Lucky for that and having Mennonite workers! They won't steer you wrong!

@Carolina Kitchen & Bath, they have built several prominent homes in this area and their work is stellar....we are definitely lucky for that!

I'm sure you have a lot of good advice. A warning: we have an 8' wide x 6' high triple casement window that the counter extends into. The electrical

inspector insisted that an outlet be within 24" of the sink. I had to install two temporary outlets in a box and then remove them and the box after final inspection.

@Phil Burger, they have built several prominent homes in this area and their work is stellar....we are definitely lucky for that!

The best parts of my house are the ones the Mennonites did. All the trim work and all my cabinets and some of my furniture.

Here's another alternative that DH prefers with three 30" windows. With trim, they'd be closer to 27" each unless I can do one large mulled window.

Stop right now and figure out where you're going to put all your kitchen stuff. Which drawers, which uppers (if needed) etc and let that drive the upper cabinets.

As for the corner upper, don't do that angled one because it's basically a space waster.

shead you're lucky to have the Mennonite workers available! Any chance you could swing them doing custom cabinets too?

I really like the boxed bay pictures they're awesome.

Also, not to argue with cp (bc she gives stellar advice) but I have upper & lower corner angled cabinet in our kitchen with lazy susans in them. Probably my two favorite cabinets. They're HUGE. The top has all my spices (I might be a spice wh*re) and the bottom one has casserole dishes, stock pots, etc. Anything without a handle to get caught when I spin lol YMMV but I love mine. :)

You probably have reasons for wanting divided windows...they seem a nightmare for me in that location...for maintenance...and aesthetically ...for me .....having a big clear view from the kitchen sink ....and the whole kitchen..... is beyond any care about if it matches the other windows from the exterior.....

@cpartist,

I agree about the corner cabinet. I've already been working on where I'll store everything. Thankfully, by keeping the kitchen in it's current location but expanding it, I also have space for a 6'6" x 11'0" pantry that will house the microwave, an extra sink, countertop appliances, etc. and lots of cabinetry and shelves. I'll likely just use the corner cabinet for decorative items. I'm foregoing the lower corner cabinet to be able to have two 30" drawer banks instead of a super slothful Susan :)

@Lori Wagerman_Walker, He did quote in the kitchen when he did the bid and it was quite a bit more expensive than going with IKEA. His bid was about $25K for cabinets and IKEA will come to around $8K for the kitchen. I have to give up some custom sizes, etc. but the savings is worth that to us since it'll pay for the loads of cabinets in our pantry and laundry room. I may be a cabinet wh*re by the time we're done....lol. I have had lazy susans/super susans in the past and they aren't my favorite. I'll probably just go with the glass door since I have tons of storage otherwise.

@btydrvn, do you mean having three separate windows or divided lites?

Divided lites...

Also just caught the comment on your pantry ...hope you are planning open shelves and not cabinets there?

We have 8’ of window ..centered on the sink...4’ wide in center ...2’ sliding windows on each side for ventilation...no divided lites...reads like a picture window...just above the counter3-4”....no upper cabinets on that wall

Took this pic to show our wisteria....but you can see the window completely here

This pic always brings to mind another feature I love ...as we have a handmade deep copper sink we raised the counter in the sink area...it sort of defines the work areas on each side better...

Also relieved any need to have any pesky seams in the granite..

@btydrvn, we will have some cabinets in the pantry but also lots of open shelves. I prefer to store my canning jars, ec. behind closed doors as to help with dust, etc.

My only problem with that is..in a usually limited space the cabinet doors are a space hog...I have a small counter on all walls that is wider than the shelves and tend to keep things under there that may get dusty...other wise we have identical solutions in the use of a pantry which is basically keep all the daily use clutter in there ...handy for use without them being a “functionally required” presence on the countertops...so if we are both in the pantry with the toaster or microwave... there is no room for cabinet door access

I will say ....if I had it to do again I would double the size ....of my pantry

Apothecary doors that slide work well in narrow spaces.

Bell Kitchen and Bath Studios · More Info

Instead of going with double hung windows, try casement windows in stead. They're easier on your back when you go to open them (crank out vs. reach over and lift) and they don't have two sashes, which come together right at eye level. Whether or not you do a bay window like the photo, is up to you.

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Also, not to argue with cp (bc she gives stellar advice) but I have upper & lower corner angled cabinet in our kitchen with lazy susans in them. Probably my two favorite cabinets. They're HUGE. The top has all my spices (I might be a spice wh*re) and the bottom one has casserole dishes, stock pots, etc. Anything without a handle to get caught when I spin lol YMMV but I love mine. :)

Better a spice whore... LOL.

Seriously my Mom had her spices also in her upper corner with a lazy susan and it worked for her but her kitchen was from the 80's and smaller than shead's. I personally found it to be a real PITA trying to find a single spice on those 2 racks. I'd spin the dang thing over and over looking.

I put my spice racks on the doors on either side of my upper cabinets flanking the hood. Anything I use on a daily basis is on those doors and if it's less frequently used, it's on the shelf where once again, I'm searching. (Eventually I'll figure out what I want to do for the less frequent spices! I'm thinking if they'll fit one of those pull down shelves since I'm also slightly vertically challenged.

If I hadn't done that, I would have done what so many others do here and put them in a drawer in that I think that's the easiest way to see them all neatly arranged.

In a small kitchen, I think it's your solution is a fine solution, but shead has a fairly large kitchen and I'm thinking she probably won't be putting the spices in the upper corner but closer to the cooktop.

PS: Thank you for the compliment. :)

As these pics show, I have a ton of spices, too...it’s driving me crazy how in disarray they are. I even have them in the back of the range! (Actually this whole kitchen is about to drive me bonkers! I see why his aunt never cooked...lol!)

At my last house, the cabinet maker built spice storage into the end of the island and I loved it! Nothing ever got lost behind another and they were all organized and easy to see. Right now, I’m planning to use one of the 30” drawers to the left of the cooktop with spice organizers. It’ll be a 10” drawer in a drawer.

All this talk about spices makes me wonder if we have lost touch with the nuances of the taste of real food...or are our taste buds deadened from so many spices?...since I have been trying to be healthier...more vegetarian ..(and since I have a hubby that likes “plain old food”)....never mind my tummy is getting picky....and lastly having read that spices really have a pretty short freshness life......I have sort of narrowed down what spices I use...I choose the blends from the gourmet varieties of spices ...rather than the specific separate ones like garlic powder..chili powder etc....and have discovered that a little goes a long way...

"All this talk about spices makes me wonder if we have lost touch with the nuances of the taste of real food...or are our taste buds deadened from so many spices?.."

Spices have been around for millenniums so whether our taste buds are getting "deadened", I don't know. I just know that having two upright freezers full of beef means that I have to "spice" things up so that tonight's meal doesn't taste like last night's and my family is fed :)

(PS We live on a cattle farm so having LOTS of frozen meat in the freezer is pretty much our norm so I'll continue to use a lot of spices.)

Agree with shead. People have been using spices for millenniums. Chinese cooking, Indian cooking, South American cooking, Italian cooking, French cooking, Mediterranean cooking...

In fact the only bland food I know of is from the US.

So let me get this right...we all need 50 or so spices in our kitchen to survive...so much so that you are offended if anyone presents another opinion...I didn’t mean to imply that you have to agree....

And to conclude that it is good because people have been doing it forever ...I could give a long list of formerly accepted things that we all agree are unacceptable today....

@btydrvn, I'm not sure why you are so offended that I disagree with you. Just because you prefer to not have so many doesn't make it the gospel for the all of us. And neither of us said you had to have 50 spices to survive ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

I grew up in a home where my mom rarely ever cooked from scratch nor did she use anything besides salt and pepper. We didn't eat anything exotic either - just the typical bland American fare. That's still her MO. We survived.

My MIL, on the other hand, cooked from scratch almost nightly (but without a lot of spices and they survived!) while DH was growing up so needless to say, after the first three months of marriage, DH pretty much banned spaghetti and Hamburger Helper....lol...and I had to teach myself how to cook from scratch. As I experimented with more and more recipes over the years , I gradually built up my arsenal of spices and I feel more and more confident using them every day. My kids and husband all declare that I'm an excellent cook (even better than his mom!) and my oldest son has said more than once that he's worried he won't find a wife that can cook as well as I do :0).

Do I need those spices? No, maybe not, but it sure makes cooking and eating a LOT more enjoyable and we eat out far less often. I also find that we use far less salt in our food because the spices are adding the flavor. I'm not so sure what's wrong with that :/

What happened to the windows?

@User - I just choked on my drink! I'm blaming this whole spicy detour on @Lori Wagerman_Walker :0)!!!

Oh sh¡tballs... I missed it all. I'm just now getting a chance to catch up!
Spicy spicy spicy!!

@Lori Wagerman_Walker, whatever you posted last didn't come through :(

Cattle rancher here too shead. I’m pretty sure I use only salt, pepper and butter on a daily basis but my cabinets are still full of tons of spices! I should throw them out but sometimes I get a wild hair and make deviled eggs, steaks, and can pickles etc... but I’m sure my paprika spice is over 8 yrs old lol!

@K H, yes, I'm sure some of mine are that old, too, especially my baking ones (nutmeg, cloves, etc.) but one of my tween daughters loves to bake and she's starting to make good use of them :) As for paprika, I feel like it's been the hidden gem in my spice cabinet for all this time and it's only recently that I've discovered how much I really like it in many recipes, especially blackened grouper where the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of it!

I love that this thread has turned into a spice battle :)
Put me firmly in the spice camp! I cook from scratch daily in a family full of foodies with food allergies. We can’t go out for Indian or Thai because there are so many nuts in those restaurants, so I have to cook it at home. We love trying new things, so I think I have no less than 40 spice jars in my organizer.
It’s not a judgement against anyone else, but we all need to do what works best.
If someone likes a lazy Susan for 50 spices and it works for them, then that’s great! I personally like a cabinet with risers for daily spices and a pullout rack on an upper shelf for seldom used spices(see pic below).
Great kitchen design is creating a space that works best for the kitchen owner :)

Absolutely! We are all different with different needs and lifestyles. We also have food allergies here as well (tree nut and peanut allergies, lactose intolerance, and strangely, I'm allergic to squash/zucchini) so going out can be very stressful! Plus, we live in the boonies where the nearest town/restaurant is 20 minutes away and all we have is a generic "steakhouse" (blech!) and three mediocre Mexican restaurants (go figure!).

Momofthree I need that spice rack! I have the flat plastic carousel rack and every time I spin it those little spices fling off.(maybe I shouldn’t stack them) but then I wouldn’t have anyplace to put them?

KH, it’s this one, it’s so great!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ALT7JQW/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have literally been trying to post this picture for 3 days... LOL

This was a consolidation party.

I have a problem. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lori that’s the one my Mom had. Drove me nuts

K H, some spices turn toxic after they get too old. Some can intensify in flavor, most just fade away. You may want to replace the paprika at least.

Love spicy and hot food, pretty sure my taste buds haven't been "deadened". You can have my capsaicin when you pry it from my cold, dead hands....

Lori, take my advice and stay away from any friend or family member that is selling Wildtree products (the Tupperware party of spices and seasonings) ;0)

shead, not to get off-track, but isn't it amazing that after all these decades, Tupperware has stayed out of the stores?

@Carolina Kitchen & Bath, I know! It's crazy that it, Mary Kay, and Avon are still MLM's. I was just telling my kids the other day about my mom hosting a Tupperware party so that she could earn enough points to buy me a Tupperware lunch box for kindergarten. I'm not sure why I still remember that nearly 35 years later, but I do :)

@Lori Wagerman_Walker, I just spied your salt shaker and we have the same exact one...lol.....DH LOVES that thing and will not let me replace it with anything else! We are the same person.....bwahahaha!

When I was a kid, our drinking glasses were Tupperware (they bounced instead of broke) and you could get Tupperware cake plates, hors d'oeuvre trays, jello molds, everything! There's a Tupperware booth at our state fair and I always stop by.

@shead sooo funny, indeed we must be. I also have a problem with salt & pepper shakers. I love them. lol I have at least 10 sets out & around. Not counting the seasonal ones.

I still have the old Tupperware salt & pepper shaker set in my camper. Handed down from my mom :)

See how I tied all that together??!! lol

Having window is nice at kitchen to see view and bringing in the day light. But right above the sink gets very dirty. We recommend you the tile finish above the sink!