New kitchen cabinets

[Cooler]

My next project is new kitchen cabinets.  

I've been making cabinets for a while and I am confident about the construction.  

The design phase has me less confident.

My current cabinets are 11¼" deep with a 3/4" face frame for a total depth of 12".

I am thinking of making the replacements 14¼ deep with a 3/4" face frame for a total depth of 15".

I've seen this greater depth mentioned on line.

I mounted a piece of plywood under my current cabinet with a depth of 15".  It does not seem to interfere with the counter top access.

Any thoughts (for or against) the 15" deep uppers? Obviously I will only  get 3 panels from a 4" wide piece of plywood vs. 4 panes from the same in 12" nominal cabinets.  But aside from the cost, anything else to consider?

http://groovik.com/kitchen-cabinet-sizes...tion-size/

[Bit_Fiddler]

My next project is new kitchen cabinets.  

I've been making cabinets for a while and I am confident about the construction.  

The design phase has me less confident.

My current cabinets are 11¼" deep with a 3/4" face frame for a total depth of 12".

I am thinking of making the replacements 14¼ deep with a 3/4" face frame for a total depth of 15".

I've seen this greater depth mentioned on line.

I mounted a piece of plywood under my current cabinet with a depth of 15".  It does not seem to interfere with the counter top access.

Any thoughts (for or against) the 15" deep uppers? Obviously I will only  get 3 panels from a 4" wide piece of plywood vs. 4 panes from the same in 12" nominal cabinets.  But aside from the cost, anything else to consider?

http://groovik.com/kitchen-cabinet-sizes...tion-size/

I really like the greater depth - I can fit larger plates/bowls into the cabinets without a fuss.   If you store a lot of small items (like spices) in the cupboards, you may want to consider a step mechanism to set the ones in the back on in order to make it easier to find.   I also put shelf pins in the middle back of the cabinet and on the center face frame of larger cabinets to help support the shelves in the middle - helps support the weight of more stuff.

[Papa Jim]

You made me go and measure mine--12". I'll admit we could crowd in a few more coffee cups on the bottom shelf if they were wider but other than that I'm happy with the way they are.  Other questions to consider:

1. Will you be using the typical corner carousel?  How will the depth of the cabinets affect it?
2. Any range hood? Mine was made for 12" cabinets but I guess they come in different depths.

[Ken Vick]

You made me go and measure mine--12". I'll admit we could crowd in a few more coffee cups on the bottom shelf if they were wider but other than that I'm happy with the way they are.  Other questions to consider:

1. Will you be using the typical corner carousel?  How will the depth of the cabinets affect it?
2. Any range hood? Mine was made for 12" cabinets but I guess they come in different depths.

You will appreciate the added depth you get from 15" cabinets, I sure did compared to the old 12" ones.  IKEA has gone to 15" exclusively.  I set my uppers a little higher than the old ones to allow room for a couple of taller appliances but I don't think there is any concern for access to the lower counter with the deeper upper cabinets.  I have a carousel in my upper corner cabinet and no problem.  Lots of good stuff to put into the cabinets on the internet.  For the lower corners, I put a heavy duty chrome wire carousel in for heavy pots and pans.  The other corner got a carousel to hold 3 trash cans for trash and recyclables.  Good luck.  Ken

[Cooler]

I have a peninsula now and that requires an inside corner cabinet.  I am getting rid of that (hopefully), if the structural engineer says I can take down a wall.  At that point I will install an island.  There will be no other interior corners, so that is not an issue.  

If Ikea is selling 15" units exclusively then I feel a lot more comfortable with the decision.  

The wall that separates the kitchen from the dining room has a pass through and a cased (door sized) pass way.  If I can take out that wall, it will allow the kitchen to flow into the dining room and will allow for more cabinets and more counter space (plus the island).  I am hopeful.  I looked up in the attic but I could not decide if it was structural or not.  Better safe than sorry.

[Stwood_]

I did several sets over the years that the uppers were 15"er's. Those were for the women that were really into what they wanted.

[John Mihich]

The bottom line - what does the women want???   I know I just did my daughter's house - she's 5'3" and 15" would have caused her an issue.  He already has to use a step stool to reach the shelves - bottom shelf is okay. But anything above that is difficult.  My wife has the same issue.  Daughter wanted the cabinets lower than 18" but I had to talk her into the 18" height.

[EdL]

My house has 7'6" ceilings, the cabinets are standard depth, we did make the taller to go to the ceiling.

My grandparents house has deep uppers, 2 rows, all the way to the 9' ceiling.

Grandma was only 4' 6"tall, the lower cabinets are shorter than normal.

Its a one of a kind kitchen.




Ed

[Cooler]

I will probably be selling the house in the next 5 to 10 years.  I don't want to put in anything that will degrade the selling value.  So weird sized cabinets are out.  Now that I know that 15" is not "weird" I feel good to go.  

Standard height counters seem fine to me.  

On the other hand I made my bathroom vanity a few inches taller than normal so I don't have to lean over so far to wash my face.

If I had to do it over I would use a vessel sink and move it closer to the edge of the cabinet for the same reason:  To make it easier to bend over an wash the face or brush the teeth.

[Halfathumb]

I will probably be selling the house in the next 5 to 10 years.  I don't want to put in anything that will degrade the selling value.  So weird sized cabinets are out.  Now that I know that 15" is not "weird" I feel good to go.  

Standard height counters seem fine to me.  

On the other hand I made my bathroom vanity a few inches taller than normal so I don't have to lean over so far to wash my face.

If I had to do it over I would use a vessel sink and move it closer to the edge of the cabinet for the same reason:  To make it easier to bend over an wash the face or brush the teeth.

If people weren't so tall they wouldn't have to worry about bending over!
I'm just finishing up redoing my kitchen and it never came to mind to make the upper cabinets a little bit deeper. No turning around now though. Good luck!