an early death of 11 yrs. It was crazy dusty back there. New tenants pulled it out and cleaned back there but the repair man said the condenser was shot. Had to buy a new refrigerator. If the refrigerator is not built in it is easier to repair though. Those fabulous sub zero refrigerators are a fortune to repair. I should have been going over to move and clean the back every 2 yrs but just forgot about it honestly.
@@dianeosgood6594 Can´t agree to that. German build-ins are easy to repair or better said - taken out. I have done it myself, a frew screws and you can pull it out. No rocket science at all.
About the triangle, a brand new home we purchased was designed with a long island down the middle of what was a very large galley kitchen. The stove, fridge, and sink were perfectly placed for ease of use, however the island cut into the triangle pattern and we had to walk in a U pattern around the island constantly. I wanted to saw off the last 24 inches to fix that problem all the time. It was frustrating. We eventually moved to a fixer and I had the chance to design my own kitchen. The center island is out of the triangle and I am thrilled.
Just a thought about drawers. They are the best and I was fortunate enough to decide on IKEA cabinetry as I was doing the reno work. I planned the layout and installed the shells of the bottom cabinets and purchased drawers or doors depending on cabinet use over time. As we lived in it, we moved the drawers around, bought thinner ones, added some where we didn't have them, etc. Couldn't be happier. I have one more door to switch out for two drawers. That will happen soon. I am so glad I didn't have to plan everything first and just live with it. HIGHLY recommend IKEA kitchens. PLUS, you can switch out the fronts of cabinets to another style if you want. Solves the bold color problem.
This is such a helpful comment. Thanks!
Super happy to see you are back! Awesome kitchen tips and advice! I'm going to give our electrician a call early next year.. definitely need a new light in the kitchen. I laughed at no 7.. the oversized range hood. So much pressure from salespersons, really uncalled for. Thanks again for the video!
I know, and he was frying an unpeeled banana!!! haha
Why is this one of the best youtube videos I've ever seen? I just wanted to glance at some things to make sure I don't screw up my kitchen, and I got an in depth, overwhelmingly useful take on kitchens! Whoa.
To counter decision fatigue & lack of time, my sis used me as a triage assistant & last decision second opinion.
Step 1: I did an easy excel spreadsheet for each category (ex: fridge), with one quality/issue (ex: has a vacation mode) per line & one product per column.
Step 2: she could easily pick her 2 or 3 favorite choices (& at the same time learn which qualities are on the market in case she needed to switch because of delays)
Step 3: we visited shops to really see & test products before me giving her a final, practical opinion then her deciding & ordering.
I did that for most of the important items in the house. Poor woman was so overwhelmed but the sheer amount of daily decisions to make (& following her useless contractors around to point out remodeling mistakes) that, by the middle of the reno, she would have just chosen the first expensive thing in front of her just to get to the next problem.
Lesson I learned: start the spreadsheets, the moodboards & the plans the second I feel like moving. This way I'll know what I like/dislike in detail & look for a place that fits my needs. Then I can adjust without starting from scratch once i actually find the place.
Thankyou for video. The drawers are excellent solution to low storage. My kitchen has lower cabinets and l’ve lost count how many time my husband and l have had disagreements over the corner cabinet. Which houses containers. . simply because all the containers l used are stored in that cupboard and husband complains because they spill out, basicall l get weary of searching for containers at rear of cupboard and scrambling on the floor, when he decides to use the microwave. A flaw in a tiny kitchen. Much love to you for loading this video. Yes we changed the two overhead lights to resolve the problem of poor lighting. I love my husband but he tends to hog the kitchen or decides to use it when lm cooking whatever. He cant understand why l wish to move to a house with a larger kitchen, suspect like many other viewers l’ve simply out grown compact kitchen living, which denies my creative abilities when one is continually working around the other person. Yes our hood sticks out and came with the property design.🙏🙏🙏😘👋👌🌈😘
This comes at the right time, while we are planning our new kitchen! So many great tips 🤩💕
Counter depth fridge was a game changer for us because we weren’t in a place free to renovate. The corn butter depth looked better AND gave us back about 8 inches of space between the fridge and the island. Made walking through that area so much better and the fridge door didn’t hit the back of the stool when we were sitting at the island.
Warning: you’re losing space in the fridge but we have a second spare fridge downstairs so this didn’t matter to us.
When you have 4 kids you opt for the bigger fridge, regardless of looks 😂
When they are all moved out and the fridge craps out, we will opt for counter depth.
100%
Just had our first Thanksgiving with our new counter depth fridge. Thankfully we hadn't gotten rid of our old full size fridge. We had to plug it back in and use it also. The counter depth could not hold enough food for everyone.
We just purchased a counter depth fridge that has the same cubic ft measurements as a standard one. It’s true, you generally lose space with counter depth, but it’s not the case with our new LG. Not sure how they did it.
@@momcatx2 Yup, we always have moved our older fridge to the basement and plug it in around the beginning of November... through mid-January. It gets us through the holidays including baking cookies to take to friends.
Wouldn't it be lovely if refrigerators were still designed to last 20+ years? My 1985 model 87 Kenmore hung on until 2013.. and it was not the mechanics that crapped out. It was one of those door in door fridges.. the smaller door just fell off one day.. the plastic gave up. Hinges were still great too. I miss that fridge.
Love your video. I’m a designer from Singapore and have practice and implement many of the things you mentioned for years. Glad to have found someone with many similar design philosophy as me and I look forward to learning more from you .
I’ve been designing and building for 14 years and loving all the aspects.
100% agree re low cabinets- I did drawers and lazy susans- best decision ever!
I have a very small 1950s galley kitchen with the old metal cabinets and unused corner, dining room doorway at one end & exterior door at the other end. We’re getting new wall & base cabinets. The base cabinets are: A slim 18” pantry with pullout shelves, a 12” pullout tray drawer, a 15” drawer cabinet, a sink cabinet, a corner lazy susan and a regular 27” cabinet with top drawer and pullout shelves. Glad the door cabinets now offer pullout shelves.
For those with mobility issues that have cupboards below counter (because you need the depth of storage), please use tall/deep containers or bins to store your goods. You can still access them with a grabber (or if an option, a supported bend from the worksurface) and they work brilliantly for macro storage problems like biscuits, crisps, etc. I would always store jars or tins above waist height. Just a little tip from someone who has very limited mobility x
Thoughtful comment. Thanks for sharing it.
One other idea not mentioned for the space between upper cabinets and the ceilings: Plants/decorations and low-intensity lighting. The latter is particularly at night after meal time has ended, but you don't wish the kitchen to go completely dark.
You’re fantastic! I usually get bored half way through those kind of videos, but never with yours. Also your advice is so relatable and actually useful in real life. I avoided a terrible mistake on picking up curtains for my new house thanks to your video! ❤
you should try Nick Lewis then as well. Won't get bored.
The biggest advantage of a counter depth refrigerator is that food doesn't get lost at the back... but there is a solution. Our new downsized home has a counter depth fridge, but for the one in the house we recently sold I bought plastic bins with movable dividers and two little wheels in the rear (which also fit in the shallower fridge. You can't cram as much stuff in, but what is there is easily accessible and far less likely to be forgotten. During harvest season (whether you buy or grow your food for preserving) even a large fridge is often not big enough to hold all the produce, so having one in the basement or garage that you can plug in when you need it is a good idea. You don't want one with a freezer, though, because it will only be running at certain times as needed.
Thankfully, my new kitchen is not crippled with those mistakes! I don't have wall cabinets, my fridge is in a corner, and I insisted to have drawers units instead of cabinets (been there, done that!!!). And finally the hood is at the right height. BUT I have lived with a kitchen that presented all of the above for around 20 years. You learn from your mistakes!! I wish I'd seen your video 20 years ago... 🤣
We got our Ikea kitchen installed in 2021. Pretty much zero regrets, especially comparing it to a standard kitchen remodel that would have been double the price.
Great comment about the lower cabinets! I've been looking for solutions to the nightmare 80's kitchen where it's almost ALL lower cabinets with a static shelf set at 10.5". Really hard to find spaces for taller things like my Instant Pot. Pull-outs or drawers seem to be the only way to go.
Suggestion for drawers below was very helpful! That was a light bulb moment for me, as I am getting older and prepping for my one and only kitchen reno soon. I've got one chance to get this right. Most other things I had already thought about. Also, I thought I wanted a counter-depth fridge, but after reading some reviews and hearing about how some find them very hard to live with (shallow depth) I'm pretty sure I'm going with standard depth again.....but will make sure the space is designed to fit correctly. Great video! Thank you!
I can highly recommend the Mitsubishi fridge with the fridge component on top. A full pullout drawer for fruit and veg and the freezer below. It’s really well designed. I’ve never been happier with a purchase of a white good.
Do NOT get counter depth! Can’t fit anything in it! Too small!
You really want FULL EXTENTION DRAWERS WITH A SOFT CLOSE FEATURE!
DRAWERS THAT don't pull out ALL the way don't really solve that many problems! And, yup, they cost more but
you will kick yourself if you don't get them!
But what good is a drawer that only pulls out part way. Esp when what you want is in the part that isn't really, readily accessible
The next summer home I get will have the refrigerator in the pantry. With all of that pantry stuff!
Plus the range might get the boot, too.
I never need 4 burners at once, so why have them! I'm thinking about having individual induction burners in a drawer. And if I need 1 or 2 or 3 I'll simply pull the drawer open and put the required number on the counter to use. Afterward they go back in the drawer. With them out of my way, that frees up the counter for actual food prep, mixing, kneeding, a bar, etc. How nice to have a nice long expanse to work on when not cooking. And, yes, there would still be the requisite hood, vented to outside. And oversized to accommodate a row of induction cooking. With wall ovens, maybe in the pantry, too. With steam injection for my bread making! What is life without good, terrific, bread??? And no, I'm not bending to pick a turkey up out of the oven!!! Not at this stage in life! Or a 7qt Le Crusuet Dutch oven, loaded. The oven weighs what? Like 13 pounds empty? Yeah, no I'm not bending over to pull dinner out. Not any more!
Plus a dedicated ice maker! Living in the desert it is MANDATORY!!! For drinks, aching hips, knees or whatever else.
And should I get a wok burner it will be outdoor! Definitely. To have 20,000+ BTUs in the kitchen is--- crazy! So put it in the outdoor kitchen, with a fan to blow the heat away from the cook!
And refrigerator drawers are nice, if used properly. I think they belong in the bedroom sitting/dressing room area. For a cup of tea in the AM, without needing to trapse to the kitchen for cream, milk, butter or OJ, and before wanting to face the world awaiting you, outside your BR doors!
And put a 2.5-5 gallon hot water heater under the kitchen sink! I love the quick response for hot water and NOT waiting for it to come from the garage, 35 feet away! GRRR!
Life is short! I'm not waiting for hot water to find me! Several times a day!
Heck No!!!
I HATE my counter depth fridge!!! We had a regular depth fridge that died, and my husband suggested the counter depth one as a replacement. It’s beautiful, but I can’t fit stuff in it very easily. I’m always rejiggering stuff to try to fit things in…it’s too much mental fatigue for a stupid fridge. Now we rely on having Another fridge in the garage for the overflow. I say Don’t Do It! Forget the aesthetics
We bought an 1896 Victorian 2-story (my dream home!) in 1996. Although we did start renovating as soon as we could (house was in BAD shape), we lived here 20 years before touching the kitchen. We knew that would be our most expensive project, and we wanted to do it right. We designed and did it ourselves, and although there are some things I wish we had done differently, overall I am well pleased with the end result! One thing I do wish we had done differently was in choosing which door we would take out. There were two doors that inside the kitchen we’re basically side by side. One opened into the hall, the other into a room that had been a storage room. There was also a large doorway into the dining room, and yet another to the outside! Lots of doors! We planned to take out the wall between the hall and storage room to extend the hall the full length, then the storage area would be closed off to make a laundry room. I told my husband that I thought we should take out the door that led to the hall and keep the other one as the kitchen entrance. Looking back on this, had we waited until led actually we’re living here ( moved in ) weeks after buying) I think the other door would have been the better choice. Then again, maybe not.
No point in your comment no one understands what you’re talking about sorry
We live in a 1904 Victorian and I completely understand the door choice. There are so many odd doors into odd areas that you really have to try to figure out how the space can be used.
Our kitchen has been only moderately updated and remodeled and it’s a disaster to me but perfectly fine to my husband.
I’m personally just over the constant unending need to repair update and renovate a huge house only two people live in.
The triangle does t work well for me. Our kitchen is way too large and without a good flow. So to get from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator is a trip around a room. With the enormous island blocking the center between the too large refrigerator and it’s water cooler and bottles from the sink, if two of us are working together it’s basically a dance to stay out of each other’s ways.
The wall the fridge is on has no cabinetry and no plumbing. If I could redesign or remodel I’d move the dishwasher and place the fridge in the same wall the sink is on.
But convincing my husband to do ,ore than paint over so,thing is never going to happen.
@@Swan.princess You don’t, but others who’ve lived in homes built in the same era get it. Move on if it doesn’t make sense to you; could be a you problem.
@@kelleywyskiel8513 Sounds like he should be deputized to be the household member to cook and clean up for awhile. I bet he’d come around if he lived the reality of it on the regular. 🍀 Wishes for the kitchen of your dreams sooner than you think.
My contractor made the mistake of not making the cabinets go up to the ceiling - even though that was why we removed the soffit above them. But the lower corner susans are still a treat in my 9x14 G-shaped kitchen so that I am able to keep all my appliances in them. All my other lower cabinets are drawers except one that has pullout drawers. I am considering a new refrigerator and am thinking of going counter depth this time. My other fix is to inset the gas line behind my Cafe range and to tile the blacksplash.
What do you think about the color scheme that says to contrast from light to dark for cabinets, counter and flooring?
My one tip is to get yourself some graph paper, a ruler and a pencil with a good eraser and draw out your floor plan to scale. Having a 'picture' marked in feet/inches is helpful for your builder and appliance dealer(s).
If I want something in the low cupboard, I usually have to take half the items out to find what I want...hard on the back and knees, so I'll be looking at draws in my next kitchen reno.
There are many companies that will retrofit your lower cabinets with pull out trays to make them fully accessible. Choose heavy duty glides if you have heavy items to store.
@@dianeosgood6594 naw, thank you so much🙏
My mom designed her kitchen walls fire engine red, and it was that way until she renovated to sell. But it WAS her favorite color and she rocked it
Wonderful video, love the workflow triangle idea as a guideline. Will be saving these tips prior to moving next year. In the UK some of the kitchen suppliers use the “sale ends tonight” trick then you discover the new sale always starts tomorrow!
I have low cabinets and put in the back those thing you use now and then. It´s been working perlectly for the pase 28 years. A crouch now and then is good for you... on another note, who has art with ligths in the kitchen??
Yeah, the art with dedicated lamp made me laugh. May I never take myself that seriously.
I don’t care how much my fridge sticks out. In all the world of “ problems” this is the lowest of lows on my list. I grew up with no cabinets around my fridge, it was just in the room. I will spend some time being thankful I have a fridge.
Ikr. Most people with older homes have mostly exposed refrigerators.
You are amazing
That’s good for you but she did say one option was to live with it.
It bothered me and I moved my fridge to a part where is was recessed and out of the way.
Frugal five-foot tall home owner here. I splurged on hand-crafted 29" countertop--bull nosed and homey like something from the Greek islands I love with wood stools underneath for sitting. This is my only built in. Cabinets (1/4 price of built ins) are beautiful, steel, highest-quality industrial, tall garage models, 14" deep on amazing casters. I can reach everything. Looks great, works great, saves a ton of money.
It's so typical that the kitchen designer and the engineers are at odds. I pulled my fridge away from the wall 6" to allow for best air flow. I don't care that it sticks out a few extra inches if this increases the life of the appliance.
omg !!,,
LOL. Watching the video reminded me of everything I already don't like about my kitchen. I have a tiny open kitchen in a small 1970's condo. My refrigerator is an old-fashioned freezer-on-top single-wide white Frigidare. The entire side of the refrigerator does double duty as a wall. I have one narrow little kitchen drawer and two lower cabinets (one of which is under the sink). My lazy susan either sticks or won't stay put, depending on humidity and the balance of items in it.
I had always said that the next place I buy would have a full-size "real" kitchen, but then I ended up forced to find something in one day and what I chose was perfect for me - except for the kitchen. Moral of the story: If you don't have a lot of money for renos, get rid of your crap and you'll have enough room to make anything work.
If I had that much lighting installed in my kitchen it would be a waste of money since my husband would be turning almost everything off in order to save money on electricity.
Hahahha!
In my place, it would be me.
Changing them all to LED would save a lot. You could have all that light in LED for about the same or less that you would pay for the outdated incandescent or fluorescent lighting. As we age, we need all the light we can get in the kitchen for safety.
Dimmers for every circuit- dimmed lights use way less electricity.
That gap above the cabinets always drove me crazy. The space above attracted dirt and grease and had to be cleaned several times a year. After a fire when we rebuilt, I insisted on having the cupboards reach to the ceiling.
Great video. I love how you have "fixes" at the end of each section. Thank you!
regarding the fridge, no home with more than 2 people in it "needs" a counter-depth fridge.
I always wanted a lazy Susan until I got 2! I hate them. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, something falls off & it’s a big deal to reach it.
I had deep drawers in an island, one I used for all of my baking supplies. I LOVED it! Everything in one spot & electric plug ins were close.
As for short top cabinets, they’re the worst. Get tall cabinets & store holiday dishes or something you rarely use on the top ones.
Multilevel top cabinets looks like someone couldn’t measure correctly & kept the cabinets…😀
After scrolling through the comments a bit, I didn't see anyone commenting on one of the tips you gave about the fridge, so I will. The guy building my mom's kitchen suggested taking a few inches away from the laundry room to recess the fridge. It was a great idea.
I don't understand, can you explain please
@@beeinterviewready I think he meant to recess the fridge into the wall behind it if there is a room or closet on the other side of the wall that could be moved back a bit. Would take some remodel work.
Thanks for sharing. Compiling all the tips like these so I can pretend I had a pro consult on my kitchen project, instead of me, some videos, and my imagination.
@@beeinterviewready Sorry, didn't see this. If the fridge is against an interior wall, it can be recessed into that wall, depending on what is on the other side. You could move the wall a few inches into into the other space and re-frame it, creating a little alcove for the fridge.
Great tips. But #2, you kept saying don’t buy lower cabinets. Maybe some people were confused by that. Of course you need lower cabinets but drawers, not doors is what I’m sure you meant.
The range hood is also our one mistake we made in our kitchen when we built our home twenty years ago. Many a head has bumped into it. Fortunately it’s a high quality brand and the edges are rounded. I cook nearly every day and we’ve become used to it, and we will be sure not to make the same mistake when we design the kitchen in our future home.
Really good info. I also have a fridge that sticks out but replacing it is not in the budget at the moment.
And I hope you are shorter than your husband. That range hood had me laughing out loud 🤣
I have drawers instead of low cabinets. They have heavy duty rollers so my heaviest pots and pans all glide out and I use every inch of my space. No more getting on my knees to fish-out a container, appliance, or pan! I also have the slide out cabinet trash + recycle bins and I love them. My kitchen is usable and beautiful.
That sounds amazing. Are your drawers able to accommodate cast iron cookware? I can’t imagine that being possible.
I have been doing short-term rentals for years and for me design = time it takes to clean and how easy and functional it is to clean Emoji and this is becoming more and more important the older I get. The pull-out drawers are a game-changer, on all fronts!!! The filler between cabinets and ceiling is a must and the built-in fridge is a cleaning time saver. I remember my mom putting newspaper on top of those low cabinets that she would change every few weeks, if she forgot it would get stuck from the humidity, grease and dust 🤣🤣
A few things I would never do in a kitchen again; microwave above the range, stainless steel fridge, cabinets with trim, standalone stainless steel hood, any sort of mirror or glass, any sort of fancy tap with swivels, fancy hanging lights/chandeliers, just to name a few
I think that if designers consulted cleaning people and people that use their kitchens to do a lot of cooking and cleaning a lot would change in the way of design.
I'm dreaming of the day when I can renovate my kitchen and get rid of the open concept .... I say bring back those closed kitchens to the side!!
Great video, your range hood looks too low rather then too big, are you not able to raise it and forego the cupboard above it?
wish I had seen this video before designing my kitchen - it could have saved me a lot of trouble. The tips on avoiding common mistakes were straightforward, and the solutions provided were easy to implement. Highly recommend for anyone planning a kitchen makeover.
I have a sticking out fridge and space above the cabinets and I hate them both haha. One day....one day
I have a large refrigerator because I need the fridge space. My kitchen needs to work for me more than it needs to look perfect.
Yup! My builder grade kitchen has all of these issues and they’re all on my list to fix when I renovate! 😂
You need some lower cabinets for appliances and tall pots. Your instant pot will not fit in a standard 3 drawer. Yes, i know there are some cabinet lines that offer deep drawers but remember budget budget budget! Use pull out shelves to increase access and you have more flexibility for height. And these are available after market for a lot less.
Yea, fridge, the worst mistake i made was to trust my parents to pick an appliance for me cos i thought they knew better, no they dont know anything, Asthetics and beauty is not on their mind, never ever let someone else touch your design, it doesnt save your time, it wastes it.
They dont know anything 😂😂😂
I concur with every point highlighted and now considering removing one cupboard with doors, putting some stools to create a bar space but really low on storage in my small kitchen... The use of light is essential and I had a window overlooking the garden put in which wasn't there before which is now the focus.. A feature on decor would be very useful too.. Great tutorial
Loved the content. Not so much the poke at full time homemakers-- or the Trinity.
Thank you SO much for these insights! We’ve literally watched dozens of kitchen design videos and none of them mention many of these extremely important details. Typically I measure height and depth but often forget the depth! I can just imagine forgetting to visualize how a protruding fridge would look. This is huge! Thank you again!
I agree with all except the drawers. I much, much prefer cabinets. Many drawers are too deep for the space to be used effectively, especially for food. I don't want to stack things in drawers, nor do I want to look at tops (dishes are different). I like being able to see everything at a glance. I also feel there is less storage space with drawers than cabinets due to the stacking/depth issue. However, as someone who lives in Japan, I have a tiny kitchen which means cabinets (or drawers) are not as deep as they are in the US/Canada. So there's no issue in not being able to reach things at the back. But they prefer drawers here too which meant it was really difficult for me to find lower cabinets anywhere!
I'm in a rented apartment so there's no chance of any real change even if I wanted it, but one of my base cabinets is only as deep as the upper cabinets, si it's only three cans deep. That's easy enough.
The other base cabinets I have set up so that what's in the back is my back up supplies and I only need at that stuff a few times a month for the most part. So it works out.
You don’t have a problem with depth if you use full-extension glides. The whole drawer is easily accessed.
@@michellebowers8652 Doesn't stop the problem of not being able to easily slip something out from a slightly raised stack and back in. You have to take the whole thing out the entire time just to get something.
Personally, I found this video super helpful. It broke down common errors in a way that anyone can understand and the suggested fixes are practical for someone like me who's not a kitchen expert. I'm looking forward to making some changes and avoiding those design blunders!
The cabinets over a refrigerator (too high and too deep) are as impractical as cabinets too low.
I put vertical dividers and store tons of baking pans, platters etc. works great
I live in an apartment and can’t change anything about my crappy outdated kitchen, but I still love watching these videos
Not now, but you might in the future years and then you’ll be prepared.
Have you thought about stick on subway tile? I updated our look on our yacht in half a day with stick on black subway tile, which was inexpensive. No one knows it’s not real, You can also add accessories to give it pop. Hope you get your own space soon!
It's always funny learning some of the differences in America compared to Europe, initially I was like why would your fridge ever stick out? Then when you said standard depth fridge, I was like oh you mean if you haven't got the space for full size/depth cupboards and worktops, then you said counter depth fridge. All home fridges in the UK are counter depth, that would be a standard fridge for us, I don't think that you can even get deep fridges or they would be very hard to find due to basically no one wanting them. Also our fridges are designed so that the front of the door is flush to the units, no poorly designed hinge so you have to have the door protruding from the rest of the kitchen units.
I avoided a few of these issues by not having upper cabinets at all! My husband and I bought live edge wood planks that I finished myself, and now we have gorgeous open shelving. Not for everyone, but they are practical and beautiful--and so inexpensive. I think we spent less than $200 for everything, including heavy duty black steel brackets. It looks like a French farmhouse kitchen.
Thank you - In particular, your vent hood bit... validated a design I just did for my son and his partner. The 6'4" person in the relationship will be able to use the range, and see the back of the counters in this kitchen, as opposed to what the architect and the kitchen designer specified. We did all lower drawers (except for the cookie sheet cabinet), and we made a plenty big fridge width for a counter depth fridge, unlike the architect. I'll add an 8th kitchen design problem - wall ovens for TINY kitchens. Nothing like choking the entrance to a tiny kitchen with a fridge that sticks out, and a couple of wall ovens. Oy.
I enjoyed this video, but funny story... I have always wanted kitchen cabinets that gapped. I saw baskets placed in the gap and other decorations, like Christmas lights, and I wanted that! I only have had cabinets that went under a drywall soffit/facia combination. Darn.
No, no, no. Decor up there looks so cheesy, low class and dated. Horrible to clean also, as they gather greasy dust. I know. I’ve had them. Put your dream to rest. It’s more of a nightmare.
The wife disagrees with Merry. Small kitchen so Mother's Hall (?) crockery, ancient cookie jar, old violet watering tin, Grandad's lunch pail (shaped like a tall jar), etc brighten up her life every time she faces the kitchen. They can be taken down and washed; she agrees on no baskets. Things have to be washable.
@@richardw3470 That sounds so nice!
@@richardw3470 We all gotta display what brings us joy. A watering can for your wife, a pic of my Dad kneeling on the tarmac in front of his B29 bomber for me 😀
@@merrywalsh2809 Pretentious much? Let others live their dreams; you get to concern yourself with living yours.
This video doesn't just point out flaws; it's a crash course in creating a well-designed and practical kitchen space. The host's engaging style and real-world examples empower viewers to navigate potential errors with confidence, ensuring their kitchens are both visually appealing and highly functional.
An expensive kitchen is no guarantee for having a good meal 🙂 but I try to do my best.
Yep, I'm not to best cook either
Lots of houses built before the kitchen triangle was invented have weird configurations jerry-rigged through decades of landlord-ownership. The kitchens are usually small, too. I bought a 100+year old house like that. It's a narrow space with appliances put wherever, no workable countertops, and architectural obstacles to the layout that would be expensive to change. The solution I'm considering most affordable is handmade counters on wheels. I can literally roll the food from the fridge to the stove, for instance. I can make it look good (instead of another jerry-rig) by choosing a nice wood stain and splurging on matching, quality countertop material.
Great tips! I've started planning out my kitchen remodel to occur in about 18 months. So this was very helpful. Thanks
Your range hood is sadly hilarious!
We bought 200 year old cottage with low ceilings and although the range hood wasn't as large as yours, it was set at just the *right * height to ensure the pointy corner caught me above my eyebrow at least once a week.
Woohooo.....a new video!!!! Missed you! Can I have the recipe for what Pontypants is making there??? 😂