kitchen questions.

[jags]

don"t think any body has mentioned it yet but maybe download the ikea kitchen planner even if you are not useing there cabinets it is very helpful to see what options you have .once you have entered the measurement of your kitchen into it .
rob

[Cutting Edge]

Which is quite expensive and leaves you with a dead corner behind the drawers and one on either side. I try to make a corner cupboard 900 x 900 which makes it a reasonably useable space. Or you could go 800 x 800 and fit a plastic lazy susan unit for about $90 (Hafele or Hettich, can't remember which) or spend more for a metal one.

Mick

Totally agree. Using the blum drawer system you end up with 3 triangular dead spaces.

[ian]

Which is quite expensive and leaves you with a dead corner behind the drawers and one on either side. I try to make a corner cupboard 900 x 900 which makes it a reasonably useable space. Or you could go 800 x 800 and fit a plastic lazy susan unit for about $90 (Hafele or Hettich, can't remember which) or spend more for a metal one.

Mick

Mick
I'm not trying to start an argument, I'm just presenting ideas ...
the Blum arrangement could be achieved with full extension drawer slides from virtually any source
and as to dead space, I'm still looking for ideas that make the space in a blind corner reasonably accessible — wiyhout having to partially unlaod the cupboard to get at the stuff at the back

here is Lee valley's take on a "solution"


all of them have some amount of dead space which a user needs to trade off against improved accessibility.

BTW, Jake should be able to build something like this from timber and HD drawer slides

[journeyman Mick]

Ian,
there's a unit from Hettich for blind corners (and another that Lincoln Sentry carry, manufacturer slipped my mind) which consists of 2 wire drawer units. You open the door and the first unit comes out the door towards you. You pull it clear of the opening and it pulls the 2nd unit out of the blind corner into the door opening. Works really well, especially if the unit is a neat fit in your blind corner. Bit exxy at around $6 - $700 from memory though. You can also fit a half circle lazy susan unit but these don't use the space nearly as efficiently.

Mick

[ian]

Ian,
there's a unit from Hettich for blind corners (and another that Lincoln Sentry carry, manufacturer slipped my mind) which consists of 2 wire drawer units. You open the door and the first unit comes out the door towards you. You pull it clear of the opening and it pulls the 2nd unit out of the blind corner into the door opening. Works really well, especially if the unit is a neat fit in your blind corner. Bit exxy at around $6 - $700 from memory though. You can also fit a half circle lazy susan unit but these don't use the space nearly as efficiently.

Mick

Something like this USD$200 one from Lee Valley?



ian

[Sybarite]

Corners are a pain and as has been said before there isn't really any one perfect solution - all of them involve one form of compromise or another.

Corner units can't always be avoided, especially in small kitchens.
I will do anything to avoid a Blind Corner but even these sometimes have to be considered.

I am not personally fond of any pull out solution which involves moving the entire contents of a cabinet everytime I want to get something.

The local Haefele team recently came to my studio and demonstrated the unit below.
I am pretty sure Lincoln Sentry have something similar and of course it won't be cheap.
It is a very solid construction and has a great action.
Just another blind corner option.

[JDarvall]

thanks for the ideas.

I quite like those lazy susan ones there Ian.

Bit worried about pan handles catching on things as you turn it though. Because thats what that area will hold mostly. But maybe thats not a problem ?? And doesn't look too pricey. I wouldn't buy plastic versions.

I wonder how much mexican migets cost on ebay. Maybe buy one of them and just get him to hand pots to her at request. But then I spose I'd have to sacrifice some space for him too. sorry.

Seriously thinking maybe just block off that little corner completely. And just have draws either side. No sagging bifolds.

Save on having to buy a gaget and no worries ever about her braking her back trying to store something heavy down deep in there. Especially since it sounds like some of that space will be lost anyway with a clever arrangement. I think she'll end up having more than enough storage space anyway.

BTW, Jake should be able to build something like this from timber and HD drawer slides

Maybe. But what might be tricky for me with something like that, is ensuring the thing rolls nicely when its all loaded up. Thinking after all the time I'd have to spend on it working out its mechanisms (and the stuffups along the way)etc, it might be better off just buying the unit.

[journeyman Mick]

..............Something like this USD$200 one from Lee Valley?

ian

Ian,
Very much like it except for the price.

.............And just have draws either side. No sagging bifolds.....

Jake, you can avoid the bi-folds (mostly) by using the arrangement i described earlier in this thread.

Mick

[JDarvall]

I know what your saying Mick. Your ideas no doubt good. I'd do it, except I just don't want her bending in there grabbing conjested stuff, which she'd be doing in that corner without draws. Probably sounds a bit silly, but she's had a lot of serious problems with her back. And she too stubborn about it. Ignores it, pretending its not a problem. So, I feel that draws are the go, so it all just presents in front of her.

If I could pick your brain on draw runners. How cheap are runners that fix to the underside of draws ?.... Are they still high priced items ? I remember reading of it in a magizine once years ago, and I'd like them for all my draws.

See, I'm not too fussed with the cheapy looking white painted ones that run off the side of the draws(which I probably end up having to get). Looks horrible when you open the draws IMO. See, I'm trying to give myself an excuse to do some dovetailing, which look nice when you pull open a draw I reakon....but not if along side theres ugly looking cheap runners. Prefer if all the runners were hidden.

[journeyman Mick]

Jake,
the cheap white ones sould be a bit under $5 each by a decent manufacturer, the chromed full extension ball bearing ones around $25 each. The ones that fit under the drawer I've never bought, but they're the ones I'd go for also for timber drawers. Hettich make one called the Quadro (Quattro?) sp?. Looks expensive though, you'll have to make enquiries locally. Can you buy them any cheaper through work?

Mick

[JDarvall]

Thanks Mick.

I probably can get them cheaper through him. He's helped me out before, but everytime I bring something up nowdays he sighs in that .....' what do you want this time jake ' ..sort of way. Hes flat out, and the last thing I want to be is a bother to him.

I'll try and find out more about those quadro ones. I got another idea, so as to not see the runners.

How about just use the $5 ones (or maybe something a little better), but sacrifice a little depth to each draw, by attaching them to the inner sides underneath the bottom. With the draw running over a step of sorts. (picture). If thats possible, then I can conceal them and still keep the price down. thinking it should work???

The other thing I gotta consider is the handles. We've got 20 knobs like in the second picture there, which we think look quite nice. But were just realising now, we don't have enough. Could be tricky getting some more.

Instead I could just make handles by routing into the face of each draw. (3rd picture) Practise cut from work. These are the ones I do into entry doors sometimes, with a router bit with a balloon like shape that cuts a bit of a lip in the timber, just using a template and a collar. I thought they look pretty good and easy to do (and cheap)....but the misses thinks it going to make her kitchen look too nautical .

Any other ideas ? ...

I've ordered the blue gum at least. 1/2 a cube. About $1400. Hoping thats ok.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Jake I just bought some Blum double extension runners that fit under the drawers for $28 a pair. I'm going to retrofit then on an entertainment unit so I can see all the CD's in the draws. I haven't gotten around to that yet but they look easy to fit.

I have just finish some robes in the kids bedroom where I use stainless flush mount pull handles.....Just a suggestion..the good thing about these type of handles is you don't get a conflict when doors open onto each other. I originally had put in rod handles like my earlier kitchen photos but soon found that they were problematic.


Attachment 62998

Attachment 62999

[manoftalent]

nothing more annoying in a kitchen is "dead" space, and as seen here in the bottom left corner, there is a fair bit ....perhaps shelving all down that wall ..and where you have drawn a door ......a "lazy susan" type shelf floor to ceiling, with the shelves on the lazy susan level with the "static" ones fixed to the wall.....at least you would be able to use and get into that corner .....

[JDarvall]

Thanks Bleeding thumb. Something flush I like too. I'll have to look more into hardware handles that go flush like that. And $28 doesn't sound too bad I suppose if they work well. Maybe I should stop being so cheap.

Stainless would go with the oven as well. But she wants the kitchen friendly looking. Not clinical. Uno, wants colour, and flowers. Like you see in those knobs. Thinking about running up some bead. spray painting it, and attaching around each drawer front too. Focusing on matching colours etc.

Manoftalent........thanks for the suggestions. I think your right. Her idea sounds similar to yours I'm thinking. She's thinking when you open the sliding door, you can take a step in and there's a series of L shaped shelves running around the corner.

sorta like in the photo. Excuse its a bit ruff.