Cabinet Dimensions….Golden Ratio vs Fill The Available Space
I want to build a wall cabinet in a small hall area just off the kitchen. The cabinet will be used to store infrequently used kitchen utensils. I’m sure a lot of you have done this for yourselves or customers. I’m wondering if you consider the Golden Ratio vs trying to maximize the use of available space.
Replies
The worst thing, visually, is to have it slightly off-center.
Jim
Don't know if there's any golden mean here but take a look at store bought kitchen offerings as far as sizing.
maybe they do it to make door sizing easier and consistent, but......
Common soffit bottom is 7'.
Usual ht. of wall cab is 30"
usual space between cab bottom and countertop is 18"
so for a bank of cabs to match up to a pantry cabinet in door alignment the upper portion of the pantry sports a 30" cab door. The remainder to floor would be the lower potion door.
hope this is close to an answer to your question.
a. whatever the customer asks for
b. for myself, ALWAYS the maximum use of available space. AKA - leave no space unshelved <G> .
I was waitng for DW in a medical office the other day, perusing an 'Architecural Digest'. My first thought on the photos were: What a (jobsiteword) waste of space, that (JSW) looks sterile! Must only be for the ultra wealthy.
Junkhound,
What were you waiting for the dishwasher in a medical office for? That's what "DW" means to me.. Seriously though, what is DW? Da wife?
"Dear wife" -- sometimes said
"Dear wife" -- sometimes said with a touch of irony.
Another point: If you have several cabinets close together, or maybe even cabinets and the tops of doorways, it can be distracting if the tops almost line up but visibly do not, suggesting that you tried to line them up but screwed up. Better to intentionally space them up/down an inch or three, if they will not work out well all lined up.
Hey Jimmien,
You say small hall, so I am guessing that you will want to fill the space. If you make a small cabinet for a small space 2 bad things happen 1) It looks like you are in a doll house where everything has shrunken 2) the space you don't fill is REALLY small, like too small for anything, even a broom or mop. Send me the dimensions of the space and I would be happy to think more about it. I design and build a lot of traditional custom cabinetry and furniture for my own jobs as well as other contractors and designers. I would need ceiling height, depth and length of the hall and location of any doors or windows. Also, it sounds like you are not needing counter space, just a tall cabinet?
Will send pictures
I'll post pictures of the area. It's the space between the attached garage and the house ( 2 story colonial). It has an exterior door on the front and a half bath/laundry room off the back. I think the pictures will explain it better.
Does it have a bench for changing your shoes?
Bench
Yes, there is a bench (not built in) that's in front of the forced hot water baseboard heater. I want to put the shelf on the wall above the bench.
Don't put it so people will bump their heads when standing up.
Picture and Dimensions
Here are pictures.
Wall with key hooks. Door trim to corner is 40 1/2".
Wall with picture. Corner trim to corner is 20".
Ceiling height is 92".
Door is Left Hand Inswing.
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Looks like a perfect spot for a traditional corner cabinet. They come is dozens of styles and finishes.
Wall Cabinet
Corner would work but couldn't I get more storage space if it took up more of the wall? We would like to store the large infrrquently used appliainces, e.g. crock pot, waffle iron, large pots, etc.
It's up to you. You could easily find a closed-front (at least at the bottom) unit that would handle waffle irons and not-too-big crock pots. A big roaster is another matter.
Hey Jimmiem,
Judging by the photos I think that space will look odd with a built-in cabinet jammed tight in the corner and shoe-horned in with the trim. A furniture peice would look better in my opinion. You want it to look like you got really lucky and found an antique that just happened to fit perfectly in that space with just the right amount of room around it. Space on either side, short of the ceilng, and off the floor on feet. The best part is that if you were planning on building the cabinet then you can build the furniture peice as well. Put feet on a cabinet and custom moldings on it that are not elsewhere in the house and you have a "custom" looking peice. Paint or stain it a different color than the trim and it will really standout. For example, we build alot of "shaker" pie safes and chimney cabinets that get used for everything from pantrys to coat closets to entertainment centers... never made one for pies. They usually end up in these in-between spaces where people don't want to have a continuation of there kitchen cabinets in every room. I like the shaker look because it plays nice with many house styles and my clients' tastes. It is "simple and clean" so it is "contemporary", while at the same time being "traditional" because the proportions and functionality have been around a long time. The door treatment has everything to do with where the peice ends up on the spectrum too. Peirced tin is at one end, simple flat white painted frame and panel is the other. This could be a fun project to get creative while getting the storage you need. Best of luck.
Finefinish
Thank You for your suggestions and insight. Can you recommend a source for plans? The idea of feet is good because there is a forced hot water radiator on the wall that has the key holder.
Hey Jimmiem, I think the sketches I mentioned did attach now. Just a quick, but to scale, rendering of something that might work. Good luck.
Finefinish
Thank You. My wife really likes the design and said to thank you for taking the time to prepare it.
Hey Jimmiem, You're welcome. Have fun with it.
Form Follows Function
Forget about any abstract concepts like the 'golden ratio.' Design the cupboard for its' intended use.
Along similar lines, don't be afraid to STOP before filling every possible space with cabinetry. "Open space" has its' own appeal and utility. For example, a small gap between the cabinet and the side wall gives you a place for the broom. Or, a space under the cabinets can make cleaning the floor easier.
Choose your drawers with an eye to making it easier to access the contents. For example, a deep drawer down below for large pots, rather than the usual cabinet.
think again; or for once
renosteinke wrote:
Forget about any abstract concepts like the 'golden ratio.'
Abstract? Not only is the golden ration found in architectural precedents we still admire and copy today, it is also found working in many forms of nature; among them the nautilaus shell, the sunflower, and the pineapple. It has also been documented in the dive course of a flacon as it falls toward its prey. In fact, the size of your credit cards in your wallet are based on....oh yeah, that'd be the golden ratio. What's so abstract about that?
..stop before filling....
Oh the heresy, where is the stake and the kindling ?