Kelly's Kitchen Sync

A quick quality check for ready-made cabinets

With the influx of ready-made furniture, everything from vanity consoles to side furniture, I've discovered my own quick test for determining quality:

Open a drawer.

If you can't open the drawer with one hand, or have to brace a foot against the wall and yank with both hands...you're buying a very temporary cabinet. If the drawer glides are skimped on, most likely so is the finish, the wood, and the construction.

Good quality drawers open instantly. They're smooth, quiet and make you hum in appreciation. (Ok, maybe that's me.)

While you're at it, sniff the wood. If it's giving off a strong odor that makes your eyes water (and you don't even have to bend down), really give some thought to what you're bringing into your home. 

It's not that I advocate expensive everything, it's that we have no idea what is going into the making of some of this furniture. Looks and cost are a solid part of decision-making but they're not everything. Health and function should still be an important consideration...especially if there are young ones in the home....

What to consider in a two-cook kitchen

…well, at least in the example we’re going to discuss today.

A few of you out there expressed some interest for multi-cook kitchens, and it’s a good time to cover it. Many singles, couples, and families are still curtailing their nights out and staying at home. Yes, singles too. They may bring in 1-8 people in for a “night out.”

I’m currently working on a multi-cook kitchen as we speak. He’s the cook (as in culinary school), and she’s the baker. As soon as I saw the layout, I asked, “So who does the most yelling for the other to get of the way?” (They both do.) 

Let’s take a look (I’m modifying this from the actual plan and clients have been altered to protect the innocent. Apologies for the slight blurring):

 

Before

 

At first glance, it looks like a kitchen anyone could want – lots of counter and storage space, an island, and room for multiple appliances.

Closer inspection reveals that:

• The previous clients added an after-market island which should never have been in the kitchen in the first place. With only 27” on one side and 31” on the other, it is too oversized for the room. Opening the dishwasher is a delicate process and forget about bending down to get a pot from a cabinet. Both clients bump into it all the time, but admit it’s valuable counterspace.
• Really?  The island shouldn’t be there. 140” of width with cabinets on both walls is too small. We’d need a minimum of 150” to even squeak in, and that’s considering older rules with 36” of walkway space.
• The baker has good access to the sink and oven but would like the deeper island surface to work on cookies, bread, etc.
• They both get into each other’s way whenever they work together and use the sink.
• The baker is 5’3”; the cook is 6’2”. The counters are too high for her and fine for him.
• Is that table tight within the nook space. Yes. (Easy way to tell – check the walls and casings for ding marks.)

 

The order of priority:

• We need to get both parties out from underneath each other. In this one design, I’ve created a “his” and “hers” split. This isn’t to say that they can’t use each others areas, but for the majority of their work, they’ll be efficient.
• Eliminate island in favor of new dropped baking peninsula for the baker. Also still in the works, since they don’t use a microwave much, do we add a combo. 2nd oven or eliminate it completely. Note that wall cabinets on baking center will extend down to counter and possibly grow deeper for lift mixer and other small appliances.

 

After

 

• Keep the refrigerator in an area where no one crosses into another’s path to get to it. We need to prevent collision hazards from the cook heading to the ovens and the baker heading towards the refrigerator. The refrigerator, which is used almost more than any other appliance, is relocated so both can use it without getting in each other’s way.
• Avoiding sink collision. A new prep sink for the cook which is close to the nook and could act as also bar area. (Why on the left? Because a right-handed cook will usually prep left to right – chop veggies, toss on range. If he was left-handed, we’d discuss placing it to the right of the range.
• The cook gets his own range with his cooktop; the baker gets double-ovens. We have a bit of a struggle on where to put the them – they might be better in the pantry by the range, but as the formal dining room doesn’t have a lot of through-traffic, they currently fit to the left of the sink. We’re still pondering this one.
• The entry doors both swing into the room – more walking around obstacles. Both will strike the counter and built-in refrigerator without doorstops. I’m thinking pocket doors would lessen the clutter.
• Also, back off the cabinets and appliances from the entryways. Always think of doors open and people standing. Encroaching into a walkway is an excellent way to bruise one’s hip coming around the corner.
• Dishwasher relocated to the left of the sink. Although right is better, the open door would be in the way of the baker. This is one of those points that boil down to lifestyle choices.
• Could we steal a bit more space for the dropped baking peninsula? Sure, another 6” of length wouldn’t hurt. If it was a family with 4 or more, I’d say “no”.

Is it perfect? Not yet. But it’s coming along.  My only contention is the oven placements.

I’ve always been taught to mentally cook my favorite dish in a new design to see where I’d end up fetching items. If it seems intuitive and easy, then the design is working.

Book news and links

Busy, busy week! I've been mired up to the eyeballs with the day job, design competition entries, guest posts, and interviews. I should be back to normal soon here...I hope.

For some reason, Amazon has my book, Kelly's Kitchen Sync, on a 2-3 week delay. It's probably a temporary glitch and as with most of the items I've ordered there, it doesn't really take that long, but in the meantime, BN.com has it for you within 24 hours.  

Also, my author page on Facebook is here. 

***

A few of my Blogger19 friends are attending the London Design Show in England. To see what's available over at the other side of the pond, here are:

• Susan Serra of The Kitchen Designer
• Andie Day of Andie Day Lifestyle (The entries are separated into 3 separate days. If you click on the main photo, it links to more.)
• Carmen Natschke of The Decorating Diva

***

Finally, we have been struggling with our CAD programs all week. While the programs are getting better at photo-realistic design, the top ones are still too labor-intensive to make them worthwhile (yet) to the average pro. Forums are filled with how many hours it takes to get a photo looking just right...but in the meantime, if you have lots of money for the really expensive programs, they can look like this shot of a European kitchen over at Ann Porter's KitchAnn Style.

***

You have a good weekend. Me, I still have to be somewhat coherent in the showroom today and then I'm going to crash. Happy weekend to you! 

 

Cabinet pricing, post 2

So, for those of you who only subscribe and don't get the comment section, I wanted to post an exchange over the history of linear foot pricing. EM asked:

"Well, then, Kelly...how do you begin to budget for cabinets? How would a homeowner even know where to start? My method was to pick a number out of thin air and divide it by the linear cabinet feet...I found this to a way of comparing like to like cabinets. No?"

I replied, 

"It is tough for homeowners, I know. But splitting the dollar figure is sort of like saying, 'Mazda, Porsche - they're just cars. Why is one more expensive?' But unlike cars, cabinet manufacturers don't do enough blanket advertising to get the point across. There are a lot of cars that fall between the two, which then becomes personal choice -- just like cabinets.

I'd say as a consumer, find out what you prefer for:

* box construction

* door style

* hinge style

* finish style

Then really look at the details - do the corners of the door have a tight joint? Can you run your fingers on the inside of the drawer dovetail joints and not catch a burr or sliver? If you're planning glazes, are they slapped on with a trowel or are they refined? Do the drawer glides open smoothly or do you have to apply a foot against the cabinet and some elbow grease? Are the interiors easy-to-clean? Is the box made of 5- or 7- ply, 35lb. or 40 lb. construction board? I'll think on this more and see if I can't come up with a checklist (pending my schedule, of course)."

I haven't had a chance, but Joseph Freenor, of CFT411.com had this to add:

"I’ll admit to being biased here, but I honestly think what I would want to do is to look at the quality of the cabinetry itself." (Edited to add: Joseph is a cabinet-maker.)

"If all you do is shop for price, you will end up with some very shoddy cabinetry. My view on it is that kitchens and bathrooms are the two rooms you will be in every day of your life. You will touch these cabinets every day. Why run your hands over junk?...

"...The other thing I encourage people to do is to use lots of drawers on the base cabinets. Yes, they do cost more, but that make it so much easier to access the contents, and as you age (trust me, you will!), your knees will thank you for your foresight. As for getting the best deal… personally, I would look for the best cabinetmaker I could find. In the end all you have to rely on is his integrity. Did he tell you he would use mortise-and-tenon joints, but then used biscuits? How would you know? Not even a cabinetmaker can tell once the joint is glued up. You have to wait until it fails! But if you have a man of integrity, you will know that whatever he said he would do is what he did do."

I don't know if it helps you, but it's a start. The post (and comment section with more of Joseph's thoughts) is here.

In the meantime, I know some of you have emailed me with questions - my apologies. The day job along with other commitments has kept me hopping lately. 

Are you all still up for another round or two of "Spot the kitchen errors?" or shall we discuss the differences in design for a multi-cook kitchen?

During your remodel...

...if you're planning on being away (yes, some people are), please let your remodeling team know that you're having guests drop in.

Last week, both clients weren't at home - one was away in Europe. Our painter discovered two young men playing eardrum-dissolving music in the house. We had no idea who they were or what they were doing there. 

It made for some very stressful moments until we could track our clients down to discover that, yes, they were guests. 

First time that's ever happened to me, but there's a first for everything. 

Cabinets priced by linear foot?

Every so often I get a client or contractor coming in the showroom who ask, “How much (are the cabinets) per lineal foot?” Or, in the case of the client, “My contractor gave me $ xxx.xx per lineal foot for my cabinets. What do you have that matches that?”

It’s as old-fashioned as why sinks must be centered or simply placed under windows (they don’t anymore), but let me share some insight as to how we came about this method and why it’s out-dated.

 

Before frame and frameless, there was the Unitized System

Once upon a time, cabinets were made as a single unit instead of individual boxes and made two ways: one with side panels between each unit (still wasn’t a box) or a front frame of the cabinets attached to fixed shelves which ran the length of the wall.

There were few drawers, unless someone went all out and paid extra. They certainly weren’t on any glides, but instead friction-fit inside the frame opening. (Many of us grew up with pulling out the drawer completely and dumping everything on the floor.)

 

Sad little kitchen but good example of a unitized system. See inside the drawer section where it’s all open? The frame and counter (and often 4” nails) were all that held this cabinet together.

 

A carpenter or cabinet shop could reasonably estimate how much material and labor it’d require to make the cabinets, and in such a way that we could say, “The oak cabinets will cost you $ 75.00 a foot, and the plywood painted will cost you $ 45.00 a foot.” (Hey, this was the post-war years. No, I don’t know how much they really were but all prices seem cheap in history, don’t they?) 

Before drawers, fancy drawer glides, tray dividers, custom oven cabinets, 24” deep refrigerator cabinets and panels, lazy susans, crown molding, light rail, and/or the birth of the Mega Kitchens, this was a pretty satisfactory method. It’s still used in less expensive tract homes, or in trailers, motor homes, and RVs (less weight).

I often get asked if this style of cabinet can be removed during demolition and reinstalled elsewhere, but it’s not uncommon for the cabinets fall apart when the counter comes off or the wall cabinets are removed from the wall.

Maybe there are parts of the continent which still use this pricing method and perhaps for simpler kitchens, it might still work. Some cabinet companies still make a unitized system with internal side panels which limits the length of the shelves and even allows for some of them to be adjustable. The entire frames are still assembled as a complete piece with no seams.

However, I don’t know too many that are using a linear foot pricing method. Cabinets have become too complex for that, especially in custom kitchens. We have so many interior fittings, door styles, cabinet finishes, and cabinet construction that it’s a challenge to get a reliable price that way. So, if your cabinet supplier, whether it’s a shop or a maker, is still discussing linear foot pricing for a custom kitchen, I might take extra care in determining that you can get everything you want before they start.

I’m not arguing the method of building, simply pointing out that the method of pricing is a left-over of an earlier time.

Now you know.

Beyond the quick fix-up

There’s some recent advice online on partial remodels – quick fix-ups to get you through until you can do more. The one that sets my teeth on edge is “purchase your new appliances now”.

It’s not that it isn’t a good idea, especially if Betsy the wonder range is firing on only one burner, but the articles aren’t taking their advice far enough.

So here I am. *grin*

If you want to buy your appliances now (and it’s a great idea – the rebates and deals are some of the best I’ve seen in my entire career), do buy the appliances that will fit into the existing spaces: the dishwasher is a safe choice.

The rest of the appliances?  Don’t assume they’ll fit because the “standards” are morphing in unusual ways. Take a 30” range for example. Electrolux has a range that I’ve, um, discussed in colorful ways before:

Electrolux EW30GS65

Unlike all other ranges, the top control panel flares out at the sides – you need 31-1/2” of clearance to your drawers and doors on either side or they won’t open. The standard opening is 30”. This oven will not fit in a “standard” range opening. Keep this in mind for your flammable clearances above as well. 

Refrigerators are another beast. The older refrigerators up to the early 1990s, weren’t as tall as they are today. Will it fit under the existing wall cabinet? Or will it protrude out so far that the island will prevent the door from opening fully?

If this is your case, then you have to ask: do I buy the appliance to fit the existing space, or do I wait and get the one I really want.

That I can’t answer…but I can hopefully save you from getting an appliance home only to find it doesn’t fit.

A microwave for the road?

Over a week ago, I received this press release for Electrolux Design Lab competition in my email box that I’ve been saving for you:

Matthew Schwartz, a student at California State University, has developed the idea of a portable microwave oven, a design concept that has allowed him to advance to the final round of students competing in this year’s Electrolux Design Lab global competition.

Schwartz’s design will compete with seven other students’ designs from around the globe.

  Video is here:

Industrial design students definitely think out of the box when it comes to ideas, but I ask you: would this be something you’d find a use for? I’d as soon go to the nearest restaurant, but I did think it a stellar idea for a survival or camping kit. You?

The winner will be announced September 7 and will earn an internship at Electrolux and a scholarship. Finalist announcement and concept video can be found here..

Don’t like your wood floor color?

I’m seeing a few threads pop up online about how folks hate their existing wood floors and plan on changing them as soon as they can.

Most of the time, it’s the color that’s throwing them off. “It’s orange-y and I have all blues” or some variant. Er, if you’re facing this and that’s your only fault (other than they may be scratched or marked), refinish them instead.

The entire reason why we have wood floors is that they can be sanded and refinished and will last for a lifetime (depending on quality and thickness, of course). Plus you’re not throwing good wood away.

Here, look. I have a before and after of a small project we just finished. The flooring was pre-finished, which means that our very skilled floor installer spent more time and effort sanding. This costs a bit more over re-sanding and refinishing a stained-in-place flooring but it’s not excessive.

The color was gold and orange, plus contained various scratches which were visibly apparent:

We opted for a warmer tone, without the oranges and this is how it turned out:

Almost brand-new floor without the expense of replacing and it completely changed the feeling in the entire home.

Sure, if you don’t like your floor, period, or it’s beyond repair, then you may have no choice. But while wood grows on trees, why not consider this more carbon footprint-friendly idea instead? Just make sure you have a good flooring expert.

In the meantime, I hope you're having a lovely long weekend!