Corner next to wall oven - what depth for upper cabinets?

10 years ago

We're still in the design phase, and are looking for advice on the corner to the right of our double wall oven. Our original idea was to have upper cabinets adjacent to the wall oven be the same depth as the cabinets above the oven (basically counter depth). However, it would create an unusable upper corner, and possibly unusable counter underneath those cabinets. Now we are talking about making the upper cabinets a standard depth (12") but worry that it will make the oven unit look like it sticks out. Any thoughts or advice? We really don't want to move the wall oven to another location for various reasons, and our intent was to use the counter space next to it not only for a place to put the mixer (don't judge! I like leaving it out), but also to set hot items that we're taking out of the oven.
Thanks in advance for advice!

Featured Answer

Jillius

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

When you have your kitchen turn a corner and then stop almost immediately, it is almost always a better plan to just not turn the corner in the first place. Run your cabs/counters straight into the wall instead. The double ovens can still be on that end, they'd just be turned 90 degrees. It'd be a much cleaner look, you'd have a much wider stretch of counter to the right on which to place things straight from the oven, and then you aren't dealing with corner cabinet problems/weirdness.

Especially with the landing spot concerns, as you have it now, when the oven door is open, not only will the corner counter be unaccessible, but also the open door will block 2ish feet of counter between the corner and cooktop. So zero part of that corner will actually be usable landing space.

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Comments (12)

Fori
10 years ago
I like it how you've planned it. The front of the corner cabinet will be accessible--overall I think you will have more accessible space if it is 24" than if it's 12". There will be inaccessible space, also, but the same amount of easier-to-get-into space.

(Measure your mixer and be sure it fits. Some of the larger ones are borderline for standard cabinet spacing and something like a light rail can ruin your plan.)
sjhockeyfan325
10 years ago
Just to clarify, Fori means check the height of your mixer to make sure it fits under the upper cabinet (with light rail). In my former home, the Soda Stream didn't fit, and it was a pain to find a place for it.

I also like your plan - since the corner will be used as a landing spot and to house the mixer, and not for prep, it's fine that it will be deep. If you're concerned about the inaccessible upper corner, you could get some kind of swing-out device I think (although they're expensive)
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mama goose_gw zn6OH
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Could you split the corner cabinet up into a top cab the same depth as the oven cabinet, then do an open shelf at standard depth? I'm thinking it would look nice to store cookbooks (or mixing bowls) above the mixer.
annkh_nd
10 years ago
Will the corner be closed off, or can you access it from one side or the other?

Remember, making the cabinet in question 24" deep will shorten the cabinet around the corner by 12". Do you need more standard-depth storage, or deep storage?

A compromise might be a cabinet that is 15" or 18" deep, preserving more of the adjacent cabinet space, but not as recessed as a standard 12".
Fori
10 years ago
A top view with measurements might help here to visualize your clearances better.

But I like the looks of Mama Goose's shelves.
ControlfreakECS
10 years ago
I like the shelf idea as well. I also think it will work better for your stand mixer to not have a deep cabinet directly over it. IMO, that would make it difficult to use.
kistlerfamily
Original Author
10 years ago
I love the look of the shelves, too. Thank you for that idea mama goose! Jillius - you've also given us some points to consider. The location of our current range is similar to the placement of that wall oven in that it's right next to a corner (just a different corner). I'll have to pay attention over the next few days to how and where I stand when I take things out and place them on the counter. Thanks again everyone.
mathteachr
10 years ago
I agree with Jillius, if you take out the corner entirely you lose a little bit of base and wall cabinet but gain a lot of ease of access.
Anna Kristín Gisla
10 years ago
Have you thought about making it the same depth as the oven, with cabinets on top and a roll up accordion door for that corner. It is perfect for storing the mixer and or little messes that no one needs to know about. Also it is a sound barrier if you are mixing and trying to have a conversation.
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Like those roll ups but at counter height.
kistlerfamily
Original Author
10 years ago
We drew up 2 alternate designs a while back, one with the wall oven on the opposite wall (left of the door where we now plan to put some pantry cabinets), and one with the oven on the adjacent wall which gets rid of the corner. The later eliminated too much storage in our relatively small kitchen, the former created a safety hazard b/c the oven doors would open across the doorway with too much potential for kids and scatterbrained adults to collide with open oven doors. So the compromise is the somewhat awkward corner shown in the drawing.

Our current range/oven is next to a corner on the opposite side of the kitchen with approximately the same dimensions as the plan. I payed attention yesterday to where/how I stand when putting items into and pulling out of the oven, and where/how I place them on the counter. I think we'll be OK....and the mixer will fit, too!
Fori
10 years ago
I kind of like the tricky corner hole, actually. It's good to have a hole for stuff sometimes and you have stuff for the hole.

The oven opening in a doorway isn't that bad--my last kitchen had it and we kept it there when we remodeled. My currently demoed one had it and probably would have kept it there had we not moved the kitchen entirely. Maybe it would be a problem if you broiled with the door open but I didn't mind it at all. You do need to train yourself to look around before opening it though!