Hey gang! Just remember that if you love something that I point out in this video - it isn't a mistake! These are just some ideas of things that I think you should consider avoiding when designing your kitchen. I've probably made half of these mistakes myself so I know how hard kitchen design is!
I am guilty of using the typical open carriage chandelier style pendant. My issue is I have a large island and I wanted see through type lighting so it didn’t look bulky. I did get them on sale so they weren’t a huge investment, and at the moment, I like the looks. Any suggestion on alternatives? The ones in the video seemed too small for my taste.
"Nature does it best"! I feel that applies to the use of colour as well. Natural earth colour tones (grey isn't natural with the exception of depressing overcast skies and bland rocks-is that the mood for a home, heck no!) need to be part of our home!!! Remember creams, browns, blues and greens are nature's foundation, with glorious splashes of the rainbow and flowers and... That's nature, please bring it indoors and brighten boring homes again 😀
@@Trwanddon ordered my family room furniture back in March, we were told it could take UP to 22 weeks, its been 33 weeks and no furniture yet. I ordered it in grays and now idk if I want gray anymore 😐
@@francesh3423 grey is a natural earth colour. I'm sorry that you can't find the beauty in rocks or rainy days. It's like saying "I don't want anything brown because mud doesn't look nice" 😁 It's only boring if you don't know how to style it🤷♀️
The triangle, or L shaped kitchen was first proposed by Lillian M Gilbreth. She was an efficiency expert and inventor. She also invented the foot pedal trash can and shelves on refrigerator doors. She also determined the standard height for countertops. She was was the first professor of engineering at Purdue University. Her husband, Frank Gilbreth, was the inventor of the flow chart. Lillian and Frank had 12 children. After they were grown, two of their children wrote "Cheaper by the Dozen " which was made into a movie with Clifton Webb and Myna Loy.
Great reminder! My mom (a secretary for the county agent through the depression and into the 40s) loved that book - and we both learned to touch type (another of Frank's 'efficiency' methods! My new kitchen is an L, with a counter between the cooktop and fridge. Ironically, the builder didn't take drawer and cupboard clearance into account when OK-ing stove size and placement - and we will likely switch it out for a cooktop with more storage under!
@@LaVaneBea Never heard of History Chick's. I'll have to check it out. I'm just old and read a lot. I did major in history but that was probably long before you were born. 😉
Ditto. We have a galley kitchen which also contains the washer, dryer and water heater. The design allows two of those appliances to become additional counter space, but we lack storage and there's still not enough counter space. A remodel is pending, and those appliances will be finding new homes. As we are on a slab, with an adjacent bathroom, the most effective way to expand the kitchen is to build an addition off of the front, but $$$! I plan on finishing out my life in this house, so i really just want to improve space.
@@f.demascio1857 Galley kitchens can be great, because you don't need to move a lot to get the cooking done. I used to have a tall cabinet with a raised oven in the corner - then the cooking plate, dish washer with a counter top, sink, with uppers above it all. Built in air thing above the stove - the vent is narrow so you can cover it and have spice rack shelving in front of it, but still hidden in a normal looking upper - plus having a closed spice rack above the stove is great imho). The opposite side was all worktop with drawers and cabinets, also an under the counter fridge. And above it upper cabinets with a bit of open shelving to open the space up. We had a stand alone freezer in the entry hallway of the apartment. One side had the door to that hallways the other opened up a bit toward a large window where the dinning nook was. There was a bit of breathing space between the kitchen and dinning room because left and right had doorways to the other rooms. IDK I live in Europe so our fridges are usually standard cabinet width and the freezer can be put into the hallway (icy water from a freezer is not a thing). You can also have the dry storage in a cabinet by the freezer (refill of extra salt, flour, rice, dry beans, potatoes, rarely used appliances, oven pans beside the two you always need and Christmas cookie tins). Maybe see some old commie kitchen designs. Extremely liveable, good natural light and very, very sensible design for actual daily use. . Buying a newly built apartment I despaired on how un-liveable the architecture was (I guess none of them have a family to cook and bake for, jfc some new builds are bad). The wall side is tall cabinets on the side with built in fridge and raised oven. Now a have an open kitchen but basically made it a galley kitchen in function. Then built in washer, sink and cooking plate with uppers in between, light strips underneath. Opposite is large countertop island with storage drawers and cabinets facing the kitchen and an overhang with places to sit facing the living space. Sits 4 people as is very comfortably. 7 with additional seats from storage, though not as comfortable since the kitchen side doesn't have and overhang.
You hit the nail on the head on every single one of your points! Another reason for cabinets all the way to the ceiling is because it avoids a big dust collection problem.
Yes! It eliminates putting dust collecting "stuff" on top, and keeps the cat from jumping up there! (I speak from personal experience on both points). I recently refaced my cabinets and had boxes built to take it to the ceiling (and I have 10 ft ceilings) with no regrets what so ever. I put 3" vertical pulls to match the 7" pulls on the lower doors, no glass to have to clean, and it looks beautiful. I don't care if I ever put anything in them, it just looks a million times better!
We have some open shelving in our kitchen that the previous owners installed. I loved them at first, now I hate them. I do have some of my lovely vintage dishes (with questionable lead content) displayed so it doesn't look empty but the dust and grease that collects has me daydreaming and planning for closed cabinets (all the way to the ceiling!) ASAP.
I never understood the open kitchen shelves trend. Not only are they dust collectors , but kitchen dust tends to be greasier than regular dust….. or is that just me😬🤷♀️
@@magswilliams-fuller8879 I dont know what the hate is for open shelfs. Ive had mine for a year and they are not greasy and dirty. My cabints were actually dirtier.
I know a lot of serious foodies who cook like crazy, grow and preserve their own foods, etc. who live by open shelves in the kitchen. Everything is easy to get to fast; everything is used so often, there's no time for anything to get dusty. Nobody cares so much about making it look like a showcase kitchen - they like the busy, well-used, functional look.
My biggest pet peeve as a former kitchen designer was the insistence on having an island even when there was not reasonable space for one. You need a certain amount of clearance for a functional island and enough clearance between the perimeter and island to keep the whole kitchen functional. The number of clients who absolutely refused to understand this concept despite multiple explanations, drawings and even taping space out on the floor was unreal.
Sometimes it hard for people to come to grips with the fact that their original kitchen layout was the best possible use of space. We want a change things and that desire, at times, can lead us to make the space less efficient and functional.
After using a kitchen with a very unfunctional island, I am anti-island, too, especially if you have to go around it for anything. It can be a real impediment to preparing a meal. The previous host of the Splendid Table once interviewed an architect who specialized in designing home kitchens for professional chefs. He said what they wanted wasn't large, fancy kitchens, but rather highly functional spaces in which they could stand in one place, and easily pivot to get everything they needed.
@@marymccluer1630 This is what I wanted! I wanted an L shaped kitchen in my studio apartment. Turned out I got one loooong kitchen where I don’t use 1/3 of it cuz it’s too far from the rest.
I had an island that when the oven door was open you couldn’t stand in front of the oven. So I put the island on castor wheels and can now move it around to make the space functional.
I'm the daughter of a very talented general contractor, and I LOATHE cabinets that don't go all the way to the ceiling! (Unless it's a very high ceiling). It drives me crazy. It looks like a glaring flaw to me every time I see it. Additionally, I also hate double islands! And signs that say "eat" in the kitchen.
I also hate the double island. Thankfully it’s not a thing here yet in Australia. Let’s hope it stays away. But it can be difficult to get kitchen cabinetry to the ceiling here. I’ve never personally seen it. I’ve done three kitchen builds and every single time I had huge resistance from the designers/installers about it. I think it’s because they don’t like having to be exact on the measurements and square when they plaster. I am about to build a house and I am ready to die on the hill of cabinetry to the ceiling 🤺 Your dad sounds like a top notch contractor. I wish we had more like him where I live 🙏🏻
Not gonna lie, Color Catastrophe is one of my favorite things. I have to go into a lot of houses, and nothing brings me more joy than when it appears someone went nuts in MS Paint. My favorite ever included bright pink glass blocks all around the kitchen between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling that were backlit with strip lighting, so they sort of glowed, almost like neon. It would have been a nightmare to change, but it was as beautifully tacky as the woman it belonged to, and I loved the audacity.
Same here! Those kitchens he showed as examples of color catastrophes were beautiful - much nicer than the bland, blah-blah styles he described as neutral.
I love this too, for the confidence and character. And kitchen doors can absolutely be replaced. I get sick of neutral colours long before I get sick of colour.
I would love it if you would show some timeless design from the past. Like you could show 15 year old kitchen images and show how one was very trendy and looks dated and how another one was more timeless and could be updated with a few tweaks.
There is no such thing as timeless. There are more neutral kitchens that can be brought into the current fashion with a cost of paint or a change of knobs but all kitchens will be dated. All of them. Appliances change, backsplash changes, layouts change. It’s the nature of design.
@@adorabell4253 Sometimes if a kitchen is in good shape and functions for you, embrace the design. Eventually it will be stylish again. I just bought a house with a “custom” kitchen. It never occurred to me to check drawer depth. The top row of drawers are so shallow that you can’t stand a common small pharmacy bottle of pills upright in them. Who would have ever thought to check? I’ve lived in at least 20 places and never run into it before. So I guess I’ll be laying the bottles down. The seller managed to hide a $7600 needed replacement in the HVAC system and a pool light that needs to be replaced. It’s not “just a bulb out”. Had to tear a wall out to find a covered up urine smell. He had the furniture arranged so I couldn’t tell that the slab was 4” higher in the center of the family room. Had to replace one of the water heaters $1000 before I could get homeowners insurance just because of the age. Not one door set actually locked, all had to be replaced. I knew about that one. The floor has been mopped 7 times to get it clean. Don’t think it had been cleaned since the house was built in ‘96. Yes, I had the house inspected. I was a real estate broker for 40 years. This seller was really good. Got on a plane to Uruguay the day after closing. Now I know why.
Kitchens with shaker style cabinets, and maybe a cool stove like an Aga or La Cornue type, have the potential for looking more timeless than others. IMO. it’s harder to keep appliances updated, especially with all the rules about what sort of Freon they can or cannot have, and the availability of the ones no longer legally sold. cabinetry needs attention because of the hard knocks of life. Granite is supposedly classic but… There is so much ugly granite out there. And a lot of it is linked to certain eras. what looks classic to one person just looks ugly to the next. I would add soft white countertops to the classic and timeless category, and my solid surface ones are 23 years old and still absolutely beautiful. But they would only be timeless to me if paired with the right color cabinetry… Natural birch or natural maple for example, or painted cabinets. I would never like them paired with dark stained cabinets or very ornate ones.
My favorite panelled appliance is my hidden dishwasher. Actually the panelled appliances are more the norm here in Germany. 😄 I would add the following to your list: not considering drawers instead of cabinets for your lowers. I renovated three years ago and switched to all drawers below. No more crawling into the dark hidden corners looking for lost items! I think what you said about keeping a kitchen for a long time applies to ergonomic design as well. The triangle is an absolute must, and anything else that can add to ease of use, such as higher appliances or my abovementioned drawers, should definitely be considered.
Very good point about the drawers instead of cupboards which I’ve only recently seen and realized it’s a genius idea!! If I were to design my own kitchen I would definitely go that route!!
Yes to drawers! I have a tiny galley kitchen in my apartment, and there are a bunch of dinky little drawers and some cupboards, but one day I'll get it redone and then the lowers will be all drawers - everything I store in those cupboards could be handled with drawers as long as at least one is deep enough for the food processor. Easy. It's an odd space where whoever had a go at it last time made some weird choices, tbh - there's not enough working surface, but they prioritised having a large sink and a separate insinkerator/waste-disposal thing (which I never use)... and also a FULL size dishwasher that's freestanding and juts out about 2 inches from the cupboards/bench edge. Which I also never use. What a mess... that's going to get turned into an integrated dish drawer one day, if not done away with entirely - my dishes take 5-10 minutes, tops, but one advantage to a dish drawer would be never having dishes on the limited surface space. Is that worth, like, three thousand dollars and some inevitable repair bills over time? Maybe?
Just did exactly the same with mine. Only cabinets are under the sink and cooktop. Now that the drawers all pull out full-length it's so easy to find anything without crawling into a poorly lighted space. Bonus for those of us trying to extend years of living in our own homes.
You can make pull out drawers in your cabinets. Get slides installed on the inside walls and just attach some basic boxes/trays - voilà, drawers! I’m going to do this on my tacky contractor basic cabinets (after I paint them)! You can even have a couple of narrow pull out racks in one cabinet to hold condiments etc. There’s some ideas of this on RUclips.
Just had a kitchen reno completed and I replaced lower cabinets w big roomy drawers. BEST. DECISION. EVER. They come so deep, your soup pot will fit in them!😁👌🏻🙌🏻 No more digging in the dark😁😁😁
When I renovated my kitchen 20 years ago, I went with all drawers in my base cabinets except for under the sink and one corner. I’ll never go back. I also measured what I would actually be storing - I won’t lie it was a bit of a pain. I have what looks like standard banks of three drawers, but I can store what I want where I need it. Not having to crawl on the floor to access things or having to put things just wherever because a drawer is a 1/4” too shallow is wonderful.
My daughter has almost all drawers, which I love. I’m recently moved and on a budget, but plan to put pull-out shelves in lower cupboards to make things easier. I don’t dare get down on the floor either!
My old house was renovated with pull out drawers. Lived there for 10+ years and moved into a new home and am DYING with these stupid traditional under countertop cabinets.
Totally agree with you! My MIL still don't understand how drawers are better for the base cabinets except underneath the sink. And now she is complaining about her knee problems 🙄
On the backsplash you didn’t mention my pet peeve: textured tile. I keep seeing design shows/video where the ‘designer’ is using handmade tiles or other non-regular tiles and touting the ‘amazing texture!’ Sure. Great idea. They look great. Now how are you going to keep that clean?
@@dresser6135 we may not prepare food on it but in my house things definitely spatter up onto it from the range. I wouldn’t want to be trying to scrub grease or spaghetti sauce off a textured backsplash.
An add to the work triangle is the “washing up” line (or whatever shape suits your fancy). I believe it’s super important to have your sink, bin, and dishwasher (if you have one) to be close and accessible to each other! You don’t want to have to scrape your scraps into the bin and then walk all the way across the kitchen to rinse it/ pop in the dishwasher while potentially getting gunk all over the floor!
I was a kitchen designer for 5 years and let me just say the primary piece of advice I always had to remind clients of was FUNCTION OVER STYLE. You can have a beautiful, expensive kitchen but if it doesn’t actually work for you/your lifestyle you will grow to dislike it. Don’t design a kitchen based on the dream lifestyle you idealize having, design it around the reality of your life (I’m talking about you open shelving). Additionally…unless you have an unlimited budget you’re not going to get what you want 100% so make a top priorities list and go from there.
A person I know is 5 feet tall and she had very expensive cupboards installed but they are installed more than 18 inches from the counter top and because she wanted them up to the ceiling so instead of the cupboards being the standard distance from the counter top they are pushed up to the ceiling... she can't even see in bottom shelf of the cupboard... what a flipping disaster mistake. I am also only 5 feet tall and when I pointed it out she got mad a me .. but I wouldn't have paid that kind of money for a kitchen like that.
I saw a kitchen with two islands in a house I showed. Neither of which had a sink and they ran the full length of the wall cabinets. Think expanded galley kitchen with two islands that you would always have to run around. My buyers loved the house but hated the kitchen.
Love all of these points! I'd like to add that having the trash/recycling/etc in a cabinet under or right next to the sink tends to be really inconvenient. If someone is at the sink and a second person needs to throw something away, it gets very annoying to constantly have the person at the sink move over to allow access to the trash!
I always keep my trash out somewhere so I don't have to open cabinets with raw meat juice all over my hands, and then go back later and touch that meat-juicy cabinet handle to throw away a little wrapper or something.
not to mention most trash bins below a sink are without a lid and that can be terrible during summertime with the smell and the flies collecting, and the general space just being less so you have to change the bin all the time.
I'd rather the trans bin next to the sink than ours, which is across at the farthest end of the kitchen 😭. Walking and hoping nothing spills, or I pull the bin out and leave it near the prep area, either way is not good and it's too far away.
The other “plus” to having cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling is that you don’t have to clean an accumulation of greasy dust of the horizontal top surfaces every 2-3 months. After 20 years of living with my “builder standard” kitchen, where the cabinets stopped 15” from the 9’ ceilings, I now have a new kitchen with full height cabinets. And I love the extra storage space. Yes, I need a step-stool to access the highest ones, but I put my rarely-used roasting pan, wok, etc up in those top cabinets.
I’m about to buy my first place and the cabinets don’t go all the way to the ceiling. I won’t have money to change the kitchen for a few years. Plus there isn’t actually anything wrong with the kitchen so I don’t see why I need to change it however when I do, I will get the cabinets all the way up. I’ll also get myself a step up as I’m super short so I’ll definitely need that 😂
Some things that bug me in kitchens (learnt through renting) - back splash that's hard to clean - the smaller the tile, the more grout! And lighting where it's hard to change blown bulbs.
Going to politely disagree with the advice suggesting a lighting strip underneath the bottom cabinet baseboard. Crumbs end up down there on the floor periodically (in the real world) and the last thing that you want to do is highlight them. Or pet hair or anything else that gathers on your floor between cleanings. Huge fan of ambient lighting, but that is one location I feel is a giant mistake to highlight for the average person living in the real world.
I like them as night lights (enough light to navigate safely on your way past to the washroom, but not enough to jar you to full alertness), but yeah. Why not just shine a spotlight on the wall you didn't patch _perfectly_ or the one cupboard door that never quite hangs square while you're at it? 😁
As a pet owner, I also disagree with lighting by the floor. However, I changed out my ceiling lights to dimmers, and that’s a huge improvement. While I don’t use them a lot, I do use them in the evening, whether we’re relaxing or entertaining (and not focused on the kitchen at the time). I’d also add that the type of under counter lighting really matters. I have halogen lights and they are hot hot hot. Because of that, I won’t use them when it’s hot outside. I do, however, use them to help soften butter or activate yeast (but I can think of much more efficient ways to do those things).
I typically enjoy this series. I would point out - there are several cultures that desire LOTS.. …LOTS of color in the kitchen and interesting/dynamic tile inset around. I personally adore this look very much. But, to be fair, I also LOATH a subway backsplash.
I SO agree about the open shelving. My daughter, who does not cook (or boil water) , just remodeled her open concept kitchen with open shelving. For her, it works. It's an opportunity to display pretty things. For me, a cook with a tiny but very functional kitchen, open shelves would be a waste of space and the grease! To each her own.
I agree about the open shelving as well. I have one open shelf, and I keep my cookbooks on it. It’s across the kitchen from the cooking and prep areas so there is minimal greasy dust over there. I DO have one “tacky” sign in the kitchen, it says “homemade” and it is above the cookbooks.
When it comes to kitchen remodel (we are in the process now), I like to pick classics for things that are expansive and hard to replace, but I go "bold" on the kitchen knobs and pulls, and the kitchen chandelier. That way, I can replace them easily when I get bored of them or when they become dated.
Three things important for a functional kitchen : 1/ Drawers 2/ More Drawers 3/ Even more drawers. Use a quality softclose, double wall draws. Mostly Small, medium, large from top to bottom. Even a pantry, in the bottom half, and at the bottom of sink cabinet. I've been doing this for 25 years and every client absolutely loves it.
Spot on. Just like boat builders never have enough clamps! Kitchens never have enough drawers. A mostly drawers solution tend to be slightly more expensive. But it's totally worth the money on daily usage. Thumbs up. 😃
Agree with all of this. One thing I would say about electrical and plumbing requirements: it goes deeper than just making sure you have outlets in the right places. You also need to make sure that your house is capable of supplying the amount of power you need. Induction cooktops draw *a lot* of power, as do some ovens, not to mention the trend of having two ovens. So before you buy your appliances, speak to an electrician to make sure you have the power you need. Otherwise, you may be in the situation where you can't use your induction cooktop at the same time as your oven, which obviously is ridiculous.
And if you install a high-end gas range, you'll need a high-pressure meter and gas line for them. People don't really think these things through well enough.
@@tikusblue= That's because they use far less time to cook things. I've never hear that they draw more power. I'll have to ask my electrician. Planning on getting induction.
I would add to the list not taking into account the overall style, age, and architecture of your house. If your house is mid-century modern, shoe-horning in a traditional kitchen might make you happy in the short run, but at some point you are going to realize that it just doesn't fit. And vice versa, if the home is very traditional with moldings and wainscoting, etc., slab cabinet doors and a waterfall island are probably going to fall flat. Sometimes the currently popular kitchen style is just not going to work well in your house. My kitchen could be a color catastrophe (my walls are chartreuse), but I limited the bold color to easily-changed wall paint and art (mostly, my range is teal). Cabinets, counter, floor, and backsplash are all neutral.
I agree 😄. When designing our house, my husband and I are trying to complement the design of our 1900s 4 square house. We love a Scandinavian/Minimalist design, but we’re incorporating the beautiful natural stained wood of the more original part of the house by selecting natural/stained wood furniture pieces. Most of the new furniture we bought actually ended up a bit mid-century modern, not gonna lie 😅. But it still looks great because we’re keeping the whole house in mind. Although Art Deco or traditional would be the most fitting for the house’s time period, we were able to select pieces that we loved but still embraced the uniqueness of the house. I’ve definitely learned so much from RUclips from folks like Nick! 🥰
Thank you for pointing out that the backsplash is not necessarily the best place to go hog wild! People say stuff like "go crazy on the backsplash, they're so easy to replace!" and I'm always like... *are they* though? Maybe they're the least expensive built-in to replace but that doesn't make them cheap, or easy.
@@Nick_Lewis The counter area they think of when they are designing the kitchen usually isn't the counter area they actually live with. There's enough visual clutter once you put utensils, canisters, plants, coffee makers, toasters, etc. in front of that backsplash. Let that backsplash be a clean and simple backdrop to your more interesting items, not competition.
You can get a separate panel cut to size to lay over your backsplash area and go wild with that. Don’t like it later, change it. Your original backsplash is still there.
I got some colourful dc fix/vinyl- it's easily removable if i get sick of it and I didn't need to rip tiles off to change the look. It's been up a few months now and very durable.
Definitely agree on the extension of the cabinetry. I recently built my home and a few people tried to talk me out of going all the way to the ceiling (10ft). I ended up listening to my intuition and went all the way with glass windows in the upper cabinets with LED lighting there and under the cabinets. I’m so happy i went with that look. It’s stunning! My friend has 10ft ceilings and didn’t run hers to the top and it looks unfinished.
@@danaburks3091 maybe… I personally don’t think it looks right without being taken to the ceiling. It’s honestly one of the first things I notice now. To me it greatly cheapens the look when there’s a gap. Not sure how you would do it with 12ft though.
I really like the constructive way you talk about these mistakes Especially with the first point, you aren't just saying "bright colours are ugly!" You're giving valid reasons as to why more colourful kitchens aren't as timeless
Subbed because a) you don't have a hyper screechy voice b) your advice is logical and doable c) your ethos is good towards the enviroment and d) rockin' the same color palette as me.
As far as the work triangle goes, in my opinion, the refrigerator is not a part of it. Its really just a cold pantry and one you should not be opening frequently. The real triangle includes the sink, stove, and work surface. And, as far as the stove goes, if you cook a lot, never put the stove right against a wall. Or against the fridge. There needs to be counter space on both sides.
I agree. I share a house currently and my two housemates share the ‘normal’ fridge in the kitchen while mine is just around the corner in the mud room and I really like it. I have dry pantry cabinets above and my fridge and separate undercounter size freezer underneath. I can get everything out of the fridge, freezer, and dry cabinets onto the top of the freezer and then move it all to my prep area. Then everything I need is right at hand! It’s made my cooking much more efficient than when I used to run around the kitchen grabbing the next ingredient or two and inevitably discovering I forgot something or ran out of something. In my new house design I really wanted the fridge just outside the kitchen in a walk in pantry but that didn’t work out with the floor plan so it’ll be in the kitchen but it gets to be out of the way in a corner.
I've been looking at houses for sale for a long time now, and there are SO many with stoves smashed into a corner like an afterthought, or smashed right up against the fridge. I couldn't cook in a corner like that. That, and dead dusty space above the cabinets are the two major deal-breakers for me in kitchens. I can refinish cabinets & change hardware. I can paint, I can install new flooring....but corner cooking & cabinet dead space are instant "no's".
Yeah, never really understood the inclusion of the fridge. I guess without it it's no longer a triangle lol, but the fridge is no more important than any other cupboard where you keep cooking ingredients.
Cropped cabinets: the main reason I wanted ours all the way to the ceiling is that I’m short (5’), and the thought of dusting way up there, no thank you. And it does look better, as you pointed out.
The worst kitchen I ever cooked in had a huge island down the middle with the sink on one wall and the refrigerator on the opposite wall on the other side of the island. The cooktop was on the wall at one end of the island. It took forever to do anything walking miles around that island over and over trying to prepare a meal or clean up.
Yes, my in-laws have a smaller island, but a similar set up in their kitchen. There have been many visits where I look at the kitchen and try to figure out how to reconfigure it so that it works better.
OMG! I have the same kitchen ~ I'm being medicated for the depression it causes!! And the real burn is that it seems that kitchen was built, then the rest of the house was added onto it. It's truly beautiful to look at, just not functional.
You are one of the few people I don't have to watch on an advanced speed. 😂 Love your fast delivery of great info, Nick. (oh and your sarcasm. So funny.)
Bang on advice about using neutral colors, utilizing storage solutions of the modern day, keeping the triad work space function, using lighting to be helpful rather than just a whatever, and being mindful of how you live and use your kitchen. Thank you, Nick Lewis!
I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation project and while cabinets and walls are neutral I'm going with a MCM blue stacked tile. Crossing my fingers it doesn't get too tired.
@@explorewithsteggie1913 That sounds nice! My renovation consists of changing the hardware and you know what? Even that made a big difference lol . Those details are important.
We just did a kitchen reno last year of our tiny kitchen. I am pleased to say we hit all your points! We built white cabinets to the ceiling in our neutral kitchen with subway tile with dark grout. We installed pot lights, under cabinet lighting, task lighting, with only 3 small open shelves.
What a surprise to see “not considering panelled solutions” as one of the tips. In Belgium our appliances have been pretty much completely panelled for ages. It is a rare occasion when people choose a “visible” fridge or dishwasher.
I don't know what that would cost in the US, but since they're uncommon, they'd likely be very expensive, custom appliances. Appliances are already poor quality. The need to replace them annoyingly often makes panelled options unattractive unless the cost were even with standard options.
In the UK we have exposed fridges etc... Its just simpler when a replacement is needed. I have an inbuilt dishwasher which is more common for whatever reason
@@UnseenSpirit Interesting. When my parents built their house, the builders provided very few options, and they price gouged heavily. It wasn't even possible to get a proper vent hood.
Just finished designing our kitchen. Whew, I’m glad I did not make any of these mistakes. I have been following Mark Tobin for awhile and discovered you recently doing a live on his channel. Everybody said to me, “are you doing a white kitchen?” When I told them no, I’m doing navy on the bottom cabinets, maple on top and an off white quartz countertop with veining and taking the cabinets to the ceiling. You should have seen the looks on their faces LOL! I spent four hours with the kitchen designer and designed this kitchen for how I work. I love your viewpoints!
Excellent suggestions. For those who wish to integrate a countertop and backsplash in the same material for that higher end look but can only afford laminate, it's possible to do it. It works best when using a laminate that looks very much like stone. I've done it and it was amazing. The designer/sales rep for the company, however, didn't wish to do it and I had to be persuasive. The end result was impressive (even the rep said so), inexpensive, and always easy to maintain. So it is an option if you're careful.
@@Nick_Lewis It's also important to choose the right option for the edge if you're going laminate. I used the rounded look common to the pricey options. No more glued on flat strips or weird little indents, thank god.
The previous owner of our house did this with laminate in a solid deep blue-purple that sounds atrocious but is actually stunning with the honey colored wood cabinetry and white trim. More than twenty years later the color rolled around to fashionable again. Unfortunately it was installed horribly and with one of those four-inch stops covering the gap along the back edge like some cheap rental bathroom. I'd use matching laminate on the wall and counters again in a minute. My mom's kitchen has 70 year old Formica ("primrose linen") for both backsplash and counter, and it's still beautiful and very simple and clean looking.
@@elisabetk2595 i used an edge to edge match with a clear silicone bead. This is not a DIY project. Someone skilled has to do a number of fussy cuts for plugs and switches and all the other things which might be involved. You get what you pay for. I am a firm believer in paying skilled trades well.
@@Nick_Lewis Hi, Nick, are you kidding? My parents had laminate in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. We used laminate when renovating an 1845 house. Forty five years later it still looks good. In 1999 we used black laminate on the upper level of an island. The tile we used on the counter tops is beginning to show minor chips, but the laminate is perfect. Like any surface you cannot put a hot scalding pot on laminate. The previous writer is correct, the trick is about the edge; and in not using the bump on the edge. That bump keeps spills from falling down the front of the lower cabinets, very practical, but it does date the look. Would you do a segment about linoleum , a natural product, and Mannington sheet vinyl flooring? Thanks for all this info, Nick. I know you put a lot into your presentations.
Lol! First thing you mentioned is a colorful kitchen! I’m in the middle of renovating mine, and I’m going to be painting my cabinets red and dark turquoise. I will have one wall of black “subway” tile with stainless steel shelving, and the others will be painted. I’m doing my countertop concrete. My floor will be the old fashioned black and white check. I’m a very eclectic person, the way I dress and the way I design my home. I always get compliments on both! 😍
I just reno’s my kitchen (I’m 95% done with construction). First time since I moved in 15 years ago that I’ve been able to reno my kitchen. My new cabinets go up to the ceiling and what a difference! My whole kitchen looks so much bigger!
I love colourful/hectic kitchens, it reminds me of the kitchens i frequented while growing up in scotland. a scottish farmhouse style kitchen with a strong colour or two and then lots of little colourful bits looks fantastic in my opinion
Thank you for the great vid Nick! You often say "in my opinion" in order to not get into internet fights which is fair, but people should know that what you say is backed up by well-established design principles, that are fundamental & important in any type of design. From interior design to graphic design and a lot of other design types. (I'm a graphic designer myself). Stream lines, simple shapes, neutral pallets are all important and make any design look cleaner and more thought out. Great vid! :)
I don't use the work triangle in my kitchen, it's more like work zones. For example I bake bread every day so all the ingredients and tools for that task are in one area which is different to where I make other food. I call it a baking station. I find these zones really efficient and logical to use while cooking. I have a very small kitchen so I need to make best use of the space and this system works well.
I love the color catastrophe kitchens! Love the bright colors, to me they are so inviting and cheerful. The white, stainless steel kitchens are cold, clinical, industrial and almost surgical. Not a place for happy joyful meal prep.
I was stressing out trying to pick out the right backsplash tile. Finally, I just gave in and you subway tile. In the kitchen are used 3 x 12 tile and in the bathroom are used 4 x 12 tile. I love it. It is simple but yet a little bit different.
LOL OH Dear I for sure went kooky crazy with my kitchen mosaic back splash. I have had it now 8 or 9 years . Still love it. Created a proto type to hang behind the stove to see if hubby and i could live with it and he said it was one of his favorite pieces of mine. So I spent 9 months making the tiles to install. It for sure ties into the ugly tan counter top. We loved it so much I also created tiles to do the ends of the dividing wall between dining room and living room. Then added a coordinating mosaic half mannequin and a 40 inch mosaic steel lizard climbing up the wall to the dining room and called it good. Nick I love your ideas. I really do but my life is now too short to live in something classic=boring to me. Beautiful yes I am just to crazy kooky to live in timeless classic.
@@saraheschweiler4939 Thank you Sarah. We moved here in 2008 and after flipping houses for 20 years and my needing to stay so conservaive hubby told me to let my heart sing in this house. Sadly he passed in 2016. It took me awhile to deal with the grief but my heart sings again. I moved my studio work table into my living room and turned my studio into a guest room and now I am running out of walls cabinets furniture to glue my glass to. I have done a few vidoes on them. Not telling you this for views or subs because my vidoes are total crap. At 73 I do not really care. LOL My kitchen is so pretty in person but does not photo well. The smaller tiles I bought look brown but in person they are beautiful rich rainbow colors. I just finished 5 windows for my front porch. Thought they were done when I showed them but I took them down again and added more to them.
Just remodeled my kitchen completely and I agree on all of these!! I absolutely love my new kitchen with gray quartzite waterfall countertops, marble backsplash, warm white cabinets to the ceiling, under cabinet lighting, lots of electrical outlets. It’s a small kitchen with a peninsula and no island and it’s perfect for us now. All great advice Nick!!
@@Nick_Lewis Hi Nick, this video has helped me since we are planning to update the kitchen. Although, we are still not sure if it's ok to take the cabinet all the way up to the ceiling, which it's 9'9 high. What do you think?
I love how you stop and correct yourself and say it is a lot more expensive to extend cabinets to the ceiling. For us personally, we left out upper cabinets and shelvings completely (2 people in a big house with a room to act as pantry) since we are both too short to take advantage of the storage space AND on a rather tight budget. 😀
I’d just like to say that I’m glad you said what you did about the double island and that the peninsula is not considered a mistake. Peninsulas can work better than an island and most likely better than 2.
I hate microwave exhaust fan combo. The fan is so weak it’s worthless. Microwave placed high means dropping hot food, danger for children and seniors. It also means compromised cooktop height to accommodate tall stockpot. I bought a high power exhaust fan that my 5’ mom can reach (push button operation, no remote or keypad). We do a lot of stir fry and frying. So far I don’t see a layer of grease covering kitchen surface.
Plus those things are hard to reach if you're short. I'm 5-2. Having a microwave above a range means that not only is it always smelly and gross, but I can't reach in or see or clean it
as much as I don't like them either, some kitchens, like mine, just don't have the space for a countertop microwave. I have precious little counterspace as it is, I am not sacrificing 25% of it to have a microwave sit on it. Microwaves are kind of an eyesore no matter where they are. If I had the space I would love to have the built in wall unit oven/microwave combo deal. My house just isn't right for it though so you live with what you've got.
@@erineccentric5810 If you have the kitchen space at all, you could buy a shelf organizer. In my and my dad's apartment, the kitchen is only 3 counters. So instead, we got a shelf and put the microwave on top, plus cans and boxes to save other space. It may be helpful if you can fit it
@@erineccentric5810 You can buy an oven and microwave in one. It's a full size built in oven that can also microwave. You just need a separte stove above it and it takes up the same amount of space. You can get a proper exhaust fan this way without giving up any function.
Over the years I have realized how much a photo of living spaces seems to reveal a true picture of how things really look. My eye isn't always as trustworthy as I'd like to think! Too busy a look shows up well, and I realize what I can live with, what to change. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised that I've actually gotten it right! Looking at pictures of finished rooms of someone else, a great help!
I'm glad you mentioned open shelving. I do too much frying, so despite the exhaust fan there is airborne grease. Dust settles on the grease. Any item left out for more than a few days would have to be washed before it's used. Also, I don't have lots of extra shelf space that I can waste on decorative things. Most of my shelves hold items I use, and I'm glad they're in cabinets behind doors.
I always enjoy your videos. We are at present in the middle of a full gut kitchen reno, and are already doing everything you suggest! Moving DW over to get into other cupboards more easily, cabinets are going up to the ceiling, “Magic Corners” instead of lazy Susan shelves in corner cabinets, navy blue lower and paperwhite upper cabinets, pale green glass subway backsplash tiles, dark luxury vinyl plank flooring with a 35 year warranty. Also having USB ports on some of the electrical outlets, and slide out shelves in lower cabinets, also added more drawers and slide out recycling bins behind cabinet doors, quartz counter tops, and a countertop push button to operate the garburator which I will love instead of reaching for a wall switch with wet hands. We did good, I think! (Great minds, and all that.....) Very happy so far.....we have a great contractor with superb tradesmen here in the lower mainland. 👍 Did not use a designer, came up with it all ourselves, in conjunction with our contractor. Now I just have to learn to like cooking a bit more.....🤣
Thank you, thank you, thank you for talking about the work triangle. I cannot believe how many times I have shouted at the tv while watching popular home shows where the stove is placed on the other side of a yacht-sized island on the opposite end of the room. I can only shake my head and think that no one is cooking anymore.
Thanks Nick, very timely information. We are renovating our kitchen and honestly you have answered most if not all our concerns and validated some of our questions. I am forwarding this to my husband right away. Thanks friend.
When I refaced my kitchen cabinets we built another small box on top of the existing boxes and brought the doors to the ceiling. Saved a bit of money but using existing wall cabinet boxes.
I love the way you think Nick. My house was being built when I bought it and the contractor was inflexible about making changes, even if I paid for them, but I got away with a few things in the kitchen like the tile backsplash, the countertops, and pendant lights (I did the legwork of finding the materials and paying for them), but I couldn’t convince them to take the cabinets up to the ceiling. I did have them paint the peninsula a different color to break the all-white look. I love the result. As far as ambient light, I put smart bulbs on the pendants so I can use them as task lighting when needed but I can also dim them and change their color for ambiance.
Thanks for this video, Nick. You shared some good standard principles for designing kitchens. As the "chief" cook in my household, I have some more to add. I am so frustrated with small U-shaped kitchens with the stove or sink at the top of the U and two dead corners, storage-wise. Turntables only hold so much. instead, make it a galley kitchen with the sink or stove on one side - this is so much more functional. If possible, opening a galley kitchen on both ends enables a second person to enter/exit without getting in the way of a person cooking. For lower cabinets, all kitchen cabinet makers need to get rid of the swinging doors and shelves and make those all pull-out drawers instead. This gives much easier access to all the items stored in the back, increasing usable storage. Pullouts under the sink for trash/recycling and cleaning supplies seem have become more standard for these reasons, but all lower cabinets should have drawers. Also, the under-sink pull-outs need to be split so someone working at the sink doesn't have to move all the way to the side when someone wants to throw trash, etc. in a bin under the sink. dirt One last suggestion is to make the cabinet over refrigerators at counter depth so we can store narrow pans, trays, platters there. One cannot access items in the back of shallow cabinets over the fridge. Another possibility might be a pull out shelf this space to enable more access. Please do a part 2 with more ideas from you and your viewers that you think are worth sharing.
LOVE this!! Agree 100% with all your tips. Wish more people knew this. Shopping for a home and pretty much 98% of the kitchens we've seen would have to be gutted, walls removed and totally rearranged in order to make them work. So of course we have to take the cost of this off the purchase price. Not a seller's goal!
SO HELPFUL, THANK YOU! Interior design scares me but I'm a creative person who wants a beautiful home but I have no idea how and get overwhelmed. You make all of it make sense and I'm forever grateful 🙏
You just stopped me from buying crazy tile for my backsplash! Now I will be doing dekton backsplash same colour as the countertop, just thinner slab. Plus I hate to wash and see many grout lines between tiles.
Something no one else seems to have mentioned….I remodeled my lower cabinets to be cabinet fronts with pull out shelves inside. Cheaper than full drawers, just as easy to access stuff inside, adjustable for storage changes and more of a clean uncluttered look for the cabinet faces.
But they must have sides. I have them and very little side so I bought baskets, but still not a perfect fit. I'm remodeling this kitchen and 3 others next year. Even taking out one wall upstairs kitchen. Fun times ahead.
I don't have overheads - and just four shallow drawers, two cupboards, under sink cupboard, and a fairly small larder...it makes one focus on not having too much!
These kitchen mistakes are right on point! I redid my counters a backsplash a few years ago and went with the timeless absolute black granite and a lovely arabesque backsplash. The white backspace is just unique enough to give the area interest without overpowering the space. I chose a soft contrast for grout, just enough for the beautiful arabesque shape to standout and shine. I'm still in love with my new space, so for me, timeless choices always win the day! Oh, and anyone who didn't see the demise of open shelving the day it hit magazines, just wasn't thinking! lol Sending love from sunny CA!
Just want to say that I agree completely with EVERYTHING you said. Thank you so much for reiterating traffic and work flow patterns. Now if only builders watched you!
You made me so happy! My kitchen designer was so very good working with a small space…30 years ago. Oak solid wood cabinetry that shows almost no wear with real brass knobs & handles (I could change them but nothing else seems betteramazing Work triangle, 1 open shelf, cabinet above has glass doors for display of vintage dishes used sometimes but not every day, specialty drawers for trays, corner lazy Susan for spices, etc, eat at anchored island with shelves underneath for crock pot, blender, entertainment dishes, etc,
I recently redid my kitchen. Didn't make any of these mistakes 🙌🏻 I really love my soapstone countertops. They're natural stone with very little to no maintenance required.
I used the word ‘cabinetry’ in a sentence today and I’m genuinely feeling this is a step in the right direction for me and my verrrrry tired kitchen 😂 thank you Nick
8:33 I've always thought of task lighting around the house as the last kind of lighting I would add in a communal space that already has layers of lighting. BUT kitchen task lighting is as essential as bedside task lighting! And yes... electrical outlets are the most satisfying thing to have in a home, above all other interior design! Thanks for this video.
I am so tired of seeing subway tile.😖 I’ve seen some very high end kitchens that completely miss the work triangle. FUNCTION is #1! Spacial issues are another common and frustrating issue…when I designed and built my kitchen I cut up cardboard templates to give me physical reality. Great video, spot on tips!👍🏻
My son is going to buy me appliances once I am finished making a mess with plaster demo and reno. First, floor (limestone or sandstone tile), then fridge, oven. Already have a 17” Samsung brushed nickel DW.
Bespoke, Samsung, counter-depth, French-door fridge. Pink top left door. White top right. Blue freezer pull out drawer face. All glass panels. I love the water access is inside the fridge. Cleaner look. I am considering painting the bottom cabinets a teal to echo and deepen the blue from the bottom of the fridge. Risky, I know! I think with a whitish, neutral floor and the acacia, butcher-block counter (at least on one 4’ stretch beside the fridge) the colors would go well. Maybe white uppers maybe extend the teal? Idk idk I need an auto cad program rendering… lol
One for the list for me… pet peeve or mistake. Small lip backsplash counter tops and ranges. My son is buying me a flat, cast iron top Samsung oven that will make it feel more open. Need it! The eye can follow to the wall and across to the window. Only the range hood with the stove pipe look above the range. I will caulk the crack by the wall, of course, (for the base cabinets! Not range) and use maybe a herringbone pattern neutral tile for the backsplash. No weird backsplash heights, either. All one strip across and around the room. Like a necklace. Idk idk idk maybe make a second kitchen mistakes! There are so many! I am seriously considering all you mentioned, bc it’s been thirty years since I bought this house and will probably be another thirty before I do it again. I will be so happy to not have an old 1940’s kitchen anymore.
I was considering open shelves over the sink counter… my son said no. I was considering cabinets to 6” from the ceiling. Maybe not, now. You said no. Doors will open ok that close to the ceiling? Will be face frame cabinets. Maybe drop an inch then hide with trim? Counter to under upper cabinets can be 17” maybe still ok… idk idk idk decisions decisions. At least I’m going slowly. Piano piano.
Also, genius hack, my son may make me a garbage chute on the wall beside the w back door and in front of the fridge. No wasting a cabinet on a trash can. Clever. Clean. Garbage outside only!!!
I've been really interested lately in the idea of an unfitted kitchen (which I think might be an old school victorian idea) and finding ways to incorporate that into our modern kitchens. Certain things like plumbing and electrical, of course, will need to be permanent and installed, however for cabinets and other items, the idea of being able to switch them out to clean or change the piece is really interesting to me.
Yup. The way it is done in European kitchens. They use a price of furniture for kitchen cabinets, which people try and mimic now with fixed wall cabinets. Ha.
I never heard of the work triangle and it makes so much sense and is probably why I hate cooking in our new house. The refrigerator is on the other side of the very large island and it's a huge pain! This helps me so much with my kitchen remodel plans!
Excellent recommendations Nick! Just want to chime in and say, if possible, have your sink area looking out a window or wall opening (like to the dining room that has windows you can look out) rather than facing a wall of cabinets. This is especially true if you spend a lot of time cooking because most food prep and clean up takes place near the sink. Also, ample work space on either side of the sink so you can, for example, set dirty dishes on the left and washed dishes on the right preferably with the dishwasher beside the sink.
I was literally talking to my husband about our kitchen remodel just before I saw that you had posted this video. So many good things to think about. I really love your personal style (it's definitely along the lines of what I'm going for in my own home) and can't wait to see what you do in your new place!
I have the cropped cabinetry, added a floor to ceiling pantry years later, and you are so right about it making your kitchen look better,I wish I could do the whole kitchen! Also I am going to share this with my hubby because I have not persuaded him we need our bulbs to match!
Well, my style and yours couldn't be more farther apart. I absolutely love funky patterns and colour and have never tired of it. For me it is not a mistake.
Hi Nick, really enjoying your vids. As a Brit married to a Yank I am learning a lot about some of the design suggestions he makes and some of the brands he mentions. I have a couple of tips to add to your kitchen design mistakes. 1. Handles. I loved the look of those cute cup handles in our country kitchen but DH (Darling Husband) pointed out that, at 6'5 with hands like a backwoods lumberjack, they were simply impractical for him. A bit of dedicated searching found some larger ones that work perfectly so my tip is always consider the size of people's hands when choosing handles. I would also think carefully about any type of slot handle as they're not the easiest thing to clean. Over long metal handles that span almost the entire width of the cabinet, especially the trendy deep drawers, are very popular here. Fine, although you might regret the choice the third time you catch your hip on the corner. 2. Vertical pull out storage. I hate to claim that something changed my life, but these vertical pull out cabinets certainly changed the storage in my kitchen. Everything such as jars, tins, condiments, bottles of oil and wine and bags of rice and pasta are clearly visible. This saves buying things you already have because it's shoved to the back of your cupboard and assists in stock rotation. I have 2 x 20cm, 1 each of 30cm, 40cm and 60cm and, for the width of 2 standard cabinets, they hold a MASSIVE amount of stuff. Internal racks are adjustable and the open wire work racks mean that debris falls to the floor and that's all you need to clean. Honestly, a game changer. 3. Bench seating. You're desperate for an island but that would compromise the space for a dining table. Do you SQUEEEEEEEZE around the table or reduce the size of your island? You can do both! The 'open' side of the island has a bench seat attached. Voila!! The seating will also provide storage for tabelcloths, napkins and seasonal table decorations. The table can be an extending style so you gather up more chairs for the holiday meals then tuck everything away again when it's just the family. Bench seat kits can be bought at DIY stores or via the internet or a local carpenter will happily make one for you if you're not confident. 4. Adjustable counter tops. Kitchens need to cater to all the family these days. Parents, one at 6'5, the other at 5'9! Children. Grandchildren. Maybe even great grandchildren. Possibly someone with restricted mobility or a wheelchair user. Having a section of countertop that is height adjustable is a very clever idea. The mechanism is available from a specialist supplier and you use a section of your chosen countertop, unless you want something different! Ours has two chairs popped under for breakfast and snacks then can be raised for DH to make his awesome paella or chili or lowered for my grandchildren to cook something. I like it a little higher than standard countertop height for kneading bread then I can lower it for my grandaughter to decorate cup cakes. If you have back health issues you might find the ability to raise the height to be very important. Needs careful planning into the kitchen design but definitely worth the effort. 5. High gloss. High gloss cabinet fronts are very trendy in the UK right now. I have no idea why! The only person who would be happy having high gloss cabinet fronts is someone who never cooks, doesn't have family or pets and can afford a cleaner! Do not get high gloss if you have: a man about the house; children; grandchildren; family with children; pets (especially cats!); if you enjoy cooking; if you can't afford a cleaner; if you don't have a pathological desire to clean. My parents had wood cabinet doors. I asked my Mother once why she chose wood. She shot a conspiratorial look to my Father and said "I heard once that they can't get fingerprints off wood!" Now we all know that's not true but why would you want to spend your days in a constant battle against fingerprints shouting at you from the cabinet doors? Similarly, avoid high gloss floors, especially if you have kids, pets, visitors, dirty jobs and especially if your main entrance to the house goes directly into the kitchen. Life is too short to spend all that time cleaning. I do agree that we all make the mistakes, partly because we prioritise trend over function. I am so pleased that I am at a life stage now where I care nothing for trends and want my kitchen to be useful, functional and family-friendly.
Great video - thanks, Nick. Happy to say my kitchen in our new house is pretty well perfect, and avoids all your design mistakes! I worked with both a designer and our custom cabinet-maker to achieve what I required out of my kitchen. I love natural stone; the island and table tops are Neutrino Bordeaux granite, and the main counters Cambrian black granite (the only stone I could find to compliment the multicoloured Neutrino Bordeaux). The granite was, just this week, repolishd and sealed, making it so easy to keep spotless and fingerprint-free, but, elsewhere in the house, I have marble, limestone, quartzite, and even onyx countertops. I had them covered with TuffSkin, a fabulous product that protects the stone from staining and etching! I am always very careful, but my husband isn’t, and I don’t expect my guests to be, either. Tuffskin has alleviated my fear of having my beautiful, and costly, stone counters ruined. It comes in both polished and matte finishes, and both are beautiful. I can’t recommend this product highly enough.
Great video. Regarding “quartz” - it is not really a natural material like granite or quartzite since it contains up to 10% resin. While it won’t stain from wine (and the like) it will burn (or stain from heat) which is why you must use heat pads or trivets if laying something very hot on it.
Agree about everything you mentioned with the exception of the paneling on appliances. I do love the look, but think some kitchens look equally beautiful with high end appliances, or retro ones, visible. Excellent design analysis though. Thanks.
I just started building my first home and I've been watching all your videos, they have been so helpful! I feel like you're saving me from future regrets & disasters.
Hey gang! Just remember that if you love something that I point out in this video - it isn't a mistake! These are just some ideas of things that I think you should consider avoiding when designing your kitchen. I've probably made half of these mistakes myself so I know how hard kitchen design is!
I am guilty of using the typical open carriage chandelier style pendant. My issue is I have a large island and I wanted see through type lighting so it didn’t look bulky. I did get them on sale so they weren’t a huge investment, and at the moment, I like the looks. Any suggestion on alternatives? The ones in the video seemed too small for my taste.
Some of us are sick of boring chevron and subway tile. Gag. And gray, white, and more white!
"Nature does it best"! I feel that applies to the use of colour as well. Natural earth colour tones (grey isn't natural with the exception of depressing overcast skies and bland rocks-is that the mood for a home, heck no!) need to be part of our home!!! Remember creams, browns, blues and greens are nature's foundation, with glorious splashes of the rainbow and flowers and...
That's nature, please bring it indoors and brighten boring homes again 😀
@@Trwanddon ordered my family room furniture back in March, we were told it could take UP to 22 weeks, its been 33 weeks and no furniture yet. I ordered it in grays and now idk if I want gray anymore 😐
@@francesh3423 grey is a natural earth colour. I'm sorry that you can't find the beauty in rocks or rainy days. It's like saying "I don't want anything brown because mud doesn't look nice" 😁
It's only boring if you don't know how to style it🤷♀️
The triangle, or L shaped kitchen was first proposed by Lillian M Gilbreth. She was an efficiency expert and inventor. She also invented the foot pedal trash can and shelves on refrigerator doors. She also determined the standard height for countertops. She was was the first professor of engineering at Purdue University. Her husband, Frank Gilbreth, was the inventor of the flow chart. Lillian and Frank had 12 children. After they were grown, two of their children wrote "Cheaper by the Dozen " which was made into a movie with Clifton Webb and Myna Loy.
Wow! Fascinating -- thanks for sharing that.
That’s awesome!
Great reminder! My mom (a secretary for the county agent through the depression and into the 40s) loved that book - and we both learned to touch type (another of Frank's 'efficiency' methods!
My new kitchen is an L, with a counter between the cooktop and fridge.
Ironically, the builder didn't take drawer and cupboard clearance into account when OK-ing stove size and placement - and we will likely switch it out for a cooktop with more storage under!
Someone is a History Chicks podcast fan. You beat me to it.
@@LaVaneBea Never heard of History Chick's. I'll have to check it out. I'm just old and read a lot. I did major in history but that was probably long before you were born. 😉
Love the video but I would love to see more examples of smaller kitchens. Not all of us have american-sized gigantic kitchens with a huge island :-/
I second that.
Yes, please!
I agree my house was built in 1890 and the kitchen addition was done in 1950. So I have a very small kitchen
Ditto. We have a galley kitchen which also contains the washer, dryer and water heater. The design allows two of those appliances to become additional counter space, but we lack storage and there's still not enough counter space. A remodel is pending, and those appliances will be finding new homes. As we are on a slab, with an adjacent bathroom, the most effective way to expand the kitchen is to build an addition off of the front, but $$$!
I plan on finishing out my life in this house, so i really just want to improve space.
@@f.demascio1857 Galley kitchens can be great, because you don't need to move a lot to get the cooking done. I used to have a tall cabinet with a raised oven in the corner - then the cooking plate, dish washer with a counter top, sink, with uppers above it all. Built in air thing above the stove - the vent is narrow so you can cover it and have spice rack shelving in front of it, but still hidden in a normal looking upper - plus having a closed spice rack above the stove is great imho).
The opposite side was all worktop with drawers and cabinets, also an under the counter fridge. And above it upper cabinets with a bit of open shelving to open the space up. We had a stand alone freezer in the entry hallway of the apartment. One side had the door to that hallways the other opened up a bit toward a large window where the dinning nook was. There was a bit of breathing space between the kitchen and dinning room because left and right had doorways to the other rooms.
IDK I live in Europe so our fridges are usually standard cabinet width and the freezer can be put into the hallway (icy water from a freezer is not a thing). You can also have the dry storage in a cabinet by the freezer (refill of extra salt, flour, rice, dry beans, potatoes, rarely used appliances, oven pans beside the two you always need and Christmas cookie tins).
Maybe see some old commie kitchen designs. Extremely liveable, good natural light and very, very sensible design for actual daily use.
. Buying a newly built apartment I despaired on how un-liveable the architecture was (I guess none of them have a family to cook and bake for, jfc some new builds are bad). The wall side is tall cabinets on the side with built in fridge and raised oven. Now a have an open kitchen but basically made it a galley kitchen in function. Then built in washer, sink and cooking plate with uppers in between, light strips underneath. Opposite is large countertop island with storage drawers and cabinets facing the kitchen and an overhang with places to sit facing the living space. Sits 4 people as is very comfortably. 7 with additional seats from storage, though not as comfortable since the kitchen side doesn't have and overhang.
You hit the nail on the head on every single one of your points! Another reason for cabinets all the way to the ceiling is because it avoids a big dust collection problem.
Yes! It eliminates putting dust collecting "stuff" on top, and keeps the cat from jumping up there! (I speak from personal experience on both points). I recently refaced my cabinets and had boxes built to take it to the ceiling (and I have 10 ft ceilings) with no regrets what so ever. I put 3" vertical pulls to match the 7" pulls on the lower doors, no glass to have to clean, and it looks beautiful. I don't care if I ever put anything in them, it just looks a million times better!
@N D Open shelves look cheap to me, like they couldn't afford cabinets.
@@PattyKollias love that! Did you have the boxes built for you? I am thinking of doing the same.
@@soulguidedbookclub9119 yes, I had them built by the same cabinet maker who refaced the frames and made new doors, all topped off with crown molding
We have some open shelving in our kitchen that the previous owners installed. I loved them at first, now I hate them. I do have some of my lovely vintage dishes (with questionable lead content) displayed so it doesn't look empty but the dust and grease that collects has me daydreaming and planning for closed cabinets (all the way to the ceiling!) ASAP.
I never understood the open kitchen shelves trend. Not only are they dust collectors , but kitchen dust tends to be greasier than regular dust….. or is that just me😬🤷♀️
Wholeheartedly agree, why would you want it all to be seen and have it getting dirty.
@@magswilliams-fuller8879 I dont know what the hate is for open shelfs. Ive had mine for a year and they are not greasy and dirty. My cabints were actually dirtier.
I think it is a low budget shelving …
I know a lot of serious foodies who cook like crazy, grow and preserve their own foods, etc. who live by open shelves in the kitchen. Everything is easy to get to fast; everything is used so often, there's no time for anything to get dusty. Nobody cares so much about making it look like a showcase kitchen - they like the busy, well-used, functional look.
@@Vietsical A ton of cabinets are junky looking.
My biggest pet peeve as a former kitchen designer was the insistence on having an island even when there was not reasonable space for one. You need a certain amount of clearance for a functional island and enough clearance between the perimeter and island to keep the whole kitchen functional. The number of clients who absolutely refused to understand this concept despite multiple explanations, drawings and even taping space out on the floor was unreal.
Sometimes it hard for people to come to grips with the fact that their original kitchen layout was the best possible use of space. We want a change things and that desire, at times, can lead us to make the space less efficient and functional.
After using a kitchen with a very unfunctional island, I am anti-island, too, especially if you have to go around it for anything. It can be a real impediment to preparing a meal. The previous host of the Splendid Table once interviewed an architect who specialized in designing home kitchens for professional chefs. He said what they wanted wasn't large, fancy kitchens, but rather highly functional spaces in which they could stand in one place, and easily pivot to get everything they needed.
@@marymccluer1630 This is what I wanted! I wanted an L shaped kitchen in my studio apartment. Turned out I got one loooong kitchen where I don’t use 1/3 of it cuz it’s too far from the rest.
I had an island that when the oven door was open you couldn’t stand in front of the oven. So I put the island on castor wheels and can now move it around to make the space functional.
U
I'm the daughter of a very talented general contractor, and I LOATHE cabinets that don't go all the way to the ceiling! (Unless it's a very high ceiling). It drives me crazy. It looks like a glaring flaw to me every time I see it.
Additionally, I also hate double islands! And signs that say "eat" in the kitchen.
🤭
Yeah, I agree! I certainly don’t need a sign to tell me to eat…
only high school chemistry classes should have double islands
Less space and more dust is soooo great 🫣😂
I also hate the double island. Thankfully it’s not a thing here yet in Australia. Let’s hope it stays away.
But it can be difficult to get kitchen cabinetry to the ceiling here. I’ve never personally seen it. I’ve done three kitchen builds and every single time I had huge resistance from the designers/installers about it. I think it’s because they don’t like having to be exact on the measurements and square when they plaster. I am about to build a house and I am ready to die on the hill of cabinetry to the ceiling 🤺
Your dad sounds like a top notch contractor. I wish we had more like him where I live 🙏🏻
Not gonna lie, Color Catastrophe is one of my favorite things. I have to go into a lot of houses, and nothing brings me more joy than when it appears someone went nuts in MS Paint. My favorite ever included bright pink glass blocks all around the kitchen between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling that were backlit with strip lighting, so they sort of glowed, almost like neon. It would have been a nightmare to change, but it was as beautifully tacky as the woman it belonged to, and I loved the audacity.
I think it looks beautiful too but if you have to resale it that would be a problem. I loved the examples Nick showed
Yes! I would love the audacious personality!
Same here! Those kitchens he showed as examples of color catastrophes were beautiful - much nicer than the bland, blah-blah styles he described as neutral.
@@Xingqiwu387theyre nice to visit. To live in? Not for most. Especially not for people sensitive to overstimulation
I love this too, for the confidence and character.
And kitchen doors can absolutely be replaced. I get sick of neutral colours long before I get sick of colour.
I would love it if you would show some timeless design from the past. Like you could show 15 year old kitchen images and show how one was very trendy and looks dated and how another one was more timeless and could be updated with a few tweaks.
This is a really good video idea. My kitchen came 20 years out of the past just by sanding and painting my old honey oak cabinets.
There is no such thing as timeless. There are more neutral kitchens that can be brought into the current fashion with a cost of paint or a change of knobs but all kitchens will be dated. All of them. Appliances change, backsplash changes, layouts change. It’s the nature of design.
@@adorabell4253 she said "with a few tweeks." Not that it wouldn't need refreshing at all.
@@adorabell4253
Sometimes if a kitchen is in good shape and functions for you, embrace the design. Eventually it will be stylish again. I just bought a house with a “custom” kitchen. It never occurred to me to check drawer depth. The top row of drawers are so shallow that you can’t stand a common small pharmacy bottle of pills upright in them. Who would have ever thought to check? I’ve lived in at least 20 places and never run into it before. So I guess I’ll be laying the bottles down.
The seller managed to hide a $7600 needed replacement in the HVAC system and a pool light that needs to be replaced. It’s not “just a bulb out”. Had to tear a wall out to find a covered up urine smell. He had the furniture arranged so I couldn’t tell that the slab was 4” higher in the center of the family room. Had to replace one of the water heaters $1000 before I could get homeowners insurance just because of the age. Not one door set actually locked, all had to be replaced. I knew about that one. The floor has been mopped 7 times to get it clean. Don’t think it had been cleaned since the house was built in ‘96.
Yes, I had the house inspected. I was a real estate broker for 40 years. This seller was really good. Got on a plane to Uruguay the day after closing. Now I know why.
Kitchens with shaker style cabinets, and maybe a cool stove like an Aga or La Cornue type, have the potential for looking more timeless than others. IMO. it’s harder to keep appliances updated, especially with all the rules about what sort of Freon they can or cannot have, and the availability of the ones no longer legally sold. cabinetry needs attention because of the hard knocks of life. Granite is supposedly classic but… There is so much ugly granite out there. And a lot of it is linked to certain eras. what looks classic to one person just looks ugly to the next. I would add soft white countertops to the classic and timeless category, and my solid surface ones are 23 years old and still absolutely beautiful. But they would only be timeless to me if paired with the right color cabinetry… Natural birch or natural maple for example, or painted cabinets. I would never like them paired with dark stained cabinets or very ornate ones.
My favorite panelled appliance is my hidden dishwasher. Actually the panelled appliances are more the norm here in Germany. 😄 I would add the following to your list: not considering drawers instead of cabinets for your lowers. I renovated three years ago and switched to all drawers below. No more crawling into the dark hidden corners looking for lost items! I think what you said about keeping a kitchen for a long time applies to ergonomic design as well. The triangle is an absolute must, and anything else that can add to ease of use, such as higher appliances or my abovementioned drawers, should definitely be considered.
Very good point about the drawers instead of cupboards which I’ve only recently seen and realized it’s a genius idea!! If I were to design my own kitchen I would definitely go that route!!
Yes to drawers! I have a tiny galley kitchen in my apartment, and there are a bunch of dinky little drawers and some cupboards, but one day I'll get it redone and then the lowers will be all drawers - everything I store in those cupboards could be handled with drawers as long as at least one is deep enough for the food processor. Easy.
It's an odd space where whoever had a go at it last time made some weird choices, tbh - there's not enough working surface, but they prioritised having a large sink and a separate insinkerator/waste-disposal thing (which I never use)... and also a FULL size dishwasher that's freestanding and juts out about 2 inches from the cupboards/bench edge. Which I also never use. What a mess... that's going to get turned into an integrated dish drawer one day, if not done away with entirely - my dishes take 5-10 minutes, tops, but one advantage to a dish drawer would be never having dishes on the limited surface space. Is that worth, like, three thousand dollars and some inevitable repair bills over time? Maybe?
Just did exactly the same with mine. Only cabinets are under the sink and cooktop. Now that the drawers all pull out full-length it's so easy to find anything without crawling into a poorly lighted space. Bonus for those of us trying to extend years of living in our own homes.
You can make pull out drawers in your cabinets. Get slides installed on the inside walls and just attach some basic boxes/trays - voilà, drawers! I’m going to do this on my tacky contractor basic cabinets (after I paint them)! You can even have a couple of narrow pull out racks in one cabinet to hold condiments etc. There’s some ideas of this on RUclips.
Just had a kitchen reno completed and I replaced lower cabinets w big roomy drawers. BEST. DECISION. EVER. They come so deep, your soup pot will fit in them!😁👌🏻🙌🏻 No more digging in the dark😁😁😁
When I renovated my kitchen 20 years ago, I went with all drawers in my base cabinets except for under the sink and one corner. I’ll never go back. I also measured what I would actually be storing - I won’t lie it was a bit of a pain. I have what looks like standard banks of three drawers, but I can store what I want where I need it. Not having to crawl on the floor to access things or having to put things just wherever because a drawer is a 1/4” too shallow is wonderful.
This was a must for me too. I have bad knees. Once I get down to reach something in the back of a cupboard I need help getting up :D
I'm jealous.
My daughter has almost all drawers, which I love. I’m recently moved and on a budget, but plan to put pull-out shelves in lower cupboards to make things easier. I don’t dare get down on the floor either!
My old house was renovated with pull out drawers. Lived there for 10+ years and moved into a new home and am DYING with these stupid traditional under countertop cabinets.
Totally agree with you! My MIL still don't understand how drawers are better for the base cabinets except underneath the sink. And now she is complaining about her knee problems 🙄
On the backsplash you didn’t mention my pet peeve: textured tile. I keep seeing design shows/video where the ‘designer’ is using handmade tiles or other non-regular tiles and touting the ‘amazing texture!’ Sure. Great idea. They look great. Now how are you going to keep that clean?
You're going to wipe it down w/ a wet sponge & maybe a little soap. No big deal. We don't prepare food on our backsplashes.
@@dresser6135 we may not prepare food on it but in my house things definitely spatter up onto it from the range. I wouldn’t want to be trying to scrub grease or spaghetti sauce off a textured backsplash.
So true! But also a glossy backsplash is a pain, EVERYTHING shows on it.
@@swiinka Oh yes, mine is honed marble. It shows messes but not too badly and it’s easy to clean.
@@christinaaubin8508 yeah, some patterns is a way go go I guess, I have some sort of Plexi in solid colour, it's the worst.
An add to the work triangle is the “washing up” line (or whatever shape suits your fancy). I believe it’s super important to have your sink, bin, and dishwasher (if you have one) to be close and accessible to each other! You don’t want to have to scrape your scraps into the bin and then walk all the way across the kitchen to rinse it/ pop in the dishwasher while potentially getting gunk all over the floor!
Totally. I used to live in a house with the dishwasher on the other side of the kitchen. It was not an ideal location.
That is my current home 😫 I need a shopping cart to go from the counter to the pantry when baking!
Yes!
Brilliant! Every room design should include plans for convenient waste disposal. Vehicles too!
So true!
I was a kitchen designer for 5 years and let me just say the primary piece of advice I always had to remind clients of was FUNCTION OVER STYLE. You can have a beautiful, expensive kitchen but if it doesn’t actually work for you/your lifestyle you will grow to dislike it. Don’t design a kitchen based on the dream lifestyle you idealize having, design it around the reality of your life (I’m talking about you open shelving). Additionally…unless you have an unlimited budget you’re not going to get what you want 100% so make a top priorities list and go from there.
Very good advice . 👍🏻 I imagine the same would be true for bathrooms.
A person I know is 5 feet tall and she had very expensive cupboards installed but they are installed more than 18 inches from the counter top and because she wanted them up to the ceiling so instead of the cupboards being the standard distance from the counter top they are pushed up to the ceiling... she can't even see in bottom shelf of the cupboard... what a flipping disaster mistake. I am also only 5 feet tall and when I pointed it out she got mad a me .. but I wouldn't have paid that kind of money for a kitchen like that.
I saw a kitchen with two islands in a house I showed. Neither of which had a sink and they ran the full length of the wall cabinets. Think expanded galley kitchen with two islands that you would always have to run around. My buyers loved the house but hated the kitchen.
@@Dbb27 that’s a lot of islands 😂
@@bonniesteinke6624
Husband: hey, that would look awesome!
Wife: Yeessss! Let’s put in two of them!!
Love all of these points! I'd like to add that having the trash/recycling/etc in a cabinet under or right next to the sink tends to be really inconvenient. If someone is at the sink and a second person needs to throw something away, it gets very annoying to constantly have the person at the sink move over to allow access to the trash!
I always keep my trash out somewhere so I don't have to open cabinets with raw meat juice all over my hands, and then go back later and touch that meat-juicy cabinet handle to throw away a little wrapper or something.
My one house I had a corner sink with garbage drawer unit to the right. It worked great!
not to mention most trash bins below a sink are without a lid and that can be terrible during summertime with the smell and the flies collecting, and the general space just being less so you have to change the bin all the time.
@@lottevannoort1211 Absolutely!
I'd rather the trans bin next to the sink than ours, which is across at the farthest end of the kitchen 😭. Walking and hoping nothing spills, or I pull the bin out and leave it near the prep area, either way is not good and it's too far away.
The other “plus” to having cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling is that you don’t have to clean an accumulation of greasy dust of the horizontal top surfaces every 2-3 months. After 20 years of living with my “builder standard” kitchen, where the cabinets stopped 15” from the 9’ ceilings, I now have a new kitchen with full height cabinets. And I love the extra storage space. Yes, I need a step-stool to access the highest ones, but I put my rarely-used roasting pan, wok, etc up in those top cabinets.
Exactly and easier to clean! I mean we don’t all use all of our cookie sheets and pots and pans, bowls, every single day or seasonal items.
I have 12 foot ceilings in my kitchen! 😩
@@danaburks3091 that sounds like an absolute dream to me
I’m about to buy my first place and the cabinets don’t go all the way to the ceiling. I won’t have money to change the kitchen for a few years. Plus there isn’t actually anything wrong with the kitchen so I don’t see why I need to change it however when I do, I will get the cabinets all the way up. I’ll also get myself a step up as I’m super short so I’ll definitely need that 😂
I think it would also make a great hiding place for things you don’t want to share. 🤭
Some things that bug me in kitchens (learnt through renting) - back splash that's hard to clean - the smaller the tile, the more grout! And lighting where it's hard to change blown bulbs.
Going to politely disagree with the advice suggesting a lighting strip underneath the bottom cabinet baseboard. Crumbs end up down there on the floor periodically (in the real world) and the last thing that you want to do is highlight them. Or pet hair or anything else that gathers on your floor between cleanings. Huge fan of ambient lighting, but that is one location I feel is a giant mistake to highlight for the average person living in the real world.
I like them as night lights (enough light to navigate safely on your way past to the washroom, but not enough to jar you to full alertness), but yeah. Why not just shine a spotlight on the wall you didn't patch _perfectly_ or the one cupboard door that never quite hangs square while you're at it? 😁
As a pet owner, I also disagree with lighting by the floor. However, I changed out my ceiling lights to dimmers, and that’s a huge improvement. While I don’t use them a lot, I do use them in the evening, whether we’re relaxing or entertaining (and not focused on the kitchen at the time). I’d also add that the type of under counter lighting really matters. I have halogen lights and they are hot hot hot. Because of that, I won’t use them when it’s hot outside. I do, however, use them to help soften butter or activate yeast (but I can think of much more efficient ways to do those things).
@@eyoung6943 funnnneee 😆
Good point
I wouldn’t have thought of that. Great point.
I typically enjoy this series. I would point out - there are several cultures that desire LOTS.. …LOTS of color in the kitchen and interesting/dynamic tile inset around. I personally adore this look very much. But, to be fair, I also LOATH a subway backsplash.
I SO agree about the open shelving. My daughter, who does not cook (or boil water) , just remodeled her open concept kitchen with open shelving. For her, it works. It's an opportunity to display pretty things. For me, a cook with a tiny but very functional kitchen, open shelves would be a waste of space and the grease! To each her own.
I agree about the open shelving as well. I have one open shelf, and I keep my cookbooks on it. It’s across the kitchen from the cooking and prep areas so there is minimal greasy dust over there. I DO have one “tacky” sign in the kitchen, it says “homemade” and it is above the cookbooks.
Hope things get better between you and your daughter!
The dust that acccumulates on kitchen shelves and their contents contains grease from cooking, and it's ridiculously hard to clean.
When it comes to kitchen remodel (we are in the process now), I like to pick classics for things that are expansive and hard to replace, but I go "bold" on the kitchen knobs and pulls, and the kitchen chandelier. That way, I can replace them easily when I get bored of them or when they become dated.
Smart! Iike that.
Three things important for a functional kitchen :
1/ Drawers
2/ More Drawers
3/ Even more drawers.
Use a quality softclose, double wall draws. Mostly Small, medium, large from top to bottom. Even a pantry, in the bottom half, and at the bottom of sink cabinet.
I've been doing this for 25 years and every client absolutely loves it.
it u have a pantry u dont need more drawers.
Spot on. Just like boat builders never have enough clamps! Kitchens never have enough drawers.
A mostly drawers solution tend to be slightly more expensive. But it's totally worth the money on daily usage. Thumbs up. 😃
@@vmafarah9473rollouts in pantry
Use the pantry & you won’t need so many drawers.
What is a double wall drawer?
Agree with all of this. One thing I would say about electrical and plumbing requirements: it goes deeper than just making sure you have outlets in the right places. You also need to make sure that your house is capable of supplying the amount of power you need. Induction cooktops draw *a lot* of power, as do some ovens, not to mention the trend of having two ovens. So before you buy your appliances, speak to an electrician to make sure you have the power you need. Otherwise, you may be in the situation where you can't use your induction cooktop at the same time as your oven, which obviously is ridiculous.
And if you install a high-end gas range, you'll need a high-pressure meter and gas line for them. People don't really think these things through well enough.
I thoughg induction cooktops use less power than standard electric cooktops?
@@tikusblue= That's because they use far less time to cook things. I've never hear that they draw more power. I'll have to ask my electrician. Planning on getting induction.
Very helpful point
I would add to the list not taking into account the overall style, age, and architecture of your house. If your house is mid-century modern, shoe-horning in a traditional kitchen might make you happy in the short run, but at some point you are going to realize that it just doesn't fit. And vice versa, if the home is very traditional with moldings and wainscoting, etc., slab cabinet doors and a waterfall island are probably going to fall flat. Sometimes the currently popular kitchen style is just not going to work well in your house.
My kitchen could be a color catastrophe (my walls are chartreuse), but I limited the bold color to easily-changed wall paint and art (mostly, my range is teal). Cabinets, counter, floor, and backsplash are all neutral.
I agree. I live in a 100 year old Adobe home. Plumbingg was added in the 70's. Cabinetry is minimal and adds to the difficulty in design.
I agree 😄. When designing our house, my husband and I are trying to complement the design of our 1900s 4 square house. We love a Scandinavian/Minimalist design, but we’re incorporating the beautiful natural stained wood of the more original part of the house by selecting natural/stained wood furniture pieces. Most of the new furniture we bought actually ended up a bit mid-century modern, not gonna lie 😅. But it still looks great because we’re keeping the whole house in mind. Although Art Deco or traditional would be the most fitting for the house’s time period, we were able to select pieces that we loved but still embraced the uniqueness of the house. I’ve definitely learned so much from RUclips from folks like Nick! 🥰
Thank you for pointing out that the backsplash is not necessarily the best place to go hog wild! People say stuff like "go crazy on the backsplash, they're so easy to replace!" and I'm always like... *are they* though? Maybe they're the least expensive built-in to replace but that doesn't make them cheap, or easy.
It's like the feature wall of the kitchen. Maybe just go simple!
@@Nick_Lewis The counter area they think of when they are designing the kitchen usually isn't the counter area they actually live with. There's enough visual clutter once you put utensils, canisters, plants, coffee makers, toasters, etc. in front of that backsplash. Let that backsplash be a clean and simple backdrop to your more interesting items, not competition.
You can get a separate panel cut to size to lay over your backsplash area and go wild with that. Don’t like it later, change it. Your original backsplash is still there.
I got some colourful dc fix/vinyl- it's easily removable if i get sick of it and I didn't need to rip tiles off to change the look. It's been up a few months now and very durable.
@@elisabetk2595 Very good point, for the whole house. Design in less so you can include the humans.
The electrical outlets is something that I had not thought of but wow that's actually VERY important for us, thanks for bringing it up.
Definitely agree on the extension of the cabinetry. I recently built my home and a few people tried to talk me out of going all the way to the ceiling (10ft). I ended up listening to my intuition and went all the way with glass windows in the upper cabinets with LED lighting there and under the cabinets. I’m so happy i went with that look. It’s stunning! My friend has 10ft ceilings and didn’t run hers to the top and it looks unfinished.
This is exactly what I want and I have everyone questioning me, too!
I just did mine and I had the exactly set up.. glass on the top cabinets!
My ceilings are 12 foot!!! I think that’s too high to have cabinets.
@@danaburks3091 maybe… I personally don’t think it looks right without being taken to the ceiling. It’s honestly one of the first things I notice now. To me it greatly cheapens the look when there’s a gap. Not sure how you would do it with 12ft though.
Sounds beautiful!
I really like the constructive way you talk about these mistakes
Especially with the first point, you aren't just saying "bright colours are ugly!" You're giving valid reasons as to why more colourful kitchens aren't as timeless
I would love to see something more about kitchen cabinetry. What’s timeless vs trendy, here now, gone tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.👍🏼🤗
Subbed because a) you don't have a hyper screechy voice b) your advice is logical and doable c) your ethos is good towards the enviroment and d) rockin' the same color palette as me.
As far as the work triangle goes, in my opinion, the refrigerator is not a part of it. Its really just a cold pantry and one you should not be opening frequently. The real triangle includes the sink, stove, and work surface. And, as far as the stove goes, if you cook a lot, never put the stove right against a wall. Or against the fridge. There needs to be counter space on both sides.
I agree. I share a house currently and my two housemates share the ‘normal’ fridge in the kitchen while mine is just around the corner in the mud room and I really like it. I have dry pantry cabinets above and my fridge and separate undercounter size freezer underneath. I can get everything out of the fridge, freezer, and dry cabinets onto the top of the freezer and then move it all to my prep area. Then everything I need is right at hand! It’s made my cooking much more efficient than when I used to run around the kitchen grabbing the next ingredient or two and inevitably discovering I forgot something or ran out of something. In my new house design I really wanted the fridge just outside the kitchen in a walk in pantry but that didn’t work out with the floor plan so it’ll be in the kitchen but it gets to be out of the way in a corner.
I've been looking at houses for sale for a long time now, and there are SO many with stoves smashed into a corner like an afterthought, or smashed right up against the fridge. I couldn't cook in a corner like that.
That, and dead dusty space above the cabinets are the two major deal-breakers for me in kitchens. I can refinish cabinets & change hardware. I can paint, I can install new flooring....but corner cooking & cabinet dead space are instant "no's".
Yeah, never really understood the inclusion of the fridge. I guess without it it's no longer a triangle lol, but the fridge is no more important than any other cupboard where you keep cooking ingredients.
Very good points!
Unless the shape of your kitchen prevents it.
Cropped cabinets: the main reason I wanted ours all the way to the ceiling is that I’m short (5’), and the thought of dusting way up there, no thank you. And it does look better, as you pointed out.
depends what you keep in the top shelf of your cabinets, stuff you never use because they are difficult to access?
Lowered top shelf to a commodate Flower vases and taller items which are not used Continually and are not heavy.
@@angelasims2759 spare drinking glasses, serving platters, stuff like that.
The worst kitchen I ever cooked in had a huge island down the middle with the sink on one wall and the refrigerator on the opposite wall on the other side of the island. The cooktop was on the wall at one end of the island. It took forever to do anything walking miles around that island over and over trying to prepare a meal or clean up.
Yes, my in-laws have a smaller island, but a similar set up in their kitchen. There have been many visits where I look at the kitchen and try to figure out how to reconfigure it so that it works better.
Blimey, nightmare!
Just get rid of the island. 👍
But... but you burn the calories from dinner while you do your washing up! 😄
OMG! I have the same kitchen ~ I'm being medicated for the depression it causes!! And the real burn is that it seems that kitchen was built, then the rest of the house was added onto it. It's truly beautiful to look at, just not functional.
My husband has been a cabinet builder for 45 years, your so right about the work triangle.
Anybody else watch Nick's clock and how it sometimes goes BACK in time as the video carries on? 😆
Yeah even I'm not sure how I do that. 🤷♂️
Now i can’t unsee it.
And the shirt pass from red to green. 😂😂😂😂
Yep, noticed it right after his intro
Now I do 😀
Agree with ALL of these points, especially the abandonment of the work triangle.
I agree no more open shelving. And another reason for cabinet to the ceiling, more storage space!
You are one of the few people I don't have to watch on an advanced speed. 😂 Love your fast delivery of great info, Nick. (oh and your sarcasm. So funny.)
Bang on advice about using neutral colors, utilizing storage solutions of the modern day, keeping the triad work space function, using lighting to be helpful rather than just a whatever, and being mindful of how you live and use your kitchen. Thank you, Nick Lewis!
I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation project and while cabinets and walls are neutral I'm going with a MCM blue stacked tile. Crossing my fingers it doesn't get too tired.
@@explorewithsteggie1913
That sounds nice!
My renovation consists of changing the hardware and you know what? Even that made a big difference lol . Those details are important.
We just did a kitchen reno last year of our tiny kitchen. I am pleased to say we hit all your points! We built white cabinets to the ceiling in our neutral kitchen with subway tile with dark grout. We installed pot lights, under cabinet lighting, task lighting, with only 3 small open shelves.
What a surprise to see “not considering panelled solutions” as one of the tips. In Belgium our appliances have been pretty much completely panelled for ages. It is a rare occasion when people choose a “visible” fridge or dishwasher.
I don't know what that would cost in the US, but since they're uncommon, they'd likely be very expensive, custom appliances. Appliances are already poor quality. The need to replace them annoyingly often makes panelled options unattractive unless the cost were even with standard options.
@@melissamybubbles6139 yes, paneled appliances are usually more expensive in the US. Much more than standard
In the UK we have exposed fridges etc... Its just simpler when a replacement is needed. I have an inbuilt dishwasher which is more common for whatever reason
@@melissamybubbles6139 you can get big brands inbuilt though. My house has a smeg dishwasher which isn't too bad
@@UnseenSpirit Interesting. When my parents built their house, the builders provided very few options, and they price gouged heavily. It wasn't even possible to get a proper vent hood.
Just finished designing our kitchen. Whew, I’m glad I did not make any of these mistakes. I have been following Mark Tobin for awhile and discovered you recently doing a live on his channel.
Everybody said to me, “are you doing a white kitchen?” When I told them no, I’m doing navy on the bottom cabinets, maple on top and an off white quartz countertop with veining and taking the cabinets to the ceiling. You should have seen the looks on their faces LOL! I spent four hours with the kitchen designer and designed this kitchen for how I work. I love your viewpoints!
Your kitchen sounds lovely.
Excellent suggestions. For those who wish to integrate a countertop and backsplash in the same material for that higher end look but can only afford laminate, it's possible to do it. It works best when using a laminate that looks very much like stone. I've done it and it was amazing. The designer/sales rep for the company, however, didn't wish to do it and I had to be persuasive. The end result was impressive (even the rep said so), inexpensive, and always easy to maintain. So it is an option if you're careful.
Oh great tip! Yes I have always thought you needed to go tile for that.
@@Nick_Lewis It's also important to choose the right option for the edge if you're going laminate. I used the rounded look common to the pricey options. No more glued on flat strips or weird little indents, thank god.
The previous owner of our house did this with laminate in a solid deep blue-purple that sounds atrocious but is actually stunning with the honey colored wood cabinetry and white trim. More than twenty years later the color rolled around to fashionable again. Unfortunately it was installed horribly and with one of those four-inch stops covering the gap along the back edge like some cheap rental bathroom. I'd use matching laminate on the wall and counters again in a minute. My mom's kitchen has 70 year old Formica ("primrose linen") for both backsplash and counter, and it's still beautiful and very simple and clean looking.
@@elisabetk2595 i used an edge to edge match with a clear silicone bead. This is not a DIY project. Someone skilled has to do a number of fussy cuts for plugs and switches and all the other things which might be involved. You get what you pay for. I am a firm believer in paying skilled trades well.
@@Nick_Lewis Hi, Nick, are you kidding?
My parents had laminate in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. We used laminate when renovating an 1845 house. Forty five years later it still looks good. In 1999 we used black laminate on the upper level of an island. The tile we used on the counter tops is beginning to show minor chips, but the laminate is perfect. Like any surface you cannot put a hot scalding pot on laminate. The previous writer is correct, the trick is about the edge; and in not using the bump on the edge. That bump keeps spills from falling down the front of the lower cabinets, very practical, but it does date the look.
Would you do a segment about linoleum , a natural product, and Mannington sheet vinyl flooring?
Thanks for all this info, Nick. I know you put a lot into your presentations.
Lol! First thing you mentioned is a colorful kitchen! I’m in the middle of renovating mine, and I’m going to be painting my cabinets red and dark turquoise. I will have one wall of black “subway” tile with stainless steel shelving, and the others will be painted. I’m doing my countertop concrete. My floor will be the old fashioned black and white check. I’m a very eclectic person, the way I dress and the way I design my home. I always get compliments on both! 😍
I just reno’s my kitchen (I’m 95% done with construction). First time since I moved in 15 years ago that I’ve been able to reno my kitchen. My new cabinets go up to the ceiling and what a difference! My whole kitchen looks so much bigger!
Ty Nick. After the living room video I went and bought a hanging lamp. Made all the difference.
Yes the work triangle is functional. Def mistake no matter how pretty the kitchen is
I love colourful/hectic kitchens, it reminds me of the kitchens i frequented while growing up in scotland. a scottish farmhouse style kitchen with a strong colour or two and then lots of little colourful bits looks fantastic in my opinion
Thank you for the great vid Nick! You often say "in my opinion" in order to not get into internet fights which is fair, but people should know that what you say is backed up by well-established design principles, that are fundamental & important in any type of design. From interior design to graphic design and a lot of other design types. (I'm a graphic designer myself). Stream lines, simple shapes, neutral pallets are all important and make any design look cleaner and more thought out. Great vid! :)
I don't use the work triangle in my kitchen, it's more like work zones. For example I bake bread every day so all the ingredients and tools for that task are in one area which is different to where I make other food. I call it a baking station. I find these zones really efficient and logical to use while cooking. I have a very small kitchen so I need to make best use of the space and this system works well.
I love the color catastrophe kitchens! Love the bright colors, to me they are so inviting and cheerful. The white, stainless steel kitchens are cold, clinical, industrial and almost surgical. Not a place for happy joyful meal prep.
Like I found a pristine 60’s time capsule house I’m going to keep it that way
@@phoenixfritzinger9185 Lucky you!
I was stressing out trying to pick out the right backsplash tile. Finally, I just gave in and you subway tile. In the kitchen are used 3 x 12 tile and in the bathroom are used 4 x 12 tile. I love it. It is simple but yet a little bit different.
LOL OH Dear I for sure went kooky crazy with my kitchen mosaic back splash. I have had it now 8 or 9 years . Still love it. Created a proto type to hang behind the stove to see if hubby and i could live with it and he said it was one of his favorite pieces of mine. So I spent 9 months making the tiles to install. It for sure ties into the ugly tan counter top. We loved it so much I also created tiles to do the ends of the dividing wall between dining room and living room. Then added a coordinating mosaic half mannequin and a 40 inch mosaic steel lizard climbing up the wall to the dining room and called it good.
Nick I love your ideas. I really do but my life is now too short to live in something classic=boring to me. Beautiful yes I am just to crazy kooky to live in timeless classic.
Wow, your kitchen sounds really fun & whimsical!😊 How lovely!🥰 Yay!
😀🌿💐🌿🥳🌿💐🌿😉
@@saraheschweiler4939 Thank you Sarah. We moved here in 2008 and after flipping houses for 20 years and my needing to stay so conservaive hubby told me to let my heart sing in this house. Sadly he passed in 2016. It took me awhile to deal with the grief but my heart sings again. I moved my studio work table into my living room and turned my studio into a guest room and now I am running out of walls cabinets furniture to glue my glass to. I have done a few vidoes on them. Not telling you this for views or subs because my vidoes are total crap. At 73 I do not really care. LOL My kitchen is so pretty in person but does not photo well. The smaller tiles I bought look brown but in person they are beautiful rich rainbow colors. I just finished 5 windows for my front porch. Thought they were done when I showed them but I took them down again and added more to them.
Thinking of buying a house that needs a serious kitchen reno so I'm loving these tips! It currently has Brady Bunch orange countertops 😁
Omg lmbo..." Put that Tupperware in the cabinetry" love the realism w humor...totally hilariously real
Gotta keep it real! I mean, we all have it!
I have granite countertops and I did white beveled subway tile with grey grout. I love the beveled tile, it softens up the look.
Has anyone mentioned how cool your hair looks? Love the style and the grey. You have great taste as always.
in my first day of planning my kitchen rennovation and this is probably gonna be my bible thankyou so much Nick!
Just remodeled my kitchen completely and I agree on all of these!! I absolutely love my new kitchen with gray quartzite waterfall countertops, marble backsplash, warm white cabinets to the ceiling, under cabinet lighting, lots of electrical outlets. It’s a small kitchen with a peninsula and no island and it’s perfect for us now. All great advice Nick!!
Love it!
@@Nick_Lewis Hi Nick, this video has helped me since we are planning to update the kitchen. Although, we are still not sure if it's ok to take the cabinet all the way up to the ceiling, which it's 9'9 high. What do you think?
those colour catastrophes are so cute though, i love them :] they feel so friendly and fun
I love how you stop and correct yourself and say it is a lot more expensive to extend cabinets to the ceiling. For us personally, we left out upper cabinets and shelvings completely (2 people in a big house with a room to act as pantry) since we are both too short to take advantage of the storage space AND on a rather tight budget. 😀
I’d just like to say that I’m glad you said what you did about the double island and that the peninsula is not considered a mistake. Peninsulas can work better than an island and most likely better than 2.
I hate microwave exhaust fan combo. The fan is so weak it’s worthless. Microwave placed high means dropping hot food, danger for children and seniors. It also means compromised cooktop height to accommodate tall stockpot. I bought a high power exhaust fan that my 5’ mom can reach (push button operation, no remote or keypad). We do a lot of stir fry and frying. So far I don’t see a layer of grease covering kitchen surface.
Plus those things are hard to reach if you're short. I'm 5-2. Having a microwave above a range means that not only is it always smelly and gross, but I can't reach in or see or clean it
as much as I don't like them either, some kitchens, like mine, just don't have the space for a countertop microwave. I have precious little counterspace as it is, I am not sacrificing 25% of it to have a microwave sit on it. Microwaves are kind of an eyesore no matter where they are. If I had the space I would love to have the built in wall unit oven/microwave combo deal. My house just isn't right for it though so you live with what you've got.
Also I don't want to run a microwave right by my brain while I use the stove
@@erineccentric5810 If you have the kitchen space at all, you could buy a shelf organizer. In my and my dad's apartment, the kitchen is only 3 counters. So instead, we got a shelf and put the microwave on top, plus cans and boxes to save other space. It may be helpful if you can fit it
@@erineccentric5810 You can buy an oven and microwave in one. It's a full size built in oven that can also microwave. You just need a separte stove above it and it takes up the same amount of space. You can get a proper exhaust fan this way without giving up any function.
Over the years I have realized how much a photo of living spaces seems to reveal a true picture of how things really look. My eye isn't always as trustworthy as I'd like to think! Too busy a look shows up well, and I realize what I can live with, what to change. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised that I've actually gotten it right! Looking at pictures of finished rooms of someone else, a great help!
I'm glad you mentioned open shelving. I do too much frying, so despite the exhaust fan there is airborne grease. Dust settles on the grease. Any item left out for more than a few days would have to be washed before it's used. Also, I don't have lots of extra shelf space that I can waste on decorative things. Most of my shelves hold items I use, and I'm glad they're in cabinets behind doors.
I always enjoy your videos.
We are at present in the middle of a full gut kitchen reno, and are already doing everything you suggest!
Moving DW over to get into other cupboards more easily, cabinets are going up to the ceiling, “Magic Corners” instead of lazy Susan shelves in corner cabinets, navy blue lower and paperwhite upper cabinets, pale green glass subway backsplash tiles, dark luxury vinyl plank flooring with a 35 year warranty.
Also having USB ports on some of the electrical outlets, and slide out shelves in lower cabinets, also added more drawers and slide out recycling bins behind cabinet doors, quartz counter tops, and a countertop push button to operate the garburator which I will love instead of reaching for a wall switch with wet hands.
We did good, I think!
(Great minds, and all that.....)
Very happy so far.....we have a great contractor with superb tradesmen here in the lower mainland. 👍
Did not use a designer, came up with it all ourselves, in conjunction with our contractor.
Now I just have to learn to like cooking a bit more.....🤣
Thank you, thank you, thank you for talking about the work triangle. I cannot believe how many times I have shouted at the tv while watching popular home shows where the stove is placed on the other side of a yacht-sized island on the opposite end of the room. I can only shake my head and think that no one is cooking anymore.
Thanks Nick, very timely information. We are renovating our kitchen and honestly you have answered most if not all our concerns and validated some of our questions. I am forwarding this to my husband right away. Thanks friend.
When I refaced my kitchen cabinets we built another small box on top of the existing boxes and brought the doors to the ceiling. Saved a bit of money but using existing wall cabinet boxes.
All drawers in base cabinets and uppers to the ceiling. Great tips here.
I love the way you think Nick. My house was being built when I bought it and the contractor was inflexible about making changes, even if I paid for them, but I got away with a few things in the kitchen like the tile backsplash, the countertops, and pendant lights (I did the legwork of finding the materials and paying for them), but I couldn’t convince them to take the cabinets up to the ceiling. I did have them paint the peninsula a different color to break the all-white look. I love the result. As far as ambient light, I put smart bulbs on the pendants so I can use them as task lighting when needed but I can also dim them and change their color for ambiance.
Thanks for this video, Nick.
You shared some good standard principles for designing kitchens. As the "chief" cook in my household, I have some more to add.
I am so frustrated with small U-shaped kitchens with the stove or sink at the top of the U and two dead corners, storage-wise. Turntables only hold so much. instead, make it a galley kitchen with the sink or stove on one side - this is so much more functional.
If possible, opening a galley kitchen on both ends enables a second person to enter/exit without getting in the way of a person cooking.
For lower cabinets, all kitchen cabinet makers need to get rid of the swinging doors and shelves and make those all pull-out drawers instead. This gives much easier access to all the items stored in the back, increasing usable storage. Pullouts under the sink for trash/recycling and cleaning supplies seem have become more standard for these reasons, but all lower cabinets should have drawers. Also, the under-sink pull-outs need to be split so someone working at the sink doesn't have to move all the way to the side when someone wants to throw trash, etc. in a bin under the sink.
dirt
One last suggestion is to make the cabinet over refrigerators at counter depth so we can store narrow pans, trays, platters there. One cannot access items in the back of shallow cabinets over the fridge. Another possibility might be a pull out shelf this space to enable more access.
Please do a part 2 with more ideas from you and your viewers that you think are worth sharing.
LOVE this!! Agree 100% with all your tips. Wish more people knew this. Shopping for a home and pretty much 98% of the kitchens we've seen would have to be gutted, walls removed and totally rearranged in order to make them work. So of course we have to take the cost of this off the purchase price. Not a seller's goal!
SO HELPFUL, THANK YOU! Interior design scares me but I'm a creative person who wants a beautiful home but I have no idea how and get overwhelmed. You make all of it make sense and I'm forever grateful 🙏
You just stopped me from buying crazy tile for my backsplash! Now I will be doing dekton backsplash same colour as the countertop, just thinner slab. Plus I hate to wash and see many grout lines between tiles.
Something no one else seems to have mentioned….I remodeled my lower cabinets to be cabinet fronts with pull out shelves inside. Cheaper than full drawers, just as easy to access stuff inside, adjustable for storage changes and more of a clean uncluttered look for the cabinet faces.
But they must have sides. I have them and very little side so I bought baskets, but still not a perfect fit. I'm remodeling this kitchen and 3 others next year. Even taking out one wall upstairs kitchen. Fun times ahead.
The one that gets me the most is the cabinets not to the ceiling. You always need more storage in a kitchen!
I don't have overheads - and just four shallow drawers, two cupboards, under sink cupboard, and a fairly small larder...it makes one focus on not having too much!
These kitchen mistakes are right on point! I redid my counters a backsplash a few years ago and went with the timeless absolute black granite and a lovely arabesque backsplash. The white backspace is just unique enough to give the area interest without overpowering the space. I chose a soft contrast for grout, just enough for the beautiful arabesque shape to standout and shine. I'm still in love with my new space, so for me, timeless choices always win the day! Oh, and anyone who didn't see the demise of open shelving the day it hit magazines, just wasn't thinking! lol Sending love from sunny CA!
Just want to say that I agree completely with EVERYTHING you said. Thank you so much for reiterating traffic and work flow patterns. Now if only builders watched you!
You made me so happy! My kitchen designer was so very good working with a small space…30 years ago. Oak solid wood cabinetry that shows almost no wear with real brass knobs & handles (I could change them but nothing else seems betteramazing Work triangle, 1 open shelf, cabinet above has glass doors for display of vintage dishes used sometimes but not every day, specialty drawers for trays, corner lazy Susan for spices, etc, eat at anchored island with shelves underneath for crock pot, blender, entertainment dishes, etc,
I recently redid my kitchen. Didn't make any of these mistakes 🙌🏻
I really love my soapstone countertops. They're natural stone with very little to no maintenance required.
I used the word ‘cabinetry’ in a sentence today and I’m genuinely feeling this is a step in the right direction for me and my verrrrry tired kitchen 😂 thank you Nick
8:33 I've always thought of task lighting around the house as the last kind of lighting I would add in a communal space that already has layers of lighting. BUT kitchen task lighting is as essential as bedside task lighting! And yes... electrical outlets are the most satisfying thing to have in a home, above all other interior design! Thanks for this video.
I am so tired of seeing subway tile.😖 I’ve seen some very high end kitchens that completely miss the work triangle. FUNCTION is #1! Spacial issues are another common and frustrating issue…when I designed and built my kitchen I cut up cardboard templates to give me physical reality. Great video, spot on tips!👍🏻
Second! I can't wait to decorate my own kitchen; I want butcher block counter tops. I'd never heard of the work triangle before, but it makes sense.
I am redoing my 7.5x11.25 kitchen, myself, by hand, right now. 5-2023. Great list! Thank you.
My son is going to buy me appliances once I am finished making a mess with plaster demo and reno. First, floor (limestone or sandstone tile), then fridge, oven. Already have a 17” Samsung brushed nickel DW.
Bespoke, Samsung, counter-depth, French-door fridge. Pink top left door. White top right. Blue freezer pull out drawer face. All glass panels. I love the water access is inside the fridge. Cleaner look.
I am considering painting the bottom cabinets a teal to echo and deepen the blue from the bottom of the fridge. Risky, I know! I think with a whitish, neutral floor and the acacia, butcher-block counter (at least on one 4’ stretch beside the fridge) the colors would go well. Maybe white uppers maybe extend the teal? Idk idk I need an auto cad program rendering… lol
One for the list for me… pet peeve or mistake. Small lip backsplash counter tops and ranges. My son is buying me a flat, cast iron top Samsung oven that will make it feel more open. Need it! The eye can follow to the wall and across to the window. Only the range hood with the stove pipe look above the range. I will caulk the crack by the wall, of course, (for the base cabinets! Not range) and use maybe a herringbone pattern neutral tile for the backsplash. No weird backsplash heights, either. All one strip across and around the room. Like a necklace. Idk idk idk maybe make a second kitchen mistakes! There are so many! I am seriously considering all you mentioned, bc it’s been thirty years since I bought this house and will probably be another thirty before I do it again. I will be so happy to not have an old 1940’s kitchen anymore.
I was considering open shelves over the sink counter… my son said no. I was considering cabinets to 6” from the ceiling. Maybe not, now. You said no. Doors will open ok that close to the ceiling? Will be face frame cabinets. Maybe drop an inch then hide with trim? Counter to under upper cabinets can be 17” maybe still ok… idk idk idk decisions decisions. At least I’m going slowly. Piano piano.
Also, genius hack, my son may make me a garbage chute on the wall beside the w back door and in front of the fridge. No wasting a cabinet on a trash can. Clever. Clean. Garbage outside only!!!
I've been really interested lately in the idea of an unfitted kitchen (which I think might be an old school victorian idea) and finding ways to incorporate that into our modern kitchens. Certain things like plumbing and electrical, of course, will need to be permanent and installed, however for cabinets and other items, the idea of being able to switch them out to clean or change the piece is really interesting to me.
Yup. The way it is done in European kitchens. They use a price of furniture for kitchen cabinets, which people try and mimic now with fixed wall cabinets. Ha.
I never heard of the work triangle and it makes so much sense and is probably why I hate cooking in our new house. The refrigerator is on the other side of the very large island and it's a huge pain! This helps me so much with my kitchen remodel plans!
Excellent recommendations Nick! Just want to chime in and say, if possible, have your sink area looking out a window or wall opening (like to the dining room that has windows you can look out) rather than facing a wall of cabinets. This is especially true if you spend a lot of time cooking because most food prep and clean up takes place near the sink. Also, ample work space on either side of the sink so you can, for example, set dirty dishes on the left and washed dishes on the right preferably with the dishwasher beside the sink.
I was literally talking to my husband about our kitchen remodel just before I saw that you had posted this video. So many good things to think about. I really love your personal style (it's definitely along the lines of what I'm going for in my own home) and can't wait to see what you do in your new place!
I have the cropped cabinetry, added a floor to ceiling pantry years later, and you are so right about it making your kitchen look better,I wish I could do the whole kitchen! Also I am going to share this with my hubby because I have not persuaded him we need our bulbs to match!
I’m renovating my whole kitchen soon; I’ve decided to have NO upper cabinets. I adore the open look and feel.
Well, my style and yours couldn't be more farther apart. I absolutely love funky patterns and colour and have never tired of it. For me it is not a mistake.
Kitchen is a workshop with sharp tools: a good lighting is important on worktops where you use them.
Hi Nick, really enjoying your vids. As a Brit married to a Yank I am learning a lot about some of the design suggestions he makes and some of the brands he mentions. I have a couple of tips to add to your kitchen design mistakes.
1. Handles. I loved the look of those cute cup handles in our country kitchen but DH (Darling Husband) pointed out that, at 6'5 with hands like a backwoods lumberjack, they were simply impractical for him. A bit of dedicated searching found some larger ones that work perfectly so my tip is always consider the size of people's hands when choosing handles. I would also think carefully about any type of slot handle as they're not the easiest thing to clean. Over long metal handles that span almost the entire width of the cabinet, especially the trendy deep drawers, are very popular here. Fine, although you might regret the choice the third time you catch your hip on the corner.
2. Vertical pull out storage. I hate to claim that something changed my life, but these vertical pull out cabinets certainly changed the storage in my kitchen. Everything such as jars, tins, condiments, bottles of oil and wine and bags of rice and pasta are clearly visible. This saves buying things you already have because it's shoved to the back of your cupboard and assists in stock rotation. I have 2 x 20cm, 1 each of 30cm, 40cm and 60cm and, for the width of 2 standard cabinets, they hold a MASSIVE amount of stuff. Internal racks are adjustable and the open wire work racks mean that debris falls to the floor and that's all you need to clean. Honestly, a game changer.
3. Bench seating. You're desperate for an island but that would compromise the space for a dining table. Do you SQUEEEEEEEZE around the table or reduce the size of your island? You can do both! The 'open' side of the island has a bench seat attached. Voila!! The seating will also provide storage for tabelcloths, napkins and seasonal table decorations. The table can be an extending style so you gather up more chairs for the holiday meals then tuck everything away again when it's just the family. Bench seat kits can be bought at DIY stores or via the internet or a local carpenter will happily make one for you if you're not confident.
4. Adjustable counter tops. Kitchens need to cater to all the family these days. Parents, one at 6'5, the other at 5'9! Children. Grandchildren. Maybe even great grandchildren. Possibly someone with restricted mobility or a wheelchair user. Having a section of countertop that is height adjustable is a very clever idea. The mechanism is available from a specialist supplier and you use a section of your chosen countertop, unless you want something different! Ours has two chairs popped under for breakfast and snacks then can be raised for DH to make his awesome paella or chili or lowered for my grandchildren to cook something. I like it a little higher than standard countertop height for kneading bread then I can lower it for my grandaughter to decorate cup cakes. If you have back health issues you might find the ability to raise the height to be very important. Needs careful planning into the kitchen design but definitely worth the effort.
5. High gloss. High gloss cabinet fronts are very trendy in the UK right now. I have no idea why! The only person who would be happy having high gloss cabinet fronts is someone who never cooks, doesn't have family or pets and can afford a cleaner! Do not get high gloss if you have: a man about the house; children; grandchildren; family with children; pets (especially cats!); if you enjoy cooking; if you can't afford a cleaner; if you don't have a pathological desire to clean. My parents had wood cabinet doors. I asked my Mother once why she chose wood. She shot a conspiratorial look to my Father and said "I heard once that they can't get fingerprints off wood!" Now we all know that's not true but why would you want to spend your days in a constant battle against fingerprints shouting at you from the cabinet doors? Similarly, avoid high gloss floors, especially if you have kids, pets, visitors, dirty jobs and especially if your main entrance to the house goes directly into the kitchen. Life is too short to spend all that time cleaning.
I do agree that we all make the mistakes, partly because we prioritise trend over function. I am so pleased that I am at a life stage now where I care nothing for trends and want my kitchen to be useful, functional and family-friendly.
Great video - thanks, Nick. Happy to say my kitchen in our new house is pretty well perfect, and avoids all your design mistakes! I worked with both a designer and our custom cabinet-maker to achieve what I required out of my kitchen. I love natural stone; the island and table tops are Neutrino Bordeaux granite, and the main counters Cambrian black granite (the only stone I could find to compliment the multicoloured Neutrino Bordeaux). The granite was, just this week, repolishd and sealed, making it so easy to keep spotless and fingerprint-free, but, elsewhere in the house, I have marble, limestone, quartzite, and even onyx countertops. I had them covered with TuffSkin, a fabulous product that protects the stone from staining and etching! I am always very careful, but my husband isn’t, and I don’t expect my guests to be, either. Tuffskin has alleviated my fear of having my beautiful, and costly, stone counters ruined. It comes in both polished and matte finishes, and both are beautiful. I can’t recommend this product highly enough.
Great video. Regarding “quartz” - it is not really a natural material like granite or quartzite since it contains up to 10% resin. While it won’t stain from wine (and the like) it will burn (or stain from heat) which is why you must use heat pads or trivets if laying something very hot on it.
Agree about everything you mentioned with the exception of the paneling on appliances. I do love the look, but think some kitchens look equally beautiful with high end appliances, or retro ones, visible. Excellent design analysis though. Thanks.
I just started building my first home and I've been watching all your videos, they have been so helpful! I feel like you're saving me from future regrets & disasters.