The owner of the house where I'm working asked me what would be the max height and width (depth) of Kitchen Cabinet base units - i.,e the counter top. He and his wife are tall and want to spec the cabinets at the
*practical extreme*. He concerns that they don't go overboard and end up with an issue if they ever re-soldI am not the most qualified kitchen builder but thought some of you guys might have a thought or two.
TIA
Because of the dimensions of plywood sheets, carcases are usually
23-something deep (call it 24 with face frame) by 31-something high (call it 32 or 33-something with the countertop).
Standard kitchen countertop height is 36" and standard bases are 34.5". Most people wouldn't notice an inch difference during the initial inspections prior to purchase. Two inches higher would be noticed but would better suit an increasing segment of the population as people are getting taller. Unless they're exceptionally tall, I mean NBA tall, I wouldn't go over 40".
Bottom line, if they're not planning on selling the house within 10 or
15 years the owners should make the cabinets whatever height works for them. Kitchens aren't forever items in most homes. R
Actually kitchen counters including the top are right at 36 inches high. Bath room counter tops are shorter.
Typically the depth is 24" and height is 36". Many lenders require and have specific specs in this range. Deviate too much and you may have trouble selling to a buyer wanting a particular type loan.
Building a set of kicks is cheap. Fabricate regular cabinets, but put them on 6" kicks...or 8" even. Then it's easy enough to disassemble and cut them down to 4" when the time comes? The 'tall kick' look is actually somewhat attractive if decorated with some sliced turnings/legs.
Or, buoild the wall cabinets at 36" as per usual, and make an island
42" high (stand-up bar height) again, with the intent of lowering when needed....just some thoughts.
If you are going to raise the countertops, make sure you keep upper cabinets at 18" off the countertop elevation. Also, use a cook-top instaed of a regular range, for all the obvious reasons.
rRemember that a standard slide in stove and dishwasher are designed for a standard 36" height.
Christian
A dishwasher raised above the floor works well.
Better than when it's sitting on the floor. Same with laundry machines.
We're still an evolving species. ;)
R
If it's sitting on the floor .... how can she reach the sink ? Jim
Joe,
How tall are the owners? I'm 6'4" and the standard height of 36" for counter tops is pretty comfortable. The only issue is when I wash dishes by hand. The height isn't the issue, getting the pants wet while washing is.
The cabinets are about 19" above the counter and are OK, but going up an inch or two would be more comfortable for me. Even at that height, I cannot easily see to the back of the upper shelves, and need to stand on something to reach way in the back. Especially on the inside corner cabinet.
I'd stay with standard depths for the upper and lower cabinets. They could be adjusted to accommodate particular storage of plates, bowls, etc., but I wouldn't make the upper cabinets anything close to 18" deep, unless you can get at them from the other side.
A bigger issue for me is the height of the bathroom mirrors in the house. I have to bend/slouch over to shave or see my eyes. Very annoying. That may be another area where you could make some money. :-)
Are they planning on moving soon, or move often? Do they have children? If not, having the cabinets at the most comfortable height for them is what really matters. A couple of inches may not be that much of an issue for resale, but making the lower cabinets 48" tall would be. Upper cabinet size as well. As long as it is close to standard, it should be OK.
Another consideration is the overall proportions of the cabinets to the room. Putting huge cabinets in a room w/ 7-1/2 to 8 foot ceilings will make the room look even smaller that it is. It will also start to look like something from Alice in Wonderland.
You may want to mock up the lower cabinets with sawhorses and plywood and have them pretend to prepare food and use them as well. For that matter. Mocking up a set of upper cabinets with cardboard and hanging them on a fake "wall" can help identify any issues w/o spending too much time on the construction. Corregated cardboard and a hot glue gun is all you need. Rigid foam insulation works well too. These don't have to be pretty. You're going for proportion and position, not fine details.
Hope this helps,
-- d phi / dt
Joe Bemier wrote:
The 36" height is the top of the counter top. Most dishwashers will fit in a 33-1/2" - 34-1/2" space.
-- d phi / dt
RicodJour wrote:
House I bought has a *high* cabinet in the master bath (previous owner was tall and had back problems) I noticed it but didn't think much of it. Now after living here for a year I hate it. I'm 6' and the counter is an uncomfortable 40". This is of course bending over for teeth brushing, shaving, etc. Poor SWMBO is 5' nothing.
Anything other than the standard 36" is going to add *a lot* to the cost even if the bases are just raised up because of extra tall toe kicks (which would probably look like crap). There is also the issue of the 18" needed between the counter and the uppers to consider.
Stop looking at the Lee Valley catalog while you wash the dishes.
-Leuf
Joe,
You've got several replies - stating the 'standard' height / depth of
36"/24". That works for many folks. If it were to be 'completely custom', the general design criteria is to have the countertop something like 3 to 5 inches *below* the elbow (with the forearm held horizontal). This is to provide workability (and leverage) with tasks like hand mixing and such.-- john (Registered Architect)
Joe Bemier wrote:
G'day Joe, I have the opposite problem. I am currently building new kitchen cabinets and would have liked to make them about an inch lower than normal as my wife is 5' nothing on a good day ;). Unfortunately because of dishwasher heights it's a can't do. She will just hafta wear stilts.
regards John
"Leon" wrote in news:MWhSg.5330$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:
Except at my brother-in-laws house. His bathroom cabinet tops are higher than his kitchen tops. He got this deal on some cabinets ...
Yeah the taller bathroom cabinets are becoming popular for the "mans" side of the bathroom.
The countertop height does not have to be uniform throughout the kitchen. Having a raised/lowered section makes sense in any kitchen design. As someone pointed out, an island is a natural place to work in the height change.
An inch difference is a tough one, though. Such a minor difference could easily look like a mistake. Similar to the time I designed an addition for a client, to be built by the client and his dad, and they made the sunken living room 2" down instead of 2 steps down. I was scratching my head on that one.
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