One HUGE difference between the way I work and the way my great grandmother worked is that she sat down. A LOT. If she was doing any tedious task that was going to take awhile, she sat at her kitchen table. Peeling vegetables was a huge one. I've noticed for decades that I don't do that and it took a long time to figure out why. She was running a homestead. She was out doing chores for a good portion of her day. She was constantly working in her garden, hanging laundry, and running all over the place. She needed every minute that she had to sit down because her poor little feet and legs were getting a constant workout. Taking ten minutes to sit and do a task was the only time she got to sit at all. Because of my computer, I sit a good portion of my day. I sit much more than I stand and when I get an opportunity to stand, it's a relief. When I'm working in the kitchen, sometimes that's the only opportunity I have to stand and walk all day. I don't WANT to sit in my kitchen. "Busy" for me, usually means sitting. My great gram would never understand that, The computer really changed the way we move and that's had a profound impact on how we use our kitchens.
@@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284 my granny in Vermont too. The big kitchen table was her prep space, peeling apples, rolling pie crust, stuffing birds. ❤️
8:20 My husband and I solved this problem immediately OUTSIDE of the kitchen. We have a large, wide hallway there and we put a 'command center' in that hallway. Charging stations, batteries, basic office supplies that we share and are always reaching for, calendar, whiteboard for notes, drop zone for mail, and so much more. Until we gussied up that hallway, we had an area right inside of the kitchen that was a magnet for all the junk. The hallway was designed to collect ALL that stuff. In our case, the hallway links the kitchen to both our offices AND our primary (side) door that leads to the garage. That's where groceries are brought in and passes through the mudroom with the freezers. This is the best layout I've ever had and we need to start adding things like this into basic home design. It makes such a huge difference. My daughter has large dogs and she dreams of putting a dog washing station in that mudroom. Catch it all before it's tracked into the house.
The house I grew up in had a little “office” section of countertop around the corner from the main kitchen. Things like the phone, notepad and pens, bookshelf, etc.
My command center is in an old baby wardrobe in my foyer. The shredder is behind the door in the old hanging space. I took out the rod and added a shelf and file box there. The drawers hold paper recycling in the bottom two and office supplies and greeting cards/stationery in the top two. It’s located right next to my front door where the mailbox is. Works great for me!
I completely get that! I'm about to add a hall-like extension to my weird 1921 kitchen that will serve as a mudroom, dog care command center, and also house my fridge. Sounds crazy, but that location for the fridge will be very convenient to both sink area and dining room where we eat regularly. It will also greatly simplify the bringing in and storing of groceries.
I wish you could see my kitchen. It’s a new build (10 months) and I designed my kitchen from my own previous experience, watching your videos and a few others on RUclips. You’re speaking to me with most of your ideas. My home is in a seniors community (kind of), I’m a younger retired senior and I designed the kitchen to function for me for the next 20 year. My upper cabinets, 2 of them, sit direct on the counter because I’m so tired of reaching upper shelves. Cups/mugs are kept in a drawer beside plates/bowls. I bake and cook lots and there is not one thing I’d do differently. I love my kitchen. It’s white and it’s my 6th IKEA centric design.
Wondering......................when people wisely pick up the dishwasher utensil basket to put away the clean flatware, we tend to bend over, many times over, to put the dirty ones in the dishwasher instead of keeping out the basket at counter level. Just a thought while watching you.
Loved this video. "I'm the kitchen designer!!" says Mark 😄. So honest and realistic! I have never thought of keeping the utensil basket out until it is full! I was quite mesmerised by Mark's dishwasher-emptying technique. Hygiene-wise I am not a fan of picking up spoons etc. other than by the handle; so I am always trying to reach in deep to grab the that first 😝Sharp knives just have to face down though! I was also a bit perplexed abut the amount of pre-washing Mark did. I rinse off hard food residue only. (Otherwise you may as well save your water and just wash up). I guess we are all different😊. I love his honesty about the "junk" section.
I'm in the UK. The most usually encountered type of fridge here is a single door style, rather than the double everyone in the US and Canada seems to have. These are pretty much universally designed so that you can swap the door hinge from one side to the other. This means that, when you're getting stuff out of the fridge (or putting it in), you can have the worktop adjacent to the fridge immediately accessible, rather than having a door on each side blocking access. Of course, single-door fridges have less capacity, but aren't we in the middle of an obesity epidemic?
Yes, such huge refrigerators look unusual. I think because in Europe many cities have made the way that you can walk to the store. Run out of eggs? Get dressed, go outside to the next store and come back 10-15 minutes later with a new package of eggs. No problem. In America, many people have to get in the car, drive to a huge store, walk through rows and rows of shelves to get to the eggs, choose eggs from a dozen different brands, walk through the huge store to the checkout and so on. By the time you get home you don't even feel like cooking.
@@maaonni5791 in Europe, we don't refrigerate eggs. We don't have the FDA forcing producers to wash off the protective coating, so eggs can be stored at ambient temperature, both in shops and at home.
@@nicoles9077Yeah, continuing to eat terrible foods, not exercising, and controlling weight gain with extra drugs... makes perfect sense right? What could possibly go wrong?
@richardsmith5249 you can leave eggs out on the country in America. It's okay. Most Americans put the eggs in the fridge to make them last longer AND to conserve counter space.
Wow… This was yet your best video and maybe top 3 best segment. It was so relatable and educational without being preachy or you knowing everything. You served up a plate of “We are all the same” Great Job.
Love how you demonstrate use as you’re talking, Mark. I’m a senior and now only 5’ tall. Nothing gets stored above a certain height now. No climbing! If it’s above reaching, it gets moved or goes out.
My kitchen was a magnet for clutter. Then I discovered Clutterbug and Cass had a video which I think was designed just for me about mail clutter. I thought I was just lazy. Turns out I was only overwhelmed and was actually always cleaning but only succeeding at moving clutter piles around. My kitchen and dining table have been junk free for months now. I still pretty much hate my kitchen layout, quite passionately at that. But at the end of the day, i gotta admit it looks pretty good.
Cass is great! That stuff is accumulating there because it either doesn't have a "home" or the "home" it has makes it extra work or too difficult to put away.
I’m 5’1”. My solution is a small metal stool to kick around-even for the lowest shelf sometimes. And now I have a game where the goal is not to bruise my shins. The pain is real. 😂
I'm 5'4". My solution was always to monkey crawl up on the counter and hold on for dear life. Now I'm almost 50 and realizing I can't really do that anymore.
My problem with the triangle is the things it misses out. You have the fridge, but not the pantry or any other storages - which may include a freezer in a garage or basement. You have the sink, but not the dishwasher or the bins. You have the stovetop, but not the oven or any of the small electrical cooking appliances we use now. And it completely misses the concept of work spaces! The triangle does not allocate any priority to a space to cut up vegetables or mix and roll pastry or carve the roast or plate up dinner or .. well, anything, really. It simplifies the kitchen to the point of absurdity.
I’m only 5’0” and I can reach the top shelf on all my wall cabinets without a stool or expensive pull down unit except for the top shelf over the corner base. There I can’t even reach the second shelf without a stool. I simply adjusted my shelves and added bins so I can pull the bin off the shelf. The ones I have on the top shelf have an open grid pattern that I can stick my fingers through the holes to get a grip to pull it down. I also store my cereal on the top shelf on the skinny side of the package with the bottom of the box toward the back of the cupboard. Upright on its side it’s easy for me to grab too. I don’t have any cupboard over my fridge or stove in my current kitchen.
As we are restoring our 1946 house, we are making our kitchen the way we want. Little to no cupboards, the refrigerator is located similar to yours so that you can take out what you need to place directly on the counter across from it. Our range is where yours is as it is also close to the long prepping counter. We keep all of our prepping supplies on top of or below the very large vintage countertop we have.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙌🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 can I say the best video you put out yet actually in the kitchen doing what we do in kit hens and the reality of life. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻applause!!!!!!!that's better than a thumbs up anyday👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
As soon as you started talking about that space that every kitchen has I KNEW what you were going to say. And ironically my is the corner beside my prep counter. Actually it is MY drop zone.
I’ve just moved into my newly built home. I have a galley style kitchen with the sink, dishwasher, cooker and fridge all along the back wall. The top shelf of the overhead cupboards are to store Christmas items or items rarely used. I wanted my kitchen designed so I could have views out to the pergola and future small garden. My kitchen island is 4.4m long which is 2.9m island with all drawers that lowers to table height for a 1.5m table. Allows me sit at the table if I am doing some lengthy food prep and allows for future accessibility needs.
Thanks. I now know where to place Christmas/Halloween decoration. I used to place all that junk in the basement. That awkward thing above the fridge will have a new job.
I'm.not visualizing the island. Is it two heights? I have seen where the kitchen side is counter top height and the back side is either lower (table height) or higher (bar height,) and I also once had a large peninsula where the first half by the rest of the kitchen was counter height, but extra wide (not split width/height as described above,) and the far end of the peninsula was extra wide also, but dropped down to table height. Can you explain yours again?
Can you please consider doing a video on micro kitchens in historic buildings. Ideally ones which have been converted into flats where the room has a very tight floor space, high ceilings and large near floor to ceiling height sash windows which which mean one less useable wall (or having to get creative so as to minimise light blockage, and still being able to open the window).
I have the U-shape! I hate it!😩😭😩 But it’s what I have and I don’t have money to blow out a wall, which would be ideal, so I’ve had to embrace it! 5:25 Also I have this junk spot next to my fridge upstairs! 8:11 I sort it and clean it up and suddenly within a week it looks messy again!
I don’t understand why a right handed person would want their dishwasher to the left of the sink. It’s so much more flowing to turn to the right and place the dish or glass with your dominant hand. Much less of a swivel!
I moved the dishwasher to the right of the sink and it makes so much more sense than it did to the left of the sink. Perhaps the previous owners of my house were left-handed?
I'm going with a work flow concept. I'm the only one there most of the time I'm cooking. I will get stuff out of the fridge at the start onto a prep area of the counter. As I start cooking, things go onto the range or oven. After that the dirty dishes and utensils go into the sink, where they are loaded into the dishwasher after being rinsed. Everything is rinsed because that allows me to collect material for composting rather than going to the septic field. The food goes into a serving portion of the counter, which is stocked with sauces and garnish during the cooking process. Everything flows in a counter clockwise direction, except for things gotten out of the pantry (which will be located to make use of the space behind the kitchen door). In practice, I'm planning this for the hermit which I've become!
One layout problem/solution is to make sure that refrigerator access doesn't route traffic past the sink or stove. And something that is currently bugging me ... make sure the dishwasher can be opened without blocking access to the cabinet where you store the dishes.
@@suran396 Dishwasher is directly under the dish storage, which is convenient for unloading except for the top shelf of that cabinet. By swapping location of TWO things: the top shelf cup storage and the small bowl stack, I can now put them away as I empty the racks! Definitely arrange things so your most-used is easiest to access.
I bought extra shelves for all my uppers (because of course the lowers are drawers!) and it makes it so much more useful. My old cabinets were 50s steel and fixed shelves so to use the vertical required stacking bowls on plates, etc. Now my uppers look like a layer cake of shelves, I installed them as I loaded stuff back into the kitchen. For instance an extra shelf above the vitamins would increase your storage and efficiency. My top layer is all the stuff I only need randomly (and I have a library kick stool to access those when I need it!)
kitchen designs are missing a hidden drying rack/space for things you just have to wash by hand, pots/pans or things that are still wet coming out of dishwasher. Ideally it would be above or below the counter without taking up counter space next to dishwasher and sink.
I think having a few minor poor choices in your own kitchen makes you more aware of the impact of minor poor choices in clients' kitchens. So long as you keep the attitude of "I did this because I wasn't thinking about it, and it's not great" and don't fall into "I did this and I put up with it so who cares if you have to put up with it too" then you'll be fine.
Never heard of them either. Had to Google it to find out what they were. From the online pics, they look a bit awkward, and would reduce the usable storage space to less than what the original cabinet had.
They come in a variety of sizes. It shouldn't be too hard to find something suitable. I find them a little pricy otherwise I'd have three of them. Thanks so much for watching.
@@MTKDofficial I'm 6"2 so I can reach most stuff in cabinet above the fridge. For hard to reach items in the back (I only put large items that don't require frequent access up there) I use a dowel about 3 ft in length and nailed a plastic hook on the end to reach those items. Another thing is I noticed you have a cabinet to the lower left of the stove. In my kitchen I replaced that one with drawers (no brainer).
I think Your fridge wants to say something lol.. great video I was wondering if our new kitchen was gonna be functional and if our kitchen had proper triangle feel better thanks
I solved the junk cluttering problem by using hooks under our kitchen fireplace mantel and adding decorative elements along the backsplash so there’s no room and no desire to clutter it up. We can use all the cabinets all the way to the top in our kitchen because my husband is tall (and I use a step still when he’s not around). We eliminated the clutter above the fridge by adding a cabinet above it (that my husband can also reach easily so it’s still quite useful.) There is so much wasted space in your cabinets! Not sure how tall your ceilings are, ours are 8’ (1959 house) which might be why we can still access the highest shelves. To maximize the space in the cabinets, we use wire shelf “helpers” to stack items above other items. They help to consolidate items into specific “zones” that make sense for the way we use these items in the kitchen. Display the cookbooks on your counter attractively with book ends etc in the spot where junk accumulates. Use the hard to reach spaces to store seasonal or infrequently used but still necessary items.
Work triangle is outdated because of the dishwasher? I thought the idea was to have no obstructions between areas used in food preparation. What on Earth are you cooking in the dishwasher? Also, if storage is more important than the outdated work triangle, then couldn’t you get more cabinets in by moving the refrigerator out to the garage? I think the work triangle is still a valid concept.
I think the work triangle can work for many situations, but not all. For example, my whole family cooks together, so it doesn’t work in our small kitchen, because the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher doors keep getting in the way of people moving around the small space (we wash up our dishes as we cook, so the dishwasher does interfere with meal prep). For this reason, we moved the refrigerator away from the sink and stove for better functionality. It works much better for us. I think that’s the point of the video-stick with the work triangle if it functions well-but don’t, if it doesn’t.
Dishwasher is an example for new kitchen appliances. What if you have 2 refrigerators. What if you want Air Fryer, Steam Oven, and pressure cooker. How do you work those into kitchen design? Do you consider built-ins or do you reserve counter areas for those appliances?
The problem I always have when I move into a new place, is figuring out where to put everything. So I just up putting stuff wherever, and then end up with one cupboard with just some random stuff in it. If I have the cupboard space to begin with, that is.
I love my kitchen and I'm an avid cook. Whoever designed it did a good job. Although I have all basic cabinetry (no pull down, or slide outs or .... etc,) everything else is great. 1) a whole room .... 4 "walls." 2) lots of counter space....on each side of the sink AND each side of the stove, and a few short steps from the fridge. 3) open center. The FLOOR space is 6 X 9 4) the fridge is right by the 4' entry (no entry door to deal with, just open.) 5) the "wall" facing the rest of the house is just a huge peninsula....lots of under counter storage and LARGE space for rolling out dough, etc
That’s amazing! 3 teenagers and the only trash is a little thing under the sink?!? The wife probably has you change that thing every half hour or so much that she puts a little sign out so she doesn’t lose her voice from saying it so often
Been here before. Now I'm back again. Still wrestling with kitchen design for a multigenerational home. Several people cooking, but nobody is "in charge" - what could possibly go wrong?
I sure can't access the upper cabinets except for the first shelf. So, I'd nix the uppers if I was designing a kitchen. I think you should move your coffee maker to the left of the sink . . . and put the mugs in the cabinet above. Keeps the coffee drinkers away from the cook.
Your kitchen is a classic example of "the shoemaker's children run barefoot" - you're so busy designing other people's kitchens, you don't have time to fix your own.
Even still today, the shorter of a couple is the one doing more work in the kitchen. Yet mostly they can't reach past the first shelf of the upper cabinets, making that space unusable for them without stools or other people to fetch things for them. Solutions for this problem?
How much space is too much space between the back wall counter top and the island counter top. My wife and I are remodeling a kitchen that has U shape and we’re opening it up and doing a parallel design. Plan is for a long wall of cabinetry and a long parallel island. The current U shape kitchen has 108 inches of space between opposing counter tops. Obviously want to narrow that, but I see a general recommendation of 42-48 inches but that requires a lot plumbing relocation. Considering having about 60 or up to 74 inches of space between the 2 countertops. Its an open concept design with the living room and it’s a large space with cathedral ceilings. (With it being such an open space we definitely have our work cut out to add some character in this open space.)
Oh, yeah I should have described what those were. My apologies. It's an accessory that you install in an upper cabinet that pulls out and down. Bringing all the contents closer to the user. Google it to see an example.
@@MTKDofficial ahhh very interesting... can it be retrofitted or is it something you design from new? Am in Australia 🇦🇺 and only 5'2" so am keen to understand 😌😎👍
Pulldowns! I've been wanting these since I first heard about them some years ago. I knew I'd want those in any remodel: pullouts and pulldowns. I'm a little over 5'4", and I feel for all previous cooks in this kitchen. The design sucks; the house layout sucks, but it's a product of its time, so just gotta make it work smarter in spite of that. And don't get me started on junk drawers.
Multiple appliances are big considerations. Fore example, multiple refrigerators. Air fryer, steam oven, pressure cooker and/or other cooking devices(sous vide, deep fryer etc). People even put in 2 sinks and 2 dishwashers. The "Triangle" seemed so meaningless in this context.
Am I the only one who cringed at the paper towel usage? One to dry the colander; one to dry his hands; one to clean the corner space all within 10 minutes. And all of which could have been a reusable dish towel/cleaning/hand towel
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
One HUGE difference between the way I work and the way my great grandmother worked is that she sat down. A LOT. If she was doing any tedious task that was going to take awhile, she sat at her kitchen table. Peeling vegetables was a huge one. I've noticed for decades that I don't do that and it took a long time to figure out why.
She was running a homestead. She was out doing chores for a good portion of her day. She was constantly working in her garden, hanging laundry, and running all over the place. She needed every minute that she had to sit down because her poor little feet and legs were getting a constant workout. Taking ten minutes to sit and do a task was the only time she got to sit at all.
Because of my computer, I sit a good portion of my day. I sit much more than I stand and when I get an opportunity to stand, it's a relief. When I'm working in the kitchen, sometimes that's the only opportunity I have to stand and walk all day. I don't WANT to sit in my kitchen. "Busy" for me, usually means sitting. My great gram would never understand that,
The computer really changed the way we move and that's had a profound impact on how we use our kitchens.
Great insight. Things have sure changed. I had to get a standing desk and a walking pad, or else I'd be sitting all day too.
@@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284 my granny in Vermont too. The big kitchen table was her prep space, peeling apples, rolling pie crust, stuffing birds. ❤️
8:20 My husband and I solved this problem immediately OUTSIDE of the kitchen. We have a large, wide hallway there and we put a 'command center' in that hallway. Charging stations, batteries, basic office supplies that we share and are always reaching for, calendar, whiteboard for notes, drop zone for mail, and so much more. Until we gussied up that hallway, we had an area right inside of the kitchen that was a magnet for all the junk.
The hallway was designed to collect ALL that stuff. In our case, the hallway links the kitchen to both our offices AND our primary (side) door that leads to the garage. That's where groceries are brought in and passes through the mudroom with the freezers.
This is the best layout I've ever had and we need to start adding things like this into basic home design. It makes such a huge difference. My daughter has large dogs and she dreams of putting a dog washing station in that mudroom. Catch it all before it's tracked into the house.
Amen.
The house I grew up in had a little “office” section of countertop around the corner from the main kitchen. Things like the phone, notepad and pens, bookshelf, etc.
My command center is in an old baby wardrobe in my foyer. The shredder is behind the door in the old hanging space. I took out the rod and added a shelf and file box there. The drawers hold paper recycling in the bottom two and office supplies and greeting cards/stationery in the top two. It’s located right next to my front door where the mailbox is. Works great for me!
@@trinaroe5132 That sounds wonderful.
I completely get that! I'm about to add a hall-like extension to my weird 1921 kitchen that will serve as a mudroom, dog care command center, and also house my fridge. Sounds crazy, but that location for the fridge will be very convenient to both sink area and dining room where we eat regularly. It will also greatly simplify the bringing in and storing of groceries.
Perhaps, in your kitchen - make that trouble spot by the stove a coffee bar area. Put that electric kettle and your coffee maker in that corner?
I wish you could see my kitchen. It’s a new build (10 months) and I designed my kitchen from my own previous experience, watching your videos and a few others on RUclips. You’re speaking to me with most of your ideas. My home is in a seniors community (kind of), I’m a younger retired senior and I designed the kitchen to function for me for the next 20 year. My upper cabinets, 2 of them, sit direct on the counter because I’m so tired of reaching upper shelves. Cups/mugs are kept in a drawer beside plates/bowls. I bake and cook lots and there is not one thing I’d do differently. I love my kitchen. It’s white and it’s my 6th IKEA centric design.
Sounds sweet!! I'm glad my content was a part of the journey!
You look naturally comfortable in your kitchen. Thanks for sharing your personal space .
Wondering......................when people wisely pick up the dishwasher utensil basket to put away the clean flatware, we tend to bend over, many times over, to put the dirty ones in the dishwasher instead of keeping out the basket at counter level. Just a thought while watching you.
I do exactly that - i keep it in the sink
I was once guilty of that but now I keep the basket next to the sink while loading.
For years I went from top to bottom. Big mistake. Always go from bottom to top in case there is water in a bowl or something. 😊
I just realized that I take it out when unloading but keep it in when loading. Weird.
Loved this video. "I'm the kitchen designer!!" says Mark 😄. So honest and realistic! I have never thought of keeping the utensil basket out until it is full! I was quite mesmerised by Mark's dishwasher-emptying technique. Hygiene-wise I am not a fan of picking up spoons etc. other than by the handle; so I am always trying to reach in deep to grab the that first 😝Sharp knives just have to face down though! I was also a bit perplexed abut the amount of pre-washing Mark did. I rinse off hard food residue only. (Otherwise you may as well save your water and just wash up). I guess we are all different😊. I love his honesty about the "junk" section.
I'm in the UK. The most usually encountered type of fridge here is a single door style, rather than the double everyone in the US and Canada seems to have. These are pretty much universally designed so that you can swap the door hinge from one side to the other. This means that, when you're getting stuff out of the fridge (or putting it in), you can have the worktop adjacent to the fridge immediately accessible, rather than having a door on each side blocking access. Of course, single-door fridges have less capacity, but aren't we in the middle of an obesity epidemic?
Yes, such huge refrigerators look unusual. I think because in Europe many cities have made the way that you can walk to the store. Run out of eggs? Get dressed, go outside to the next store and come back 10-15 minutes later with a new package of eggs. No problem. In America, many people have to get in the car, drive to a huge store, walk through rows and rows of shelves to get to the eggs, choose eggs from a dozen different brands, walk through the huge store to the checkout and so on. By the time you get home you don't even feel like cooking.
@@maaonni5791 in Europe, we don't refrigerate eggs. We don't have the FDA forcing producers to wash off the protective coating, so eggs can be stored at ambient temperature, both in shops and at home.
Obesity rates are down because of ozempic
@@nicoles9077Yeah, continuing to eat terrible foods, not exercising, and controlling weight gain with extra drugs... makes perfect sense right? What could possibly go wrong?
@richardsmith5249 you can leave eggs out on the country in America. It's okay. Most Americans put the eggs in the fridge to make them last longer AND to conserve counter space.
Wow… This was yet your best video and maybe top 3 best segment. It was so relatable and educational without being preachy or you knowing everything. You served up a plate of “We are all the same”
Great Job.
I also loved this one Vonda! Very relatable.
Thanks so much Vonda!
Love how you demonstrate use as you’re talking, Mark. I’m a senior and now only 5’ tall. Nothing gets stored above a certain height now. No climbing! If it’s above reaching, it gets moved or goes out.
My kitchen was a magnet for clutter. Then I discovered Clutterbug and Cass had a video which I think was designed just for me about mail clutter. I thought I was just lazy. Turns out I was only overwhelmed and was actually always cleaning but only succeeding at moving clutter piles around. My kitchen and dining table have been junk free for months now. I still pretty much hate my kitchen layout, quite passionately at that. But at the end of the day, i gotta admit it looks pretty good.
Cass is great! Love her channel too!
Looks like I'll have to check out this channel. Sounds great!
Cass is great! That stuff is accumulating there because it either doesn't have a "home" or the "home" it has makes it extra work or too difficult to put away.
Above my fridge I have built in uprights so I can slot in my baking sheets, placemats, cutting boards, anything long and rigid.
Great unless you are short, like me.
Thanks for history of Work Triangle and why it may not work for kitchen of today
I’m 5’1”. My solution is a small metal stool to kick around-even for the lowest shelf sometimes. And now I have a game where the goal is not to bruise my shins. The pain is real. 😂
I’m 4’11” so I understand.
You need some soccer shin pads when in the kitchen. lol
I'm 5'4". My solution was always to monkey crawl up on the counter and hold on for dear life. Now I'm almost 50 and realizing I can't really do that anymore.
My problem with the triangle is the things it misses out. You have the fridge, but not the pantry or any other storages - which may include a freezer in a garage or basement. You have the sink, but not the dishwasher or the bins. You have the stovetop, but not the oven or any of the small electrical cooking appliances we use now. And it completely misses the concept of work spaces! The triangle does not allocate any priority to a space to cut up vegetables or mix and roll pastry or carve the roast or plate up dinner or .. well, anything, really. It simplifies the kitchen to the point of absurdity.
I’m only 5’0” and I can reach the top shelf on all my wall cabinets without a stool or expensive pull down unit except for the top shelf over the corner base. There I can’t even reach the second shelf without a stool. I simply adjusted my shelves and added bins so I can pull the bin off the shelf. The ones I have on the top shelf have an open grid pattern that I can stick my fingers through the holes to get a grip to pull it down. I also store my cereal on the top shelf on the skinny side of the package with the bottom of the box toward the back of the cupboard. Upright on its side it’s easy for me to grab too. I don’t have any cupboard over my fridge or stove in my current kitchen.
As we are restoring our 1946 house, we are making our kitchen the way we want. Little to no cupboards, the refrigerator is located similar to yours so that you can take out what you need to place directly on the counter across from it. Our range is where yours is as it is also close to the long prepping counter. We keep all of our prepping supplies on top of or below the very large vintage countertop we have.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙌🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 can I say the best video you put out yet actually in the kitchen doing what we do in kit hens and the reality of life. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻applause!!!!!!!that's better than a thumbs up anyday👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks so much Darlene!
As soon as you started talking about that space that every kitchen has I KNEW what you were going to say. And ironically my is the corner beside my prep counter. Actually it is MY drop zone.
I’ve just moved into my newly built home. I have a galley style kitchen with the sink, dishwasher, cooker and fridge all along the back wall. The top shelf of the overhead cupboards are to store Christmas items or items rarely used. I wanted my kitchen designed so I could have views out to the pergola and future small garden. My kitchen island is 4.4m long which is 2.9m island with all drawers that lowers to table height for a 1.5m table. Allows me sit at the table if I am doing some lengthy food prep and allows for future accessibility needs.
Thanks. I now know where to place Christmas/Halloween decoration.
I used to place all that junk in the basement. That awkward thing above the fridge will have a new job.
I'm.not visualizing the island. Is it two heights? I have seen where the kitchen side is counter top height and the back side is either lower (table height) or higher (bar height,) and I also once had a large peninsula where the first half by the rest of the kitchen was counter height, but extra wide (not split width/height as described above,) and the far end of the peninsula was extra wide also, but dropped down to table height.
Can you explain yours again?
Mark, great videos! Nine times out of ten, you refer to kitchens in private homes; would appreciate ideas for apartment kitchens.😊
Thanks, and that is a great idea.
Can you please consider doing a video on micro kitchens in historic buildings. Ideally ones which have been converted into flats where the room has a very tight floor space, high ceilings and large near floor to ceiling height sash windows which which mean one less useable wall (or having to get creative so as to minimise light blockage, and still being able to open the window).
Great video! Good solutions for common problems.
I have the U-shape! I hate it!😩😭😩 But it’s what I have and I don’t have money to blow out a wall, which would be ideal, so I’ve had to embrace it! 5:25 Also I have this junk spot next to my fridge upstairs! 8:11 I sort it and clean it up and suddenly within a week it looks messy again!
Jackie!! It doesn't cost anything to blow out a wall, only dealing with the aftermath. lol.
I don’t understand why a right handed person would want their dishwasher to the left of the sink. It’s so much more flowing to turn to the right and place the dish or glass with your dominant hand. Much less of a swivel!
Yup. That's something I often saw in new house plans.
I moved the dishwasher to the right of the sink and it makes so much more sense than it did to the left of the sink. Perhaps the previous owners of my house were left-handed?
I'm going with a work flow concept. I'm the only one there most of the time I'm cooking. I will get stuff out of the fridge at the start onto a prep area of the counter. As I start cooking, things go onto the range or oven. After that the dirty dishes and utensils go into the sink, where they are loaded into the dishwasher after being rinsed. Everything is rinsed because that allows me to collect material for composting rather than going to the septic field. The food goes into a serving portion of the counter, which is stocked with sauces and garnish during the cooking process. Everything flows in a counter clockwise direction, except for things gotten out of the pantry (which will be located to make use of the space behind the kitchen door). In practice, I'm planning this for the hermit which I've become!
Look up "A Step Saving Kitchen, 1949" its very task orientated in zones.
Yeah! Did a video on it. Really cool.
One layout problem/solution is to make sure that refrigerator access doesn't route traffic past the sink or stove. And something that is currently bugging me ... make sure the dishwasher can be opened without blocking access to the cabinet where you store the dishes.
Maybe move dishes storage? Rearrange kitchen? I'm thinking of rearranging soon. My baking stuff, that I use constantly, isn't very accessible.
@@suran396 Dishwasher is directly under the dish storage, which is convenient for unloading except for the top shelf of that cabinet.
By swapping location of TWO things: the top shelf cup storage and the small bowl stack, I can now put them away as I empty the racks!
Definitely arrange things so your most-used is easiest to access.
I bought extra shelves for all my uppers (because of course the lowers are drawers!) and it makes it so much more useful. My old cabinets were 50s steel and fixed shelves so to use the vertical required stacking bowls on plates, etc. Now my uppers look like a layer cake of shelves, I installed them as I loaded stuff back into the kitchen. For instance an extra shelf above the vitamins would increase your storage and efficiency. My top layer is all the stuff I only need randomly (and I have a library kick stool to access those when I need it!)
kitchen designs are missing a hidden drying rack/space for things you just have to wash by hand, pots/pans or things that are still wet coming out of dishwasher. Ideally it would be above or below the counter without taking up counter space next to dishwasher and sink.
I think having a few minor poor choices in your own kitchen makes you more aware of the impact of minor poor choices in clients' kitchens. So long as you keep the attitude of "I did this because I wasn't thinking about it, and it's not great" and don't fall into "I did this and I put up with it so who cares if you have to put up with it too" then you'll be fine.
Just have to leave another 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Never heard of Pull Downs before. That would be a great add on in my life. Love this video! ❤
I think you can add them.
Never heard of them either. Had to Google it to find out what they were. From the online pics, they look a bit awkward, and would reduce the usable storage space to less than what the original cabinet had.
They come in a variety of sizes. It shouldn't be too hard to find something suitable. I find them a little pricy otherwise I'd have three of them. Thanks so much for watching.
@@MTKDofficial I'm 6"2 so I can reach most stuff in cabinet above the fridge. For hard to reach items in the back (I only put large items that don't require frequent access up there) I use a dowel about 3 ft in length and nailed a plastic hook on the end to reach those items. Another thing is I noticed you have a cabinet to the lower left of the stove. In my kitchen I replaced that one with drawers (no brainer).
I guess the kitchen triangle didn't keep up with how houses are designed and our fascination with small kitchen appliances.
I think Your fridge wants to say something lol.. great video I was wondering if our new kitchen was gonna be functional and if our kitchen had proper triangle feel better thanks
haha. If it could talk I'm sure it would. Instead it just tells me how cold it is outside every time I walk by.
I solved the junk cluttering problem by using hooks under our kitchen fireplace mantel and adding decorative elements along the backsplash so there’s no room and no desire to clutter it up. We can use all the cabinets all the way to the top in our kitchen because my husband is tall (and I use a step still when he’s not around). We eliminated the clutter above the fridge by adding a cabinet above it (that my husband can also reach easily so it’s still quite useful.) There is so much wasted space in your cabinets! Not sure how tall your ceilings are, ours are 8’ (1959 house) which might be why we can still access the highest shelves. To maximize the space in the cabinets, we use wire shelf “helpers” to stack items above other items. They help to consolidate items into specific “zones” that make sense for the way we use these items in the kitchen. Display the cookbooks on your counter attractively with book ends etc in the spot where junk accumulates. Use the hard to reach spaces to store seasonal or infrequently used but still necessary items.
Work triangle is outdated because of the dishwasher? I thought the idea was to have no obstructions between areas used in food preparation. What on Earth are you cooking in the dishwasher?
Also, if storage is more important than the outdated work triangle, then couldn’t you get more cabinets in by moving the refrigerator out to the garage?
I think the work triangle is still a valid concept.
Thanks Dave
I think the work triangle can work for many situations, but not all. For example, my whole family cooks together, so it doesn’t work in our small kitchen, because the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher doors keep getting in the way of people moving around the small space (we wash up our dishes as we cook, so the dishwasher does interfere with meal prep). For this reason, we moved the refrigerator away from the sink and stove for better functionality. It works much better for us. I think that’s the point of the video-stick with the work triangle if it functions well-but don’t, if it doesn’t.
Dishwasher is an example for new kitchen appliances. What if you have 2 refrigerators. What if you want Air Fryer, Steam Oven, and pressure cooker. How do you work those into kitchen design? Do you consider built-ins or do you reserve counter areas for those appliances?
The top of my fridge always ends up being the place where the foil and baggies go, cuz I usually don't have anywhere else to put those things.
I like this design actually.
Refrigerator to sink to cooking.
And cabinets close to dishwasher for easy storage.
Better than a triangle.
The problem I always have when I move into a new place, is figuring out where to put everything. So I just up putting stuff wherever, and then end up with one cupboard with just some random stuff in it. If I have the cupboard space to begin with, that is.
I love my kitchen and I'm an avid cook. Whoever designed it did a good job. Although I have all basic cabinetry (no pull down, or slide outs or .... etc,) everything else is great.
1) a whole room .... 4 "walls."
2) lots of counter space....on each side of the sink AND each side of the stove, and a few short steps from the fridge.
3) open center. The FLOOR space is 6 X 9
4) the fridge is right by the 4' entry (no entry door to deal with, just open.)
5) the "wall" facing the rest of the house is just a huge peninsula....lots of under counter storage and LARGE space for rolling out dough, etc
Sheet pan and cutting boards are all that i think belong above a fridge in deep narrow sleeves
Yeah, that's a popular spot. I prefer the slots to be adjustable though.
I was totally distracted by the gray plastic shelf thingie above the upper dishwasher rack. What does it do, replace the upper spinner?
That’s amazing! 3 teenagers and the only trash is a little thing under the sink?!? The wife probably has you change that thing every half hour or so much that she puts a little sign out so she doesn’t lose her voice from saying it so often
We raised 5 children with the same size. Because it forces you to take out the trash sometimes 2 times a day.
What are you talking about?! Taking out the trash is women's work.
Welll my wife gave birth to 3 kids, the least I can do is take the trash out and put he toilet seat down
I'm smart enough to not let it get to the sign stage. Plus we have a recycle bin in the island. So, more like every 45 minutes.
Why do you use cutlery baskets instead of the cutlery tray?
Been here before. Now I'm back again. Still wrestling with kitchen design for a multigenerational home. Several people cooking, but nobody is "in charge" - what could possibly go wrong?
I sure can't access the upper cabinets except for the first shelf. So, I'd nix the uppers if I was designing a kitchen.
I think you should move your coffee maker to the left of the sink . . . and put the mugs in the cabinet above. Keeps the coffee drinkers away from the cook.
You are absolutely right lol. Why didn't I think of that. 🤦🏻♂️
@@MTKDofficial Lots of people don't think of it. 👨🍳
The kitchen triangle just simply doesn't fit all homes or budgets. When having to reroute electricity or plumbing, the costs add up quickly.
Your kitchen is a classic example of "the shoemaker's children run barefoot" - you're so busy designing other people's kitchens, you don't have time to fix your own.
Even still today, the shorter of a couple is the one doing more work in the kitchen. Yet mostly they can't reach past the first shelf of the upper cabinets, making that space unusable for them without stools or other people to fetch things for them. Solutions for this problem?
This is where appropriately priced pulldown wall inserts would be useful. They are so pricey that most average homeowners pass on them.
How much space is too much space between the back wall counter top and the island counter top. My wife and I are remodeling a kitchen that has U shape and we’re opening it up and doing a parallel design. Plan is for a long wall of cabinetry and a long parallel island. The current U shape kitchen has 108 inches of space between opposing counter tops. Obviously want to narrow that, but I see a general recommendation of 42-48 inches but that requires a lot plumbing relocation. Considering having about 60 or up to 74 inches of space between the 2 countertops. Its an open concept design with the living room and it’s a large space with cathedral ceilings. (With it being such an open space we definitely have our work cut out to add some character in this open space.)
I had a 58” distance in my previous home. It was great. I’d probably keep it closer to the 60” but overall this will work fine.
What's a pull down unit?
Oh, yeah I should have described what those were. My apologies. It's an accessory that you install in an upper cabinet that pulls out and down. Bringing all the contents closer to the user. Google it to see an example.
@@MTKDofficial ahhh very interesting... can it be retrofitted or is it something you design from new? Am in Australia 🇦🇺 and only 5'2" so am keen to understand 😌😎👍
Pulldowns! I've been wanting these since I first heard about them some years ago. I knew I'd want those in any remodel: pullouts and pulldowns. I'm a little over 5'4", and I feel for all previous cooks in this kitchen. The design sucks; the house layout sucks, but it's a product of its time, so just gotta make it work smarter in spite of that. And don't get me started on junk drawers.
I think if they made the pulldowns a little more affordable, more people would incorporate them into their kitchens. I really want one!
Why do you have particleboard cabinets instead of hardwood or plywood? I thought designers had the top shelf shelving ;-)
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Multiple appliances are big considerations. Fore example, multiple refrigerators. Air fryer, steam oven, pressure cooker and/or other cooking devices(sous vide, deep fryer etc). People even put in 2 sinks and 2 dishwashers. The "Triangle" seemed so meaningless in this context.
Kitchens have sure evolved!
I am oddly distracted by how *white* your hands are. Have you checked your iron levels lately, or is it just the lighting?
Wasteful to use a paper towel to dry?!
Kitchens are for cooking, not storage, gazing outdoors, prepping or dish washing. Keep your hands off my kitchen!
Being just a tad bit over 5’ step stools are away of life😊
Am I the only one who cringed at the paper towel usage? One to dry the colander; one to dry his hands; one to clean the corner space all within 10 minutes. And all of which could have been a reusable dish towel/cleaning/hand towel
Sorry I triggered you. lol