- If you're going with a BIG sink, do you have one or two faucets?

Two are what I am planning, because I don't see the point of a sink two people could use in a pinch if there is only one faucet anyway.

- Assuming you have granite (or some other stone countertop), did you go with a heated countertop? Was it worthwhile?

I had soapstone, and I've done soapstone granite or quartz for other people. But I have never had it heated nor has anyone I've done kitchens for (and none of them had ever heard of such a thing). I personally wouldn't bother, I'd use something "warmer" to begin with if I felt it was a problem. But people who have it seem to like it.

- Does anyone have an upper cabinet that "touches the countertop"?

I've done it, and it's been done in most kitchens I had something to do with.

1. I have a big sink with one faucet (plus the instant hot). I have a prep sink for when there are extra workers. I use my big sink for big things (currently there is a 22" cast iron skillet soaking in it) and I want the faucet in the middle.

2. I don't get it. It seems extravagant and not useful. (A chilled section would have some purpose!)

3. No. Considered and ruled out. My kitchen is busy and stuff is often happening everywhere. It's almost guaranteed that when I want to get inside it, I'll have to move stuff first. However, in an adult's kitchen, especially where you have it and for your intended use, I think it would be very nice. It's a great way to use a spot like that. They're also nice for hiding appliances.

Okay, so far one vote each way on dual faucets ... not planning a prep sink.

Two "no points" on heated countertop.

Two "yesses" on the cabinet style. I thought about the door knocking into things on the counter ... I'm thinking I like the above example's drawers, which would alleviate this problem.

Heated counters...Someone a few years ago had heated countertops and said her butter melted!

Heated counters - how would that work for rolling pastry dough, etc? I personally would not want them (yes, I did consider it).

I have a very large single sink. One faucet works for me. If there is more than one person in the kitchen on a regular basis I would choose a 2nd sink over a 2nd faucet, but since I am the primary cook, I would rather share the faucet on occasion and have one less thing to clean on a regular basis. The fact that I don't like the look of 2 faucets probably also factors into it.

I had an upper cabinet that sat on the counter in my previous kitchen. It was my favourite cabinet. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it work in my current kitchen. I used my to store my plates, cereal bowls, etc. It was almost as good as storing them in a drawer.

I'm giving my opinion on the cabinet to counter...In a spot like that I'd do it. I actually have a spot just like that in my kitchen that I wish had a full cabinet to counter it would be so much more useful to me. If I was home I'd show you what happens in that area.....lovely clutter.

How big is BIG? I just stood at our sink, and it would work if you had landing space on each side. Our sink is a 43" 50/50 two bowl. We have a prep sink on the other end of the kitchen, so we went with one faucet. I only bought the big sink to meet electrical code (!). It had to do with outlet spacing.

As for the upper cabinet- I could see it working. I see a number of those in bathrooms these days. It will be a bit of a reach for the vertically challenged, though.

I am a fabricator.

Heated countertop is a nice feature but really only necessary for an eating area.

If you are going with the countertop to ceiling cabinet make sure the full height cabinet is installed AFTER the countertops are set. Your cabinet guy won't want to do it that way because it means another install trip but the installed cabinet would greatly complicate the countertop install unless you just want the cabinet trimmed around the perimeter instead of sitting on top of the stone.

Your countertop can charge your phone these days, but they apparently haven't worked all the bugs out yet.

If you're going with a BIG sink, do you have one or two faucets?

How big is big?

- Assuming you have granite (or some other stone countertop), did you go with a heated countertop? Was it worthwhile?

Why?

- Does anyone have an upper cabinet that "touches the countertop"? I'm thinking of a counter-to-ceiling cabinet like the glass-front cabinet shown below:

My sister does. I wanted one in my kitchen but it didn't work out.

1- one faucet is fine . I have only seen one 2 faucet install, on a Galley 48in model.

2- your stone will acclimate to whatever your kitchen temp is. no additional heating is necessary

3- in my previous life as a contractor for over 30 years have installed many upper cabinets directly on the countertops. I always thought they added an elegant, timeless touch. (:

Heated counters...Someone a few years ago had heated countertops and said her butter melted!Hmmm, I always seem to be softening butter.

Heated counters - how would that work for rolling pastry dough, etc? I personally would not want them (yes, I did consider it).

Well, they could be turned off.

I have a very large single sink. One faucet works for me. If there is
more than one person in the kitchen on a regular basis I would choose a
2nd sink over a 2nd faucet, but since I am the primary cook, I would
rather share the faucet on occasion and have one less thing to clean on a
regular basis.

Hmmm, this does make sense.

I had an upper cabinet that sat on the counter in my previous kitchen.
It was my favourite cabinet. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it work in
my current kitchen. I used my to store my plates, cereal bowls, etc.
It was almost as good as storing them in a drawer.

I think I'm sold on this to-the-counter cabinet.

I'm giving my opinion on the cabinet to counter...In a spot like that
I'd do it. I actually have a spot just like that in my kitchen that I
wish had a full cabinet to counter it would be so much more useful to
me. If I was home I'd show you what happens in that area.....lovely
clutter.

Thanks, but I don't need to see pix of clutter. I can see that now in my own house. One of my big goals in the new house is to provide specific places (easier places than we have now) for mail, etc.

How
big is BIG? I just stood at our sink, and it would work if you had
landing space on each side. Our sink is a 43" 50/50 two bowl. We have a
prep sink on the other end of the kitchen, so we went with one faucet. I
only bought the big sink to meet electrical code (!). It had to do with
outlet spacing.

I'm going with a single bowl large sink -- 36" at least. I'm not understanding how a landing space and outlets tie into the size of the sink or the number of faucets.

Heated countertop is a nice feature but really only necessary for an eating area.

I should've said, but --yeah -- if we do this, it'll be at the peninsula eating area.

Regarding two faucets.

My kitchen is extremely small, about 7'3"wide with no possibility of making it any wider. I don't have room for two sinks. But there will be room for one end of the sink to be used for prep and one end to be used for cleaning up or washing hands or something if I use a Stages or a small Galley. I plan to keep the tops on part of the sink most of the time.

There's no bathroom on that floor either so if you need water for some reason if someone is doing at the kitchen sink it's either up or down a flight of stairs. That's why probably two faucets in my situation.

Landing space on each side so that each person has a place to put whatever they're working on- cleaning veggies, or doing dishes. I was the one who wanted two sinks, because my wife always seems to have some kind of 'project' in both sides of the main sink. I'd come in from the grill with marinade dripping off of my hands, only to find no open sink. The prep sink tends to be 'my' sink, unless my wife is actually doing prep.

I knew the story about the outlets would shed confusion on the subject. We have a huge window over the main sink, and I wanted the outlets in the angled returns. The problem with code is that you can't have an outlet MORE than 24" from the edge of the sink ( Weird, right?). Due to the distance apart of the outlets, I needed a bigger sink. The 43" just barely meets the qualification. As it turns out, we love the big sink. Even though it's a two bowl, a baking sheet fits inside.

Heated countertops? My son left a note on the butterdish the other day: "Word to the wise, don't leave the butter on the dishwasher when you run it overnight." The butter had melted. (We usually leave the butter out! we go through it pretty quickly.)

The cabinet to the counter is so pretty! Does it eat up too much space next to the sink? If it's over the peninsula, you will be reaching into it from an angle. But IIRC, the other side will be living and assuage space, so it will be a nice separator without really blocking view. I'd probably do a drawer on the bottom for pens and the crossword. I wouldn't bring the cabinet door all the way down though. I'd have it stop at a height at least as high as your coffee mugs, so you don't have to move them to open the door.

mrspete we have been in our new house 5 months now and did 2 of the 3 things you asked about. We have one large sink with 2 faucets, no prep sink. And we have one cabinet that sits on the counter, not tucked quite as far into the corner as yours. I'm also short. The counter at that location is 28.5" deep, a bit more than standard. The lower part of that cabinet is my 'coffee center' with microwave sitting in an open space above it and a small cabinet above that. The whole unit is stepped back from the refrig/panels next to it.

Sink and cabinet comment. We have a 36" Whitehaven sink with one faucet, which works fine for us (we do have a second/prep sink but don't use it much). I don't think two faucets would add any functionality, as with the Kohler Sensate pulldown and excellent spray it easily reaches everywhere at all angles for cleaning and rinsing and we don't have multiple people needing it at once.

We also have a cabinet that reaches the counter in almost the same configuration as your layout, though there aren't drawers all the way to the countertop. The little doors flip down and there are outlets inside each, so it's a good spot for charging phones, bike lights, cordless flashlight and screwdriver, laptop, etc. I wouldn't want daily-use stuff in the section that requires a longer reach, but, that being said, it's not difficult to access.

Ceiling to counter cabinets - If the sink is at the top of the U I wouldn't do it. The lower drawer will open along the counter where dirty dishes will be collecting or where someone is trying to eat (I'm assuming those red ovals are chairs at an overhang peninsula. If you want to get into the drawers you or the person sitting there will be moving things.

Those kind of cabinets work best when facing out, as in all the photos shown.

What is going to be on the sitting side of the peninsula? Can you have it face that way instead.

If you're short, I'd suggest test driving that cabinet first. It will not be at all easy to access. Go visit a couple of showrooms and see how far you have to lean over the counter in the corner in order to reach in to that cabinet. The cabinet door on the left will be especially problematic to reach round and into the cabinet.

In a situation like that, I usually do a Right hinged door at the corner reachable from the interior of the kitchen, and a Left handed door that is reachable from someone in the other side of the peninsula. NOT a butt door that neither side can reach into.

The drawers are just one more bit of less efficient storage to avoid at that depth. The appliance garage works, but again, generally only for those who are tall or have long arms.

Heated counters? Nope. Spending another $1500 for that would never be on the radar. And no, you can't ''just'' turn it off unless you plan out things hours in advance. There is a lot of thermal mass in stone and it holds on to heat, or cool, for a ling time.

Two faucets? Not unless the second faucet came with a sink, or it was a truly GIGANTIC sink, as in commercial sized triple sink that is 84" wide. Pal has a special case of not having a powder room accessible for hand washing.

Heated counters - how would that work for rolling pastry dough, etc? I personally would not want them (yes, I did consider it).

Well, they could be turned off.

And then you would have to wait hours for them to cool down. They take awhile to heat up as well.... based on my experience with heated tiled floors.

Sophie is right about the ability to access the cabinet, although having it rest on the counter increases its useability because it lowers more of the contents. Top shelves, you'll be climbing on the counters, not that anyone would do that. We have a somewhat similar cabinet and used a 180 ° hinge so the left door itself didn't block the contents.

1. Big sink, one faucet.

2. Don't see any point to heated counters, first I've heard of it.

3. No cab to counter, only four uppers and need the open counter space. I do have a pantry for extra storage, though.

We have Stages 45 and doing two faucets. No to heated counter.

My blind corner runs the upper down to counter. I'm doing a hinged door that flips up and slide in.

I like one faucet in a big sink so it's centered. Otherwise I feel like they are both cramped to the side.

Another no to heated counters.

I have a counter to ceiling cab, but not in a corner and no glass doors. I love the extra space. I use it for food storage. There are 2 outlets for chargers and the toaster lives in there, plugged in at the ready.

I never even knew heated counters were a 'thing'. No, for us, because I know where the cat would be sleeping!

1. Large Stages sink and 2 faucets RULE in a kitchen that is too small to have a prep sink. My left faucet is on tapmaster and generally set on hot water. The instant hot tap is right beside it and that combo is GREAT for scrubbing pots. For a quick rinse of anything else I use it as well since it takes about 10-20 seconds for the water to turn hot. RIght faucet is manual- great for family needing water for any reason while I am using the left, and for guests who are otherwise confused by the tapmaster. Sink is big enough that I can dry most used small dishes in the sink or on the ledge while still being able to do almost everything else.

2. No to heated countertops. The only people that seem to like them live in places like California where they let their houses cool down overnight to the 50's rather than using heating (my relatives live there so I know how cold the granite can get). The thermal mass of the granite is then really cold for many hours in the daytime.

3. That area where you are planning the cabinet to the countertops is a prime area for coffee and tea-makers and implements, if you are into that. I would not want the loss of counterspace for that reason. Even an appliance garage would prevent you from utilizing the space in front of it. I added a corbelled shelf underneath my uppers for the plates and cups that we use ALL the time- so much easier to unload the dishwasher and for general access.

If you're still considering heating the overhang area where you frequently sit, we have stick-on heating mats that can be applied yourself. People who do it are always happy- especially in the winter! :)