thinking about the kitchen part 2

{pinterest}

It's time for part 2 of my ongoing kitchen daydream! I still need to do some floor plans, but first, what I really want to imagine, and the main reason behind this kitchen redo is to get a dishwasher in this space. When I moved to this house four years ago, I came from a sweet little apartment that felt very luxe, with limestone tiles and frameless shower door in the bathroom, and great appliances, including dishwasher, in the kitchen.

Of course I traded all that to get a space of my own. But I miss my dishwasher. I really do. Especially now that I have a roommate and a boyfriend living here. There are always dishes in the sink, no matter how often we wash them, and there's always a fragile looking stack of them, on a sopping wet towel, on the counter, taking up precious counter space besides.

Anyway, this post is all about my favorite dishwasher styles. And making them work for a small kitchen.


{pinterest}

My kitchen's so small, it may have to look like this—with the farmhouse sink right up against the dishwasher.

 

{pinterest}

Separating the drawers looks great, but I'm not sure this really gains you anything as far as cabinet space/function.

{tracery interiors}

My favorite option by far. I love how sleek a narrow, apartment-size dishwasher looks here. And set next to cabinet drawers, I like the contrast. As far as function, despite the small size, I think it could more than handle, if run every night, the amount of dishes we dirty. Now, the tough part is that these smaller-width dishwashers are not as easy to find, and despite being smaller, they come with a larger price tag. Must investigate. Starting here and here. And another look...

{the kitchn}

The only other thing to consider: Do you like hiding the dishwasher with a cabinet panel?

{southern living}

{cottage living}

Or seeing it? Even in a small, appliance-filled kitchen?

{the kitchn}

12 comments

René said...

Honestly, I think a small kitchen is so much more intimate and charming than those ginormous new kitchens. Every image in this post supports that. I hope you get a dishwasher soon :)

Giulia Doyle said...

Mine is not hidden (I replaced it once we moved in and the kitchen was done already), but I like the hidden look. If you keep it visible I would blend it in though by adding a matching kick-plate - in all your images they did not do that and that black hole drives me crazy next to the white cabinets.

Ashley said...

Go with the thin-profile apartment-sized dishwasher! I don't mind seeing the dishwasher if its sleek looking (like the inspiration picture from The Kitchn). Have you priced any of these out? I ask because I wonder how great the price difference is between a custom paneled appliance and a small stainless steel version.

An Urban Cottage said...

I kind of like washing dishes but I look forward to having a dishwasher when I redo my kitchen too. If your house is open plan or if the kitchen is anywhere near the living room where you watch TV or listen to music, I would recommend a Bosch. They're more money but worth the extra cost because they're almost silent.

casey at loft and cottage said...

Great advice/thoughts, everyone. Guilia, I never thought of that so thank you! Ashley, I haven't priced anything out yet. Still early stages. Urban Cottage, great point on keeping things quiet. Very important since my house is so tiny. Thanks!

designchic said...

Our daughter and son in law have the fisher and paykel double dishwasher and it's amazing. Love that you can do one small load at a time!!

The Vintique Object said...

Funny how the dishwasher is the number one most hidden item in the kitchen, then the fridge, but no one ever attempts to hide the stove. Guess it can't be done. I say no need to hide the dishwasher; it's become such a common appliance in kitchens. I feel, feel, feel your pain. One of the things that I never thought about before living without a dishwasher is that it is also storage for dirty dishes!
Camille

Holly Gruszka said...

When my husband lived in his cozy (read: small) apartment before we married he had a small dishwasher and it was perfect. Interesting thought you bring up about whether to hide the dishwasher and make look like a cabinet...I've always thought that would be nice if you really wanted that monotone cabinetry look, but you might want to have some stainless in there to mix it up. Our kitchen reno was one of the most stressful, but I love the results - so good luck with yours and I like reading your updates.

joanne said...

The two drawer dishwasher are exactly like the layout of my daughter's kitchen but she has a porcelain farmhouse sink. This could be her kitchen exactly if you added marble countertops! Beautiful and very functional!

Victoria said...

I'm not a fan of dishwashers, so I really like the cabinet hiding one. I also like cabinets hiding the refrigerator too.

AmyK said...

I'm remodeling my kitchen soon, too. Believe it or not, I'm going to be DOWNsizing. The final product will be about 10' X 12'. People who don't cook think size matters. It does not. I have 37 linear feet of cabinetry right now. I have four junk drawers. No one needs four junk drawers.

What are the dimensions of your kitchen? Would love to see you post a sketch of your current layout. I spent 10 years drawing and redrawing my kitchen layout while we saved our pennies for a true remodel. It was a labor of love, because I know how I want my kitchen to function and what works for me. I might actually miss working on it once it's all over.

Melissa at HOUSEography said...

We had an apartment-size dishwasher in our kitchen before the renovation. I could fit a TON in that dishwasher - place setting for 8 plus some lunch dishes. I wash my pots and knives by hand. It's not really half the size of a full-size but more like 3/4s. If you think about it like that then, it's not that small and well-worth the space-saving aspect. Good luck!