tell me about your automated pantry or closet lights please?
illinigirl
10 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (8)
saftgeek
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Tell me about your worst kitchen ever
Comments (18)Bluekit - you must tell us more about that tarantula. Wow, it's actually possible that people have worse kitchens than me??? I'm *so* sorry to hear that!! My current kitchen *is* really bad. Beyond being tiny (roughly 7x10), it's never been updated since its inception in 1948. (Uh, not quite true - I did get a new fridge at one point.) Sink: Enormous cast iron double sink that I only use half of - I covered the other half to hold a dish drainer since I have no dishwasher. (The covered half is cavernously big - I think it was intended for laundry.) Stove: 36" wide gas range where the burners are all shoved to one side as though it were a 24". Pilot light that goes out all the time. You light the oven by turning on the gas, and then waving a lighted match in the broiler drawer underneath - I'm always afraid I'm going to either asphixiate before the flame catches OR blow up the building. Maybe both. Cabinets: White, painted over so many times the doors don't close. And so few of them! One cabinet over the fridge that I can't use because I have the microwave on top of the fridge. One over the sink. A metal sink base so warped, the doors won't open. A broom closet. And one set of 48" wide/17" deep upper/lower cabinets with a counter on top. That is my only counterspace, btw. Counter: Old white speckled formica with chrome edge. Happily, not much of it. (See cabinets.) Floor: Some old white-ish vinyl tile that you can't make look clean no matter what you do. Completely unlevel. My contractor cracked up when he saw my floor - said it's the worst he's ever seen. Oh, and the doorway - there used to be a door there, but someone before me removed the door but left the doorframe and one hinge. Man, I can't wait to rip this whole thing out!!!!...See MoreTell me about your kitchen lighting
Comments (17)I've been very pleased with the way our lighting works. After 7 years the only regret is that I backed down on where I thought the switch for the peninsula light should be. The electrician wanted it placed at the entrance to the kitchen and I wanted it on the other side of the peninsula. Now I have to walk around the peninsula if I decide I want it on while I'm prepping. 1. The main lights that get turned on are three 5-in recessed lights. One is in the middle of our work "G" and the other 2 are along the main pathway through the kitchen. There are switches to these lights at each entrance. 2. We have fixtures/pendants above specific work stations that get turned on only when needed. -One 3-bulb fixture (like a pool table light) above the peninsula where I do most prep work. -Two pendants above our main sink. -Three pendants along a 9-ft run of counter. Our smaller sink is in the middle and our baking area is next to the sink. -Vent hood lights above the range. 3. We have 5 additional recessed lights above our perimeter counters. These are rarely used but they provide excellent light when we want our kitchen lit up like a baseball field. Since they are centered on the edges of the counters, there are no shadows created. 4. We have ucl lights under all 6 of our upper cabinets. We have them on 3 switches, 2 lights per switch. There is also a switch on each light that allows them to be turned on/off, brighter/dimmer individually. We almost never use these lights. After we were in our new kitchen for about 5 years, I turned one on and startled my dh. He had completely forgotten they were there. I used to use ucl's in our old kitchen all of the time because the lighting was so terrible (one fixture in the middle of the ceiling) and based on that experience, I thought they were a "must have" for all kitchens. I was wrong. The lighting in our new kitchen is so fantastic that it makes the ucl's redundant. I prefer the dispersed light from our ceiling recessed lights to the more concentrated light of the ucl's. I find light from above eye level more pleasant than light pooling on the counter and my hands. 18" between ucl and counter doesn't give much space for the light to disperse. When my mother, in her 90's, works in our kitchen, I turn on the additional recessed lights. None of us need the ucl's. We had our peninsula fixture, our sink pendants, and the 3 main recessed lights on dimmers. We took the dimmers out last year because they didn't work well with our cfl's (even though the cfl's were supposedly "dimmable".) The only light I tended to dim was the one above the prep peninsula because it hung closer to eye level than any of our other lights. Sometimes, on dark winter mornings, I would dim the lights but I really haven't missed any of the dimmers since taking it out....See MorePlease tell me your opinion about my layout
Comments (16)Added to what others have said... the corner in the lower right is going to feel like a cave with the tall fridge so close to it, and the wall cabinet will be mostly out of reach unless you're quite tall. I agree that losing the corner cabs and the bottom of the U and making this be a galley kitchen might be a better option. Questions: Are you wedded to the idea of the tall pantry cabinet? It would be much easier to juggle appliances if it could be a normal base + wall. I know you have a shortage of storage here but the tall cab may not be the best way to solve the problem. How many people in the household, and how many cooks at once? If you only have 2 people you might be able to fit a small semi-circular table (even a dropleaf) against that big window at the top of the plan, with stools that slip underneath when not in use. As a previous poster said, a standard 30" wide table just isn't going to fit. Then again, with only 2 people, why such a big fridge? Consider dropping down in size even as far as an apartment size fridge. I would try losing the cabinetry at the bottom of the U, then on the left wall, left to right, have counter/sink/counter/fridge: on the right wall, left to right: counter/range-oven/counter. All counter sections could have wall cabinets above them. You could have a large counter area one side or other of the range, and a short setdown section the other side. You'd even have your sink under a window. Dishwasher left or right of the sink, as desired. On the wall around the window at the bottom of the plan, there could be narrow storage like spice racks, pot lid racks, or pegboard for holding all kinds of stuff. The arrangement I just described is very similar to an 8' x 8' kitchen I lived with for 13 years, including cooking a sitdown meal for 18 people, and lots of baking and family cooking. It works best for 1 cook but you can fit 2 in if you're friendly :)...See MoreLargish Pantry Design - Please Show Me Your Favorite Ideas
Comments (15)Buehl, thanks so much for the link to the pantry thread. I'd read before, but forgotten about. I read with pleasure again this morning. Loved seeing your pantry again - the 15" shelves look perfect. nancyjwb - Thank you too. I had not seen those. eam - But the pricey inserts will be half the fun :) I do love gadgets. All I'll be storing in here are canned, dry goods, cereal, soda and the like. I've always like the apothecary/multiple drawers look. Here's a first stab. If I place this in the space between the two walls, I have 52.5 inches. Here's something that size, with three 48" wide lower drawers, and two upper doors. This breaks down to a face frame, three drawer fronts, two doors. Lighted top. Handy DH:) Doors and drawers would open with 'Tip-On' - press to open. It could be black with ORB handles on every square... This design takes it from floor to 8' ceiling, without a lot of room for trim work. Regarding storage, I spent some time on the Blum website this morning and am considering their Legrabox drawers. I can add an interior rollout and an inner drawer, and fit ~50 cans laying horizontally (so I can see labels) like this, per layer/drawer, for a total of 100 cans in a 12" tall/48" wide drawer:) Thoughts/comments? Please be frank; my feelings won't be hurt....See Moreillinigirl
10 years agomrspete
10 years agoillinigirl
10 years ago
Annie Deighnaugh
10 years agosaftgeek
10 years agoAnnie Deighnaugh
5 years ago
Related Stories
FUN HOUZZHouzz Call: Tell Us About Your Dream House
Let your home fantasy loose — the sky's the limit, and we want to hear all about it
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNHouzz Call: Tell Us About Your First Kitchen
Great or godforsaken? Ragtag or refined? We want to hear about your younger self’s cooking space
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESContractor's Tips: 10 Things Your Contractor Might Not Tell You
Climbing through your closets and fielding design issues galore, your contractor might stay mum. Here's what you're missing
Full Story
LIFETell Us: Do You Know How to Live With Your Parents?
If you've tried multigenerational living under one roof, we'd love to hear the details
Full Story
LIFETell Us: What Made You Fall for Your Kitchen?
Show the heart of your home some love for Valentine’s Day
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNAutomation Meets Innovation in the Newest Kitchen and Bath Products
Home features from closets to toilets are going touchless, remote controlled and more accessible than ever. See for yourself
Full Story
HOME TECHHarness the Cloud: 8 Ways to Automate Your Housekeeping
Make life easier by scheduling regular deliveries, managing appliances, simplifying meal planning and more via the web
Full Story
INSIDE HOUZZTell Us Your Houzz Success Story
Have you used the site to connect with professionals, browse photos and more to make your project run smoother? We want to hear your story
Full Story
LIGHTINGWhat to Know About Switching to LED Lightbulbs
If you’ve been thinking about changing over to LEDs but aren't sure how to do it and which to buy, this story is for you
Full Story
ARCHITECTURETell a Story With Design for a More Meaningful Home
Go beyond a home's bones to find the narrative at its heart, for a more rewarding experience
Full Story
LawPaw