6 Things Nobody Does When Designing a Kitchen

[@406disneyfan2]

Over 20 years ago when I was young and nimble, I designed my kitchen for older me. I pulled the dishwasher off the floor about 1 1/2 foot (I put it in a cabinet) and placed the cabinet and drawer for the dishes and flatware on the counter in close proximity. Twenty-two years later, older me is so happy there is no excessive bending and straightening up to put dishes away. The dishwasher was a standard size and a few years ago I had to replace the original-there were no issues.

[@ralphl7643]

I wanted to do that, but I also wanted a double drainboard sink like Grandma's, so my dishwasher is only ~4 inches higher than standard. Even a little makes a big difference.

[@laundrygoddess4]

I'm redoing my kitchen now and I worked with a kitchen planner who told me three times when I asked for something No you don't want that. Why yes. Yes I do. I know how I use my space. Needless to say I didn't end up going with her

[@triaxe-mmb]

Yeah...if they are going to say "No you don't want that", they have to explain why and then do what I ask if I think I can live with said compromise....

[@laundrygoddess4]

@@triaxe-mmb agreed. She even said she won't do what I want because it wasn't symmetrical. It wasn't off so bad that it was glaring but she refused. Screw that

[@TheDriftwoodlover]

Had a similar situation with a window salesman. After a few of those, I told him we can end this now and asked him to leave.

[@triaxe-mmb]

@@TheDriftwoodlover for me it's more about giving me a reason why it's a bad idea and then letting me decide...as long as I get to pick based on all knowns, then it's my choice on what to spend my money on...

[@wjb-wi6dt]

@@triaxe-mmb Agree completely. I had a great contractor who pushed back on several of my ideas, but he explained why - and he was often right. But he also listened to why I wanted things a certain way and sometimes could offer an alternative that worked both for my wishes and his concerns, and other times he agreed that what I wanted made sense given my explanation for why.

[@judycarter8199]

I am a “square incher” that has been watching your design videos for several weeks. You gave my husband and I an excellent idea for the hard-to-reach space in my corner cabinet! We are fortunate that my sewing nook shares the wall with the kitchen and we plan to create an opening (with drawers) in my sewing area to access that corner. I can store rarely used pots (or sewing supplies) in a location that won’t require either one of us (70+ year olds) to crawl into a cabinet to retrieve something. Thank you!

[@vondapommills2195]

Check out older videos His ideas are valid

[@nailsofinterest]

Awesome idea!!!

[@WeTopia_]

I’m an outlier because I’m team lazy Susan. I had one in my last kitchen, which I’d renovated to my needs. The LS was PERFECT for storing mixing bowls and less frequently used items. Mine worked because I angled the counter, bypassing the folding cabinet door. My new home has 3(!) corners and I definitely don’t want 3 lazy Susans but I despise magic corner pull outs. This kitchen had 2. I lived with them for a year before getting fed up with the wasted space and removing them. Yes, I now have two cavernous spaces but they’re more useful to ME than the heavy corner systems that were there. Bottom line, the design process you drill into us frees us to make the kitchen functional for our unique needs. Appreciate you, Mark.

[@wjb-wi6dt]

I have one lazy susan, which I use for my small appliances (top) and rarely used things (bottom). I also love it - it works for my brain, and I hate my mother's blind pullouts. I just find it easier to rotate to get the Christmas cookie cutters than to do the whole pullout thing. But I don't think I would want more than one! All that said, I love that Mark presents alternatives to think about. Much as I love the LS, it would be almost as nice to have several additional inches on the cabinets to each side.

[@HeatherPorch]

I am team lazy susan too unless I didn't have the space. I have two lazy susans. One for pots, pans, and appliances, and the other I bought triangle inserts and grouped like things together like oils etc.

[@csimet]

Agreed. I have one in my corner and it is perfect for seldom used items, like you said. The key is getting a quality one that can take the weight. Most are plastic junk, as was mine until I replaced it with a well made wood one. It also looks much better.

[@debbief7276]

Hate true blind corners and will have a lazy Susan on the bottom & a bi-fold corner on the top. Works well for us.

[@Mountainsongbird1]

The new lazy Susan designs are a lot more efficient because they don’t have the pole in the center and therefore offer a lot more usable storage space. My friend even has her instant pots stored in it plus several mixing bowls and so on

[@BB-re8mw]

I hate blind corners and love the efficiency of my wee galley kitchen...there is reason we have them on water vessels/ships/boats❤

[@darlene19668]

Very good 👍🏻 I really like the thought (think about what you love about your kitchen). Every person is different as families. I cook a lot, prep a lot, and bake a lot. I am blessed to have a large enough kitchen to accommodate all the things I love, separate very large pantry, and much counter space…I am grateful ❤….but I am a firm believer do what you love as you get informed knowledge from well trained contractors and designers who mean well yet in the end you cook and live in your kitchen. Do what you love and you will love your kitchen and all that goes along with that space… Thumbs up all day everyday 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@kristinnelson-patel442]

My ears perked up when you said to maybe think about moving a window! That’s one of the things I was thinking of asking you about because I realized that if I move the windows over the currently totally wasted desk, I could fill that corner with pantry cabinets, which would absolutely change the whole game in my kitchen. But I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to do that or if it would be possible. We’re going to be completely rebuilding that side of the kitchen anyway because the foundation needs repinning underneath it, and I could possibly reuse those windows on the other side of the room.

[@kdockrey]

Removing or shrinking a window or replacing an existing window with a longer window will not affect permitting the renovation. Adding a window or widening an existing window can mean a major cost. The issue is sheer value.

[@ybrynecho2368]

I'm very short (4'10"), so I had my work space counter put at 2" lower than the regular counter height. I also had the upper cabinets made so the bottom shelf was a couple of inches lower than normal and had the one over the stove as low as permitted. I did that in my previous house and in the condo I'm in now. Just because you are extra short (or extra tall) doesn't mean you have to live with an uncomfortable kitchen.

[@nailsofinterest]

Good idea!! Since I have back pain, we made our lower bathroom cabinets taller! Same height as kitchen. 😊

[@kimherben7866]

Just moved into our new house w/ my shorter counters and upper cabinets! Working for my (lack of) height😊.

[@ralphl7643]

My 5'1" grandmother had low cabinets made in 1940, too, but they put the upper cabinet knobs half way up the doors, well out of her reach.

[@pecanthecat]

great tips as always! I think I captured all of them in my recently renovated super small kitchen! I reduced my fridge to 24 inches wide (!!) and gained more counterspace... I've been in my new kitchen for the past month and so far so good. the added counterspace, magic corner, cabinets to the ceiling, porcelain countertops that continue up the the backsplash and widening the entrance to the kitchen have all made a huge difference in the space. thanks again for making so many helpful videos... I watched many of them and learned a ton along the way!!!

[@pamcornelius9122]

I use my corner lazy susan as a small appliance garage and for storage of Costco sized containers of coffee and tea. Makes it really easy to keep small appliances out of sight yet easily accessible.

[@nathalie_desrosiers]

The problem of fridges is not how large they are. It's how (too) deep they are. I would rather have a large but not deep fridge. Like the commercial ones.

[@carmenwiker2016]

Yes! I’ve been saying this too. You lose everything in the back. I’d rather have a more shallow but wider fridge.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

@@carmenwiker2016Any recs for models like this?

[@carmenwiker2016]

@@MadLadsAnonymous nope, I think I’m going to have to design my own fridge! No one has exactly what I want 😊

[@maudyg_22]

In Europe (where I'm from) American fridges used to be a hype. They're huge, but compared to the smaller European ones, not very spacious. Somehow the doors are not as thin an the fridge is not as deep.

[@nathalie_desrosiers]

@@maudyg_22 Sounds interesting, thanks.

[@rohanlady4]

I'm working on a kitchen remodel for next year and met with the cabinetmaker last night to go over in detail each and every cabinet and how it would work. I have a small awkward kitchen that cannot change the basic layout due to doors, etc. (100+ year old house) but I did change things to make them better for me and when I get older - I'm in my late 60's but my husband and I are tall. I will have blind corner cabinet and specifically requested a pullout like you pictured. My old house had a similar cabinet and things would get totally lost in that back corner, some of which were finally found when I moved out 18 years later. Plus, where lower drawers were not practicable, I requested pullouts for the lower cabinets.

[@ronditorro4375]

Very helpful! Regarding appliance garages, a crazy story and a warning: We sold our home a few years after a very expensive custom kitchen remodel with an appliance garage. A year after the sale, the women who purchased our home told us the kitchen and floor above had to be gutted due to extensive fire + smoke damage. This was due to a freak accident caused by the appliance garage door sliding down onto the toaster handle when no one was home. Don't keep appliances in the garage plugged in, or just avoid the garage entirely!

[@heatherjay8802]

My husband’s a chef and prefer the easy “workability” of a galley style kitchen. I also advocated for ALL drawers, back in 1984! They are SO much more useful and accessible than cupboards.

[@nailsofinterest]

We took out our pantry and put in a pantry cabinet with drawers on the inside. Whooah, the amount of things you can. store, reach, and see!!! Not one regret!!! Just a few who want to take our cabinet home! 😅top two cabinets habe large shelves great fir packs of drinks, paoer towels, bags of sugar. Top most ones, we put the least used things. It actually takes up less floor space too! 😊

[@chanaheszter168]

Corner...planning to add a cabinet accessed from the dining room on the other side of the wall. Will be ideal for tablecloths and trivets, corkscrew, etc.

[@pinkiewinkie1548]

Hi Mark dear, Indeed, I have already written down quite a bit of what I would like if the new kitchen could become a reality. But I also saved some videos (especially yours!) in a folder on KZbin. I can then pass on the timestamps to the person who will be responsible for them so that they can view and develop the ideas. Thanks to your videos, I have learned a lot about what is and is not ideal for me. We want a small fridge in the kitchen but we wanna place a huge fridge in an other place because we really need that, 3 adults in the house!!! But indeed the kitchen fridge itself does not need to be big. Just place that elsewhere if you can and need!!! My husband does not want the one window made larger and does not wanna listen to me!! He does not wanna understand that it is Me who's always in the kitchen, not him!! BAH!!! It listens strangely or rarely, for example I want an induction hob with buttons instead of one with a touchscreen because my fingertips are often numb and cold. But he keeps coming back and saying a touchscreen is better. I wish I could do what you say, hun, but due to my healthproblems I can not measure everything ;-( Our kitchen is small and I am extremely allergic to many things, including fi.: latex, Teflon, gas (cooking on gas at the moment) and many other things! But understanding? I barely get it, in many areas. I will stay a fan of your channel, darling! Thank you very much and lots of love, Old rebel-Pinkie

[@turdferguson3475]

My son put a floor to ceiling closet pantry in his kitchen and it's a tremendous use of space. Bags of dog food (or cat litter) on the floor. Room for a broom or vacuum cleaner. Plenty of shelf space, they even put spice racks on the interior side of the door. All in a 2' x 2' space.

[@cherieechols9873]

I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation and something I came up with to maximize space in a corner drawer bank cabinet (positioned against the wall and at the 90 to the peninsula), was to create a secret door on the outside of the peninsula side that uses a push mechanism to open and close. I store bulky things like trash bags, paper towels, etc. Out of everything that I've designed and implemented in this kitchen so far, that has to be my favorite.

[@MV-nn4yo]

that's awesome! I wanted to do that too, but was going to put in a beverage cooler .. but it turns out my sink drain pipe went right through the empty corner so it was a no can do. bummer!!

[@peacebrother8942]

The Golden Rule of Kitchen Design is, every time you come up with a solution to a problem, you invent another problem. Leaving the corner blank is a worthwhile option. When I was designing my first kitchen I fell in love with the idea of corner drawers. The corner cabinet for this was to 1050mm x 1050mm with a 45° bank of drawers. Very stylish! When I started to analyse this idea I realised that there would be a triangle of 600mm x 600mm either side of this $3000.00 cabinet. Put together that is the same size as the square in the corner of the L shaped bench. I used the solution that Mark suggests in his video, and saved $3000.00, but left a void in the corner, which could be viewed as a problem. My advice, go with what Mark suggests and leave this useless space as useless space. If you do what Mark suggests you will never miss the space once the two front facing drawer cabinets have been installed and the bench top has gone on.

[@jolenepearrow3628]

I had my house 5 years before redoing my kitchen. I did the redesign myself using the existing floor plan, electrical and plumbing. I drew the plan out for my cabinet fabricator and together we tweaked it to produce the best options. Is it a perfect kitchen? No, but it is what I believe is the best kitchen that could be produced with the constraints I had. I always recommend living in a space for a while to really learn how you use the space.

[@ryansoo4000]

Hi Mark. Recently Canadian Designer Sarah Richardson announced that she has collaborated with the Canadian kitchen cabinet company All Style Retrofit to produce a line of cabinet door and drawer fronts that can be added to standard Ikea cabinet boxes. Have you seen them yet? She shows off some of the styles in her latest KZbin video "Sarah's Island Rescue: Episode #10 Furniture Afloat"

[@MTKDofficial]

I haven’t, but will look into it for sure. Thanks Ryan.

[@ladylyonteeth3952]

You should do a show on kitchen renovation regrets. The process can be so unexpected, and it’s hard to plan for the unanticipated. Thanks for another great video. ❤

[@ralphl7643]

My 1922 house had a high west window over the sink when I gutted it. Half the year, the afternoon sun would have been in my face, so I moved the sink to the other side of the room facing the den and TV. That and raising the countertop level were the best things I did.

[@BB-re8mw]

❤agreed... imo...if you have a small kitchen...get a 24, 28 or 30 inch refrigerator...or 24 in refrig drawers...if nec. get a larger frig for an insulated garage/pantry/laundry room/basement if you can. Bonus...always good to have 2nd frig if one konks out...that is the worst!

[@wjb-wi6dt]

I went small the other way just recently with a counter-depth. It makes such a major difference in my small kitchen with feeling open. And I admit it was a transition from the old behemoth, but now that I'm organized and have adapted, it's much more functional for me. Hard to lose things in the back!

[@gregpendrey6711]

I made my kitchen open plan compared to absolutely cut off in my 670 sq ft 1947 post war 2 bedroom. I could not resolve an upright fridge. Anywhere I planned it it blocked light and was visually out of scale and utilitarian. No way I could have a traditional decor with that. When I sold my house no one said anything about the refrigerator or asked about where the washer dryer is. I put them under counter and gained 9 linear feet of countertop. It turned out to be a good decision. People loved using my kitchen which was also nice for my dinner when company came 😂. Hope this helps someone. Vote 💙 USA 😎

[@BB-re8mw]

@gregpendrey6711 Brilliant! Same boat here in my 750 sq ft 1 br/1 bath w/closed off galley 8.5x9.5 ft kitchen...bldg is 1959 modern...borderline Brutalist...only thing in my favor is utility does undermine the overall aesthetic😄

[@diamant1081]

Enough outlets. It drives me crazy when there are not enough outlets.

[@nailsofinterest]

The minimum required by code just isn't always enough, or in the right spot!

[@princessdyn]

That's the most beautiful magic corner cabinet I've ever seen! I want it for Christmas 😊

[@andreagardner2335]

I need a counter depth fridge where I am. The loss of space is horrible. Just two of us here, but I cook every day. I curse it all the time. Do not reduce the fridge size unless you only need one to keep your beer cold.

[@nailsofinterest]

Oh, those are the worst!!! Very limited options on a replacement and often more expensive!! There's a few condos around here that every single kitchen has those. Now they are replacing them, and my husband has to sadly show them their very limited options There is no way to make room for a regular depth in the development. Several installers, cabinet makers, and contractors have tried. They all only need a few more inches... even what I call "indenting the wall" ( making it thinner behind fridge area 2" vs 4") , doesn't help nearly enough.

[@olgaolgaolga]

Agreed- fridges *are* storage

[@kathrynmoon8793]

When my kids were young teens I used the appliance garage for breakfast items and snacks. Worked great as a quick grab item storage space. In another home I used it to store plastic containers/lids and the next shelf up was for flour, sugar, etc. and Pyrex baking dishes. And I have had pull out shelves or drawers in all of my kitchens since 1991😊

[@jeme7339]

Measure items - YES! Even furniture should be measured and placement planned before designing a house. Too many times there is no thought as to where furniture will go; often a bedroom has no wall space for a bed because of doorway and window placement. Measure coat hangers before designing a closet; many are too shallow to hang winter coats!

[@kimherben7866]

!! We did this for the house we just had built. We downsized from our previous home and this was a crucial step (especially since we have a bedroom/bath/ bonus room/ Walk-in attic access upstairs. This helped when the movers were bringing items in as a "road map" of sorts. We enlarged the individual rooms' copies w/ that furniture placement and we just had to nudge things a little bit to fine tune.

[@refrigeratortrimkits]

Great video to bring awareness to things we completely forget about when designing houses!!

[@lorraineedmond5921]

We ended up with 2 Super Susans. They are essentially pantry items that are more frequently used. One is baking supplies near the baking area, the other is tall oil bottles, grains and beans in tall jars, potatoes and onions. In a different layout, I’d look at another option

[@didomilan1725]

My old kitchen had a paper towel hold under cabinet (an old plastic one. ). The other was a fold out drawer top of kitchen cabinet. It held sponges. They are two simple, old times things I miss. I don’t want a paper towel holder on my counter!

[@TheMoonSeesMe]

I did my kitchen about 3 years ago and I was watching a lot of your videos back then. I completely cut off the corner with draws and have not regretted my decision once.

[@MoonthistleHouse]

If the corner of your kitchen is on an interior wall, you can actually turn the "wasted" space of a blocked-off corner into a cabinet for storage in the room on the other side of the wall. I can't do it in my current (tiny) kitchen, but I've seen it done to great effect before!

[@tonkatoytruck]

Want more fridge space? Get a dedicated refrigerator for the kitchen and get a separate freezer for the garage or utility room. I promise, it will make life far easier when storing left overs, drinks, and condiments. I use a counter top ice maker for ice.

[@vondapommills2195]

That’s exactly what I did. View his older videos as help guides. All the decisions made in my new kitchen was based on What we know to be right. Back in May 2024 he did a video “ Roasting my viewers kitchens. I was the first kitchen and 95 percent of the what we did was base on Marks suggestions over many videos

[@SamBaker-z9h]

what do you need that much ice for? I rarely use my ice maker. Curious.

[@tonkatoytruck]

@@SamBaker-z9h Not about quantity. A dedicated refrigerator without a freezer does not make ice nor can it store ice.

[@winstonelston5743]

0:30 I like my overall lay-out with a functional triangle, but it needs a couple of tweaks. 1:45 When replacing the fridge, keep in mind the swing of the doors and any interference with other elements, and availability of appliances to resolve any conflicts. The trend toward "counter-depth" fridges has become more of a tyranny of fashion over function and standard depth appliances allowing adequate capacity and access in limited space pushes me toward a 36-inch French door unit to deal with the return wall next to the fridge location. 4:33 The great thing with my galley is there is no room for corners. 8:45 Window placement. Great! I have some structural repairs needed in the exterior wall. I have a pair of 32-inch window with southern light and when I repair I want to open things out with three 24-inch windows. I did a similar mod in my west-facing living room and the difference was dramatic as seen from the street and in terms of just a little more afternoon light. The problem is, the houses are fairly close and my kitchen windows have a lovely view directly into the next-door neighbor's kitchen. The windows have to be in the same general location but I want to use a textured glass in the lower sash that will provide privacy without losing the light. When considering drawers, if you're going with a separate cooktop and wall oven and you are not the type who blushes and looks for a fig leaf at the sight of an un-paneled dishwasher, some manufacturers offer stainless steel storage drawers in a 30-inch width. I have (in my parts bin for the project) three 30-inch Bosch stainless drawers, one warming and proofing and two storage, to be arranged under the cooktop and the wall oven.

[@wburtney5154]

I built my kitchen 40 yrs ago. Time to update the cabinets. I have two 3 teir lazy susans 12, 9, 7 inches. 2564 sq in of area each. Love them. Only change is more drawers instead of cupboards.

[@rpvitiello]

I can honestly say there is not a single thing I liked or kept from my old kitchen. It was so awful I built a new kitchen from scratch in a different location in my house. The old kitchen is now part of my living room. Funny enough the new kitchen is exactly the same square footage, but it looks 10x larger with orders of magnitude more countertop space and storage.

[@compassandradio6261]

Regarding the refrigerator size, my concern would be designing a kitchen around a smaller refrigerator only to have potential home buyers find it objectionable and not have room to install a larger refrigerator if they wanted to.

[@pamcornelius9122]

Plus you can’t go back to a larger refrigerator if you don’t like the smaller one.

[@csimet]

Not sure I agree with the smaller refrigerator idea. For me, staying with a bigger one tends to mean more storage and less reliance on going shopping for those fresh items as often. I actually got a taller one for that reason and reduced the cabinet above it to permit a size larger (in height - approx. 4" added). Made a huge difference, especially since mine is a 36", counter depth in the first place. Everyone has their specific needs. BTW... I agree with the appliance garage, except for one area... the dead corner of your counter under your upper corner cabinet. It is the perfect location and never gets used anyway because it is hard to reach for normal activities. I turned mine into a spice drawer location that pulls out for easy access right next to the cooktop.

[@hrh4773]

Thank you Mark. Such wonderful tips as usual. I live in Australia but nevertheless your tips are so helpful. Thank you

[@jvgauthier]

Regarding the window you forgot an option : to remove the sink side window altogether. Block it and see if there is plenty of natural light. Is it street side, backyard side? ...or is it neighbour side and all you see anyways are brick's and your neighbour-that-you-don't-talk-to's bedroom window? If you figure that a big backsplash is more fun to look at, I say go for it.

[@susiemmfh]

What do you think about a pop-up appliance garage in the corner? Seems like it would be more helpful than just blocking it off.

[@ellen8996]

VERY expensive.

[@erigabu]

my current kitchen is around a 1.5m x 1.5m (150cm x 150cm) ... it's more like a "kitchenette" or "cooking corner" so my first thing, move the the kitchen to a different spot inside in the house to make it bigger.. but that will happen only next year (with a whole house renovation)..

[@merryhunt9153]

My kitchen has a chest freezer. It's very handy. The top can serve as a counter. When I cook, I cook enough for at least two meals and put half in the freezer. Cuts clean-up 50%.

[@gingermonette7455]

I have 2 blind corners. They're not too bad as I store things I don't use often in a box that I can fairly easily slide out when needed. Of course the stuff in front of it (also in slide in/out boxes) has to come out first.

[@olyasorokina3780]

Not sure I agree about appliance garages. Hear me out. It’s not like that space will be empty anyway. You’re still going to store a toaster and a kettle and a rice cooker and what have you on the counter. The only difference with an appliance garage is that there will be a box around them that hides the mess leaving the counters looking pristine and serene.

[@tealkerberus748]

I'm really looking forward to having one again! Between the fatigue issues of having to get an appliance out of a cupboard to use it, and my issues with object permanence when stuff is out of sight for too long, I need a space for them to be set up for use. A door to cover the whole lot doesn't hide them for long enough to be a problem, but does make the kitchen look tidy!

[@BB-re8mw]

Magic corner!!!!

[@Mav_F]

My mum made her kitchen window a lot smaller - it was huge. That was 20 years ago. Just had to get matching bricks and luck enough when the house was built in the 1970s there were left over bricks and my grandfather had kept them.

[@flufwix]

I’ve bought a house with the worst old small kitchen. I’m thinking of blocking off a door and opening two corners into other rooms - laundry and studio. I do have an enormous fridge I’m keeping 😂

[@sharon3017]

I love my A.G it is in the corner, I don't have to look at all the things in it every day. Never give it up.

[@coastaldiva]

Hate corners too! Difficult area

[@BB-re8mw]

Counter-depth fridge...and yes clean it out/reorganize it ...daily...it only takes a minute.

[@ybrynecho2368]

I wish I'd bought a counter depth fridge with my last one. A regular one sticks out of the fridge space. I had one before, but made a big booboo when I bought the one I have now.

[@BB-re8mw]

@ybrynecho2368 😟 ugh that is a bummer...it is so hard to find refrigerators that tick all of the boxes. The non-counter-depth models need a warning label..."this is gonna stick way out past your counters and be a major pain!"

[@HeatherPorch]

I have a counter depth fridge. Prefer it more than a full depth. Besides a regular one sticking out into the space, things would always get lost in the back or go bad. People say they don't have room, but I raised a family with three boys with that fridge cooking all the time. What are people putting in that fridge that they need all that room?

[@jkp62]

I am a corner hater also and I am ok not utilizing that space. As we have planned out our moderate size, dysfunctional galley kitchen, one wall is the sink, dishwasher and range with one corner- no utilized corner, just good sized drawers. The other wall will have the fridge and 2 small walk in pantries on each end- one is for food and the other for small appliances not used daily, baking sheets, overflow aluminum foil, plastic wrap, plastic storage bags, all my glass storage storage and anything else that I do not want in the food pantry; the food pantry will have all the shelf stable foods and overstock foods and right now, the microwave- it’s being debated, I want it in the pantry, hubby wants it next to the fridge (we are anti-OTR microwaves). The fridge will sit to the right of the appliance pantry then a run of lower drawers and countertop to the food pantry (about 5ft worth)- and one open shelf then glass uppers once that for less used items like platters, cram/sugar set, soup tourines, etc with lighting in them, and the open shelf is for the coffee cups, the coffee, tea and hot cocoa canisters and 1-2 plants, the drawers will hold the coffee pods, other teas, spoons and saucers, kitchen towels and place mats, etc, the counter will have the Keyrog, a drip coffee maker and the electric kettle and sugar bowl. The sink side will have glass uppers for all the glassware and dishes to the right of the sink and to the left will be 2 short open shelves for all our spices and herbs and seasonings and oils - I don’t mind all those out in the open (they are in pretty bottles and jars), the lower drawers will hold out pots/pans and lids and cooking utensils and pot holders and trivets. Then a moveable island in the center. Our kitchen is 13ft x 14ft with an east and west opening smack in the center of east/west walls. We aim for function and aging in place before all the pretty comes into play.

[@KentClark-c3x]

Mark, I really enjoy your videos. We remodeled our whole house about 12 years ago and for the most part are very happy with our kitchen, with one exception. I was intrigued with your mention of the magic corner Cabinet insert. We have an upper pantry cabinet that is 24 inches deep, 37” high and 30” wide and everything gets lost in it. I’ve always wondered if there is some kind of insert like that magic corner that would have vertical rollout cages and maybe be able to utilize the depth better. Are you aware of anything like this?

[@mapratt]

The corner cabinet... often there's another room on the other side, and it might be able to take advantage of a small cabinet. The design floating in my head for a kitchen design has a corner cabinet in a peninsula, and giving access to the other side will be easy.

[@i.m.hidden2788]

Wall Safe Hack: Our kitchen corner cabinet backed up to the master closet, so we put in a wall safe in the "dead" space.

[@LoriCrabtree31]

I have a lazy susan corner cabinet with my small appliances in there. Hand mixer, toaster, electric can opener etc. My kitchen aid stand mixer is the only thing that stays out all the time. It's pretty and it's just too heavy to move around.

[@14sasst]

A little text with your list would be very helpful ! I get lost on your lists.

[@emilykarl6637]

What are your thoughts on corner pantries? My mom and sister say they can't get enough pantry space...my husband and I just recently bought a fixer upper and I've decided (with my loathe of corner cabinets) to go with a corner pantry to maximize space and even hide some small appliances. Curious your thoughts on this decision.

[@ladylyonteeth3952]

I agree with you about the lazy Susan corner. They’re too tiny to get into, and the kitchen designer at the lumberyard wants to push it on you.

[@lyudmilaaksan2232]

3:10 I am not giving away my fridge size. If anything I want to have stronger shelfs in it.:))) If I made soup for four to five people and other stuff and I am tired, I do not want to worry about where to put that pot of soup.

[@cathyrackowski2824]

We had a horrible time trying to find a smaller fridge. It took months to find a 33” wide fridge that wasn’t as deep as today’s refrigerators . You have to do the homework to find the right appliance.

[@carolhaynes5418]

What depth did you go with?

[@cathyrackowski2824]

@@carolhaynes5418 We got a Whirlpool it’s 62” high, 32” deep and 33”s wide. We have a 1950’s cape ,the end wall was the only place to put it so at 32” deep it sticks out about 3” from the back wall. It was the only fridge that would work because aside from width we had to consider height because of upper cabinets! Hope this helps.

[@kimsoto7665]

We are doing a new build. Unfortunately we have a corner in the kitchen. I’m choosing to block off the corner cabinet with no remorse. I have a question though. And this pertains to kitchen storage. If you had to choose between having an entryway closet or giving that space to a walk-in kitchen pantry to make it larger, what would you do?

[@wendylang2360]

2 tiered corner storage - 😂 with hard to reach space & lots of racks, it is about as much fun to clean as an oven! IMO. 😊

[@doreenduncan3411]

Nah..i hate stuff on my counters. I had a fire and am doing a total remodel. You said to write down what worked and what didn't. I had a bakers rack that held 2 crock pots,a roaster,a food processor and a deep fryer. In the cabinet were the hand mixer,food chopper, immersive blender,coffee grinder and electric knife. It worked but is gone and thats where the fridge is going now. I opted for a corner appliance garage that consists of 2 cabinets one above the other. I hated that corner by the stove it was always cluttered and I didn't do prep work there anyhow. Below the appliance garage I'm putting a blind corner with those kidney shaped pull-outs with rails for pots and pans and a place for the roaster. The only appliances on my counters will be my coffee pot and Instant Pot which i use everday. Everything will have a home and my counters will be clutter free

[@SamBaker-z9h]

making the range hood 6" wider than the range (3" on each side)- the vent wont suck everything up, the grease/steam will just go under the cabinets next to it. not having cabinets all the way up to the ceiling. I hate those ugly gaps that collect dust. I dont care for a work triangle, Im old with symmetry so as long the range is centered, the fridge is center etc, and looks visually appealing, ill deal with it. its not like your going from fridge to sink to range every two seconds.

[@susanhenley8240]

I am actually designing my next kitchen with a goal of "no corners!"

[@vicihigby269]

Bring back built in breadboards

[@virginiamoss7045]

You are not a designer if you don't communicate thoroughly with your client. Don't wait and let them tell you what they want; ask them the questions they don't know to ask!

[@roslynt1585]

Use kitchen kickers as a pull out draw for pet bowls. Water and food then kick it in when your furry ones have eaten

[@jenniferlawrence9598]

Drawer

[@Magpie-1111]

Water bowl needs to always be accessible.

[@Whatisthis94]

More space equals more junk. It’s a balance but we removed all wall cabinets. No room for Sanka or too much cumin - love loving it :-)

[@SamBaker-z9h]

where do you store your dishes/cups? in a bottom drawer? pantry closet?

[@Whatisthis94]

@@SamBaker-z9h the island has storage and I still have a floor to ceiling pantry and storage. Great question and this was my hesitation in getting no wall storage. Check out units from Siematic to get ideas.

[@kenbrown2808]

My parents' kitchen just has the cabinet extending into the corner. my mom stores her once a year pans in the otherwise dead space.

[@mgertp]

We live in Gulf South. I use the "dead space" in the corner for a styro cooler and hurricane neccessities either in case we need to evacuate or shelter-in-place. The cooler is also handy when deep cleaning the frrig or holding food if electricity goesw out for prolonged time. In front of this, I have a set of very sturdy adjustable shelves like you can get for pantry storage. a shoebox with floral arainging supllies goes under in front. On top are a few light weight but bulky items that can be easily retreived if needed - insulated lunch box for occassional use, salad spinner, 10 qt light aluminunum pasta pot, big strainer. Also extra boxes of trash bags. I considered a rev or simular pull out but like that this set up, which extends to under sink area, can be easily emptied for occassional cleaning. I just spray with a light cleaner and wipe down with a Swifter.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@mgertp hers has a single shelf in it. since it is between the sink and the stove (opening on the stove side) she uses the easily accessible part for regular cooking pots and pans.

[@jeanraymond9114]

Problem going from 36 inch panel ready fridge to 30 is lack of freezer space .

[@Kevin_Rhodes]

Or just skip having a window at all. In my new-build house, there is an 8' slider at the end of the run of cabinets. And a window in that run would just look at the lanai anyway. So I didn't bother. In hindsight, I should have just put a cabinet in front of the useless window in my current kitchen. The added storage would have been more useful than the view of nothing. NO corners either. Current kitchen is a galley. New kitchen is technically an L with an island, but the short wall is the wall oven, tall pantry, and refrigerator but they are set flush to the wall. It was worth losing 30" of width in the back half of the garage to do that - but the garage is 28x36 so not much of a sacrifice. I am doing shallow cabinets and a short counter on the other side of the slider or a "coffee station" and other small countertop appliances. Also agree on the refrigerator. I currently have a french-door counter depth fridge, and plan on the same in the new place. It is waaay more than enough for just me. And if you have a big family, chances are you need a much bigger kitchen anyway. I just wish that reasonably priced panel-ready refrigerators were a thing in the US. If they weren't stupidly expensive, I would have done a 24" JUST refrigerator and paneled it, and put a small chest freezer in the garage.

[@carolhaynes5418]

I keep telling my designer I want to go with a 30” refrigerator and he keeps saying “You want a 36”. Trying to hold my ground!

[@woohunter1]

Make sure he knows it’s non-negotiable.

[@StupidRobloxAnimations]

Corner cabinet: don't use one and on the opposite side of the wall you can make a shoe bin.

[@firestick4991]

I need a smaller fridge! It’s taking up half my kitchen and covering up the only window that I can’t move.

[@Brineytoes]

I hate my kitchen except for my 25 cubic foot refrigerator. I am 81, with a bad back. If I get down on my knees I can’t get back up without help. I am also legally blind. The lower cabinets with DOORS are impossible for me to get into. I can’t reach anything and I can’t see into them at all. I need DRAWERS and ONLY DRAWERS! There is a 2 ft.wide pantry behind horrible folding doors which limit my getting close, and it is the dungeon of darkness. Now - the counters - made of the same ceramic tile as my floors. What S#i7 for brains dreamed up that insane idea? Three of the tiles are cracked, the grout is disgusting, and I hate working at the counter. I have to use more countertop appliances because they are safer for me and hardly cook anything on the stove. I will soon sell my house and move to an apartment whose cabinets will offer the same kind of old fashioned cabinets that I can’t see into or access. I do put up under cabinet lighting controlled by Alexa, but what can I do to make those lower cabinets accessible? I need the storage space! I really just want to live in an IKEA store, please. 😂

[@mandyholly6947]

Have you looked into the rev-a-shelf? It makes the shelves into much more accessible drawers

[@dmbalsam]

No thank you on the kitchen design. Already designed a new kitchen, missed the boat on the drawers. Do you know how hard it is to find a fridge under 70” and still have the features you want. We had the choice of 2 refrigerator models to fit our space.. there was only one place to put the window, but added a skylight. Put in a prep sink on the opposite side of the regular sink. Now designing a library, that I did well, including a sink that drained with hot and cold water!

[@nailsofinterest]

12" wide drawers!! Those are small bathroom drawers! 😮

[@firestick4991]

My drawers are 3 inches deep and 7-9 inches wide. If you can get bigger drawers - DO IT!

[@Nouharel]

The dishwasher

[@gabrielpaulsmom]

Most of these new refrigerators are useless poorly designed mine has a nice bottom freezer but the refrigerator part has very little usable space and the door shelves are just useless unless you have very small items. My kitchen is original to the house built in 59 and it needs to be replaced.