Two questions about cabinet plan (pics)

13 years ago

I just got the specs from our cabinet maker. He added a very small upper to the left of the window at the end of the kitchen, thinking we'd want it to hold an undercab light. A tiny little cabinet there "floating" on the wall looks kind of odd, but the light is a valid benefit. Would it look even more odd to have no cabinet there? What could I do with it if I kept it? It's only 11.5" wide. Dishwasher detergent holder? Cabinet for DD's stuff? (She'll be 2 in Oct) :)

Also, I've never had really functional drawers in a kitchen, just the standard drawer/door combo. I know full drawer lowers are popular here. We went with one full drawer set, and a 2-drawer set under the cooktop (in perimeter) and the island has two sets of deep drawers as well as a double trash bin pullout (and a few doors as well, it's a big island). I'm already scratching my head about what to put in all of them (pots, pans... dinnerware...and?) Do you guys keep food in your drawers? (that sounds bad... meaning like, caninsters? Packaged items?)

Here is the little cabinet, to the left:

And here it is (yellow) in the context of the kitchen:

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Comments (8)

bmorepanic
13 years ago
I guess I'd take the false side away from the dw and put a 12" cabinet there - it would still leave 5.5" to the corner open. Maybe use it as shelves that faced outwards. Then I could have up to a 21" wall cabinet instead of the 11.5" cab.

I'm having difficulty remembering why I'd want a normal cabinet. I keep everything in drawers except for under sink stuff(cleaning products usually) and I have an over-the-ref tray cabinet that also holds a few very large things that are infrequently used.

I guess I've seen people have a mixer on a lift or a food processor on a lift inside of a traditional cabinet.
donaldsg
13 years ago
I think that wall cabinet looks fine there because it lines up with the lower cabinets. If it were not there that wall might look odd because the lower cabinets extend past the window, but the upper cabinets do not. if you think it looks too 'heavy' maybe you could put in a glass door or leave it as open shelves to lighten it. But for symmetry it would make sense for it to mirror the one on the right of the sink.

Can't answer the second question fully because I still have an old drawer/door kitchen like yours. But I am remodelling soon and plan to have lots of lower drawers for pots and dishes and some food storage. I'm thinking bread drawer!
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laxsupermom
13 years ago
I like bmorepanic's idea of a little bookshelf on the bottom next to the dw and a bigger cab above. If you stick with the little cab, maybe it could be used for vitamins and non-refrigerated medications. Next to the sink seems like a good location.
donaldsg
13 years ago
Good suggestion, bmorepanic. I was wondering myself if there was a way to make the left upper cabinet balance better with the right one, but didn't look at the plan closely enough to notice that the lower cabs could be extended.
avesmor
Original Author
13 years ago
Just called the cabinet shop to ask them about extending the width of the little upper, and the lower to match. The countertops are granite and they said that for the run of granite that's there, we're at the very end of the slab. To get another 3.5" we'd have to seam in a piece, which they suggested we stay away from.

Argh! It bothered me that the little cab was so little, but never on the pricniple that it was such a narrower one that the cab to the right. Now THAT bugs me, too! :) But not enough to warrant a big ugly seam on the granite, I don't think.

Maybe a strategically placed something on the floor next to it...
desertsteph
13 years ago
how about a towel rack on the side of the dw cab?

put in drawers - plastic containers, glass baking dishes, colanders, food chopper,baking pans, tin foil, baggies etc, towels, dishclothes, microfiber clothe, hot pads, placemats, flash light, kitchen tools, scissors etc, canned goods, dishes.

the only cab I'd want a door on would be under sink or a susan corner.
bethohio3
13 years ago
What do I keep in my drawers? Utensils, pots, pans, bread drawer, strainer drawer, measuring cup drawer, pot lid drawer, towels...

I love my drawers and I'm so glad I did the kitchen that way!
donaldsg
13 years ago
Sorry, I didn't mean to point out a 'flaw' that you had not noticed!

But, honestly, I think it would be a bigger mistake to extend the upper cabinet further out than the lower cabinets because visually it is a stronger relationship than how the cabinet balances with the upper on the right of the window. Even if you put something on the floor right there it will look odd that the upper cabs go further over than the lower.

Could the granite be cut differently to put the seam elsewhere? I've seen on some TV shows an installation with a seam right in the middle of the sink and it is virtually invisible. Will your granite really show a seam that much?

Two questions about cabinet plan (pics)

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Two questions about cabinet plan (pics)

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bmorepanic

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