why are todays smaller condo kitchens so topless? they look more like a wall unit!

GLENN

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43

2

why are todays smaller condo kitchens so topless? they look more like a wall unit!

I am disappointed with many new condo kitchen designs. No working counter space, who wouldnt want a small island top added? After the toaster, coffee machine, a bowl of fruit and perhaps a cutting board whats left? To store all small appliances in cabinetry is a pain also.
Does anyone feel the same, can one modify the cookie cutter wall before possesion? What about a cute small cabinet matching home office area also? Just sayin!

25

Ontario / General Chit-Chat

GLENN

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43

2

1 BEST REPLY

Here is a typical condo kitchen I installed lol like from 1 st floor up to 39 3 per day! I would as pics show added the L it doubles the cabinet/worktop space for little money. Picture the pass through island being where my rough finger drawing is on pic 2. You could leave out uppers for open concept look or leave them in as a passthorugh to gain an additional 18x30, 33x18 & 24x30 or cut them all back to 18 to match centre height

GLENN

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43

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Most of the designs could have an L shape island off of the current cabinetry with very little space loss! It would add 2 or 3 bases only but thats alot of cupboard space too.

ALLEN

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Kitchen layouts are often standardized across most of the units of a condo development, especially in large high-rise/high-volume developments. This saves the builder time and money because the kitchens are massed produced and there is less coordination and chances of screwing up. This is why many builders refuse to do custom changes to a kitchen. This also results in the same small kitchen in smaller units used in larger units, which often doesn't serve the needs of a larger household properly.

I was lucky enough to buy in a smaller and upscale condo development where the kitchen was already well designed and equipped, but I wanted to do more customization which the builder was open to accommodate my modifications. I personally prefer a kitchen with a large island over an L-shaped kitchen, it's much better for entertaining and cooking. With an L-shaped kitchen you end up with awkward hard to access corner cabinets.

GLENN

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I feel and try to tell clients that the best spot for an 18" or 24" dishwasher is at an angle in the corner. Its 1 less base cabinet purchased and when positioned properly and use of trim and fillers it looks great. However these products today when installed make corner cabinets really functional!

GLENN

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43

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That's great too that your builder would accommodate your mods, who was the builder?The biggest issue in condos I see is clients want a centre island after the fact and plumbing and electrical become the key factor when the dream is a cooktop,or sink island. unless the corp allows a jack hammer to the floor it is nearly impossible to do post construction. An L shape is the only solution hiding the two utilities in behind plus you generally end up with matching upper cabinets also unless open space view is the choice. I can build islands off the main cabinet run however making a T shape and then hide the plumbing under counter but most people avoid this selection. There ends up being two sides to a kitchen where you have to walk around island.Anyone wanting that cooktop/sink centre floating island should ask builder well in advance and bare in mind bulk heads above are unavoidable (hood fan duct & electrical).

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

Senior Buzzer

2299

171

Hey @Glenn, any small condo floorplans that you like, where they have installed a great workable kitchen??

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

Senior Buzzer

2299

171

1

When I lived in a condo, this was my condo kitchen:

I loved it. It was small, but had enough room to cook a big meal.

One of the cool things was the slide out from under the island, which then opened up into a table for 6 people. When cooking a big meal, this made for a lot of extra space.

One issue was a lack of counterspace to keep stuff on, as @Glennmentioned, but I had enough storage space to keep everything when I wasnt in cook-mode.

GLENN

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Sweet @Matthew Slutsky, I would have closed the front face with panels however with open shelves on other side for all items on your cart to make a richer look. As I see also the far right wall could have again been the L shape section I speak of to give more work top and takes very little space. If attached to the island it would be a one side entry C shape kitchen and seconds as a breakfast bar too! One could also take away the slider glass corner door to take the L the other way?

GLENN

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Another note to buyers, ask the builder how much more for 39" or 42" upper cabinets. It is a cheap extra up grade that takes no more time to install but adds more behind doors storage that wont collect dust when there is no bulk heads in play. You can also add a cheap crown on top after size upgrade if there is still space to hide on top of upper cabinetry.

GLENN

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@Mattew thats really a great space however, I see so much potential to add & change that space for minimal dollars. Where was or who is this condo built by?

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

Senior Buzzer

2299

171

@Glenn, it is One City Hall by Diamante.

JAMES BOMBALES

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I had a small kitchen when I lived in a new construction condo, but it had huge amounts of storage space and I always thought it was well designed for it's dimensions. The square island alone (see photo) was humongous and could swallow up everything from my trips to Costco! The builders use of the ceiling height also contributed to the amount of space. The cabinet above the fridge had almost as much storage as the island.

ALLEN

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@Glenn, I bought at Oneeleven by Harhay Construction.
The kitchens are manufacturered by Scavolini, and I was able to extend the island an extra two feet to accomodate a wine fridge and the countertops are all Caesarstone with waterfall edges. I also added drawers to the base cabinets so that it would be more usable. I went with a built-in AEG gas cooktop and dual fuel oven for a sleeker look and it would be easier to clean. I needed to have the changes approved far in advance as everything is being manufactured in Europe and the they needed enough lead time.
Other upgrades I went for were under cabinet lighting, a Bosch dishwasher with a cabinet door panel, a high-capacity chimney exhaust hood with extended marble backsplash to the ceiling, and two-tone cabinets where the uppers are in a high-gloss lacquer white so that it blends into the wall as the kitchen is in an open living space.
I love to cook and entertain and being a design geek, these changes were important to me and I am extremely excited about how it is going to turn out, though occupancy is still a while from now.

I also agree about having the upper cabinets extend all the way to the ceiling or bulkhead. I hate seeing that gap between the uppers and the ceiling where many homeowners use them to display useless knick-knacks and are places where dust and grime collects. That space could be used for more storage.

GLENN

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43

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Nice James, would you have prefered the sink on the island? Also many builders dont use those large ( which by the way are 1 of the hardest cabinets to install until you get the knack) over fridge at generally 33 x 33 x 27 however the gable floor to ceiling on left of fridge isnt cheap and it looks awful without it.

GLENN

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@Allen tell me you went with handle less doors on the lacquer cabinets? Scavolini reminds me of the Miton I am familiar with. Do you know the hardware used for door closers and drawers? Here is a picture of the kitchen in a Toronto project that I think is ugly (wont tell the builder) but yuck and cheap they even ship knock down from Italy and need to be assembled here. Good thing they give an island after cooktop oven and dishwasher & sink your left with 50 " of counter to spare.

ALLEN

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Yes there's no handles on any of the doors or drawers. It's all soft close hardware and the door above the fridge (also a deep cabinet with gables) is on a push latch as the fridge is pretty tall and the door which is flush/tight with the fridge is harder to reach.

I agree the kitchen above doesn't look good. The filler trim between the uppers and bulkhead is too tall and the way it is recessed from the edge of the cabinets looks too busy and distracting. I rather see one piece of trim panel spanning the entire length of the bulkhead underside which will look more custom and built in. Also that huge filler strip to the left of the cabinets is unfortunate.

GLENN

Buzzer

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lol, most dont pickup on that 3" or bigger left filler, it should be split half left half right to disappear. The built in fridge looks small if its even 24" but it does come with a cabinet door panel also, how big will the freezer be? Yes the bulkhead rails are recessed 1 3/4 sides and 2 " back from front. Ceiling rails are just meant to stop door tops from scuffing bulk head should be at most 5/8" if I could I would rip them to 1/2" strips. The sales centre doesnt even show it with rail and bulkhead which is wrong. Here is the island that goes in front only 1 24" base silly!

GLENN

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looks like someone delivered a desk and they are not sure where to put it yet!

ALLEN

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That sort of island design is pretty common these days as many condos don't have enough room for a dining area, so the island doubles as a dining table where stools could be placed on both sides of the island which is why you have that large opening. That step on the countertop edge looks odd and impractical -- is there a reason for doing this?

YOSSI KAPLAN

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15

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Sadly, agree.

<sigh>

JAMES BOMBALES

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90

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@Glenn The sink on the island would've been nice for TV watching purposes while doing the dishes (ok loading the dishwasher), but it was a really great area for prep and storage, and a sink would probably have created some wasted space underneath with all the plumbing. It would also be awkward not having the dishwasher directly beside the sink. I guess they could have made a peninsula extending from where the dishwasher was, to create a more U-Shaped kitchen but I quite liked the free-flowing space of the island design.

GLENN

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@allen I would love to answer with there was a reason to the stepped counter on island. My only answer is I think they wanted the floating counter effect of these two pics but the installer put it in upside down??? however he would have looked at the dowel pegs and holes and followed common sense, so perhaps the factory made a mistake on which side is up?

GLENN

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I saw the new Avani line from AYA yesterday, does anyone know which sites/builders are using this high end ARC movable island in their highrise projects?

GLENN

Buzzer

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I thought about it after must be island before waterfall quartz counter is installed?

CLIFFORD

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I hate tiny linear kitchens. A small, linear kitchen in a 1000sqft condo always makes me laugh. Not functional at all.

why are todays smaller condo kitchens so topless? they look more like a wall unit!

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