5 Tips For Functional Kitchen Design

[@mavisjones4750]

One of the reasons I'm upgrading to the next level of the cabinetry for my refresh is the full extension drawer glides. Didn't know those existed until I started watching your channel.

[@MTKDofficial]

Sweet! Glad I helped a little. You'll appreciate them for sure!

[@melissaneugebauer113]

Yes! I just had a professional organizer come over to plan where everything will go and where there should be drawers, pullouts…..made me feel so much more confident with the new cabinet design

[@MTKDofficial]

That's a great idea! I actually never thought of getting a professional organizer to do that! Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@karkerell9231]

@@MTKDofficial You never thought of that because you already do it🤣 I know do that when I am designing the kitchen - isn't that our job to do that part too? My proposal drawing come with a checklist of a generalized "what goes where" AND a list of "let's figure that out when we're in the new space".

[@TheHappyWhisk]

I'm always amazed when I hear people talk about their experiences and how they let a builder or designer talk the homeowner out of something they wanted. It's okay to listen to advice, for sure, absolutely. That's the whole reason to hire someone but in the end, the homeowner, to my mind, should be happy. So I'm glad you touched on that a bit.

[@MTKDofficial]

Thanks Ivy. I do think it's an important point that gets missed at times. I guess there is a balance to it, but in the end it's the clients kitchen and if they want an OTR and a lazy suzan, who am I to say anything. haha

[@TheHappyWhisk]

@@MTKDofficial lololololololol on the OTR and lazy suzan.

[@cs4849]

Cabinet pull-outs are amazing. It was definitely worth the extra. And I think decluttering should be the first step. Most of us keep way more kitchen stuff than we use.

[@MTKDofficial]

It amazes my how we can declutter a kitchen, or any room, and 3 months later declutter it again, lol.

[@jimh4072]

I keep buying more pans - I don’t know why… 🤣

[@ronellarodney1320]

Such a specific designer scenario 🤣. Your tips are my saving grace as I'm currently designing my own kitchen (with a designer). But she doesn't cook and I'm an avid homecook. The two hats and your videos however, are making this process hella fun.

[@MTKDofficial]

haha. Awesome Ronella!! Thanks for watching and I swear I pulled that scenario out of thin air. lol

[@PAOLINAG]

had my friend put her fridge recessed in a small closet.... proud moment 🙂

[@TMB62]

Great tips! Number 2 is what I spent the most time on. We lived in the old kitchen for a while to see how we use things in the house.

[@tsmfff9251]

Thanks for posting! I really appreciate the ideas - planning on a renovation in a few years. Your channel is so helpful!

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey thanks! I really appreciate you letting me know.

[@kitchinsider]

Getting those deeper drawers! 👌Great video, Mark!

[@nataliejones6269]

Thanks for this helpful video, Mark! We moved into our home last year and wanted a kitchen remodel right away. But we realized putting that on hold and getting the rest of the house in order first was wisest. We are a family of 5 and I cook from scratch often. Now I have a kitchen that feels a little like our first condo -- tiny and with TWO unusable corner cabinets! Many of our "non-essential" kitchen tools are still in boxes until we can make headway in the kitchen. I re-arranged the kitchen 3x, finally deciding that my food (pantry) inside the kitchen made the most sense so casserole dishes & small pots/pans live on my countertop.
Your tip on "know where it will go" is really helpful. I think we are nearly ready to open those last boxes and decide what more we will declutter and what we really want homes for. Plus, that will help us as we work with the designer we hired (for the whole house, kitchen included). I can say -- I use these giant soup pans regularly and they need homes. I plan to grow in my canning skills (we have fruit trees in our new home!), so those supplies need a home. And then she will be able to more intelligently design.
The other thing I liked was that, even though you hate corner cabinets and prefer not to install them, the reality is some of us have them. You acknowledged that reality and gave suggestions on how to improve upon poor design and layout. And though for several months I have seen you mentioned the corner solutions, they way you presented tonight made me realize that perhaps that would be a good solution for us -- for now anyway. I will give it more thought!
¿Finally, would you do a video explaining more in depth on Corian countertops? A friend mentioned them to me and I noticed later that you mentioned them briefly in a positive light. I would prefer a separate sink. But he said that it is more expensive than laminate at the outset (in the store), but the install is cheaper than laminate because you just pour it out over the whole surface, no cutting/measuring/seams involved. Would you go into more detail comparing corian to laminate?
Thanks so much (from California)!

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey Natalie! I haven't gone into much detail on acrylic surfaces like Corian, but plan to in the coming months. It is still a great option and with everything has it's good and bad points. I will say that a friend of mine has it, who is also in the kitchen business, and he loves it.

[@staza1]

Excellent. Thank you

[@darlene19668]

Good Saturday morning kitchen info man💯❗ fun channel...they just came out and field measured for our cabinets...yes!!!! No rush but I want it now😓😫😩🥴 oh well I guess I can wait🤣😂 have a great weekend with your family 🎉🌟 ❗❗❗🌼

[@MTKDofficial]

Darlene, that's awesome! Can't wait to hear how it all progresses.

[@valeriehowden471]

I decluttered as I moved stuff out of cabinets in prep for demo. Used elevated views from designer to figure or where stuff goes. Only once or twice a year turkey roaster gets put back into basement storage. Boring but only thing living on the countertop will be a huge stand mixer.
Almost at halfway point ... mudders and tapers just finished.

[@MTKDofficial]

Awesome Valerie! Once those mudders are out, you're on the home stretch. Very exciting.

[@heatherd9340]

Great tips Mark!

[@LubaAlanna]

Thanks for the tips

[@feldmanmobility131]

Design and Function - sink NOT under the window, hence a very useful AND stylish pull down dish rack dryer. Saves all the yuk of drying dishes on the counter top.

[@MTKDofficial]

Interesting. So it just folds up out of the way?

[@lindacgrace2973]

First, let me preface this (somewhat technical) comment by saying that I thoroughly enjoy your content. I am commenting on this video because I really want you to see this. I am commenting on your video “BAD KITCHEN TRENDS” from Jul 9, 2021. In that video, you said, "You want the highest CFM you can get for your stove vent hood." WRONG! Especially in more recently built highly insulated homes, you only want the CFM that the make-up air return can handle. More is NOT better. When you have too high a CFM, you de-pressurize the house. Even the Passive House institute only recommends 200-250 CFM, directly tied to a passive ventilator of three times the size of the exhaust vent, or to an active balanced ventilator. Otherwise, all your conditioned air is getting sucked out of the house by the stove fan. All of the contaminants, dust, and mold spores that have settled peacefully behind the walls and aren't bothering anyone, get sucked back out into the main airspace of the house. Unbalanced ventilation is bad ventilation and is not efficient, economical, or wise for one's health. Maybe there are different products where you are, but I know of PLENTY of vent fans that can suck out more than 250 CFM on the 'high' setting. Hell, I know of one idiot in the "more is always better" school of thought that tried to put a commercial 600 CFM fan in his 2,000-square-foot ranch house (his contractor had enough sense to stop him). You need to eliminate excess humidity, heat, and odors, not create a whole house vacuum. As to the noise: there are fans that are insulated, duct hoods that are sound insulated (my choice in my house - it runs at about 30 dB, the noise level of a whisper) and remote-operated fans for attics or basements available. I hope this brief explanation is helpful to you. Keep up the good work!

[@MTKDofficial]

Hi Linda. Thank you for your comment. Your approach and explanation are great. I appreciate this and am really glad for the clarification. Makes total sense. Input anytime!

[@lindacgrace2973]

@@MTKDofficial So glad you found it helpful! 😃

[@krehbein]

Good info Linda. I can think of one situatation where a high cfm makes sense, where someone wants to do some aggressive cooking like Asian stir fry or searing steaks, to mention a couple things that come mind. If you go high cfm you should look into adding a air exchanger. Called HRVs (Heat Recovery Ventilators) and Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs). These provide make up air in your hvac system.

[@lindacgrace2973]

@@krehbein You're preaching to the choir, Kevr ;-). It's not that I'm against high CFM, I'm dead set against more CFM than the makeup air can handle. I love 'aggressive cooking' as long as it is not accompanied by aggressive house depressurization. I'm tickled that you read my comment.

[@krehbein]

@@lindacgrace2973 yep, agreed. One of the weak links when you create negative pressure are attic access doors. Which is gross air. 👍

[@jenniferwebb1020]

Great tips! I’m starting a reno this month and just wondering if I should sign a contract before seeing a layout designs?

[@MTKDofficial]

Not a chance.

[@tricia8727]

Great video as always 👍 I am shocked that ppl don't measure the height and width of their favorite pots, pans, heirloom dishes, etc. That they want to keep. How do they know what size pullout to get if they don't? Maybe it's bc we are still so used to adjustable shelves in cabinets and don't think about it.

[@MTKDofficial]

Thanks Tricia. Then there are some people who measure their cereal boxes. I'm like "hold up" we've gone too far. haha

[@tricia8727]

@@MTKDofficial 🤣 true story

[@floridanativelh568]

Great and pithy vid, mark 🔥

[@MTKDofficial]

Thanks for watching! Grab my free kitchen measurement guide - mailchi.mp/71b75dfbbb0d/how-to-measure-a-kitchen
I appreciate you all. For tips on what goes into a functional kitchen, check out this video - czcams.com/video/gm91eahDm5U/video.html

[@rosezingleman5007]

I wish I had been asked if I wanted full extension drawers. I wasn’t though, and the design sessions were long marathons.

[@MTKDofficial]

ouch. not hard to upgrade later on...😬

[@keradee8742]

Whoa! Wait! Did you just recommend using a corner cabinet!?😲

[@Theaterbuddy717]

Lol!

[@silence4531]

Not quite. He just said what to do to make one functional … ish. ;-)

[@MTKDofficial]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. lol. I would never recommend such a thing. But if you're stuck with them, at least make them as functional.

[@mikerudd4943]

Is it fair to say... that ONE of the functions or "job" of a designer... is to give the pros and cons (thru past experience) of the owners choices. Like I am stuck on the size of the new range. 30, 36, 48. Disagreeing with the owner is risky? Or... mandatory. I understand it's what THEY like..but...

[@MTKDofficial]

Yeah. You got to feel them out sometimes. I try to stress that my opinions are mine, here's why, and now you can't say I didn't warn you lol

[@josephsingapore8742]

After I hacked down my wall cabinets.
Should I paint 1 layer of actual color?
I want to paint white.

[@MTKDofficial]

Do you mean paint the walls?

[@josephsingapore8742]

@Mark Tobin Kitchen Design yes, I want to paint the cement wall.

[@MTKDofficial]

@@josephsingapore8742 You technically can paint, but I would wait until all the tearing out is done and then get after it with the roller.

[@josephsingapore8742]

@@MTKDofficial tks u

[@caseykittel]

how long with my kitchen be out of commission for?

[@MTKDofficial]

as long as it takes. lol

[@caseykittel]

@@MTKDofficial what’s normal? For the average kitchen remodel

[@DoggyFosterMom]

@@caseykittel No one can answer that without more information.
Are you merely updating an existing layout without adding or moving things like plumbing, walls, and/or electrical? Moving major components takes TIME and requires inspections and permitting (depending on your state &/or county regulations).
Are you ordering ‘off the rack’ cabinetry or going custom? There is a huge difference in timing there. Same for countertops. Are you doing the old school top or something that requires custom & specialized cutting?
There are many, MANY factors to consider and only your designer working with the GC can give you an estimate (and it will be an estimate only) for how long the process will take.

[@susanpatton6184]

Can full extension glides be retrofitted into existing kitchen drawers?

[@MTKDofficial]

Usually yes. The drawer box itself wouldn't need to change, just the rail system. You just have to make sure that the new rails allow the same width clearance as the old ones. If the drawer box is one inch less than the opening with the old rails, the new rails also have to allow for one inch. Otherwise you would have to get into a bunch of modifications.