Yesterday I snapped some photos of our kitchen to send to the cabinet guy so we can begin the process of working out a plan to remodel our kitchen this year.
The kitchen area itself, is a solid space. And the cabinets are actually in good shape so luckily we’ll be able to donate them to the Habitat for Humanity ReUse store for someone else to enjoy.
Our old neighbor, Kiln Guy has already called dibs on the pantry, and I plan on using the awkward attempt at a center island as a shipping table in the basement until we can figure out a plan for that space next year.
We’ve remodeled a kitchen before, and so while I’m comfortable with the whole process, it’s getting to the starting line that’s always the hardest part for me.
Getting all the details nailed down, that’s the tricky part.
How big should that pantry be? {I think I want something that’s floor to ceiling and covers nearly all of the big blue wall.} Should I get a bunch of pull out drawers on the bottom or mostly cabinets? Should I request any sort of special cabinets {like ones for spices, or cookie sheets}?
We aren’t messy people, and we don’t have a lot of stuff so I really like the idea of open shelving around the sink and stove area. I think it would help the space feel less confined and larger than it actually is.
The kitchen window looks out to the garden with its cute little white picket fence, and the other side looks out to the dining room and then to the water so I want to make sure we keep an open, airy feeling in the kitchen so we don’t feel all boxed in.
Have you remodeled a kitchen before? If you have any tips I’d love to hear them.
Or if you were going to remodel your kitchen, what would some of the things on your must have list be?
I guess I just don’t want to miss anything as we’re planning this kitchen. I want to get it right, straight from the get go.
~Mavis
Nancy H says
We remodeled our kitchen 3 years ago. I chose large drawers rather than doors in the lower cabinets. I am so glad I did. Previously I had to sit on the floor to reach into the back of the cabinet, but now I just pull out a drawer. You can choose doors and pullout shelves, but that requires 2 steps to retrieve the item.
Lesley says
Completely agree with drawers down below. We have our plates and bowls in a drawer right next to the dishwasher and it makes unloading a breeze.
Mavis Butterfield says
Hey now…. Having a drawer for dishes right next to the dishwasher is a genius idea!!! I’m totally stealing that.
Sue R. says
This is our set-up, too. Drawers below the counters everywhere possible. So much simpler to put dishes/pans/anything into a drawer than shelving.
Carolyn Rust says
In planning that dishwasher/drawer idea keep in mind how you unload dishes so you don’t have to put everything on the counter, then close the dishwasher, then put things into the drawer. I opted for a china cabinet next to my dishwasher so it is just pull out and turn to put things away. The cabinet included divided drawers for the silverware. I love my set up and would not change anything.
Michele says
We did this as well!
Sarah says
We did all drawers on the bottoms too-best idea I had. Nothing gets lost and I can find what I need
Annette says
Have you seen the microwave that pulls out like a drawer?
Gigi says
We have one, it does not have a rotating tray so it does not heat evenly. Thermador makes a very nice smooth front seemless looking one.
Candice says
As a former kitchen designer, I totally agree with everyone else who has large drawers. I did kitchen design 12 years ago, but at that time, the cost of doing pull out shelving versus large drawers was about the same so I always recommended large drawers. Having said all of that, I remodeled my kitchen 5 years ago and I have 2 large drawer cabinets-one holds plates and misc items. The other holds all the plastic containers and the like. The top drawers of these cabinets hold kitchen towels, utensils and silverware.
Mel says
Depending on the configuration of other cabinets, one feature that might be useful is an appliance garage for the toaster, mixer, blender, and coffee maker. You can shut the roll-top door to hide everything or leave it open on display if you like a bit more openness. There are usually outlets inside and a counter area in front so you have room to pull the appliance forward to use it. Pantry drawers or cabinets could be added above, below, or beside, so it could still fit on the pantry wall.
Mavis Butterfield says
We are trying to figure out a way to put in a special shelf in the pantry for the microwave and toaster and mostly likely coffee maker to reduce the clutter. The mixer though, I think I’ll leave that out. Good ideas!
Jenny says
I’ll admit I haven’t remodeled a kitchen before but when I saw pictures of microwaves, toasters, and coffee makers in the pantry, I wondered whether the heat and moisture created from running those appliances in the pantry would affect the food items stored in the pantry. Or do you just leave the doors open for the heat and moisture to dissipate?
Heidi P says
Our microwave is in the pantry and our toaster is in a pullout cupboard and I let the toaster cool (a minute or two) before I close the cupboard door. The microwave doesn’t give off enough heat to be an issue as far as I can tell but we mainly just warm items in the microwave. No fully cooking food unless you count popcorn as cooking.
Looking forward to hearing all about your kitchen plans Mavis. I’m sure it will be lovely. You have wonderful taste.
Paige says
Pull out drawers- as many as you can fit in the bottom! At some point in life it becomes less fun to crawl around on the ground trying to find things in the back of the bottom cabinets!
Mrs. C. says
Totally agree!
Margo says
Absolutely agree. If this is a forever home, you will eventually want to have the pullout drawers. My husband has made me pull out drawers for my pot and pan closet, our pantry, and our lower cabinets. It has made such a difference in my life (now that I’m a lady of “a certain age”!)
Eva says
Did your husband make his own plan to make drawers? I only have doors and have asked various builders to make drawers, but I get a deer in the headlight look.
GrannyB says
Eva,
Go to Lowes.com and search for Pull out shelf organizers. There are lots of ideas there and will give the builders some direction of what you are wanting. If not, go visit Lowes and buy what you need and install yourself.
Mrs. C. says
We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel. It’s been a boondoggle from the beginning, but one thing the last couple of years has done for me is learn to let a lot of things roll off my back. The number one thing I would recommend, since this is your forever home, is plan for old age. Drawers instead of high, deep cupboards that you need steps tools to use, as an example. Are coffee/tea important? Dedicate an area for that stuff, if possible.
They mis-measured my kitchen and cabinets have been trickling in since November. Oh, and they have sent a triplicate order of cabinets. I feel like I am living in a warehouse.
BethC. says
Echo the pullout door suggestion. If you drink lots of tea varieties like I do, put in a tea cabinet as one of your bottom drawers. I have lots of spices but did not opt for a spice cabinet. Put spices in a regular cabinet and eye level and put risers in (wide steps) which work very well.
Charla Stankiewicz says
I’d have a pot filler installed in my dream kitchen. I hate filling a pot and then having to carry it. Especially when canning!
Mrs. C. says
Oh, Charla, great idea!
Pauline in Upstate NY says
What is a pot filler? A water faucet over your stove?? Long time canner here, and I’ve never heard of this. And, yes, those water bath canners get really heavy!
Pat says
Yes that is what it is. I wish I had one!
Amy says
The previous owners remodeled the house we live in now, some of my favorite things are: spice rack mounted on the door inside the pantry. Soft close cabinet doors. In the island, an outlet, a cubby for baking sheets and cutting boards, a drawer for pots/pans/lids, I only have one cabinet with pullout shelves, wish there were more. Also there’s an open spot in the island for the trash can.
Erin says
Rev a shelf makes a mixer stand holder that goes in a lower cupboard and I love it!!! I hate all things on the counter and now it slips away so easily. I would say just make sure you get quality cabinets. We build cabinets for a living and honestly there are some really crappy cabinets on the market. If you can find someone local who builds cabinets get an estimate. Usually we are the same price just real wood. Also, I agree with people saying get big drawers instead of cupboards down below. Not for all the lowers but for at least half.
Budget Cat says
If you’re planning any sort of island, give yourself more than the standard 36” inches of space. We did 40” in our old house when we remodeled and it was glorious.
Also, an on demand insta-hot water tap at the sink. We have one that heats to 210 and it is perfect for tea, coffee, etc.
Rhonda says
I agree with the never too many drawers or rolling shelves. My favorite rolling shelf is above the refrigerator. I store my roasting oven, large coffee pot, griddle and electric skillet there and all is easily accessible. Against my builder’s advice, I put rolling shelves in the cabinet at the eating portion of the island. That would have been a very difficult area to access. We have minima upper cabinets, so our dishes are all in drawers and I love it. My spices are in a drawer with a sticker on the lid, so they are easily accessible. It I were to design a pantry, I would have shelves on the doors and shorter shelves in the cabinet, the upper shelves of a pantry at sometimes difficult to access.
Jeanie says
I love all my big drawers on the bottom cupboards. Where I do have bottom door cabinets, I have pullouts which are very handy especially in the pantry.
I keep my trash and recycle in a cabinet so that has a narrow pullout too.
I love my industrial type faucet sprayer for the sink. Super handy. If I had one thing to do over, I would have not gotten dark granite countertops. I cook alot and they look kind of spotty to me.
Marcia says
We have a small house and a small kitchen. My husband built all of our cabinets – one wall of the kitchen didn’t have any, and the other wall had 22″ deep cabinets – so we replaced them with 24″ and added a dishwasher.
I LOVE the pull out shelves inside, behind the cabinet doors. Especially as I age (though I’m only in my 50s), it’s SO MUCH EASIER to get heavy bowls and casserole dishes out when I can slide out the shelves.
Brianna says
Are you planning on moving the floor vent that is near you refrigerator or moving the refrigerator? Maybe have the vent relocated as a toe kick under the sink? A vent so close to a refrigerator will make your fridge work harder at cooling and if it ever leaks like from an ice maker, then it goes straight into the vent. Just a thought.
Virginia says
An Aga near a refrigerator might also be a problem. I would put them on opposite walls.
Connie says
I just turned 70 and take it from me, you want bottom drawers. I have arthritis in my knees that came on suddenly and cannot kneel easily. I use baskets and created my own drawers on lower shelves.
Elle says
We designed our kitchen remodel. Hubster built all the cabinetry so I got exactly what I wanted in the kitchen. (I cook, he cleans).
I love my floor to ceiling pantry. I use a griddle a lot so 1 shelf is just 5 inches high-perfect for long flat items. I’ve never regretted that.
I have 1 bank of 3 large drawers 36inches wide. I love these as well.
I have 2 lowers for pots/pans. (I cook a lot so I have several larger pots). These are the peninsula which has a counter 36 x72. A fantastic large workspace.
I have a narrow cabinet beside the stove. 1 drawer on top for the long BBQ tools and below a pull-out rack with our recycle container in it.
The Left side of the stove has a 4 drawer stack about 20inches wide. These are all the flatware, kitchen utensils and the lower 2 are storage containers, wraps/foil and strainers.
The “wet wall” has 3 open shelves and they are wrapped about 36″ each sidewall. I love these open shelves. This was Mom’s input. It’s how her home was in Europe when she first married. She said they had enough to get through each day and it was washed and put back each evening. When you use stuff every day, it doesn’t get dusty/dirty. She’d clean the shelves off once/week before doing dishes and that’s all it took.
I do wish I had a spice cabinet. Either strong enough pantry doors to hang a few, or the narrow pull-out style. I’ll be looking for one I can mount inside the pantry and pull out.
I’d send pics but I don’t see access to an email. Let me know if you’d like to see.
Denise T Brandon says
This sounds silly, but we built our house 14 years ago, and the best kitchen design decision I made was the pull-out that hides two plastic trash cans. I never have to look at a gross trash can in my kitchen. I only use one trash can, and the other one holds spare trash bags, small brush and dust pan.
Carolyn Rust says
I did this too and love it. My trash and recycling make up my two bins and it is the best thing ever. I also love that I can open the drawer and just wipe the counter crumbs into it.
Laura reinhart says
Go to the blog “forthe love of a house” and scroll to her kitchen remodel. The blog is no longer active but you can see her remodeling efforts. We based our remodel on her kitchen. First on my list was a single bowl farmhouse sink. I love it! For big pots and canning it is ideal. I echo the pull out drawers too. What kind of countertops are you considering? We have granite but quartz is also practical/beautiful. We remodeled during the beginning of the pandemic so we had to grill and microwave meals. Good luck! Excited to see what you come up with.
Diana says
Having been a kitchen designer for a big box store since the late 90’s, I’ve pretty much seen it all, lol.
I echo others comments about getting the drawers. It’s the best solution.
Your kitchen isn’t huge, so consider the corners and the best way to utilize them.
As we age, depth perception changes, so the recommendation is NOT to have dark countertops (I know you love them). Something about not being able to see how far away a spot is and possibly dropping things. Dark countertops apparently exacerbate that.
You’ll wish to consider the storage of large, rarely used items. Will they go into a separate pantry or need to be stored in the kitchen?
My advice to customers is to really look at HOW they use their kitchens, figure out what currently works and what they would change (are the silverware drawers near the dishwasher or the cooktop? Which would you prefer? Where are your knives stored? Where is the garbage can? Is that spot working for you? Etc.). Keep clearances in mind (IE: if a cooktop is in an island, you’ll need clearances around the cooktop for safety; will there be more than one cook in the kitchen?).
I know you’re looking at an AGA cookstove. You might consider a separate cooktop (induction, maybe just a 2 burner?) for the summer months. Running an AGA during the heat of summer might be a bit stifling. Plus, the induction cooktop doesn’t generate heat. Check them out.
Really look at the space usage inside the big pantry on the big wall. Most of the pantries like that, that I’ve seen, waste a lot of space on the inside. All of the fancy gadgets, pull out shelves, etc., use up space. It’s only inches at a time, but those inches add up and reduce storage space. Since your kitchen is not huge, you’ll want to utilize every inch of the pantry.
Make sure you consider the lighting in the space. Put extra lighting near where you’re going to do your prep work and near where the cooking takes place. Under cabinet lighting is wonderful for spot lighting (especially if you go with the dark countertops) and for ambiance if you don’t wish to use the overheads.
Personally, I hate the standard kitchen cabinets that are now made. I live in a 100+ year old house and I’m using old furniture pieces – huge, low dressers; china cabinets and old buffets. They have more character and just as much storage. My countertops were made from old heart pine beams from a building that was torn down. I’ve painted the pieces so that ties them together, but I love the old fashioned feel of it.
Looking forward to seeing the final plan!
Karen says
Oh, Diana, you sound a lot like me. Our house is from 1908.
Yes, higher levels of light are needed as you get older, just ask me.
Drawers, of course!
Gigi says
I second the too much light is a good thing. You can always add a dimmer. We have above cabinet, under cabinet. I don’t recommend toe kick lighting. Also, a large pantry wall, may be annoying because it will be darker.
Virginia says
All very good advice, Diana. I second the induction cooktop idea. I cooked on gas for over 25 years but recently went to induction and I love, love, love it. Instantaneous control over the level of heat, no fumes, no wasted energy, and no more sweating when I’m cooking. And easy clean-up! Propane prices have been steadily climbing over the 25 years as well. My dream would be two electric wall ovens (no bending over), large induction cooktop, and a walk-in pantry closet, perhaps with a stylish glass door, with loads of shelves. I like the idea of one-stop shopping in a pantry closet — walk in and see immediately what food supplies are available. Cheaper than buying a bunch of kitchen cabinets for storage.
KC says
Design with either temporary or long-term reductions in mobility in mind, insofar as you can (yes, lower drawers instead of cabinets!). And do pantry design to make it easy to rotate through canned/etc. foods rather than requiring you to haul everything out; from elderly relatives’ pantries, at some point that seems to become a “I’ll do that next month… year… decade…” task, although I suppose there are worse things to store in functionally unused places in your house than home-canned tomatoes that were canned three decades earlier.
I’d also consider putting a spice “cabinet” on the inside of a cabinet door (with heavier hinges) and would consider doing the same thing for tea – either that or pull-out drawers or one of those narrow pull-out spice cabinets (they look like the cupboard for cookie sheets – by the way, use some weird space somewhere for a narrow cupboard for cookie sheets! – but are instead a set of pull out shelves of spices with guards on each side of each spice so they don’t fall out). I use a plastic tub to keep my spices corralled and have it on a top shelf (it’s light, so it’s easy to pull out; same for tea), but the built-in solutions are so much more glamorous.
randini says
my sibling just remodeled their kitchen and I have a few notes about it. The pellet ice machine is a huge hit!! The gentle close drawers are nice.
They had their microwave installed at the end of the island. It below waist height which makes getting hot items out tricky. Also the microwave gets constantly turned on by people leaning against the controls as they chat. I’d move the microwave to chest high to avoid that and for access.
The insta-hot faucet is awesome for tea on demand.
Wynne says
What a fun project! I’m sure you will do something great, Mavis, as your previous remodels have been lovely.
A couple of practical ideas — (1) Short shelves are nice for storing jars, cans, etc. I know you’re planning a jar pantry elsewhere, but will you need more of that kind of space? (2) Pullout shelves reduce storage. I like the one that hides the trash can, but our other one uses up almost 1/3 of a cabinet. (3) Empty space above high cabinets is inefficient. I’m tall and like storage up to the ceiling. But even if you left top shelves empty, it would save on oily kitchen dusting. (4) 80% of the drawer soft-closes are already broken in my mom’s house.
Ashley Bananas says
I finally see why you want to remodel your kitchen. It doesn’t go with the flooring and the design is poor. Definitely go with lowers and uppers and avoid full length pantries, they make areas feel overly enclosed and like prisons. I always go upper and lower to add more counter space. I would also likely redo the wall where the attached ‘island’ is and add some counterspace there and then do art work or open shelving for displays there.
suzanne says
Love your idea of a big pantry wall where the peninsula is. I would place the light switch on the side of the pantry cabinet box. How are you going to handle that corner with the bigger pantry? Make sure 1 drawer is deep enough to hold your tallest pot/appliance. It will really open it up if you remove the uppers. Will the shelves have brackets or float? The open bookcase type that sits on the counter (like Devol) was my only option as the heated floor and all gas and water run through that one wall. What’s on the wall opposite the sink? Is there room for additional narrow storage on that wall if needed?
An Aga’s going to take more room in your smaller sized kitchen. Have you looked at the Wolf, Thermador or Viking. They look awesome and you won’t have to deal with the annual shut down and cleaning that you have with an Aga.
Rhea Strauser says
I whole heartedly agree with drawers below the counter – – I have developed arthritis in both knees and crawling around to reach the stuff in the back corners is difficult for me, not to mention getting up afterward, LOL.
As a suggestion – my sister’s mother-in-law kept her canned goods in a lower cabinet. You opened both doors and the drawers (with a slight lip) pulled out. The cool part was the drawers were at a slight angle, so everything rolled to the front. No more reaching way in the back or rearranging every time she replenished her supply. Definitely on my MUST list when I redo my kitchen
Tamara says
We just finished a kitchen remodel this fall. We did one small cabinet with vertical dividers for cookie sheets & cutting boards and love it. For your mixer, there is a “mixer lift” you can put in a lower cabinet and your mixer sits on it and you push it down into the cabinet for storage, and it pops up to be level with your counter when you need it. If you are putting in an island, put in some concealed outlets behind a false drawer front or there are other ways to hide them if you look on Pinterest. Put in some USB ports for charging phones and other devices. It’s stressful but so worth it in the end!
LJ says
I would suggest an apron sink and drawers in the lower cabinets and the cabinets without drawers to have full out shelves (if this is the forever home ) you will be so glad you had the pull out shelves in the lower cabinets and the drawers in the years to come.
Happy remodel!
Linda Sand says
There is a dishwasher drawer that is popular with RVers. A pullout shelf with trash cans is my current favorite; if that can be below a work surface, cut a hole in the counter so you can just push trash into the hole and it falls into the can below. We have gray/brown/cream marbled countertops and hate them; you literally cannot see crumbs unless you get down to eye level with the counter top. I’m short so a microwave any higher than 48″ is not safe for me to use. I love my induction burner; when it’s off it’s off! A neighbor had a fire when she set a cardboard box on an electric stovetop that had not yet completely cooled.
Kim says
So, if I understand, you will have an L shaped kitchen of counter space……….then a wall of pantry. No peninsula or island? Will you be giving yourself enough counter top work space?
Drawers on bottom sound fabulous.
Marie says
For me –it’s you never can have enough counter space. Yes, on pull-out drawers, life saver when old. The slide out garbage can/recycle bin is a must. If your HH is tall having cupboards to the ceiling is okay. My kitchen is larger and it’s still too small when both of us are trying to do something.
Vy says
1) When you go to pick a faucet, make sure it doesn’t aim outwards and spray the front of the sink (learned that the hard way!). I love the pull-down aspect of it though.
2) I got quartz counters and they’re amazing – easy to clean and zero upkeep and can put a pan right down on it if need be (which I still try not to do).
3) Put an outline on the floor where you think the dishwasher will go and pretend that’s the open dishwasher door and walk around it a few times/pretend you’re loading unloading from there. I would have put my dishwasher someplace better!!
Susan Sleeman says
We’ve remodeled several kitchens and I am a HUGE fan of deep drawers too. You can put SO much in them and still find everything. Also, I am a fan of pull out shelves on deep cabinets. But I wouldn’t have them made by the company. Our kitchen planner said to do after market ones and they are easy to find and install. If I could do it over, I would choose flat panel doors in a light wood grain. I have a contemporary house and flat panel would look good and be far easier to keep clean than white shaker style.
Sheri Leffel says
We just finished a mini-remodel (refaced the cabinets and knocked out a wall). My favorite add in was a pullout trash and recycle cabinet drawer. I hate having the trash can out and now it’s all built into my island cabinet! Good luck! 🙂
Mary says
I also love my pull out trash and recycle drawer!
Gigi says
We are designing a kitchen right now. We’re doing mostly drawers on the bottom with a few cabinets with doors to accommodate larger items. Toe kick drawers are being added for more flat storage (just press and they pop out and then slide back in). I hate trash drawers. They always look dirty and need more cleaning. We keep a smaller garbage can under the sink. I don’t care for glass doors and replaced them at my current place. There are some creative lazy Susan corner cabinets, but some lose space. Also, dead end cabinets are cheaper in the corners, but harder to access the stuff in the corners
We’re doing a 9” deep pantry on the side of the refrigerator and also cutting out space in between studs and adding a sliding barn door. This will give about 4”d x 16”w storage perfect for cans and Cheez It boxes. Our cabinets will go all the way to the top for the lesser used items.
Gigi says
Last comment. Our current kitchen has the upper cabinets hung only 15″ above the lower cabinets. It’s awful! It’s too short to hold a blender and my coffee maker can’t open without pulling it forward. I guess this is becoming a trend. Don’t do it.
Mary says
I LOVE my spice pull out and my sheet pan cupboard. I personally find it so much easier to find things in drawers or pull out shelves in my pantry cabinets as opposed to shelves where I have to dig back or move stuff.
LindaT says
When we moved into our home 23 years ago, I could easily reach the top shelf of my cabinets. I was 5’10” and turn on the overhead light in the laundry. Now, after 2 knee replacements and back surgery, I cannot comfortably do either.
One thing we did do right was that my husband and I are both tall, so we insisted on installing the base cabinets a bit higher. When I am at the sink rinsing dishes, or preparing something, I am pleased not to be in a half-bent position for all that time. It really makes a difference!
Lori says
My must haves would be a large pantry wall with room for baskets
Or crates to store potatoes, onions etc. I would also want a vacuum under the kick plate. So when you sweep the floor you just sweep it over to the vacuum and tape your toe and the vacuum comes on and you sweep the dirt right in. No dust pan needed. I love open shelves and glass doors on cabinets. A big ol’ farm house sink.
Cathy says
My mom and dad remodeled our kitchen when I was a kid. The guy that designed it had a 4-6 inch space between the built in stove/cupboard and the counter. It would look like your pantry but with a built in oven in the space too. He built a slide out with a spice rack on top – we could put spices on both sides – and an open space below where we could slide in cookie sheets and cupcake pans. It was unique to us at the time but we really loved the space saving idea. I definitely want one when we remodel our kitchen.
Janeen says
Best tip given to me when I remodeled my kitchen that I pass on to everyone: instant hot water at the kitchen sink. We use it multiple times a day
Anne P. says
Wow, so many good comments. We redid our kitchen 5 years ago. I echo drawers or
Pull out shelves on lower cabinets. I added a broom closet. I love having a place for mops, broom, swiffer etc. Definitely a pullout trash/recycle a must! One thing we did – on cabinets you open with pull out shelves we added a pull out drawer above. Not on all but where it made sense. Lighting important. We have 9 foot ceilings so we did above and below cabinet lighting, that’s what we keep on the most. LED warm lighting not a lot of $ to keep on. We also went with a local cabinet maker vs. pre made not much $ difference and they can do what you want exactly.
Dianne says
Definitely deep drawers. I do not have any deep drawers. I did in my last house. Loved them. Few pullouts. Such good ideas in this stream.
Chyrl says
I have always wanted a Wolf warming drawer for proofing bread. I have loved having pull out shelves in bottom cabinets.
Brandy says
We are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen, and have done a few in the past. One of the best things we did at our last kitchen was to add toe kick drawers, loved them and will be doing them again in this kitchen. Having drawers vs regular cabinets is also a must have for me.
Rebecca says
I am not very tall, so the space on the top of the fridge was always dead space for me. The best thing I’ve ever done in a kitchen remodel (well, I’ve now done this TWO times ) is to have one large cabinet over the fridge with vertical dividers to hold cookie sheets/platters/trays. If you think about it, standard fridges are 36″ wide and at least 24″ deep. So, depending on ceiling heights, you could get a 36x24x24 or 30 cabinet there. That’s a ton of storage in an otherwise wasted space!!
Cecile says
I agree with drawers on the bottom of your pantry, nothing worse than having to dig for a heavy baking dish when you want to use it. We moved from our family home after it’s sale a couple years ago into a rental and I tell ya, a man who doesn’t cook designed it! There is maybe a 1/4″ if that between the top of the stove and the counter top and the end of the counter top is peeling off due to the heat I’d imagine. These definitely are not high end anything, it’s a rental until we decide where we want to retire to. Secondly, hubs and I are 5’5″ & 5’6″ so the floor to ceiling cupboard for the pantry is amazing but we have to haul out the step stool every time we need something we’ve run out of of small appliances we don’t use often. Not an issue but where do you store the step stool? We’re lucky we have our laundry closet just around the corner and it fits in beside the washing machine. Depth of cupboards on the bottom, specially the corners, what do you do with them? We have two wasted spaces since it’s a horse shoe shaped kitchen. One we have put our three roasting pans in since we use them maybe 5 times out of the year if that. The other, I found a cookie sheet rack and placed all the sheets long ways in so they are standing on their sides. A bit of a pain to get out but uses space that would otherwise not be used. Electrical outlets, make sure you have an electrician in to separate your outlets so your higher drawing appliances aren’t on the same breaker/fuse. Under cupboard lighting would be a great addition as would lighting in the pantry. The pantry lighting could be pressure activated, when you open the door it comes on, when it closes it shuts off. I like the idea of open pantry shelves on the top since your kitchen is tiny and you want it to look airy. I’m a firm believer if you can’t see it you don’t use it. Having all your pretty Weck jars on display and jars with your baking supplies out in the open will not only look more cottage like, they will call to you do your baking. I love the old time mercantile look of it too! Our kitchen is a one person kitchen so if a second person comes in they are always in the way. If you’re working at the sink (left side) you can’t get to the garbage or the silverware drawer. If you’re at the stove you can’t easily get to the coffee maker or the toaster oven. If you’re at the toaster oven you can’t get to any of the pots and pans etc. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Renee says
We are in the middle of our kitchen remodel. We are also reflooring the whole first floor except the bathroom, which was remodeled 4 years ago, and our bedroom. We gutted everything but the kitchen sink. We have a friend, who is an interior designer, who came over and drew out the plans for us, and another friend, who is a carpenter, who has built the cabinets and will be installing them and the flooring. We are also adding lighting and rearranging electric where the appliances will be moved too, who you guessed it is another friend. You see, my hubby is a master plumber and well, all our friends are in the building trades. Yes, it is cheaper in the long run, but, you are not first on any of their lists, so this has been a year-long process. With a little luck, we will be starting with the flooring and cabinet install next week. Fingers crossed. For us, we went with all pull-outs on the bottom cabinets and I will have more drawers that are 30 inches, great for my cutting boards and cookie sheets. We also moved the sink to the island with the dishwasher, which gave us the room to have a pantry on one end with a matching pantry on the other end that will be used for dishware and glasses etc… We also went with painted cabinets because the whole kitchen and dining area is all stained tongue and groove pine and had darkened quite a bit since we installed it over 34 years ago, to lighten up the space. Have fun planning your space. All your remodels have been fantasic.
Linda says
We also have a smaller size kitchen, but could not do without some kind of island, if only to accomodate 2 stools. That space was essential to us having enought counter work space. With this being your “forever” home, consider when you are in your 70’s you will want to side down to do chopping, or waiting with a cup of tea for things in oven or micro to be done. I’m there now and grateful everyday I have someplace to sit and do things. I also agree with a pullout garbage/recycle can, and flat front cabinets.(with the aging process, much easier to wipe down with no moulding catching food spills.) Eyesight clarity for seeing dirt diminishes with aging.
Candice says
I remodeled my kitchen 5 years ago and did RTA cabinets. I know what to look for when buying cabinets because I used to be a professional kitchen designer so my cabinets are all wood with soft close doors and drawers. I did white cabinets and I did not buy any of the moldings or veneer panels from the cabinet company, but instead, I had the paint matched and then bought unfinished moldings and painted them myself. A paint sprayer will make the finish look very similar to your doors and no one will really be able to see the difference on the moldings. I also made an open shelf cabinet for my island instead of buying it from the cabinet co. No one who sees my kitchen can believe we did it ourselves and that I painted or made cabinets for it. You can save a lot of money also by making all the cabinet and drawer dividers yourself. There are tutorials on the internet. For example, I have a large 36″ drawer that holds silverware, knives, etc. I used hobby boards from HD and made a drawer divider for this drawer for $12. I would have paid upwards of $150 for a custom made divider for that drawer. I also modified a base cabinet to use as a wall cabinet. I did not need the drawer so I used it as a pull out shelf in a base cabinet. I can send you pictures of everything if you email me but the overall cost of my kitchen was $15,000 including appliances and counter tops, which I did not skimp on since I saved so much on the cabinetry (we did not replace the flooring and I have changed or added lighting since then that is not included in that cost). I paid $6000 for my appliances just to give you an idea of their cost. Good luck with your remodel!!
Melissa M says
Love all these ideas!
My 2 cents:
If planning to have a “working cabinet” space in that pantry (for coffee maker, ect), consider lighting in there.
We just had to replace our fridge. The ‘designated fridge area’ really confined us to needing to get the exact same (or a smaller) model only. We were fortunate to have an open wall across the kitchen, and decided on a larger model that would fit there. This was the long way to say you may want to consider the possibility of a needed future change, and the possibility of being pigeonholed. (Btw… LOVING the fridge move and have a grand plan to fill its old space in the future.)
Lauralli says
Look here: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-choose-kitchen-cabinets-style-color-finish-design/
She’s done some things that I’d love to do! Drawers in the base of the cabinets for platters and trays, the trash/recycle and paper towel holder, the microwave drawer.
Susan says
No one has mentioned a trash compactor. I’ve had one in three houses and would not be without it. It’s wonderful. I compost all vegetable matter so I keep a container for that on the counter and put it in the compost bin when it gets full, nearly every day.
Susan says
Also, that microwave that is an under counter drawer-genius.
Christa H says
Pull out drawers at bottom, 1-2 vertical cabinets for cutting boards/cookie sheets, cooling racks, appliance counter across center of pantry with electric plugs, drawers below and shelving above. I like the large plastic bins from the container store- measure them then have shelving built to accommodate the height of shelves that way you can fit more pantry stuff in the bins, place for stair step shelves for spices. I am SO happy I do not have a built in microwave at the house, just a shelf for a small one. That way when it dies, I can easily replace it without have to buy an expensive one because I need it to fit a certain size hole. Put dishwasher in a spot that it is easy to get to from both sides. I also like a pull out double trash on other side of the sink. Get a deep farm sink.
Christa H. says
Also cabinets to the ceiling. I store my serving ware up high that is not often used. Then no dust on top of cabinets and I don’t mind using a 3 step stool to get up there.
Daria says
My aunt had a tiny kitchen, and put a bay window in (with sides that cranked open) – it really opened up the space over the sink, and gave her a place to grow herbs in the winter. Have fun with your remodel!