Being as the  kitchen remodeling process can leave your brain scrambled, it is very easy to overlook certain aspects of the room.  One area that tends to be forgotten more often than not, is the vertical counter space.  Many home owners do not realize that they have a say in the space between the counter top and the wall cabinets.  If this space is an after thought, style, functionality, and comfort can be compromised for years to come, so it is imperative that this area is carefully thought out.

There are many factors that can influence the amount of space allotted between the counter top and the wall cabinets, commonly referred to as backsplash height.  Several of these factors are ceiling height, concealed appliances, and the homeowner’s height are the main factors to take into consideration.  A standard vertical counter space is about 18″ (this is taken from a room with 8′ ceilings).  While this number is a good starting point, it will not work for everyone.

If you’re ceiling height is much larger than 8′, and you are building the cabinets to the ceiling, you may need to increase this space to keep it symmetrical.  You may also need to alter this space depending on the height of the main cook of the house.  If you will be doing the majority of the cooking and you are 6′ tall, the same counter space used by a chef that is 5’2 can be uncomfortable.  When designing your kitchen, make sure you go over a few options, and see which one you will feel more comfortable working with.

You will also need to take into account any counter top appliances you will have.  If you have standard appliances, such as a toaster or coffee pot, you may still be able to work with the suggested 18″ difference; however, if you have specialized appliances, review the specifications.  Make sure it will fit, and if it will not adjust the counter space accordingly.

Regardless of how overwhelming the renovation process can be, you have to make sure you cover all the bases because then all your hard work can wind up being for nothing.  You want to make sure you put your time and effort into creating not only your dream kitchen, but one you can work in comfortably for years to come.

Related posts:

1. Redesign Your Kitchen and Reinvent Your Space
2. Eliminate Dead Space In Your Kitchen
3. Don’t Let Style OverLOOK Functionality
4. 2 Ways to Fit More into Your Small Kitchen Space
5. Many Options, One Look – Some Tips To Start

Tags: cabinets, countertop, design, kitchen, kitchen cabinet, kitchen cabinets, kitchen design

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 12:14 pm and is filed under kitchen design, kitchen remodeling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.