Kitchen Design Pet Peeves | 5 Things That Grind My Gears

I go over 5 of my kitchen design pet peeves. The things that really bug me and grind my gears when it comes to kitchens and kitchen design.
This is just a bit of fun and for entertainment, so please don't take it too seriously 😁
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#kitchenpetpeeves #kitchendesign #kitchenmistakes

[@tomruth9487]

As a kitchen designer and cabinet maker, I always see the fridge as the elephant in the room. My first job is usually to see where I can hide it. It might be in a wall, or at least at a spot with other high cabinetry. And you're right, never in the middle of a run of cabinets.

[@sydneyb776]

I love the truth in this video...from the US doing a kitchen reno in the UK and can't wait to get rid of the built in dishwasher! Also will be laying tile all the way to the walls underneath the cupboards. So much easier to maintain and change out appliances that are freestanding on a finished floor!

[@mslindadoll]

Someone told me "no one makes a place for the vacuum...and she was right. A broom closet with cleaning supplies seems an old fashioned idea...like a milk shoot or a clothes shoot. But it's important.

[@bernadetteholmes6160]

Thanks for the reminder. I'm thinking of putting an addiction on my small house (624 ft) I know I want a pantry but never thought of a broom closet!!!

[@s.p.1536]

We are about to start our kitchen renovation so your videos are a god-send. Thank you so much for your very clear, organised videos. Your teaching skills are excellent, especially as you show examples of point of discussion. One question. Do bamboo floors have a more echoing or loud effect than other materials like cork or wood floors?

[@nafnaf0]

All lower cabinets should be drawers ideally. They are a bit more expensive but that cost is offset by the added useable space.

[@barbsdee3831]

I agree with all of your pet peeves Michael but also the big American fridge sticking out amongst all the nice uniform fitted units…aarrrggggg! 🤦🏼‍♀️😂😂

[@kitchinsider]

Thanks Barb! I know what you mean, I love a fully integrated kitchen! 😁

[@scrillathekid5562]

In defense of the Americans, we eat a lot and we have this predisposition to think that big is always better. 😒 Big house, big car, Big fridge. I’m preparing to redo a kitchen and I think it’s almost impossible to find a large fridge with cabinet depth. Thanks for your advice Michael, I’ll probably put it at the end of a row, so it’s not a visual and actual obstacle. Love your videos. Please remember to always include us measurements, helps the US viewers.

[@MichaelScottPerkins]

You nailed it with the "integrated dishwasher" not really being a North American thing. So much so, I didn't even know what you were talking about until the last 2-3 sentences when you explained it. I think it's a great idea to attach a faux front that is the same color as the surrounding woodwork. Don't know why this is not a think in the US.

[@neilpickup237]

I fully agree about the lack of drawers. Every Kitchen should have one for cutlery etc. and at least one other for those items which don't fit too well in the cutlery drawer. In addition, at least two pan drawers. But one of my pet hates is when people have too much clutter on the worktop - especially when it is not a separate room, but part of the living area My pet peeves are not enough shelves, doors/drawers which cannot be fully opened because they foul on something else and freestanding or no bins in the kitchen. Having just shuffled a kitchen around to accommodate an oven housing unit because someone cannot longer bend down to use an oven under a hob, I fully understand how true what you said about not always being able to do (or avoid) what you want

[@artycrafty9209]

Totally agree with all of the point peeves and I too must say they are all a full description of my ghastly current kitchen, ahhh well hopefully soon I can get it all changed!

[@kitchinsider]

Great minds think alike! 😊

[@trinaroe5132]

Those aren’t “freestanding” dishwashers, but non-integrated dishwashers. Freestanding dishwashers are actually portable and very rare these days. Freestanding portable dishwashers were more common in US in the 1960’s when they were frequently parked next to refrigerators. At that time it was quite common for both fridges and ranges to be on walls by themselves with no cupboards or counter around them.

[@emmaaclaaire]

Faucets that don’t have a sprayer, sinks that aren’t under mounted, sinks with a divider instead of one large tub, when countertops don’t have a big enough overhang, backsplash that is difficult to clean / has a lot of grout, etc!!

[@kitchinsider]

Love it! Great list. Definitely with you on the under-mount sink and having one large bowl! Thanks for commenting! 😁

[@trinaroe5132]

Pet peeve for me (in addition to some you mentioned) are sinks installed near the end of a run without adequate landing space in one side. I’ve even seen IKEA display kitchens designed that way! Why?!

[@JL-hn6hi]

Integrated DW and fridge freezer ARE a thing in the US, but only obtained at a notably higher prices. Apparently much easier to get standard in the UK.

[@kitchinsider]

Interesting and good to know, I often wondered why they weren't as common in the US. You're right, they are much more readily available and a standard item here in the UK. Do you think integrated dishwashers will start to become more 'standard' in the US?

[@stf4040]

Add that American tastes are quite tacky compared to British lol

[@houlyn]

@@kitchinsider Having lived in both places, I think dishwashers are generally more common in the US than in the UK, and especially in the past. (Many people in the UK need space in the kitchen for a washing machine, whereas Americans put the washing machine somewhere else.) So dishwashers in the US evolved in kitchens of the past that did not use paneling to cover the plastic or metal. In the US, people are used to the exposed look. Some people like the sleek, futuristic look of it as evidenced by the stainless steel appliance trend. Integrated refrigerators and dishwashers will become more popular in the US I think, but maybe not standard. The quality of appliances seems quite unreliable these days, so a non-integrated one is probably easier to replace and refit.

[@oltedders]

@@stf4040 Horseshit. Brits as a nation are not somehow gifted with exceptional good taste.

[@oltedders]

@@kitchinsider Matching a dishwasher face to the cabinet run entails ordering a compatible dishwasher initially and a $200-300 upcharge for the matching face panel. Here in the U.S. matching appliance color or finish is more common and less expensive than matching them to the cabinets.

[@Timeculture]

Pet peeve number 4 is funny af 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 he said it was unbelievable

[@drk6799]

No drawers in the kitchen. Great play on words.

[@karend.9218]

I’m with you….I hate my stainless steel dishwasher, next model will be integrated, panel front.

[@kitchinsider]

Excellent decision! 😊

[@mengzhema4408]

I agree with integrated DE, but how about refrigerator ? Do I have to put the custom panel too?

[@stage3cam258]

With regard to your tip on not having tall appliances in the middle of cabinets, how would you approach landing area for a double wall oven? Would you consider one side and an island behind you sufficient?

[@saragress2344]

I didn't notice the dish washer before as an eyesore. Now I'll see if I can get it integrated. Haha. Americans can be converted instead of lost

[@kitchinsider]

Haha! I think that's an excellent decision! 😉

[@malcolmlongfield3378]

The thing that bugged me about my kitchen, is realising when i sat down on sunday after building the units is that i had put half the side pieces upside down( aaarghh).

[@kitchinsider]

Oh no!! 😬

[@MTKDofficial]

Well..... I gave this video a thumbs up, even though you brutally insulted my very own kitchen right from the get-go. lol Otherwise, I'm right with you!! Great video. I DM'd you on instagram about a collab. Let me know what you think.

[@kitchinsider]

Haha! Thanks Mark. I did actually think about you before I hit publish and almost removed the dishwasher pet peeve section, but I had to be honest. 😂 Heading over to instagram now 👍

[@MTKDofficial]

@@kitchinsider It was great!

[@terriblejustawful2825]

Did anyone else just put together that he's been saying "tall cabinets" and not "tool cabinets" too? I just figured the pantry cabinets were called tool cabinets in the UK. 🤣🤣🤣😅

[@Trish-ql9kz]

Are ceramic sinks generally more expensive then composite sink please?

[@jobond3317]

I don't mind that free-standing dishwasher. I probably will get dish drawer and they will go beside my stainless steel sink so will hopefully tie into the overall look. But yes I can see what you mean

[@rutontuton]

I wish we in North America had more options for integrated dishwashers, but the reality is that, unless it's a very expensive kitchen in an expensive house, the options just aren't there.

[@kitchinsider]

Really interesting learning just how different certain aspects of kitchen design are between North America and the U.K. The whole dishwasher thing has been quite the eye-opener!

[@allydeng3090]

One of the reasons that people don’t do custom penal on dishwasher might be due to ease of care. I wanted to do a custom penal at first but my builder told me that 1) it’s always easier to wipe down stainless steel than wood cabinet door front, and of course dish washer is one of the most easiest to get dirty appliances; 2) sine the high humidity and wet hands, the panel might have a higher chance to deform or swell over time, especially if u r using laminate or melamine as material; 3) an extra panel cost extra couple hundreds dollars. So those are the reason why I had given up my original plan and decided to hide my stainless steel front dish washer behind island instead. Same as built in fridge. My builder told me that it’s common to have dishwasher and fridges built in with custom panel if the house is planed to be sold shortly since no doubt it looking amazing. But stainless steel would be a better chose for self use. So in the end I did spend huge money on built in fridge for its sleek look, but I purchased its stainless steel door add on instead custom built door panels. Hopefully this would be helpful for people who is going to renovate their kitchen.

[@andrewwatson5360]

Your builder like many trades tells people these things to make their work easier and quicker rather than taking the time to develop/gain tbe knowledge and skills to give their clients the product they are after. Good quality well finished panels will not be affected by by moisture from dishwashers and generally need less effort to clean than most "stainless" steel surfaces which show every finger print/smear left when handled and are very difficult to clean without streaking. My wife and I have designed/built/installed a number of kitchens in our houses and always have built in intergrated dishwashers (the last one was elevated to avoid bending down) without any problems. The biggest issue with dishwashers is cheap poor quality brands. The same applies to builders/trades.

[@The_Jupiter2_Mission]

Sometimes you need to sacrifice symmetry for function when the space is small.

[@kitchinsider]

Very true! I think you can still keep an eye on the visual balance though. 👍

[@yoandraph4642]

I’m trying to do all that in my kitchen but is more expensive but I’m looking DIY in KZbin to trying to do what can I do by my own and the rest has to be pay.

[@OPHIUCHUS666]

I agree with you. All free standing appliances are an eyesore in a new kitchen. I don't get it either when my customers want that. i'm flabbergasted that people actually like that. And an unbalance kitchen is terrible. I do agree with you on that. thanks for the video mate!

[@ronaldyoung7705]

not everyone can afford a built in kitchen

[@Craftgirly]

When people use marble in a kitchen for the island and backsplash that isn’t white. I recently saw a house for sale where they used gaudy orange type gold marble all over the kitchen (and throughout the house) and another house where they used a loud marble pattern on the kitchen island. Black kitchens! I didn’t mind years ago that trend of black galaxy granite with some white but now it’s all black, matt kitchens, just why??? Kitchens that after renovation have the fridge space only allowing for a small fridge. This is the age where people have the American style fridges or at the very least a large single size fridge. I lived in the UK for a decade and didn’t like the look of washing machines in the kitchen. I’m sure there is more, I’m obsessed with kitchens lol

[@kitchinsider]

Haha! I love it. Amazing! I know what you mean about washing machines. I always try my hardest to get them out of the kitchen. Great pet peeves! Thanks for watching.

[@user-xg6zz8qs3q]

It's easy to find integrated washing machines in Europe. They're not overly expensive.

[@snoopybluejeans]

I dislike the sink and drainboard all in one unit that's widely used in Europe. Never mind the pedestal sinks in bathrooms. No place to put your toiletries out of site. Ya, I understand the huge fridges sticking out , Blech

[@lnatrinacria1473]

I have a kitchen with 2 parallel rounded walls not easy at all… and no help on line

[@silviakeidel8187]

You could not have said it any better!!! Adding to freestanding dishwashers are huge ugly fridges and ranges…🙄

[@albernal6653]

Sort of related to # 5 is replacement appliances that now leave gaps between it and the counter. Not only unsightly but unfunctional as food spills fall into the gap making clean up very difficult. Gap erasers/ fillers look like your brother in law's handiwork. Manufacturers need to step up

[@karend.9218]

I prefer a drop in sink with a micro edge. Very sleek and clean. Under mount sinks with gobs of silicone, mildew and gunk, no thanks.

[@kitchinsider]

Nice! I know what you mean. Blanco do some nice flushmount sinks, when it comes time for a new one.

[@AdrianWalker247]

Agree, cupboards should be banned, drawers are always king IMHO

[@anyat686]

Yeah your right. Those Americans don’t know everything!! 😂

[@kitchinsider]

😬😂

[@Bobrogers99]

Integral dishwashers and refrigerators cost more and will limit your choices, and if they need to be replaced it will be a major (expensive) proposition. Although a good-quality refrigerator can last for many years, dishwashers seem to have a shorter lifespan.

[@tealkerberus748]

If a 6'4" person standing up and a short person in a wheelchair can't work in your kitchen, separately as well as concurrently, then it's not a good kitchen. In a good kitchen the tall person will not get backache even from standing and preparing food for hours, and the person in the wheelchair will be able to accomplish all they set out to do, without help from a standing up person.

[@MalcolmRowley]

Calling out the entire US with #1 & #2. Brutal.

[@kitchinsider]

Haha! Sorry... 😬

[@marynewell5706]

Are you for hire?

[@jeffsiemens4485]

As a North American I have to hard disagree about the dishwasher. 😊 I think that hiding it behind a cabinet would be about as stupid as hiding your fridge, stove, or sink behind a cabinet. 😊

[@mai9]

I would have loved for you to add a not balanced kitchen, instead of showing pictures of symmetrical kitchens. I can understand what a non symmetrical kitchen is, but up to which point starts to be ugly?

[@andrewwatson5360]

Cupboards and doors particuarly on base units should be eliminated wherever possible and drawers installed everywhere up to approx 1500 mm above floor level. It provides the ultimate in storage capacity and accessibility and their design locations are only limited by your practical imagination. Our latest medium sized kitchen has 53 drawers.

[@oltedders]

53 drawers? OMG! What a nightmare. You obviously don't cook. No professional kitchen has more drawers than is necessary to accommodate the utensils required for stirring, cutting, scooping and flipping. The average home kitchen needs only about 4 drawers ( 8' to 10' +/- of counter space) to store those items, including a drawer for silverware. When we remodeled our kitchen, we removed the nonsensical 2 dozen IKEA drawers the previous owner had installed and moved them to the garage where they serve a much better purpose. In their place now is practical full extension pull out shelving. BTW, not just my opinion, it's my experience...I'm a retired professional chef. Bank after bank of kitchen drawers is a ridiculous fad in contemporary kitchen design...hopefully following barn doors on the way out.

[@andrewwatson5360]

Yes you are very correct I'm no cook but I like to eat. Particularly fabulous food prepared by a very skilled and talented family trained cooking expert who has kept me well fed for the past 46 years. I am only a cabinetmaker who started building/designing/selling kitchens about 60 years ago who has made many of the usual design mistakes and has suffered the criticism from his cook about the lack of function and congestion created by poorly built kitchens in his initial design attempts. I'm not sure what point you are trying to make as surely shelves on full extension runners are just drawers without backs sides or fronts ? ( Things which over time has proven to contain objects on the sliding shelves.) So wether its drawers or sliding shelves they perform the same function providing the are scaled to suit the objects placed in them . So the drawers in our latest kitchen vary in depth from 70 mm up to 380 mm with a number on full extension runners that extend approx 750 mm. I built bases which are 800mm from the wall to accomodate them as well as 800 wide bench tops for small appliance use. The big thing that drawers have over sliding shelving is the fact they do not require a door over them. Doors are an anathema to circulation within a kitchen and almost always create impediments to movement. Yes we do have doors as we do have overhead cupboards and tall pull out pantry shelving as well as tall shallow 110 mm shelving for storing cooking ingredients. However ultimately there is no right or wrong way to build a kitchen, what is important is that the people using it get the kitchen they desire. I always try to keep an open mind and it is one of the reasons I cam to this u tube channel in the first place as although I'm getting on a bit I find that there is always something different or new to learn. And as a cabinetmaker I think some of the components of Ikea kitchens are of very high quality sold at very economical prices and in many cases much better that most kitchen manufacturers can produce and come with a 25 year guarantee ! Not a warranty but a guarantee.

[@robertherman1146]

He just wants to hear himself talk