9 Ideas Coming to a Kitchen Near You

Dirt Digger says:

Great ideabook! Thanks!

Tricia Rose says:

Back painted glass is so economical too.

Karen Heffernan says:

Great ideas! Funny, my new kitchen in my new house has many of the ideas in this idea book. I love my microwave drawer, and put it in my island. It's much safe than being higher up, and has a lower profile. One caveat, although they're usually wide, they are not deep. I learned the hard way when I tried to reheat my Starbucks grande latte!

lyvia says:

I see a trend of emphasizing the line at counter height. I'm actually more interested in raised dishwashers and a built-in microwave/speed oven, perhaps under a bar height counter, but that is not fashionable. Great idea book.

buffyfoster says:

Like Karen has noted above, we're incorporating several of these ideas in our new kitchen: microwave drawer, slab backsplash (soapstone), deep, huge drawers for pots/pans storage, and to-the-ceiling cabinets. Now, if I could just find a place for that wine fridge... ;)

jcanost says:

I love the idea of more drawers than cabinets; I haven't been able to easily access my upper cabinets in years. Please keep more of these ideas coming - so helpful!

lry511 says:

I have drawers and roll out shelves in my new kitchen. I LOVE the drawers. They are easier to access what is inside and they hold a lot more. I wish I had more drawers and less roll outs.

Miray Pereira says:

Tricia Rose.... Where are you getting that economical back painted glass? The quotes I have gotten suggest otherwise

The Three Graces says:

I picked up on some ideas I plan to use in my move - organization and clean storage will be my motto!

Pascale says:

We remodeled our kitchen two years ago and decided to go with slab backsplashes, largely because we had just finished tiling our master bath (shower stall and floor, very intricate variety of marble tiles) and we were simply too pooped to tackle any more tiling! I love how easy it is to keep the slabs clean, and find myself now wishing our bathroom shower had slab walls. :-)

I do love all the drawers we ended up putting into our kitchen - as you mention they make it sooo much easier to access stuff and are simply a more efficient use of space. I wish I had seen the idea for drawers under the kitchen sink too - that's fabulous!

One other thought - when we remodeling our bathroom we did a heated floor - the local tile shop where I bought all our supplies and took DYI lessons (I was in there so much they were greeting me by name every time I walked in the door) had a heated slab counter at their register. It felt so good to rest my arms on that surface! While this wouldn't be so good on a counter where you roll out pastry or keep your butter dish, it might be a nice luxury on a part of a kitchen island counter where the kids sit to do their homework.

Seattle Staged To Sell says:

I have a professional sink in my own kitchen and I LOVE it. It is deep, so functional, and the industrial look goes so well with my stainless steel counters. If we have a party, I can place everything in the deep sink and keep the kitchen look tidy. Both the sink and counters make my life easy. It is painless to take care, don't have to worry a thing.

bnom says:

I'm in the midst of a remodel and am doing leather granite, matte oversized subway tiles up to the cabinets, washable flat paint, and deep drawers. Nice to see I'm ahead of the curve for a change!

The Granite Shop says:

We have noticed the trend of using leathered granite in a kitchen but many homeowner's are still hesitant of using that particular material. We hope that by showing that this is a growing trend, our clients will come to embrace these increasingly popular finish choices of natural stone for your countertops.

Mona Ives says:

Definitely agree with the full height cabinets and full backsplashes. I tell all my clients to go this way...

Jennifer Johnson says:

Love the drawers. I just did that last year. Wondering how hard it is to clean a drawer microwave? That stopped me from getting it along with the exorbitant price compared to a regular one. (I had a custom nook built for my $150 microwave and I can always replace it if it goes out!)

Vikram Kamdar says:

Truly good ideas for a functional kitchen. Back painted glass is a great idea for back splash, How do we fix the glass to the wall? suggestions welcome.

avbird says:

When continuing the countertop as a backsplash, what is being used as a cover or moulding to hide the seam? I'm getting rid of old laminate that was done that way but I wouldn't want something as ugly as the old metal bead trim that they used to use...!
I also would like to hear more about the back painted glass - where is that sold?

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

Karen -- too funny about the SB Grande Latte!. I guess there's a down side to just about anything!

lyvia -- Your idea of placing things under a bar height counter isn't bad. It could work. I would also recommend considering a wall where your desired appliances can be mounted at the height you like so you don't have to worry about the height of the counter. I think you should be able to place things at heights that are comfortable and safe for you to work with them. A good designer can help you find ways to make it look good. Fashion is no good if it isn't functional. Well -- unless we're talking about high heels I guess ;)

To those of you loving your kitchen drawers -- in my next kitchen I think I will have nothing but drawers. I know they cost more than shelves, but they are worth every penny. In my last house the kitchen was very small. I retrofit all the cabinets with drawers and it turned an itty bitty kitchen into one of the most functional ones I've ever had.

Pascale Collins -- the heated slab is a wonderful idea.

kelmick says:

The uncluttered look of no wall cabinetry is stylish and appealing, but not always ideal. I do love the drawers separating the dishes with dowels. So much easier to gently set stacks of clean dishes down into a drawer, rather than hoisting up high. That said, wall cabinetry should always go to the ceiling. Anything less is wasted space and/or a dust collector.

luckykats says:

My sink is set into the corner where my two counter tops meet. Anything stored underneath is an absolute BEAST to get to. Any ideas for easier access to cleaners, dish soap, etc? I'm desperate!

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

kelmick -- To give up those wall cabinets, most people need to make super efficient use of the lower cabinets or create a wall where there are floor to ceiling cabinets to make up for the loss of storage. Yes, love those drawers with the dowels.

luckykats -- well, a couple things come to mind, but I'm not sure how far you are willing to go on expense. If your sink has 3 holes, instead of using a faucet with separate sprayer, select a single hole faucet with integrated sprayer. Then put a dish soap pump dispenser in that extra hole. You can use the third hole for hand soap in a pump also.
S-boxes might help a bit. http://www.the-sbox.com/products/
Roll out under sink drawers are great. http://www.houzz.com/photos/413714/Roll-Out-Under-Sink-Drawer-modern-storage-and-organization-
Or consider corner drawers. Perhaps the top one would have to be just a cover due to the sink, but the lower ones could work. http://www.houzz.com/photos/88235/Wenge-and-White-contemporary-kitchen-other-metros

luckykats says:

The corner drawers would be wonderful!! But, how do you get them around the plumbing, garbage disposal, etc?

rgillenwater says:

I am wondering how the drawers work around all the plumbing, etc. underneath the kitchen sink? I can't imagine how it works unless the drawers are very shallow, which would leave wasted storage space behind them. I hope there is a good answer because I would love to use this idea in our new home.

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

luckykats & rgillenwater: There is a good answer. These drawers are not square or rectangle, but instead are a "U" shape so the longer legs of the U slide past the plumbing and the shorter part doesn't bump into it. There is very little wasted space. This is a link to Youtube for a very short video showing how one looks that slides in around a sink.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-o9iz0EmnI
This one is pretty extreme with a very wide gap in the center because it fits around a sink right at the top of the cabinet. If the drawer was a lower one, that center open gap wouldn't need to be as wide to slide around the garbage disposal. There are drawers like this for under bathroom sinks where the gap is quite narrow because it only has to fit around the p-trap under the sink. If your plumbing is not dead-center, then you might need to have a drawer custom made to have that gap wherever it needs to be. Great idea, huh?

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

Oh -- one more thought. If the drawer itself would bang into plumbing, you need to have the kind I described in my last comment. But, if the drawer won't hit anything -- it's just that taller items placed in the drawer will get knocked over by the plumbing as the drawer slides in, then I find dividers to be the most useful solution. You would place only short items that can slide under the pipes in the area that goes right under the plumbing, and you can place taller items in the other parts of the drawer so they will go past the plumbing and not bump into it. Hope that made sense.

picabelle says:

I would be very careful about doing the under-the-sink drawer until your sink and plumbing are set. I thought I would have much more space but after installation of water filter, inst-hot water tank, electrical hookups for island utensils and the low hanging nature of a deep sink, there's not much space left over and the drawer would be miniscule. But if it works then definitely do it...I am envious! I love, love my new kitchen and one thing I love is the drawers directly across from my dishwasher. They hold my most used items so unloading the dishwasher isn't nearly the chore it used to be. One thing I'm surprised we don't see more of is elevated dishwashers. Seems crazy to me that we've all been stooping down for so many years. I couldn't make it work in my configuration. I went with the traditional microwave because as someone mentioned earlier, it makes switching out a broken microwave no problem and the nook I designed for it can be turned into a cabinet later if I want. If you're in the midst of planning or doing a remodel, have fun and listen your gut. You won't go wrong and you'll end up with a fabulous kitchen!

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

picabelle -- one would always choose all appliances, including disposals, instant hot water and so on, BEFORE creating the customization of cabinets and drawers. The measurements for appliances and plumbing are what drive everything else. I believe the reason we don't see more elevated dishwashers is because it would raise the height of the counter top and most people are extremely reluctant to give up any working height counter space. Also, the dishwasher is generally next to the sink so you don't dribble water across the floor as you rinse then load. Most people would really not want a raised counter height right next to their sink if they have one main sink. Perhaps a different story if you had a couple of good sized sinks and one is where you deal with the dirty dishes. Very large kitchens have a couple sinks, but again, the majority of people don't have that kind of room. What I see as being more useful are the dishwasher drawers with one on either side of the sink. They are higher and you can be using dishes out of one while putting dirty ones in the other. Not cheap, but very handy.

Pamela D says:

We have just bought somebody else's dream from a bank. We needed to replace all the appliances, water treatment systems, bar sink faucet, as well as fans, a toilet(??), light fixtures, bathroom fittings etc. which were removed from the house. The thing that is really driving me crazy is the space for the drawer microwave. It is a huge hole in the island and regardless of the drawer MW you buy (available in 2 sizes & all made in the same factory with different fronts slapped on by the brand of appliance), they all have the same small interior. I know somebody in my family will walk into the thing when it is open (me!) and that the drawer opening mechanism will not last in our household. In addition, I cook alot, so I am not just reheating the single servings that these drawer MWs seem to be designed for. I make and freeze soups and casseroles and reheat them. For these reasons, as well as the cost of $800 for what I consider to be a gimmick, I instead purchased a MW with a much larger interior capacity, higher wattage, more features & metal buttons( instead of a touchpad) for under $300. I still don't like it, that is: I love the MW I bought- hate the location under the counter. I can't read the buttons, I have to bend over double to read the nifty scrolling screen or see if I have a boil over. There are lots of boil overs since this is a powerfull MW and I can't see it at knee level. It is really a pain. I still don't know what all the knee level buttons do! This means we will be pulling out upper cabinets to create a cubby for the MW somewhere between counter height and shoulder height. I don't feel I can sacrifice any counter space even though I have a massive island, which is mostly suited to socializing. With the kitchen layout in our house, I am very limited in how I will be able to solve this problem and I still have not hit on the ideal solution.

I will also be removing the undermount double bowl cultured granite - not really sure what that is- sink. With a 36" stove, I need a large single bowl sink for large pots and pans, and prefer to know whether my sink is clean or not. I can't tell with a black sink. I wish they'd removed the sink too...hehe..

I had solid slab honed Carrera marble backsplash in my former kitchen ( which I remodeled ) and I love it for ease of care. It coordinated well with honed black granite counters and a large white sink. I also had a stainless backsplash with integrated shelf behind the stove - this was VERY easy care in a greasy area. The SS shelf with a large vent fan with heatlamp above was something I used every-single-day to warm dishes and keep food warm as I cooked. If you think about it, most stoves from coal burners to stoves of the 20s,30s,40s & 50s had shelves. This is a feature which should never have dissappeared. Only commercial type stoves have them now. Of course in this new house I have rustic porous tile in a large pattern behind the stove. Pretty, but impractical. I have to find a wall hung SS shelf, which will unfortunately block the tile design, in order to use the heat lamp on the vent fan. The SS backsplash w integrated shelf will not fit, without major reconstruction.

We removed 2 cabinet pull-out shelves to replace them with vertical dividers to make a tray cabinet. I did not want to have to stack trays in a drawer or keep them in the pantry. I wanted them next to the stove.

My DW is slightly raised, as the island counter height is 39 inches. I am average height, but this has not proved to be a problem for me. I am not sure if this was deliberate or not. They did not block the DW opening for sound, so although I bought the same model DW as in my previous house, it is slightly more noisy set in an island . I've included pictures of my old kitchen, showing the backsplashes and built in counter level GE Monogram MW - so much better than a drawer.

You are so right that appliances should be chosen before customizing cabine

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR says:

Whew! Pamela, I think the moral of your story is don't buy someone else's dream house -- especially after they yanked all the appliances!

In a little more serious vein, it sounds like you have clearly thought out your personal needs and how you use your kitchen, which is what everyone should do. Sounds like the counter height, large microwave is perfect for your needs. But a drawer can be perfect for someone else's needs ... i.e. someone who pops popcorn, heats just enough for 1 or 2 people instead of a large family, has children who can heat their own snacks and so on.

It is also important to think about functionality as well as looks. So sorry to hear about the porous tile behind the stove -- that was a bad call. Love your thoughts on the shelf for warming above the stove.

Best of luck to you on your renovation and thank you for your input & photos!

Amy Biller says:

Hi Pangaea,

These are great design tips! Using lots of drawers is very functional, especially since drawers now can come fully accessorized to help us organize our stuff more quickly AND keep everything tidy. The issue of the upper cabinets (should we go for more or fewer and how should we design them?) is kind of a "To be or not to be" type of question. Overseas, the trends has definitely been towards reducing the number of upper cabinets but it seems to be a bit of a cultural thing and Americans do love them! The point is to find the right balance between achieving maximum storage functionality and creating a design that is aesthetically harmonious. Here are a few more suggestions on how to find such balance:
http://www.snaidero-usa.com/designliving-blog/2012/02/09/10-tips-to-design-the-right-mix-of-upper-and-base-cabinets-for-the-kitchen

Woodhouse Post & Beam Homes says:

We literally just uploaded an ideabook of all kitchen designs (timber frame). Great tips in this article! Everyone LOVES their kitchen!