Good ideas! I'm almost done with my design. I used your inventory and took it 1 step further. I made 3x5 note cards which represented my groups of kitchen items( things that go in a single drawer or a single shelf of a cabinet). Then, I laid the cards out in rows and columns on a table. I moved the cards around up, down, or sideways until everything was close to where I would use it. I included extra large cards for the stove, sink, and refrigerator. When I finished moving the cards around, it was easy to see how many drawers I needed, how wide and deep they should be, etc. It was also nice that my husband and I could look at the layout together and move things (cards) around. Finally, I took a picture of the index cards in final position. That's where I'll put things when we move back into the kitchen.
@@lizbiancoismydesignsherpa you've helped me so much. I thought you might be able to use, steal, share, sell, ... the index card idea. BTW, I shared the finished photo of index cards with my kitchen designer too.
LOVE IT! What a great idea to deal with a huge amount of information to "remember" as we design a space. All the little things...they are so easily overlooked, but end up being important when you use them so regularly!
Your critique of architects is so spot on! They flat out don’t care about living functionality inside the home - it’s all about exterior aesthetics for them.
It is very important to focus on the small steps in the everyday life. These small steps make a design work or fail. You are absolutely right saying that it is very important to watch onself to find out what are going be the important paths and feauteres in the kitchen. The idea to see kitchen as workshop that has to be functional is underestimated. Thank you for pointing this out.
Finally!!! Someone who acknowledges that a stove and a fridge should not be next to each other. I see so many "designer" kitchens that have that exact set-up, and I always think, gee, isn't that bad for the fridge to be near all that heat? You verified that and included it as one of the 3 layout mistakes, which is good because so many kitchens are being designed this way.
My fridge is next to my stove and I hate it. I always wondered if the heat from the stove would affect the fridge. It's irritating that there is no counter space on both sides of the stove. The layout is counterspace, sink, small counterspace, stove, refrigerator. I've only been in this house for a year, and the kitchen had just been remodeled. I hate to redo it, but I'm going to have to figure something out. There isn't enough counterspace on either side of the stove. One of my friends has a nice big kitchen with the perfect work triangle, except the previous owner put a big island in the middle. You had to walk around it to get from the sink to the fridge. Very inconvenient.
@@lizbiancoismydesignsherpa That may work. I have no idea why the previous owner designed the kitchen that way. On the opposite wall it is one long countertop and cabinets. It would have made more sense to put the stove or fridge on the opposite wall. I could probably switch one set of cabinets with the fridge, but then I'm sure I'd have to replace all the countertops. I may be thinking this is harder than it really is.
i personally think this stove next to the fridge perception is a fallacy. modern ovens don't emit enough heat from the side walls to effect your fridge. or at least no more than the ambient temperature of the room. I have been manufacturing kitchens for over 20 years now and although i don't have Laboratory collated Data my gut tells me this is so. As a side comment many modern kitchens are tight for space and the only practical option is fridge next to the oven if designing in a tower format. but ultimately its about you, and what makes you happy.
Your ideas are excellent, especially the "zone" idea. Here's something I've noticed: upscale friends buy expensive counters, stove and fridge, then they clutter up the counters with the small appliances that they actually cook with. We had a tall cabinet made just to hold small appliances.
Thank you, this video is vindicating for me. We are moving to a house built in the 1950s next week. I have been going deeply into the details of where I'm going to put things in my "new" kitchen. My hubby thinks Im obsessing. Im considering taking out most of the shelves in the lower cabinets and installing stainless steel 2 tier Rev-a-Shelf pull out shelves. I installed them here in the old place and dont think I want to live without them. Im 64 years old, and hate getting down on the floor to look for lost items at the back of the cabinets.
Hi Liz, I love your video. We are planning a full kitchen reno and its drawers, drawers, drawers. Two islands, three dishwashers, and a butler's pantry. I can't wait until the demo begins. You put it all together for me. Thank you, Mark & Scott
My God, lady! Your bone structure is a priceless asset! Consider yourself blessed! I wish I could give the benefit of my thoughts on my townhome compact kitchen design to whoever designed it! But we’ve been here for 44 years and they might be long gone! The annoyance is not with the triangle, but with the peninsula with no door on the far side, creating a dead space that is not fully useful. You give great advice, and I’m glad you footnote feng shui!😘
Right handed or left handed or needing to suit both - good to hear someone mentioning this. It really does determine where people would automatically place items - for example- while cooking on cooktop you don't want to be reaching across boiling pots, splattering skillets, etc
Thank you SO much! We are just getting underway with planning a renovation in our kitchen, apparently last touched in the 70’s. Your suggestions are invaluable because they are so focused on the practical. Yes, we all want a beautiful space, but functionality will make it a daily joy.
Refrigerators are not just accessed by the cook. In fact they are usually accessed by most people in the home - you do not want people crossing through your work triangle to get to & from the refrigerator.
My niece and her husband bought a house in which the kids couldn't open the fridge while she had the dishwasher open. So they spent $30,000 to bump out onto the patio and moved the fridge. But then they spent $20,000 to create a new patio. So much cheaper to tell the kids to get out of the kitchen while she's cleaning up!
Liz you are opening my eyes to functional design! I’m in the process and just thought to look into cabinets that match my old ones. Now I know that I should switch the dishwasher to my right and pots and pan near the stove. I thought I had to work in the kitchen but didn’t know the kitchen should really work for us!
You just confimed exactly what I was planning on doing - thinking about how we use the kitchen (functionally) - not how a designer would have things placed with perfect semetry - necessarily. Function is everything. Thanks!
This is what I did! I walked myself through cooking,cleaning,and visiting with people as I was standing in different areas of my kitchen. I also thought of all the kitchens I had ever worked in or visited . And what I liked and didn’t like about them. 27 years in this kitchen and I wouldn’t change a thing! ( but we do go through the cupboards and drawers to purge now and then! This way my kitchen doesn’t have to be oversized! ) holiday and seasonal is in basement. Like canners.
I love my small kitchen, new to me as I turned 70. Like you, I've decided I don't need everything right in the kitchen. The basement is just fine for much of it!
@Liz Bianco is My Design Sherpa, thank you bunches for your helpful design guidance, from your newest subscriber, in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Much appreciated. 🙏🌿💐🌿😊💚😘🌿💐🌿🙏
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I appreciate your expertise and advice!! I'm always excited when your videos pop up. They are so educational and help me feel empowered before a remodel and also make me laugh too. Thanks!!
As an aspiring interior designer, the information you’ve provided in the video is extremely helpful! I will be subscribing to your channel to learn more. Thanks!
Great video filled with good ideas. I'm planning an update to my 1971 kitchen and was considering swapping the position of the fridge and the ovens, but that would have been a mistake. Better to keep the fridge near the sink and the ovens on the other side of the cooktop. I LOVE your practical advice and delivery. Thanks for sharing!
I am building now and I did the zones. I spent a lot of time thinking about each area and what I needed. Baking/ wall oven zone, range zone, and fridge. I also did a separate coffee bar. And an island. Sink dishwasher and fridge close together. I thought a lot about pots and pans in island across from range. Next to range on one side pull out spice rack and spatulas etc on other.. ovens close to pantry where mixer etc will be stored.
Love that you focus on what works for your individual client. Sometimes the “rules” need to give a bit to fit the people and the space. Our sink is a farther from the sink than is optimal, but it allows the fridge to be on the edge of the kitchen. We would rather have a few more steps from the sink to the fridge than have everyone who needs a drink coming into the main cooking area.
awesome video! so many great tips and reminders to think about the function of my kitchen. I just remodeled mine (super small 72 sq ft space) and your tips are spot on! I'm so glad I took the time to figure out what drawers and cabinets worked for me. now that I'm using the new kitchen, I'm appreciating the set up and where I have things stored. it totally makes a difference!
I have a weird G-shape kitchen that is slightly too small for an island, the penninsula opens to a 'dining space' that ends at the living room. Its a long rectangular space where I am planning on moving our refrigerator from the kitchen to center of this 'dining area' (we are not going to eat here and leave open since it connects four paths) where it can exist and be accessible by everyone. The old refrigerator location will be all integrated into a future pantry to make what I think is 60" wide space with 2 large doors out front hiding the interior counter that holds our counter appliances, has lower pull out drawers, and top open shelves to the ceiling. I am doing this because I want a larger fridge, but that will take up pantry space or require the relocation of the stove. I can move the pantry elsewhere, but I think its better to keep the Fridge out in an accessible space inside matching cabinetry than to make a pantry that is farther away.
OK, now that I have subscribed I want to share a story of my own. I am an architect and kitchen design is one of my specialties. Falling Water was the first project our professor presented to our first year class in architecture school and I felt madly in love with the mind that produced it. There is so much I could tell you about that design and Frank Lloyd Wright and the humanity, soul and creativity he brought to the modern architecture movement and the inspiration he was for this one Danish architecture student. Falling Water blew my mind and opened a world of possibilities. I believe that he was the finest American architect of his time and yes, rumor has it that he was arrogant, dismissive and full of himself, but he was also a genius who gave a lot to the world. So what if the roof leaked? Do we know that it was a fault of the design? Maybe Ms Kaufmann should have called the contractor who built it. Thank you for your videos. I agree with a lot of what you teach, so it is nice to hear someone with many of the same observations and also with good tips and great presentation.
Frank is the king 🤴 I mean no disrespect, but his priorities were innovation and integration, not the day to day. I just want homeowners to be the best advocate for their 🏡
@@lizbiancoismydesignsherpa Yes he was one of a kind and not your typical architect. Most architect I know of share your sentiments and thrive to be the best advocate for their clients. I would not go into a house and automatically assume that a bad lay-out was the result of the architect's work, even if an architect was involved. It could have been the developer or homeowner who insisted on a certain lay-out or it could have been that the architect was never asked. The entire process is team work and it is up to the person who hires the design professional how much they listen to advice, which I am sure you know from your own work.
8:00 you are talking exactly about my wife She's agonizing over symmetry of drawers layout across the kitchen despite the lack of functionality it is creating
Coffee mugs - if you plan to store them in a top drawer, check to see that they will actually fit - top drawers are usually shallow & if that is the case, won't fit large (high) coffee mugs - one of our most used items.
yes I did not hire a designer and did the same thing …my stovetop is between fridge & sink. I did improve the flow though for using sink & putting dishes away easier. lessons learned
What are your thoughts on dishwasher behind the sink (sink in island)? But dishwasher by glassware and plates cabinet. Trying to find function but keeping looks in mind in a small kitchen.
Dividers in drawers - we recently put in a new kitchen - the cutlery drawer suited me but the sections were too narrow for my husband's large hands - we needed to change them out so he could easily grab a knife, fork or spoon.
Oh my I was one day away from ordering a wall oven next to the refrigerator. Now it goes under the hob!!!! Thanks 🙏 for your nerve saving recommendations!
I could 😫. The oven has to be in a wall because we are getting a hob with a built-in extraction. There is no space under the hob anymore. 😵💫 designing with a sloped ceiling that starts at 10cm above the countertop is indeed a challenge. 🤞🤞🤞🤞
I’m building a new kitchen in my 150 yr old farmhouse. The first wall has a chimney in the middle of it, the second wall is a massive window that is on 15” off the floor, the third wall plain, and the fourth wall is open…sort of. The stairs stop about four feet from the kitchen. The total floor space is 10.5 x 13’ so we’ve had a few challenges with layout.
Yes, hi, I’m watching a lot of RU-vid talking about the light LED light. I’m looking for contractor. I’m in New York Queens any recommendation and somebody who knows about lighting thank you.
we are looking to downsize, but need to remodel our 1950's kitchen in order to sell current larger family home, and it's been very difficult with the options presented by the remodelers, they all want to create a humongous kitchen by knocking down wall into formal dining room, and the resulting kitchen would be SO large, I can't imagine how long it would take to mop the floor, and there would be SO much cabinetry I have no idea what any family would need all of it for.... I know for a fact that today's families are smaller, and busier than ever, if they cook at all they do not need massive amounts of cabinets--they're more likely to pull something out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave. It's astounding the huge price tags quoted, for kitchens which barely anybody makes complete use of. We are thinking we will just get a pro paint job, new appliances & countertops, floor, call it a day, and save thousands of dollars. The average family just does not actually use a gargantuan kitchen. Having our family room, informal dining area, sun room, huge deck, and living room as well as the formal dining room is more than they'll ever need.
American kitchen layout design bores me to death. My new construction project follows none of your guidance. This is just the same old stuff over and over again and people in other countries have entirely different ways of living, again, just bored with American kitchens, and especially the white and stuff.
Well heh' make a video and we will all look forward to seeing you idea, methods and colour choices for your differently designed kitchen and how in works functionally. I mean this , not being sarcastic.
