Kitchen thinking

After working in the cabinetry industry for several years, I recently was able to apply everything I’ve learned — from design to build to install — by remodeling our kitchen. I wanted to share some thoughts of some under-discussed aspects of a kitchen remodel. The list below is by no means exhaustive of this topic, but you may find it helpful.

Be patient and sit with the details.

A kitchen remodel is a large investment – money, time, energy, inconvenience – so it’s only natural to want to finish it as soon as possible. But, it’s important to consider and feel good about all the details, even the very small ones. This is because when the time comes to actually use the kitchen, all those once abstract details will come through as a lived experience. The things that seemed small on paper may be the aspect that drives you bonkers (technical term) when using the kitchen several times a day / hundreds of times per year.

It’s crucial that, once installed, there is the fewest number of horizontal and vertical lines. In other words, too many planes — i.e. changes in levels — and the final thought will be jumbled.

Avoid monotone. Mix cabinet materials.

Adding in elements of different colors / materials brings more appreciation to each element. In our case, the cream white painted cabinet fronts, fillers and panels compliment the Hickory floor and Baltic Birch cabinets. All Baltic Birch fronts, panels, etc. may feel too heavy or busy (because of the “cathedral” grain pattern). The key is to create a color and material logic and apply that consistently. For us that was based upon the plane that the cabinet, front, filler, panel, etc. occupies.

Consider slightly recessing cabinets from the primary plane. In our case, this was a 3/8” recess for open (i.e. doorless) cabinets.

Kitchen items have a large size variance, which means your storage should be designed for what will provide easy access to each of those items. For instance, the jars in the left photo should not be loaded into a super deep cabinet where most will be lost in the back. Taking stock of what you have and deciding the correct storage type before you start building will lead to a easier, more enjoyable experience for years to come.

All the surfaces you touch become a momentary extension of you. Pulls should feel good in the hand and be easy to get ahold of — even with one finger. Full-extension, undermount drawer slides provide smooth but out of sight operation.

So, my personal pet peeve is trying to wash a big pot in a small sink. It’s bumping around the sink. The water’s splashing everywhere. Get the biggest, preferably undermount, sink you can comfortably fit. Also, maximize your total countertop area. We have a small kitchen but still have a 18”x26” sink and 26” deep counter tops.

Not only is it a free source of light it also enhances any space. Poor lighting will always be the limiting factor to any space. A window at your main counter area is a worthwhile investment. For our kitchen remodel, there was significant time, planning and hard work that went into bringing multiple sources of natural light into our South facing kitchen. That journey can be seen here.

If you install upper cabinets directly next to a window it will create a tunnel of light and, therefore, surrounding areas will receive little or no natural light. If you absolutely need the space, you may consider partially open or floating shelves.

A trip to Japan a few years ago reminded me how important layers of light can be to making a space feel more inviting. Once you begin to think of light in layers you’ll realize that a specific layer of light should be matched to the application. For instance, using under-cabinet lighting to illuminate your worksurface rather then just blasting it with an over-powered ceiling lights. High CRI LED light strips that are integrated into the bottom of the cabinet will blend function with form.

Fully integrated in-cabinet LED lights, as seen in the left photo, can act as an aesthetic highlighter. Preferably, all in- and under-cabinet lights are hardwired to a dimmer light switch.