A towel bar doesn't necessarily have to be in a dedicated cabinet

“OK, this is a pretty small issue, but anyway: I like the function of a towel bar, I just don’t want to give up the space for a base cabinet to house it. And I swore with this remodel I wasn’t going to just end up draping them or throwing them on the counter.”

The good news is that you can have your towel bar, and the better news is that you don’t have to dedicate a base cabinet solely for that purpose. You can have a towel bar component built into a standard base cabinet. In the photo, you can just see the end of the towel bar in the upper left corner of the base cabinet opening. (And yes, you may feel it’s a small issue, but it’s the little things that annoy us day after day. Hope this helps take one item off your list!)

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The beautiful character of Antique Chestnut is quite distinctive in the wainscot of this kitchen island

“We love seeing the grain in wood, and want our cabinetry to really show some character. But as lovely as most woods are, they seem kind of, well, bland. Any other choices?”

Certainly! Perhaps you’d like our Wild Cherry; full of dark sap pockets, knots and sap wood. Or you can choose from our Vintage Collection of woods. Eight different reclaimed wood species, including Antique Chestnut, Old Growth Heart Pine and Antique Hickory. Truly gorgeous woods, unique in their appearance. You can see all the different choices on our Wood Species page.

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What could've ended up as empty wall space turned into a useful mudroom area

“We would love to have a mud room, but just don’t have the space…”

(Not sure if there’s a question in there, but anyway…) Perhaps you can make a small bit of “unused” space into something that will work. As you can see in the photo, there’s a bench built that makes the most of  a small space. The bench is open underneath, and features a shelf as well. Designing a back (with coat pegs!) gives it a nice built-in feeling. The important thing is that it provides a landing area and helps to minimize the trail that youngsters leave as they make their way from outdoors to in and other parts of the house.

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Designing your perfect home bar takes a little planning, and the results are worth it!

“We want to have a home bar in the den, but not sure how high it’s supposed to be?”

Typical bar height is 42″, with bar stools usually topping out at 30″ . A common depth is 24″, but that could depend whether you decide to design a two-level countertop. Length of your bar, of course, depends upon available space. The great thing about home bar design is that you can make it as large or as small as you see fit!

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Different calculations and personal preferences should be considered when designing your desk

“We’re designing a desk for our office, but not sure how to figure the drawer height?”

Well, it seems we’re on a drawer kick lately!

There’s more than one way to calculate things, and personal preference needs to be considered beyond that. But here are some general guidelines:

Typical desk height is 30″

Seat height can be between 15″- 18″.

Leg height clearance runs between 9″ – 12″

Countertop can be 3/4″, 1″, 1 1/4″ or 1 1/2″

So, subtract your combination of dimensions from the 30″ height, and the remaining number is the available height for a drawer. As an example, say we’ve got a chair at 16″, leg clearance at 9″ and 1″ countertop.

Doing the math: 30 – (16 + 9 + 1) = 4. Bear in mind the chosen construction method (framed or frameless) will need to be considered also. But at least now you have number to start!

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Instead of a knob or pull, consider a scoop cut to provide access to a drawer

“Looking for a different take on drawer hardware for a bathroom. Not a fan of pulls or knobs, am I out of luck?

Not necessarily. Have you considered a scoop cut? Instead of any knob or pull, a graceful curve is cut into the face of the drawer. Creates a wonderful vintage look, and solves your problem!

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This specially-configured base cabinet combines the best of a drawer base cabinet with a door-fronted cabinet

“One of my needs for base cabinet storage doesn’t fit with the design of a standard drawer base, nor a base cabinet with full-height doors with rollouts behind? Have a suggestion?”

Perhaps a hybrid door and drawer base cabinet like the one pictured to the right of the stove. There could be two full-width drawers, one over the other, and doors down below. Behind the doors, you could have open storage, a shelf, or even a rollout. The look also fits especially well with a period styled kitchen.

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Deciding where to place the dishwasher will depend on layout, dish storage, and adjacent work zones.

“We’re trying to decide which side of the sink to place our dishwasher: Left or right?”

The good news is either is fine, and you can look to other factors to help you decide. The usual line of travel is sink to dishwasher, and then dishwasher to dish storage. Continuing that, it’s dish storage to dining room. So, take a look at where the dishes could be stored. Do you want them closer to the dining room (usually makes for a longer walk from dishwasher to dish storage) or stored closer to the dishwasher?

If you have a Prep Zone in your design, (which usually has a sink) place your dishwasher on the other side. You don’t want people banging elbows while one is chopping veggies and the other is trying to fill the dishwasher!

Depending on the layout of the design, another thing to consider would be making sure that if you’re dishwasher happens to be placed opposite your oven, that there is a sufficient walkway between the two. 48″ is not quite enough! 54″ is the minimum recommended.

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Increasing the depth of your base cabinet can gain you more space, and in this case, create visual interest

“With regard to base cabinets, what should I consider if I’m thinking of increasing the depth of my counter?”

Gaining a little extra countertop space is not unusual, and as far as base cabinets, it comes down to two choices: Keep them at their standard depth of 24″, and have your installer pull them forward the inch or two necessary. (The actual amount is dependent upon what you decide for countertop width).

The other choice is to have your base cabinets made deeper.

Comparing the two choices: with the first, it’s less expensive, but you end up with some wasted space.

The second is you gain space for all affected base cabinets, but will cost more.

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A breakfast nook is a wonderful complement to your kitchen design

“We want to include a breakfast nook in our design, but not sure how much room to allow for seating on both sides?”

Could anything be cozier than a breakfast nook? Wonderful idea! You can calculate the necessary space this way:

Each seated space should be 18-21″. That measurement is taken from the front of the seat back to the edge of the table.

The minimum comfortable table width is 36″.

So, the recommended minimum space, measured from face of seat back, across the table, to face of seat back on the opposite side, would be 72″. (18 + 36 + 18 = 72)

Naturally, you may need to take into account special circumstances (unusually tall, short, large, etc)

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