When I saw that woman throw carrot peels into a paper bag in a self-opening and closing bottom drawer, I knew I had to have one. I'm definitely getting a paper bag.
I am an occupational therapist with Aging-in Place certification (AIP) from the NAHB. Every physical issue has its own needs. One great adaptation for me could make life harder for someone else. And when dementia occurs, you will be far less safe in your kitchen, even with a switch that shuts off your stove if no motion has been detected for a while (very smart choice, BTW). Sadly, many older homeowners end up with both cognitive and physical compromises. Without understanding the implications for both, it is really difficult to create a safe and functional kitchen. AIP specialists do anything from Universal Design to major adaptations. I am putting in a new kitchen for myself. I am not disabled. Yet. I am putting in stunning floor tile with a high COF (coefficient of friction) because I don't want to slip on spills I don't notice or water I didn't see dripping. I know what hip fracture rehab looks like. Slight price increase. Massive peace of mind investment.
This comment was as helpful as the whole video to me, and I’m going to be 60 this year. I retired early, and working in the kitchen actually helps me stay in motion during the day. I have one bad shoulder, so I can foresee needing pull downs if the other shoulder fails, but in the meantime motion is lotion! We have a bath that we need to redo eventually, and grippy tile is definitely a need.
I just ordered a Stove Alert. It’s cheaper and a simpler install. It beeps when the stove is on. I retired to the biggest house I ever lived in and if I can’t hear the beeping when I’m in another room, I can sync it with Alexa alerts to my phone. Hope it helps.🤷♀️I have also heard that Induction Stoves turn off automatically for safety in certain circumstances.
Fellow OT here. Thx for your comment. I believe many think wheelchair or balance issues when they think of adaptions. It’s great to raise awareness that specialists can tailor adaptions on a case by case basis, which most often will not be an anticipated change. One example: many think a microwave limits access to a range, but may not think about the potential to mistakenlyset it for 4 hours instead of 4 min.
Mark, you may want to include adding updated outlets and light switches for ‘seniors’. Old outlets and light switches can be replaced with ones that have lights wired into them. The bigger ‘designer’ toggle on light switches are easier to keep clean. Even a switch that has a motion sensor can help keep the room more safe for ‘older’ folks.
Auto off appliances. A place for a fire extinguisher. Dishwasher next to the sink. Dish cabinet and cutlery drawer next to or above the dishwasher. A place to throw out trash. Decluttering your existing stuff so that you create usable storage for stuff you use.
@@moocrazytn good call. We’re addicted to gas cooktops; however, my husband has a bad habit of forgetting to turn off the burner…he’s 13 years older than I am. It’s scary.
I’m so glad knobs on hobs are coming back. Touch screens can desensitize over time, can be hard to see in different lighting conditions, and are expensive to replace.
We have the two drawer Paykel dishwasher for about 6 years now and it’s amazing. Almost never need the bottom drawer, but it’s handy when we have family over, otherwise, the top drawer of this unit is perfect size for the two of us - no more running half empty loads or smelly from sitting too long between loads.
I've already decided on one of those to put in my new kitchen. I was so happy when my designer suggested it; I'd never heard of it before. I live by myself, but occasionally have guests, so this seems like the perfect compromise between a full-size and a very small dishwasher. I'm happy to hear your experience with it has been good.
Inside cabinet lights… yes! I’ve added battery-operated puck lights to my lower kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity cabinets, and smaller bedroom closets. Such a difference! Every new kitchen design should include inside cabinet lights from the start.
Hi, not sure if this is mentioned...my dad had dementia, it became difficult to find various things, the fridge was built in and just looked like a cupboard, also all the cabinets looked the same (with solid wood doors) so he found it really hard to remember where things were. My solution: keeping fridge etc as the appliance (not hidden) glass doors on frequently used cupboards. Many thanks for the video! Have a good day...😊
I absolutely love listening to your videos. I have been living with a nonfunctional kitchen for 23 years and have even had kitchen specialists in to measure and try to help me figure out how to redesign it, with no luck. I have gotten more ideas and options from you then all of them combined! Please keep them coming!
I love shallow-depth storage. You can see everything at once, you don't have to move a lot of things around to access other items, and it's a lot more difficult for food to go bad because no one notices it until it's too late! I went to an open house many years ago and the house was one-of-a-kind. A lot of love and care had gone into designing it. The thing I remember most (that still haunts my dreams to this very day), was their ultra-wide - yet not very deep - refrigerator. It was amazing! Lol, I'm always losing things in the fridge! Basically for me, if it's out of sight, it's out of mind...until it starts to smell! Unfortunately, my back gave me substantial problems for years after my pregnancy. At that time, bending while having to move things around in the fridge was really painful. I remember looking at that fridge and practically drooling. I could see everything at once, and access it all easily! That was about 13 years ago, and I've never seen another fridge like it. I would imagine it's a very expensive, custom-order item. Anyhow, this is a great video for raising awareness about looking towards the future when doing renovations. Especially once we're past a certain age!
I have the same problems, esp since I'm short with short arms. I'm planning on replacing my fridge when it dies with a 'counter depth' one instead of one that sticks out a few inches. Any food in there not right in front NEVER gets used. They end up science experiments.
I am building (rebuilding) my own kitchen including the cabinets. 1) I can't afford to buy what I want, but I can build it, and 2) I want a kitchen that matches the rest of the furniture I've built. I solved my corner issue by recreating the lovely corner hutch that was in my Grandma's home. 5 sides, drawers on the bottom, shelves/glass doors on top. It fully utilizes the corner, provides more drawers, and since it goes to the ceiling it adds storage for my large roaster that only gets used for holidays. Love the push to open drawer/cabinet idea! Those are going to be a 'thing'.
I really wanted one until I saw how much they cost and how much cabinet space it would eat up. I use my stand mixer multiple times a week and it will continue to live on the counter in my new kitchen, It, and a knife block are the only things that do, though.
This feels really timely for me. I just turned 60 in January, and two weeks ago, I spent five days in the hospital for a bone infection in my lower lumbar region of my spine. Needless to say it is going to be a rough 6 weeks for me while I go through treatment. Of all the things in this video that I can say would make my life easier is the pull down shelves (the first thing he featured). That is where I have found the biggest problems. Second I wish I had more pull outs and the raised shelf for the kitchenaid mixer since that is really heavy. My problem is that these "fixes" look really expensive to retrofit into an existing kitchen, and in my circumstance, cash is kinda tight for a while until I get better. If I had top choose though, the pull down shelves would be miles ahead of anything else. You never know when something will happen as far as your health goes (whether you are 30 or 60). Doesn't hurt to plan for it
We built our home 19 years ago. I had a corner cabinet installed with the specific intention of using it for small appliances. Blender, crock pots, can opener, cookie press, hand mixer, etc. I love it and I consider it a great use of that space!
15 years ago, I designed the remodel of our kitchen. I included high contrast drawer and cabinet door pulls. I specified the prep and sink counters to be at higher heights, to be more ergonomically friendly to my body. I carefully calculated the ideal depth I wanted to reach to for my sink’s bottom, and extrapolated the counter height to that. There are only wall cabinets above the fridge; the rest of the storage is mostly drawers in base cabinets. Drawers are so much more space efficient than upper cabinets are! I also specified white melamine drawer interiors, to make them as light as possible. I’m 65 now. My kitchen is as user-friendly as ever! I love it! 😍
Voice of experience: A lazy susan corner cabinet can be a great step stool for a little boy to climb onto the counter top. When I redid kitchen in next home and the kitchen designer recommended one but I opted out even though the "little boy" was past high school age. The blind corner holds cooler and supplies for hurricane evacuation!
Of course I hate my corner cabinet. You were right. But I can take your tips with me for my next home. Even though it will be a 5th wheel I can also build it for me to age into. Thanks for the tips.
I love my corner cabinet! The door is hinged with just 2 BIG shelf’s all the way to the box frame of cabinet. No place to loose things like in lazy Susan’s! 27 years and I still love it! I also love Drawer storage.I used 2 sets. And we designed a good size closet pantry into the plan , we could then buy less cabinets for a less “ claustrophobic”. Feel. We have a small short island for the short cook! I love that you tell about how deep the under-mount sink can be! when I was looking at new sinks I noted that my back would give out leaning into them! AND ALL THE SQUARE CORNERS! Food and crud would love to stick in them!
Something in the visual category that I’ve read that you didn’t mention is high contrast, especially between the countertop color and floor color. I’ve been thinking about wood flooring and butcher block but this reminded me of yet another reason against butcher block if I want a wood floor.
If you have visual impairments that require high contrast countertops, you will need them ...all over the home! I have treated people who are legally blind in their homes as a rehab therapist. This issue in the kitchen is rarely solved with contrasting counters.
I have found that as I get older, I prefer the freezer on the bottom so that I don't have to bend down so much for the fridge items. 95% of the time I need something out of the fridge, not the freezer.
All my household needs for appliances for is: Blender, Microwave, Instant Pot, Toaster Oven, 2-burner stove; make friends with someone with an oven if you want to cook a full turkey
I have baked corn bread and baked squash for an out-of-town family dinner using a convection countertop toaster (packed it from home) oven in a motel room.
Omg, I may be the first to see and comment…I feel like a stalker 🤣 The hardware catching my husband’s shorts is one huge consideration in my hardware decisions-also the hair dryer cord in the bathroom with drawer pull knobs-y’all won’t find a knob on my bathroom or kitchen cabinets 👍🏻 Great video! Thank you❤❤❤
Great information in the video Mark. I never thought about raising the dishwasher but that is a fantastic idea. Your videos are always very informative. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
@@MTKDofficialRandom remodel topic, kitchen cabinet height. Someone I know, we’ll call him John to protect his identity (LOL) told me he raised his kitchen countertops in his new house to 42”. He’s my height, say 5’5”-5’7”. I find this height an odd purposeful decision for someone that height. Thoughts? I’m going to search your videos for content on this subject. For me, 36” is too high for food prep. 😳
You have heard all the accolades all the wonderful adjectives and all the adoringly wonderful comments, you are very deserving of them…so today I just like the moment of mindlessness🤣🤣🤣🤣 and just enjoying a video….ty Mr Tobin👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻thumbs up all day everyday….great Blessings to the Tobin crew👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻& Gammy too🌺🌷💐
Sideways opening oven is brilliant for any age. An idea I'm looking for as a pushing 50 carer for my elderly mum is, an oven/stove/grill that not only automatically turns itself off and has a pin (not current child locks) so she doesn't set the house on fire while I'm working.
Suddenly, I remembered the Sopranos scene wherein his mom almost burned the house because she forgot that she was cooking. She used a gas stove. Luckily, the fire was extinguished. That was the scene that truly showed his mom's decreasing mental capacity. (Tony & his sister agreed to put her in a care home.) When I watched that scene some years ago, I wasn't affected. But now, I'm thinking of it as I watch my mom (who's in her 80s) have difficulties and in preparation for my aging too. Blessings to you & your mom.
Great content for someone who pushed past 50 some time ago. I believe honed countertops are easier on aging eyes when the light hits them vs. polished surfaces. I love the idea of the dishwasher in a tall cabinet (the picture where it is beside the wall oven--no landing space beside the oven !!?!!-- but I love the dishwasher idea). Also, totally agree about a shallower sink. Definitely doing pull downs for high cabinets. Shout out to Michael for Knobs on Hobs! Thanks Mark for another great video!!
I elevated my dishwasher and cloth dryer with drawer under them. It's great and will worth it. For blind corners a low cost option is plastic storage totes and a shelf. That you can slid the tote back into and out of the corner after pulling the front tote out. You can use 4 tote per corner.
People forget that the bottom rack of a dishwasher pulls out. You can put it on the counter to take things out and put them away, and then put the rack back in the dishwasher. Remembering that can avoid the trouble of raising a dishwasher.
A loaded dishwasher rack is heavy and awkward to handle. Dinner plates and even serving platters and small pots and pans are not particularly heavy. My heavier pots and roasters that won't fit the middle rack I can hand-wash.
Kitchen saver made the point that the push to open leaves finger prints. No big deal but people may want to consider it. I've been trying to catch up with your videos Mark. I've learned a lot today.
Mark, this video was awesome!!! Thinking about raising the dishwasher blew my mind!!! I had a double wall oven in a previous home and absolutely loved it! My dream kitchen would have the microwave over the wall oven at just the right height for me, a cooktop WITH knobs, a super duper exhaust system, a raised dishwasher, NO corner cabinets, pull downs and pull outs, some shallow and some deep cabinets, cutlery drawers that would eliminate the need for a knife block and lights and windows everywhere. If I don't move, I may make these changes.....🤔😊
I got a portable induction cooktop to see how I liked the potential proposed new spot for a stove. Now I’m torn between doing shallow pantries in the back room and a gas range in the main kitchen or an induction cooktop with more drawers in the main kitchen and an oven cabinet in the back room which would fit but make that room feel smaller. 🤪 I’d still have additional space for shallow pantries where they are now in the main kitchen. Time to draw both out and make a list of weighted + and - for future me and resale value, since I’m pushing 70 and my mom lived on her own into her 80’s (still going strong at almost 92, but lives with family after osteoporosis got bad enough she couldn’t bend to do things.)
I'm almost 70 and opted to put my oven in an adjoining kitchen extension. I don't use it enough to have it take up valuable daily work area space. It's also in a 27-inch cabinet instead of 30.
Thanks for the vid! Lots of things to think about, as I'm nearing that age and my senior mom now has mobility issues. I learned a lot from you and from some comments! 👍
Very helpful video. I love the cabinet pull outs. The only one I disagree with is the pop out doors. We had this in a vacation home and it was awful. When they work, they turn the act of opening a cabinet into a two step process. Instead of just grab the handle and open you push, then grab the corner of the door to open. Seems like a small thing but can really slow you down when you’re cooking and getting things from drawers and cabinets.
I am all in with counter depth refrigerators, being older and living alone (well, there are the 3 dogs, 10 chickens, horse and an odd lizard). Easier to see what you've got, easier to keep everything fresh. I have a rule that I cook/eat everything in my fridge (not freezer) each week. Anything else goes to the chickens and lizard. I have a box freezer for the salmon/halibut snagged on fishing. But really....buy food, cook it, eat it.....
ALL of this applies to me. I broke my back, but I'm not in a wheelchair. (yet) I'm planning my remodel and I've been kvetching over the sink. I don't need it accessible now, but I may. My solution is to install the sink cabinet as a stand-alone unit with it's own counter that caulked to the neighboring counter so it'll function normally. If needed, the whole thing can be pulled out and an accessible situation installed. Same for the stove top. I'm setting up separate hookups in the tall cabinets so that if I need to put in a wall oven, it'll be an easy switch. The island will have a seated counter so I can use that as a work station. Thankfully, we put in extra wide doorways and walkways in the kitchen just in case we need a wheelchair in the future. And Mark is SO right about lighting. There's never enough and it can't be too bright. More lights are always better. Even if you don't need or want them, install the wiring whenever remodeling so it's easy to put them in later. Heck, that applies to plumbing, too. We've got the island plumbed even though it doesn't have a sink just in case I need a sitting sink in the future. Plan the house you're going to get old in. It'll allow you to be independent for as long as possible.
I'm 50 and have many physical impairments. I'm redoing my kitchen and saw a pulldown unit yesterday. What a game changer. Definitely getting some for my kitchen
@@scpatl4now The equipment runs @300. Each. Installation is more. And they don't come all the way down. You still have to reach up to PULL them down. Think about how you can configure your storage for less.
I love a galley. You can also cheat just a little and put a very shallow shelf, which I also love, on the wall at the end. What would've been corner cabinets in a I-shaped kitchen only have a few inches extra as the corner turn. Don't know if I've explained that well without a diagram.
I love galley kitchens too. Unfortunately with a chimney running through cabinets in one side I really need the cabinets at the end to make it a U shape. The back side of one corner is at the back door on the other side of a wall. Because the landing there is so small there was never a place to put things on my way in or out that couldn’t be hung on a hook and not room on hooks for anything bulky. So I’m planning on blocking off that corner and creating access to the space at the landing side. Would be a great place to put purse, keys, books to return to library, purchase returns, etc behind a closed door so it isn’t visible to meter readers, etc who pass by that windowed door.
Great video, Mark! Good things to think about as we age. I got rid of beautiful dinnerware because it was becoming too heavy to pull out or put back in upper cabinet in my small kitchen. I never thought about those pull down systems. Thanks! Sounds like you are a Canadian ‘Tobin’. I am originally from New Jersey ‘Tobin’. ( maiden name) lol. How about that! lol ❤
We just recently stayed in a vacation home that had a touchscreen stove top. It was nearly impossible to use with wet hands. Which you usually have when you're cooking. I hate those with a burning passion. As someone who is close to her 50s and an ambulatory wheelchair user, a wheelchair ready kitchen is my dream. There are electric, modern wheelchairs that can hold you up in a standing position so you don't need to adjust the counter hight to a manual wheelchair.
I don't have a corner cabinet. But if I would have one, I think I would try to find a pull out system that could accomodate 3 trashcans to separate my trash. A bin for plastics, a bin for glass and a bin for paper. The general bin and compost bin is best kep under the sink.
Perfect timing for me. I relate to many of your key points. I need a bomb squad 😂 to aging Condo kitchen & I know a lot of what you said is right up for me with exception to all that Wi-Fi stuff.I eventually will be in a W/C,but, hopefully not here in the Condo Kudos 👏
Have been searching for a company to i stall pull down units and sliding shelves in lower cabinets in NYC without success. Do not want to replace , just improve access looking forward.
I too hate corner cabinets except the one which can be accessed from the other side i.e. open to dining room. I have designed 3 kitchens for myself which work wonderfully well. I always block other corners off and use the additional space that would be used to access those corner cabinets to have wider drawers giving more storage. I also insist that I have 4 drawers instead of the standard 3. If you see the amount of extra unused space above items stored there is room for one more drawer in yout base cabinet. Microwave above wall oven or on a shelf above kitchen counter as it is not too high and safer to use. Push cabinets need to be pushed to close and it is easy to have them not closed when you think you have closed them. Soft close drawers and cabinets close themselves and are cheap to install. Install the fridge on a base at same level as kickboard - it will raise the height a little and no cleaning under it. Love the idea of motion sensor lights and oven that turns itself off when no motion. Will look at those when I get my new kitchen installed shortly.
I moved in with my 98 year old next door neighbor when I realized he couldn't smell ANYTHING anymore - including when the pilot light having gone out and the gas was still on. He could have blown up the entire neighborhood. He was also going blind from macular degeneration and was constantly losing things like the (black) remote, mail that needed tending to, etc. He wasn't eating well either. He otherwise had all his wits about him and was a delight. My best friend ever! I'm pointing this out because sometimes, serious and dangerous disabilities aren't at all obvious. He was living in a retirement area and knew almost everyone and they all cared about him, but none of them had noticed his issues.
My mom was included in a study group re: seniors, done by a local university. They did several health tests like BP, blood sugar levels, osteoporosis risk, visual acuity, etc. The researchers found out that she has lost her sense of smell - she couldn't smell coffee & other test objects. She was in her late 70s at the time.
I suggested the pull-out step stool in the toe kick to my designer, and she said every time she's installed one the clients shortly thereafter complained that it scratched their floors. She now highly recommends not getting them, and just storing a small stool somewhere nearby instead. I'm wondering if that is a common problem?
I think at the point you're raising the bottom of your cabinets to fit a stool under them in order to be able to reach your wall cabinets, it might be more efficient to just build everything to fit your height in the first place. Those pull-out step stools also look like a deadly tripping hazard.
I’m only 5’6” but I find that typical counter height is causing me to bend over a bit when preparing food and that makes my back hurt. Can you discuss different counter heights - what is standard and has it changed over the years?
Mounting work surfaces on adjustable height frames fixes this problem. You can lower the bench to wheelchair-user height or raise it to tall-person-standing height or anything in between with the press of a button. Just don't build cupboards under it if you're going to have someone in a wheelchair or any other chair using the bench, because we need knee room. You'll need to plan extra storage somewhere else to make up for that.
I loved this video. Sadly, I don't believe my husband will spend the money to remodel our kitchen. We are both 63 and I want to spend many more years here in our now 25-year old home. Lots of great ideas. I am putting a list together of "wants," "must-haves," and "don't even consider." Our builder put in kitchens with drawers on the top level only and doors and half shelves in all of the cabinets. I hate it. Also, our pantry is the smallest ever installed. Over the years, I've used two different cabinets for food storage. Now that it is just the two of us, the pantry is almost big enough. My dream kitchen would likely include flat panel low sheen walnut grain cabinets and drawers, solid surface but beautiful counters with shallower, but wider integrated single sink, motion activated fawcett, microwave in a cabinet at counter height with my Breville countertop oven above it with a functional and easy way to use the space, undercabinet and baseboard lighting, additional functional lighting, induction cooking surface and more. But at what cost?!! Eesh! I need to be working full time at a high rate of pay to afford that kitchen, not semi retired.
Just a thought replace the useless half shelves with full shelves. Then get some plastic totes. One can put stops on the top edge of the totes so they don't pull out all the way. Low cost that works.
one thing that makes a blind corner tolerable.... make sure the door opening is at least 21", my old cabs were only 12" and I hated using it. this one is 21" and I have no issues.
Love the vids. My Bias: Flexibility. Try not to 'lock in', keep a flexible mind/design & awareness--your life & other people's = changes. Analog or 'smart' is relative to person who doesn't know how it works. Friend has Very Smart Kitchen dialed in---when he broke his leg & hurt himself snow boarding? Stupid Kitchen. Home health crew couldn't find lights, heat water, or open fridge. Pretty tiled floors = Stupid bumpy floors. Wheelchair to crutches to walker to quad cane to metal brace; arm from sling to brace. Siri & Alexa? Don't like Cussing.
Excellent point. And when people develop dementia, they put their Meals on Wheels foil tin in the microwave. OOPS. We see this with head trauma as well. Never own a kitchen that is too smart for you or your caregivers!!
I'd ask the landlord for permission to install them and take them with you if you leave. Otherwise there is no equally suitable solution that comes to mind. There are less expensive and obtrusive ways to organize the cabinets, but reaching the contents will still likely require a step stool. If I come across an option that will work, I'll definitely post about it.
There really is none BUT a toe kick step stool would be very helpful . As I'm only 5'4" so I built a platform (from pallets) all along my counters. Stirring, reaching everything is much less stressful now that the counters are my height. My husband 6'2" found no problems after we installed bottom shelf pullouts we made our selves.
Avoid the Smart Fridge. We had the Samsung version and the touch screen died just out of warranty. Samsung advised the screen could not be repaired and required a replacement at a cost of $1000+.
I am in a wheelchair. I have problems with where to put the microwave. I cannot lift my arms above my shoulders. So putting it above the oven doesn't work. And putting it too low under the cabinet counter doesn't work either. Because I still can't lift The food out of the microwave to even put it on the counter.I also live with my daughter who's thirty seven years old and she's four foot eight inches tall and that brings a whole another set of problems for her.
If you do not have the upper body strength or trunk stability to lean forward into a microwave built into a base counter, you need a microwave placed on a reachable surface, with very lightweight lidded food containers that you can hold securely and lift. This may not be located in the kitchen. Many people using a w/c create an off-site spot to heat their food up. They remove it from a fridge and place it into containers that limit spillage as it is transported to their "worksite". Some even place a mini fridge in that location. Your daughter might want to explore sturdy reachers that would allow her to get to sealed boxes and bags from higher shelves. They could help you as well!! You may qualify for an occupational therapist to come into your home to help you will onsite planning. Did that for over 10 years. I saw a lot of funky kitchens!!
I am legally blind, I have a progressive eye disease and eventually won’t be able to see much of anything. I detest so many of the high-tech appliances and gadgets, etc. They are not accessible in many cases. It doesn’t matter if your washer or dryer or stove have 25 different settings, etc. if you can’t use any of them. I go as simple and low tech as possible. I can label a few things with braille or dots and make it work for me.
As a person with epilepsy and other disabilities, I'm not sure how to feel about this video. It promises to be helpful, but all I'm seeing is high ticket items, forgetting most disabled folks are on SSI, a very limited income. A shelf adaption costing $700 or higher... YIKES. It sounds more like an able-system using a book to apply to every person's needs. Those books are not detailed enough, honestly. It would have helped if they had involved a variety of people who have to live with kitchen limitations on top of the book reading. Main reason why I doubt the helpfulness of this video, aside from the high cost items? Assuming disabled folks can and will use a stool. This is one of the first things doctors tell us to get rid of. Just about everything here counters what doctors and physical therapists tell us are safe to use.
Hi, I appreciate the input. This video is not for disabled people, so I can see how it would not be helpful. When designing a kitchen for a disability, be sure to work with your designer to cover the specific needs of the user. This video is most helpful to the intended audience.
@@MTKDofficial Agree; Healthy aging is far different from living with one disability, let alone living with more than one. Creaky joints is not arthritis. Wearing "readers" is not macular degeneration. And forgetting where you left your keys is not Mild Cognitive Impairment.
I don't like upper cabinets at all. Lower drawers all the way. You can have a rows of drawers going vertical all along your lower cabinets and everything will fit. Add pantry and you're all set. Have electric outlets in your pantry and put your microwave there.
These are great ideas but take $$$ That is the first time I’ve seen the dishwasher so high - love it but is that a custom build or have any suggestions for a less expensive build?
Agreed. These take considerable coin for a budget conscious reno. The dishwasher can be raised very inexpensively. No need for custom cabinets for that solution. When it comes to overall function, spend the money full extension drawers or pullouts. Or find an RTA company that offers this. Many do.
the appliance lifts seem like a clever idea, but having to work around the door and shelf sticking out into your walking space I think would make this a non-starter for me... similarly the pull-down things look horrible... first you have to open BOTH doors all the way, then pull the thing down... and when you're done push it back up, then close both doors... no thank you! having a foldaway step stool handy is MUCH easier & faster, plus it lets me use ALL the space in the cabinet instead of losing a bunch of it to the hardware to keep the kitchen functional, the walking space needs to be clear & cabinet access needs to be open the door/drawer, get what you need, & close it to get it out of the way
Absolute madness and over the top utterly unnecessary expenses! I'll keep my manual everything knowing the only thing that can break is hinges which are easily replaced.
Pushing fifty? I guess you can already feel yourself going downhill. The thing you don't realize is that you will keep accelerating and just when you think you should be getting to the bottom of the hill, you find that there is no bottom and you are suddenly freefalling off a cliff!
Alexa? Does someone have to be totally stupid to want a load of Smart products in the kitchen (and house generally) or just mildly stupid to want all those invisible radioactive waves zapping from item to item, passing through and frying your brain and your body? Apart from that, love your kitchen vids.
Good for you! I hope you stay healthy for a long time. 😊 My mom was healthy & OK until age 78, when she had a hip/ lower back issue due to gardening. Now she's in her 80s and has mobility issues. She can't handle stairs and can't stand for long.
When I saw that woman throw carrot peels into a paper bag in a self-opening and closing bottom drawer, I knew I had to have one. I'm definitely getting a paper bag.
Funny!
😂
I am an occupational therapist with Aging-in Place certification (AIP) from the NAHB. Every physical issue has its own needs. One great adaptation for me could make life harder for someone else. And when dementia occurs, you will be far less safe in your kitchen, even with a switch that shuts off your stove if no motion has been detected for a while (very smart choice, BTW). Sadly, many older homeowners end up with both cognitive and physical compromises. Without understanding the implications for both, it is really difficult to create a safe and functional kitchen. AIP specialists do anything from Universal Design to major adaptations. I am putting in a new kitchen for myself. I am not disabled. Yet. I am putting in stunning floor tile with a high COF (coefficient of friction) because I don't want to slip on spills I don't notice or water I didn't see dripping. I know what hip fracture rehab looks like. Slight price increase. Massive peace of mind investment.
This comment was as helpful as the whole video to me, and I’m going to be 60 this year. I retired early, and working in the kitchen actually helps me stay in motion during the day. I have one bad shoulder, so I can foresee needing pull downs if the other shoulder fails, but in the meantime motion is lotion!
We have a bath that we need to redo eventually, and grippy tile is definitely a need.
I just ordered a Stove Alert. It’s cheaper and a simpler install. It beeps when the stove is on. I retired to the biggest house I ever lived in and if I can’t hear the beeping when I’m in another room, I can sync it with Alexa alerts to my phone. Hope it helps.🤷♀️I have also heard that Induction Stoves turn off automatically for safety in certain circumstances.
Oh I’ll be looking for flooring soon so thanks for the reminder!
@@constancerobinson1377 Highly recommend Daltile's StepWise collection. Home Depot's versions are not as highly rated.
Fellow OT here. Thx for your comment. I believe many think wheelchair or balance issues when they think of adaptions. It’s great to raise awareness that specialists can tailor adaptions on a case by case basis, which most often will not be an anticipated change. One example: many think a microwave limits access to a range, but may not think about the potential to mistakenlyset it for 4 hours instead of 4 min.
Mark, you may want to include adding updated outlets and light switches for ‘seniors’. Old outlets and light switches can be replaced with ones that have lights wired into them. The bigger ‘designer’ toggle on light switches are easier to keep clean. Even a switch that has a motion sensor can help keep the room more safe for ‘older’ folks.
Great point. Thanks for mentioning that!
Auto off appliances.
A place for a fire extinguisher.
Dishwasher next to the sink. Dish cabinet and cutlery drawer next to or above the dishwasher.
A place to throw out trash.
Decluttering your existing stuff so that you create usable storage for stuff you use.
I'm putting an induction cooktop in for my old age because it's less likely to be a safety hazard.
@@moocrazytn good call. We’re addicted to gas cooktops; however, my husband has a bad habit of forgetting to turn off the burner…he’s 13 years older than I am. It’s scary.
Who puts dishwasher far from the sink?
I’m so glad knobs on hobs are coming back. Touch screens can desensitize over time, can be hard to see in different lighting conditions, and are expensive to replace.
We have the two drawer Paykel dishwasher for about 6 years now and it’s amazing. Almost never need the bottom drawer, but it’s handy when we have family over, otherwise, the top drawer of this unit is perfect size for the two of us - no more running half empty loads or smelly from sitting too long between loads.
I've already decided on one of those to put in my new kitchen. I was so happy when my designer suggested it; I'd never heard of it before. I live by myself, but occasionally have guests, so this seems like the perfect compromise between a full-size and a very small dishwasher. I'm happy to hear your experience with it has been good.
Inside cabinet lights… yes! I’ve added battery-operated puck lights to my lower kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanity cabinets, and smaller bedroom closets. Such a difference! Every new kitchen design should include inside cabinet lights from the start.
Hi, not sure if this is mentioned...my dad had dementia, it became difficult to find various things, the fridge was built in and just looked like a cupboard, also all the cabinets looked the same (with solid wood doors) so he found it really hard to remember where things were. My solution: keeping fridge etc as the appliance (not hidden) glass doors on frequently used cupboards. Many thanks for the video! Have a good day...😊
Every video you make helps me evaluate my choices.
I absolutely love listening to your videos. I have been living with a nonfunctional kitchen for 23 years and have even had kitchen specialists in to measure and try to help me figure out how to redesign it, with no luck. I have gotten more ideas and options from you then all of them combined! Please keep them coming!
23 years? You poor woman! I’m not strong enough for that and would have sold after the 2nd kitchen specialist/contractor couldn’t help
Thanks for watching! Glad the videos are helpful!!
I love shallow-depth storage. You can see everything at once, you don't have to move a lot of things around to access other items, and it's a lot more difficult for food to go bad because no one notices it until it's too late! I went to an open house many years ago and the house was one-of-a-kind. A lot of love and care had gone into designing it. The thing I remember most (that still haunts my dreams to this very day), was their ultra-wide - yet not very deep - refrigerator. It was amazing! Lol, I'm always losing things in the fridge! Basically for me, if it's out of sight, it's out of mind...until it starts to smell! Unfortunately, my back gave me substantial problems for years after my pregnancy. At that time, bending while having to move things around in the fridge was really painful. I remember looking at that fridge and practically drooling. I could see everything at once, and access it all easily! That was about 13 years ago, and I've never seen another fridge like it. I would imagine it's a very expensive, custom-order item. Anyhow, this is a great video for raising awareness about looking towards the future when doing renovations. Especially once we're past a certain age!
I have the same problems, esp since I'm short with short arms. I'm planning on replacing my fridge when it dies with a 'counter depth' one instead of one that sticks out a few inches. Any food in there not right in front NEVER gets used. They end up science experiments.
@@signalfire6- Lol, I've created several science experiments as well! 😂
I have created "drawers" by using two acrylic trays per shelf so that I can pull them forward to see and access everything there.
@@ellen8996 - That is a great idea! So easy to bring forward whatever might be hiding in the back! :)
I am building (rebuilding) my own kitchen including the cabinets. 1) I can't afford to buy what I want, but I can build it, and 2) I want a kitchen that matches the rest of the furniture I've built. I solved my corner issue by recreating the lovely corner hutch that was in my Grandma's home. 5 sides, drawers on the bottom, shelves/glass doors on top. It fully utilizes the corner, provides more drawers, and since it goes to the ceiling it adds storage for my large roaster that only gets used for holidays.
Love the push to open drawer/cabinet idea! Those are going to be a 'thing'.
Got my first appliance lift in 1959-60 and have been Stunned that in all these years they are hardly ever used. Always viewed as some thing "new".
I really wanted one until I saw how much they cost and how much cabinet space it would eat up. I use my stand mixer multiple times a week and it will continue to live on the counter in my new kitchen, It, and a knife block are the only things that do, though.
This feels really timely for me. I just turned 60 in January, and two weeks ago, I spent five days in the hospital for a bone infection in my lower lumbar region of my spine. Needless to say it is going to be a rough 6 weeks for me while I go through treatment. Of all the things in this video that I can say would make my life easier is the pull down shelves (the first thing he featured). That is where I have found the biggest problems. Second I wish I had more pull outs and the raised shelf for the kitchenaid mixer since that is really heavy. My problem is that these "fixes" look really expensive to retrofit into an existing kitchen, and in my circumstance, cash is kinda tight for a while until I get better. If I had top choose though, the pull down shelves would be miles ahead of anything else. You never know when something will happen as far as your health goes (whether you are 30 or 60). Doesn't hurt to plan for it
I hope your healing is going well! 🙏
@@susangrande8142 I'm done with all the antibiotics and I am feeling much better!
If you're handy, you can build/install your own pullouts in your cabinets. I did this for my bathroom cabinets, plastic cupboard...
The wall pull down unit is great. I have it in a spice rack version that I just love.
When the kitchen is pushing 50, time for a total gut job!
Loving smart lighting in the kitchen. In time, we'll get pull downs for the upper cabinets.
Well mine is only 45, so I have some time still
We built our home 19 years ago. I had a corner cabinet installed with the specific intention of using it for small appliances. Blender, crock pots, can opener, cookie press, hand mixer, etc. I love it and I consider it a great use of that space!
Another option for the kitchen sink is a foot pedal to turn it on and off.
Yeah, I've been hearing this from a few people.
@@MTKDofficialOr one with a motion sensor.
15 years ago, I designed the remodel of our kitchen. I included high contrast drawer and cabinet door pulls. I specified the prep and sink counters to be at higher heights, to be more ergonomically friendly to my body. I carefully calculated the ideal depth I wanted to reach to for my sink’s bottom, and extrapolated the counter height to that. There are only wall cabinets above the fridge; the rest of the storage is mostly drawers in base cabinets. Drawers are so much more space efficient than upper cabinets are! I also specified white melamine drawer interiors, to make them as light as possible. I’m 65 now. My kitchen is as user-friendly as ever! I love it! 😍
Sorry, I love upper, eye level cabinets over low ones anyday.
@@michaelplunkett8059 That’s fine! You do what pleases you. 👍
Voice of experience: A lazy susan corner cabinet can be a great step stool for a little boy to climb onto the counter top. When I redid kitchen in next home and the kitchen designer recommended one but I opted out even though the "little boy" was past high school age. The blind corner holds cooler and supplies for hurricane evacuation!
Of course I hate my corner cabinet. You were right. But I can take your tips with me for my next home. Even though it will be a 5th wheel I can also build it for me to age into. Thanks for the tips.
I love my corner cabinet! The door is hinged with just 2 BIG shelf’s all the way to the box frame of cabinet. No place to loose things like in lazy Susan’s! 27 years and I still love it! I also love Drawer storage.I used 2 sets. And we designed a good size closet pantry into the plan , we could then buy less cabinets for a less “ claustrophobic”. Feel. We have a small short island for the short cook!
I love that you tell about how deep the under-mount sink can be! when I was looking at new sinks I noted that my back would give out leaning into them! AND ALL THE SQUARE CORNERS! Food and crud would love to stick in them!
Something in the visual category that I’ve read that you didn’t mention is high contrast, especially between the countertop color and floor color. I’ve been thinking about wood flooring and butcher block but this reminded me of yet another reason against butcher block if I want a wood floor.
If you have visual impairments that require high contrast countertops, you will need them ...all over the home! I have treated people who are legally blind in their homes as a rehab therapist. This issue in the kitchen is rarely solved with contrasting counters.
I have found that as I get older, I prefer the freezer on the bottom so that I don't have to bend down so much for the fridge items. 95% of the time I need something out of the fridge, not the freezer.
All my household needs for appliances for is: Blender, Microwave, Instant Pot, Toaster Oven, 2-burner stove; make friends with someone with an oven if you want to cook a full turkey
I have baked corn bread and baked squash for an out-of-town family dinner using a convection countertop toaster (packed it from home) oven in a motel room.
Omg, I may be the first to see and comment…I feel like a stalker 🤣
The hardware catching my husband’s shorts is one huge consideration in my hardware decisions-also the hair dryer cord in the bathroom with drawer pull knobs-y’all won’t find a knob on my bathroom or kitchen cabinets 👍🏻
Great video!
Thank you❤❤❤
Totally hear you on this one. Knobs also catching on pant pockets and cardigans. Went with handles on lower cabinets and knobs on uppers.
Great information in the video Mark. I never thought about raising the dishwasher but that is a fantastic idea. Your videos are always very informative. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Stalkers are welcome here. lol. Ok, well maybe not all stalker. But you are for sure!!
OMG the hair dryer cord catching on the knob drives me INSANE! After my remodel, you will not be able to find a knob in my home LOL.
@@MTKDofficialRandom remodel topic, kitchen cabinet height. Someone I know, we’ll call him John to protect his identity (LOL) told me he raised his kitchen countertops in his new house to 42”. He’s my height, say 5’5”-5’7”.
I find this height an odd purposeful decision for someone that height.
Thoughts? I’m going to search your videos for content on this subject.
For me, 36” is too high for food prep. 😳
You have heard all the accolades all the wonderful adjectives and all the adoringly wonderful comments, you are very deserving of them…so today I just like the moment of mindlessness🤣🤣🤣🤣 and just enjoying a video….ty Mr Tobin👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻thumbs up all day everyday….great Blessings to the Tobin crew👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻& Gammy too🌺🌷💐
Hey, I'm offended! I'm 52 and can do 30" box jumps!
Sideways opening oven is brilliant for any age.
An idea I'm looking for as a pushing 50 carer for my elderly mum is, an oven/stove/grill that not only automatically turns itself off and has a pin (not current child locks) so she doesn't set the house on fire while I'm working.
Suddenly, I remembered the Sopranos scene wherein his mom almost burned the house because she forgot that she was cooking. She used a gas stove. Luckily, the fire was extinguished. That was the scene that truly showed his mom's decreasing mental capacity. (Tony & his sister agreed to put her in a care home.)
When I watched that scene some years ago, I wasn't affected. But now, I'm thinking of it as I watch my mom (who's in her 80s) have difficulties and in preparation for my aging too.
Blessings to you & your mom.
@@kitty_s23456 thank you and best wishes for your mum too
I'd like new crank windows or ones that go side to side.. I have the lift up / close down.. 😢 I really have issues with the one over my sink
Great content for someone who pushed past 50 some time ago. I believe honed countertops are easier on aging eyes when the light hits them vs. polished surfaces. I love the idea of the dishwasher in a tall cabinet (the picture where it is beside the wall oven--no landing space beside the oven !!?!!-- but I love the dishwasher idea). Also, totally agree about a shallower sink. Definitely doing pull downs for high cabinets. Shout out to Michael for Knobs on Hobs! Thanks Mark for another great video!!
I elevated my dishwasher and cloth dryer with drawer under them. It's great and will worth it. For blind corners a low cost option is plastic storage totes and a shelf. That you can slid the tote back into and out of the corner after pulling the front tote out. You can use 4 tote per corner.
What a great idea the shallow sink! That can really help my low back! Thank you so much!
People forget that the bottom rack of a dishwasher pulls out. You can put it on the counter to take things out and put them away, and then put the rack back in the dishwasher. Remembering that can avoid the trouble of raising a dishwasher.
A loaded dishwasher rack is heavy and awkward to handle. Dinner plates and even serving platters and small pots and pans are not particularly heavy. My heavier pots and roasters that won't fit the middle rack I can hand-wash.
Love this topic! So necessary!
Kitchen saver made the point that the push to open leaves finger prints. No big deal but people may want to consider it. I've been trying to catch up with your videos Mark. I've learned a lot today.
I had push to open and had no issues with fingerprints. I think it depends on color and gloss level and whether or not kids are using them! 😂
Mark, this video was awesome!!! Thinking about raising the dishwasher blew my mind!!! I had a double wall oven in a previous home and absolutely loved it! My dream kitchen would have the microwave over the wall oven at just the right height for me, a cooktop WITH knobs, a super duper exhaust system, a raised dishwasher, NO corner cabinets, pull downs and pull outs, some shallow and some deep cabinets, cutlery drawers that would eliminate the need for a knife block and lights and windows everywhere. If I don't move, I may make these changes.....🤔😊
Hey! Glad this was helpful..Thanks for the positive feedback!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS VIDEO! The lights inside the cabinets!!! Thank you
I got a portable induction cooktop to see how I liked the potential proposed new spot for a stove. Now I’m torn between doing shallow pantries in the back room and a gas range in the main kitchen or an induction cooktop with more drawers in the main kitchen and an oven cabinet in the back room which would fit but make that room feel smaller. 🤪 I’d still have additional space for shallow pantries where they are now in the main kitchen. Time to draw both out and make a list of weighted + and - for future me and resale value, since I’m pushing 70 and my mom lived on her own into her 80’s (still going strong at almost 92, but lives with family after osteoporosis got bad enough she couldn’t bend to do things.)
I'm almost 70 and opted to put my oven in an adjoining kitchen extension. I don't use it enough to have it take up valuable daily work area space. It's also in a 27-inch cabinet instead of 30.
Oh! I didn’t know wall oven cabinets came in 27”. Was it hard to find oven/microwave that fit???
Thanks for the vid! Lots of things to think about, as I'm nearing that age and my senior mom now has mobility issues. I learned a lot from you and from some comments! 👍
Very helpful video. I love the cabinet pull outs. The only one I disagree with is the pop out doors. We had this in a vacation home and it was awful. When they work, they turn the act of opening a cabinet into a two step process. Instead of just grab the handle and open you push, then grab the corner of the door to open. Seems like a small thing but can really slow you down when you’re cooking and getting things from drawers and cabinets.
I am all in with counter depth refrigerators, being older and living alone (well, there are the 3 dogs, 10 chickens, horse and an odd lizard). Easier to see what you've got, easier to keep everything fresh. I have a rule that I cook/eat everything in my fridge (not freezer) each week. Anything else goes to the chickens and lizard. I have a box freezer for the salmon/halibut snagged on fishing. But really....buy food, cook it, eat it.....
ALL of this applies to me. I broke my back, but I'm not in a wheelchair. (yet) I'm planning my remodel and I've been kvetching over the sink. I don't need it accessible now, but I may. My solution is to install the sink cabinet as a stand-alone unit with it's own counter that caulked to the neighboring counter so it'll function normally. If needed, the whole thing can be pulled out and an accessible situation installed. Same for the stove top. I'm setting up separate hookups in the tall cabinets so that if I need to put in a wall oven, it'll be an easy switch. The island will have a seated counter so I can use that as a work station.
Thankfully, we put in extra wide doorways and walkways in the kitchen just in case we need a wheelchair in the future.
And Mark is SO right about lighting. There's never enough and it can't be too bright. More lights are always better. Even if you don't need or want them, install the wiring whenever remodeling so it's easy to put them in later. Heck, that applies to plumbing, too. We've got the island plumbed even though it doesn't have a sink just in case I need a sitting sink in the future.
Plan the house you're going to get old in. It'll allow you to be independent for as long as possible.
Very good presentation Mark perfect ! Lots to think about .
I'm 50 and have many physical impairments. I'm redoing my kitchen and saw a pulldown unit yesterday. What a game changer. Definitely getting some for my kitchen
What kind of price range did you find?
@@scpatl4now they haven't run me the quote yet. Frankly I'm a little scared 🤣
@@scpatl4now The equipment runs @300. Each. Installation is more. And they don't come all the way down. You still have to reach up to PULL them down. Think about how you can configure your storage for less.
Great video! Thank you ❤
I love all my big drawers! Not a fan of corners, so a galley kitchen works for me.
I love a galley. You can also cheat just a little and put a very shallow shelf, which I also love, on the wall at the end. What would've been corner cabinets in a I-shaped kitchen only have a few inches extra as the corner turn. Don't know if I've explained that well without a diagram.
I love galley kitchens too. Unfortunately with a chimney running through cabinets in one side I really need the cabinets at the end to make it a U shape. The back side of one corner is at the back door on the other side of a wall. Because the landing there is so small there was never a place to put things on my way in or out that couldn’t be hung on a hook and not room on hooks for anything bulky. So I’m planning on blocking off that corner and creating access to the space at the landing side. Would be a great place to put purse, keys, books to return to library, purchase returns, etc behind a closed door so it isn’t visible to meter readers, etc who pass by that windowed door.
Excellent video! A higher-placed dishwasher is my next project!
Great video, Mark! Good things to think about as we age. I got rid of beautiful dinnerware because it was becoming too heavy to pull out or put back in upper cabinet in my small kitchen. I never thought about those pull down systems. Thanks! Sounds like you are a Canadian ‘Tobin’. I am originally from New Jersey ‘Tobin’. ( maiden name) lol. How about that! lol ❤
This is so much smarter and better looking than a ladder!
So many wise ideas. When we age, we have to make safety and convenience important.
👏👏👏 Very helpful and informative, Mark!
We just recently stayed in a vacation home that had a touchscreen stove top. It was nearly impossible to use with wet hands. Which you usually have when you're cooking. I hate those with a burning passion.
As someone who is close to her 50s and an ambulatory wheelchair user, a wheelchair ready kitchen is my dream. There are electric, modern wheelchairs that can hold you up in a standing position so you don't need to adjust the counter hight to a manual wheelchair.
When need to replace double wall oven, will put MW on top, oven on bottom, hood over cooktop.
Great video Mark. As always I love your content.
I don't have a corner cabinet. But if I would have one, I think I would try to find a pull out system that could accomodate 3 trashcans to separate my trash. A bin for plastics, a bin for glass and a bin for paper. The general bin and compost bin is best kep under the sink.
Wonderful advice!
Perfect timing for me. I relate to many of your key points. I need a bomb squad 😂 to aging Condo kitchen & I know a lot of what you said is right up for me with exception to all that Wi-Fi stuff.I eventually will be in a W/C,but, hopefully not here in the Condo
Kudos 👏
Hey thanks! Appreciate the comment.
Have been searching for a company to i stall pull down units and sliding shelves in lower cabinets in NYC without success. Do not want to replace , just improve access looking forward.
I too hate corner cabinets except the one which can be accessed from the other side i.e. open to dining room. I have designed 3 kitchens for myself which work wonderfully well. I always block other corners off and use the additional space that would be used to access those corner cabinets to have wider drawers giving more storage. I also insist that I have 4 drawers instead of the standard 3. If you see the amount of extra unused space above items stored there is room for one more drawer in yout base cabinet. Microwave above wall oven or on a shelf above kitchen counter as it is not too high and safer to use. Push cabinets need to be pushed to close and it is easy to have them not closed when you think you have closed them. Soft close drawers and cabinets close themselves and are cheap to install. Install the fridge on a base at same level as kickboard - it will raise the height a little and no cleaning under it. Love the idea of motion sensor lights and oven that turns itself off when no motion. Will look at those when I get my new kitchen installed shortly.
I moved in with my 98 year old next door neighbor when I realized he couldn't smell ANYTHING anymore - including when the pilot light having gone out and the gas was still on. He could have blown up the entire neighborhood. He was also going blind from macular degeneration and was constantly losing things like the (black) remote, mail that needed tending to, etc. He wasn't eating well either. He otherwise had all his wits about him and was a delight. My best friend ever! I'm pointing this out because sometimes, serious and dangerous disabilities aren't at all obvious. He was living in a retirement area and knew almost everyone and they all cared about him, but none of them had noticed his issues.
Thanks for mentioning and helping us to be more aware!
My mom was included in a study group re: seniors, done by a local university. They did several health tests like BP, blood sugar levels, osteoporosis risk, visual acuity, etc. The researchers found out that she has lost her sense of smell - she couldn't smell coffee & other test objects. She was in her late 70s at the time.
Good ideas for the handicap thank you
I suggested the pull-out step stool in the toe kick to my designer, and she said every time she's installed one the clients shortly thereafter complained that it scratched their floors. She now highly recommends not getting them, and just storing a small stool somewhere nearby instead. I'm wondering if that is a common problem?
I think at the point you're raising the bottom of your cabinets to fit a stool under them in order to be able to reach your wall cabinets, it might be more efficient to just build everything to fit your height in the first place. Those pull-out step stools also look like a deadly tripping hazard.
The rail system that the pullout is mounted on needs to be tested for at least 100lbs per rail. This is a great point. Thanks for the input.
I’m only 5’6” but I find that typical counter height is causing me to bend over a bit when preparing food and that makes my back hurt. Can you discuss different counter heights - what is standard and has it changed over the years?
Mounting work surfaces on adjustable height frames fixes this problem. You can lower the bench to wheelchair-user height or raise it to tall-person-standing height or anything in between with the press of a button. Just don't build cupboards under it if you're going to have someone in a wheelchair or any other chair using the bench, because we need knee room. You'll need to plan extra storage somewhere else to make up for that.
Awesome tips even if you aren't 50, thanks!
I loved this video. Sadly, I don't believe my husband will spend the money to remodel our kitchen. We are both 63 and I want to spend many more years here in our now 25-year old home. Lots of great ideas. I am putting a list together of "wants," "must-haves," and "don't even consider." Our builder put in kitchens with drawers on the top level only and doors and half shelves in all of the cabinets. I hate it. Also, our pantry is the smallest ever installed. Over the years, I've used two different cabinets for food storage. Now that it is just the two of us, the pantry is almost big enough. My dream kitchen would likely include flat panel low sheen walnut grain cabinets and drawers, solid surface but beautiful counters with shallower, but wider integrated single sink, motion activated fawcett, microwave in a cabinet at counter height with my Breville countertop oven above it with a functional and easy way to use the space, undercabinet and baseboard lighting, additional functional lighting, induction cooking surface and more. But at what cost?!! Eesh! I need to be working full time at a high rate of pay to afford that kitchen, not semi retired.
Just a thought replace the useless half shelves with full shelves. Then get some plastic totes. One can put stops on the top edge of the totes so they don't pull out all the way. Low cost that works.
one thing that makes a blind corner tolerable.... make sure the door opening is at least 21", my old cabs were only 12" and I hated using it. this one is 21" and I have no issues.
Love the vids. My Bias: Flexibility. Try not to 'lock in', keep a flexible mind/design & awareness--your life & other people's = changes. Analog or 'smart' is relative to person who doesn't know how it works. Friend has Very Smart Kitchen dialed in---when he broke his leg & hurt himself snow boarding? Stupid Kitchen. Home health crew couldn't find lights, heat water, or open fridge. Pretty tiled floors = Stupid bumpy floors. Wheelchair to crutches to walker to quad cane to metal brace; arm from sling to brace. Siri & Alexa? Don't like Cussing.
Excellent point. And when people develop dementia, they put their Meals on Wheels foil tin in the microwave. OOPS. We see this with head trauma as well. Never own a kitchen that is too smart for you or your caregivers!!
What’s the alternative to the pull down shelves if you live in a rental unit?
I'd ask the landlord for permission to install them and take them with you if you leave. Otherwise there is no equally suitable solution that comes to mind. There are less expensive and obtrusive ways to organize the cabinets, but reaching the contents will still likely require a step stool. If I come across an option that will work, I'll definitely post about it.
There really is none BUT a toe kick step stool would be very helpful . As I'm only 5'4" so I built a platform (from pallets) all along my counters. Stirring, reaching everything is much less stressful now that the counters are my height. My husband 6'2" found no problems after we installed bottom shelf pullouts we made our selves.
The more I think about it, I’m really coming around to the “Block off the corner and maximize elsewhere” philosophy.
This makes me smile!
Avoid the Smart Fridge. We had the Samsung version and the touch screen died just out of warranty. Samsung advised the screen could not be repaired and required a replacement at a cost of $1000+.
Oh wonderful. I have the same fridge.
I am in a wheelchair. I have problems with where to put the microwave. I cannot lift my arms above my shoulders. So putting it above the oven doesn't work. And putting it too low under the cabinet counter doesn't work either. Because I still can't lift The food out of the microwave to even put it on the counter.I also live with my daughter who's thirty seven years old and she's four foot eight inches tall and that brings a whole another set of problems for her.
If you do not have the upper body strength or trunk stability to lean forward into a microwave built into a base counter, you need a microwave placed on a reachable surface, with very lightweight lidded food containers that you can hold securely and lift. This may not be located in the kitchen. Many people using a w/c create an off-site spot to heat their food up. They remove it from a fridge and place it into containers that limit spillage as it is transported to their "worksite". Some even place a mini fridge in that location. Your daughter might want to explore sturdy reachers that would allow her to get to sealed boxes and bags from higher shelves. They could help you as well!! You may qualify for an occupational therapist to come into your home to help you will onsite planning. Did that for over 10 years. I saw a lot of funky kitchens!!
I am legally blind, I have a progressive eye disease and eventually won’t be able to see much of anything. I detest so many of the high-tech appliances and gadgets, etc. They are not accessible in many cases. It doesn’t matter if your washer or dryer or stove have 25 different settings, etc. if you can’t use any of them. I go as simple and low tech as possible. I can label a few things with braille or dots and make it work for me.
Can the serve o drive (?) be retro fitted? Great video Mark
I want to make an open plan kitchen with peninsula 2.7 mts by 4 mts in length
I'd love to get the pull out&down system for my cabinets, but I priced them once & remain a "when I win the lottery"😅😥.
Yeah, they are not cheap.
As a person with epilepsy and other disabilities, I'm not sure how to feel about this video. It promises to be helpful, but all I'm seeing is high ticket items, forgetting most disabled folks are on SSI, a very limited income. A shelf adaption costing $700 or higher... YIKES. It sounds more like an able-system using a book to apply to every person's needs. Those books are not detailed enough, honestly. It would have helped if they had involved a variety of people who have to live with kitchen limitations on top of the book reading. Main reason why I doubt the helpfulness of this video, aside from the high cost items? Assuming disabled folks can and will use a stool. This is one of the first things doctors tell us to get rid of. Just about everything here counters what doctors and physical therapists tell us are safe to use.
Hi, I appreciate the input. This video is not for disabled people, so I can see how it would not be helpful. When designing a kitchen for a disability, be sure to work with your designer to cover the specific needs of the user.
This video is most helpful to the intended audience.
@@MTKDofficial Agree; Healthy aging is far different from living with one disability, let alone living with more than one. Creaky joints is not arthritis. Wearing "readers" is not macular degeneration. And forgetting where you left your keys is not Mild Cognitive Impairment.
I am short I would love to have the pull downs.
Do you have a couple of kitchen appliance brands that you can refer me to? There are so many, I am confused! Please help! Ty
Check Bosch for a good quality at a decent price. Thermador is great, but more expensive. Miele is quite nice as well. I however, have Samsung.
@@MTKDofficial how is Samsung working for you?
Great Thumbnail!! ;-)
Hey Tawra! Thanks and nice to hear from you!
I'm 54, so I guess I'm now pulling 50 instead of pushing it.
I don't like upper cabinets at all. Lower drawers all the way. You can have a rows of drawers going vertical all along your lower cabinets and everything will fit. Add pantry and you're all set. Have electric outlets in your pantry and put your microwave there.
These are great ideas but take $$$ That is the first time I’ve seen the dishwasher so high - love it but is that a custom build or have any suggestions for a less expensive build?
Agreed. These take considerable coin for a budget conscious reno. The dishwasher can be raised very inexpensively. No need for custom cabinets for that solution. When it comes to overall function, spend the money full extension drawers or pullouts. Or find an RTA company that offers this. Many do.
the appliance lifts seem like a clever idea, but having to work around the door and shelf sticking out into your walking space I think would make this a non-starter for me... similarly the pull-down things look horrible... first you have to open BOTH doors all the way, then pull the thing down... and when you're done push it back up, then close both doors... no thank you! having a foldaway step stool handy is MUCH easier & faster, plus it lets me use ALL the space in the cabinet instead of losing a bunch of it to the hardware
to keep the kitchen functional, the walking space needs to be clear & cabinet access needs to be open the door/drawer, get what you need, & close it to get it out of the way
My galley has a narrow walkway, and my six-quart KitchenAid stand mixer fits under the wall cabinet at one end with about an inch to spare.
Hi their Donovan here from Cape Town can you help me design a gallery kitchen
Pushing 50? What about those of us who are pushing 75? LOL
Absolute madness and over the top utterly unnecessary expenses! I'll keep my manual everything knowing the only thing that can break is hinges which are easily replaced.
New tech trends aren't good for power outages...give me knows and push release
what if 50 is pushing me? what do I do then?
Fight back!
Pushing fifty? I guess you can already feel yourself going downhill. The thing you don't realize is that you will keep accelerating and just when you think you should be getting to the bottom of the hill, you find that there is no bottom and you are suddenly freefalling off a cliff!
😂
@@MTKDofficial Pushing fifty, but dragging a bunch more.
Pull out shelf behind cab door is 1 door too many
Depends on its use. A drawer is usually better but not in all cases.
Too RICH!
What about those of us who are "pulling" 50?
That's a whole other set of design consideration. lol
4 months away from turning 50. 😅
Yeeehaaa
He wouldn't use wheels on that corner cabinet as it's a great place to hide weed or gold etc 😂
Alexa? Does someone have to be totally stupid to want a load of Smart products in the kitchen (and house generally) or just mildly stupid to want all those invisible radioactive waves zapping from item to item, passing through and frying your brain and your body?
Apart from that, love your kitchen vids.
Avoid Bluetooth or smart anything. EMF radiation
Well I'm 63 and I'm NOT ready for most of this nonsense.
You go girl!!
Good for you! I hope you stay healthy for a long time. 😊 My mom was healthy & OK until age 78, when she had a hip/ lower back issue due to gardening. Now she's in her 80s and has mobility issues. She can't handle stairs and can't stand for long.
Seriously, if you are going to give out this type of advice, lose the ball cap or at the very least, turn it the right way around
No
Can the serve o drive (?) be retro fitted? Great video Mark
Yes they can.