# Base Cabinet Dilemma



## Browse (Jan 26, 2008)

Hi all!  My wife and I are planning a kitchen remodel and seem to have finally arrived at a workable layout for our space.  One of the issues we're trying to resolve is a weird situation with a base cabinet peninsula being built out from an irregular wall (wall has a bump-out for main plumbing stack).  The attached diagram shows the area with the problem we have with the base cabinet configuration. The peninsula needs to have toe kicks on all sides, but also needs to accommodate for the access points shows with the colored arrows.  We're not sure how best to connect the sink cabinet to the start of the peninsula because the 3.75" irregular bumpout means any adjoining cabinet will be offset from the sink cabinet.  Any idea on how to resolve with standard cabinet sizes or are custom cabinets required for this?  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!


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## guyod (Jan 27, 2008)

I would divide your ??? mark cabinet into two cabinets. the one against the wall I would make an 18" cabinet with a 3'' spacer cut down to make the side flush with the front of the sink cabinet. 
(24 inches) 

Now you can add whatever peninsula cabinets you want. 

You will just need a custom countertop which you would need anyway. 
If you are worried about the countertop being unsupported in that dead space you can easily attach a nailer to the wall.  

Remember there is normally a 3'' spacer between the sink cabinet and peninsula like you have shown to keep the doors from hitting.


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## ToolGuy (Jan 27, 2008)

Thanks for providing such a good, clear drawing. As the saying goes, it _is _worth a thousand words. 

As a first suggestion I'd say you should run this by the designers at Lowes, Home Depot or other cabinet supplier. They run into these situations all the time and most likely have several solutions. That said...

Am I correct in reading that you want a door on the outside of the peninsula, at the uppermost arrow, near the 3.75? if so, that would definately require some custom work, as base cabinets typically have a drawer at the top and I have to assume you wouldn't want a drawer there. To be honest, I'm not sure you would even want a door there. It just wouldn't look right to have the blank panel on that side of the peninsula with a door all the way at the end. A better soution would be to use a 21" cabinet at the outer end of the peninsula and what's called a "half blind" cabinet at the end toward the sink, with the same size door as the 21. The half blind cabinet would be a custom size. 





See the standard dimentions here: http://www.kitchencabinetmart.com/kitchen_cabinet_sizes.htm


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## inspectorD (Jan 27, 2008)

I would install it just as you have shown. The cabinet door access areas are best where you have them. The plumbing wall can have a paint job or a similar wood filler installed at the base. 
The counter can be notched around, it only creates an issue at the upper cabinets , if you have them. Just make it shorter or install a custom open shelf unit which is notched around.
There are plenty of other options but that is the most cost effective, and aesthetically pleasing.


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## Browse (Jan 27, 2008)

Wow...thanks for the fast replies!  What a great community this is!

I like the idea of an 18" base cabinet (with a filler) against the bumpout, I guess the key is to line the edge up with the front of the sink cabinet like you said.  That makes sense.

The drawing also doesn't show a two sided (double access) peninsula cabinet (which would be right next to the 18" cabinet)...I left that arrow out by mistake.  The last cabinet on the end would be the trash pullout, and on the opposite side, we'd put a fake door panel to match the other two cabinets on that side of the peninsula.  We like the idea of accessible cabinets on that side as this is where the eat-in table will be.

The countertops will be custom cut Silestone or granite...we're not sure which yet.  Any recommendations on which is a better surface?  We're leaning towards the Silestone because it doesn't need to be sealed and the colors can be more uniform than granite.  I'm pretty sure both will handle hot pans without the need for a trivet.


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## Browse (Jan 27, 2008)

I found a blind peninsula base from KraftMaid that might fit the bill.  What do you guys think of this as a possible solution?  Just not sure about the gap formed by the sink base toe kick and the blind base toe kick...seems there'd be a gap.  ALso, would't I have to get a deeper sink cabinet for the blind to line up due to the bump out?


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## guyod (Jan 27, 2008)

I though of that cabinet but it is designed to sit flush against the wall not with your 3.75'' bump out. The area to the right of the small door is 24'' wide..  even if they do leave you a couple extra inches of finished framing. its not as common.


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## guyod (Jan 27, 2008)

If you are planning on selling your house soon or just cant get over the wow factor of granite then go for it. but i hear it scratches to easy


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## ToolGuy (Jan 27, 2008)

One on my clients got a Silestone countertop and I really like it. It seems a lot warmer to the touch than granite, and gave the whole kitchen a softer, more comfortable feeling. I think granite is like a nice old song that's been overplayed, and a just the phrase "Granite Counter Tops" means _about average_.


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## Petra design (Jan 19, 2010)

Set bases as shown add a filer from sink base to peninsula let the counter-tops guy make top to fit around bump-out.


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