5 Controversial Kitchen Trends To Watch Out For

My dad was a professional chef and I was around commercial kitchens since I was 5 years old (I'm 74 now). Pot fillers are super useful in commercial kitchens because they're used constantly and big time savers. I think they're a little stupid in home kitchens because 99% of them are just showing off a cool design element. When we designed our kitchen, I insisted on a commercial 36"x24"x14" sink. I've never understood these massive designer kitchens that put in all these high end commercial appliances and then the sink is the size of a postage stamp. I love my sink. Everyone who sees it is in awe of my sink. Nothing is too big to get washed in it. When I have to fill a bucket or a pot, I don't struggle with trying to get it under the faucet. I can put lots of very hot pots that have to cool before being washed into it. The uses are endless: you don't know how useful until you have a huge sink.

Ladder is dumb and dangerous!

Workstation sink is great for cleanup to have two sinks when we have a big family functions dishes go in one, pots and pans at another for multiple people to help clean up.

A pot filler feels risky to me. It seems like every faucet should be accompanied by a drain. 😬

I really love all your videos. I going to get a work sink. Ladders I can't do, I'm 67. Islands I can't do either, don't have a dinning room, can't say much for them anyway. Thank you for all the information on kitchens. 😁

Pot Filler: I have rheumatoid arthritis and see this as something that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It may not be for everyone but for some of us it is helpful. I put a pot filler in my first remodel and it definitely elevated the look of the kitchen. For me the pros outweigh the cons. This is something that I will add or try to add into all of my future kitchen designs.

Kitchen ladders are growing on me. I'm short and frequently have to climb to top shelves for seasonal items. It would be nice to have a designated ladder as part of the kitchen.

I do a ton (100's of jars) of canning, and never have wanted a pot filler, even considering a major kitchen rehab, which we dearly need, I would never do a pot filler, that's just a few steps from the kitchen faucet and part of the Canning Dance, why would I want something which cost several grand to install, and only use it during harvest?

that "open concept" kitchen makes absolutely no sense to me....all the kitchen sounds from the dishwasher, to the coffee grinder, to the freezer door shutting, the disposer grinding, to the beeps and the chop chop chop...none of that really meshes with the homework, the phone call, the intense email compostions, etc. The kitchen needs to be central to the home, but not emanating everywhere in the home. Create great meals, put them on the table, and gather around; after that people of all ages need to have their own space. Maybe kids need homework help---let Dad finish cleaning up and next be fully present to kids, not triple tasking between loading DW, feeding dogs, peeling labels off recyclables. Let the kitchen be the kitchen. Let the family room be the family room.

I’m the kitchen ladder at our house. I’m 6’3, my wife is 5’3. She can only reach the first shelf easily. Luckily our sons are tall too. Lol

I don't have a pot filler, I had talked myself out of one. Then I saw a picture of a laundry room with a dog feeding station and a pot filler.....SOLD! Totally putting one in the plan now!

Hey! Im in my 80s. I am not going to climb a ladder to get to an upper cabinet. Nope. Not going to do it!

I am originally from Brazil, and here we have, I would say 99 percent, the sink coming between the stove and refrigerator. You get the things in the fridge, prepare right there, and in one step cook, instead of getting dizzy, going around the island or without crossing the kitchen with heavy pots and pans. Keeping the floor dry is another plus! Some rich people in Brazil are imitating the big kitchens with big islands, but I have heard this style is not working. I am starting a remodeling…. If the architect tries to present one of the moderns ideas of a kitchen in a triangle way, I will fire this professional immediately!

Lot's of fun on this channel! Thank you for all the useful information.
Especially, the minimalist idea can be a good strategy, to reduce possessions!
And that much, spirituality can have the necessary-minimal-space/time to have a thought as an anchorage....
Did someone say, "Have less, Fly high"?

less wall cabinets is about accessibility for people who needs a step ladder and normally those cabinet are empty so don't forget "Ergonomics" the principle of design and architecture

Bar height islands are also not good for the mobility challenged. My 80 year old parents could never get on the stool safely. I want home feature that can help me age in place. A table or table height counter is a must.

>how do you access things if you don't
I've in my life not been in a kitchen where i had to use a ladder to get to a cabinet this video is the first time i've seen someone come up with the frankly idiotic idea to put in a small cabinet at the top out of reach of an adult.
Like am i crazy here, you don't need a damn ladder you need a properly designed kitchen fit for human use, protip if it requires a ladder for everyday use it's neither properly designed nor fit for human use unless you have an unnaturally high ceiling

I love the farmhouse sink❤

I love a 30” workstation sink, but with rounded corners. I do not like the little wire racks or rubber mats on the bottom, just gets get food stuck in them. I do like the ability to use a cutting board that is flush w/a strainer when chopping veggies. And a place to drain non dish washer items.

I love my workstation sink by Ruvati. Mine is a compact space and much of my activity takes place here. I selected one with a slanted bottom so that it drains well. i did a lot of research - mine is very deep.

i found that glass doors on my upper cabinets was a good compromise between too much clunking cabinetry vs open shelves (which doesn't work in Hawaii where you have creepy crawly things)

I just redid my kitchen and I skipped the pot filler. The sink is 5 ft away from the stove

Potfillers originally come from commercial kitchens, where pots are (a) much bigger to service lots of customers, and/or (b) kept boiling the entire day and need to be periodically refilled. Unless your home needs require lots of boiling, residential potfillers are mostly aesthetic.

Workstation sink works really well if you chop up lots of fruits and vegetables as prep to cooking. It's very nice to chop, and then slide everything into a container with your spare hand to marshal the stray pieces into the container. Otherwise you hold the prep container with your free hand and rogue pieces fall into the sink...

Im building my house right now. I designed for my lifestyle. I got a 60" workstation sink with 2 faucets and a massive bay window 8ft wide x 7ft tall to grow herbs, set at counter height so counter flows into the bat without a lip. No upper cabinets, just a narrow display shelf along the top of 18" tall backsplash same material as counter. All drawers for base cabinets and a pantry wall around the fridge. Separate bar area with its own sink. Large island with 20" overhang for comfortable chairs, wraps around island to seat 6 and allows everyone to converse. Not decided if ill get a separate table. Very open concept with 30 ft wall of glass opening to a 650 sq ft deck. Very unconventional but functional.

If you live in a area where it freezes outside you can’t put pipes in the outside wall of the home which is where most stoves resides

I would love a small sink in my island. We entertain a lot and have a large family so extra faucets and sink space would be good. I am trying to learn to take advantage of the racks in the bottom of my large kitchen sink but don’t like the upkeep they require. I’ve considered tossing them but they do keep them to avoid additional scratching of the stainless.

I am currently remodeling my kitchen and getting a pot filler. I have arthritis in my elbow and it’s hard for me to carry a pot of water from the sink to the stove. Looking forward to using it. ❤

What are you talking about corner pull downs? Or corner spaces, like appliance garage ? Do you have a clip on this?

Moving ladders are not a safe option for children, older people, or people with balance issues.

You are SO right about islands! Well done for calling this out 👍

I can't imagine making do with a kitchen that has no upper wall cabinets. As I get older, I find that it's increasingly difficult for me to bend over and get stuff out of bottom cabinets, which in my dream kitchen would actually be drawers. I'm way to old and inflexible to be crawling on the floor and looking for stuff in the bottom cabinet backs. I've lived for years in an old fashioned (remodeled in the 60's) kitchen long before open concept. I have no way to put in an island, but I have repurposed a small desk my daughter left when she move into her own apartment. It functions like a kind of work island for me, and I use it by sitting at a regular chair. It's comfortable and convenient to work with. I'd really like to have an island which has a lower working level at which regular chairs could be used. ANd as for potfillers, I think they're silly since you have to carry the heavy hot pot back to the sink. I'd rather have a faucet in my sink that dispenses heated water. for things like hot tea or instant soup.

I love seating at the island as I cook and enjoy people seated at the island to chat with me while I cook. What I don’t want in an island is a sink. No one wants to see someone’s sink on full display, nor do they want to get splashed if seated at the island.

The pot filler is more Mediterranean because they boil large pots of water for pasta often and they have to carry it to the stove, so if you don't cook that way then it's impractical.

Hate pot fillers. I prefer instant hot water faucets instead.

I had a pot filler in my last house and will be installing one in my current home! So very clearly a fan! I used it consistently. We had it for 7 years with no maintenance other than wiping it off.

A pot filler is a grease magnet. I never thought about the lack of a drain. I would prefer a deep double sink. With one at least 9-10 inches deep.

They need to stop building cabinets in kitchens that nobody can reach and use on a regular daily basis. Waste of space!

First time watching, but this is a "thing for me. Poorly designed and just thrown together kitchens. It should be a crime. You use it everyday!!! 😮😮😮😮

We've had an extra tap like this above the stove in the kitchen for over 30 years. We saw it back then with Italian friends and we still find it practical.
You can fill a large pot with water to cook pasta, for example, and you don't have to carry it halfway across the kitchen.

I cook all the time, and I see zero point in a pot filler.

I’m Vietnamese, my mother and wife cook a lot of pho and other broth based main dishes. The pot filler is absolutely functional. No more carrying heavy pot of water from sink to the cooktop. We don’t carry the pot back to the sink until the pot is empty.

Great video! Thanks so much 😁

I’m thinking I need at least a seat for myself. Can’t stand very long so I do need to sit while I prep. Idea is to have sink on island too! Is this wise.

As a Kitchen and Bath Designer and who also went to culinary school and got a culinary degree, I love, love, love my pot filler. Yes the argument with having to dump the hot water out in the sink is valid but I use the pot filler then just filler pots. I use it to fill the kettle, I use it to deglaze when cooking. I have a friend who thinks its stupid, but that is her opinion and I respect that.
The work station sink is a great sink for small kitchens. I personally would not work for me. Again great for small kitchens with very little work space.
The no wall cabinet trend is a cool looking trend if it works for the space, and if you the space to absorb that missing storage space, and it makes since.
I designed a kitchen with a ladder. It was so much fun to design with it. If I could I would put it in my kitchen.

Okay, kitchen ladders. If you are thinking I have to remove the ladder and then when needed go get it. But don’t you already do it with a stepladder? Wouldn’t it be handy yo have a ladder that just moves along a track and you don’t need to make sure the legs are properly set on the floor before you climb. Or just dragging the stepladder from place to place. I don’t have one but desperately need a kitchen ladder.

Potfillers: as I age, the better they seem. One of the many ways to age in place.

Upper cabinets are a necessity in my opinion. I think open shelving collects dust and grime. I also want cabinets up to the ceiling for storage of items used infrequently. I keep a stepladder stored hidden in the corner for when I want that Christmas platter or fondue pot (yup, still use it when grandkids visit- they LOVE it).

I'm not a fan of a potential water hazard over my expensive range. So a hard no on the pot filler.

I am 5’1” and have been dreaming about a library type ladder in my kitchen for years. I didn’t even know they were a real thing! I’ve also had 3 back surgeries and sometimes just reaching to the second shelf is painful. I’ve owned my simple tract house for 25 years, bought as a single parent to two and I was so thankful to have it, but sometimes I’d dream about how I could remodel little things to make it a “little more”. Still GRATEFUL and blessed I have it, but soon after the kids flew the nest, and I thought I might be able to do a few things, I had to go on disability because my back.

I took out one bottom cabinet shortly after I moved in, and put in a dishwasher so that leaves me 5 cabinets, which includes the one over the fridge. In my 1,000 sq ft house, there is also no place to store a broom or a vacuum cleaner unless it’s a bedroom closet, so I’ve always wanted a floor to ceiling cabinet that would hold things like the broom and vacuum.

Wanting a kitchen ladder and broom closet cabinet is definitely a FIRST WORKD PROBLEM I know, but one can dream! While my living room and kitchen is one open “great” room, it sounds like a kitchen ladder would be over kill for an L-shaped 18’ cabinet area, but with the size of my house, I need all the tall storage space with a small footprint as I can get. But if I can’t reach it, it’s useless, eh?

I AM excited to see the kitchen ladder is a real thing, kind of takes my dream a little bit out of fantasy land. 😊 I would also LOVE to add an “All in One” dryer to my dream list, because that would allow me to use one side of my laundry area, which is in my kitchen area, as tall storage, thus eliminating the need for a tall kitchen cabinet. But since those are newer to the US, it likely will be some time before they are more affordable.

I know most people abhor these small (relative) builder grade houses, but if the builder put a little more towards making small custom spaces, or if one could afford to do that themselves, it really could make something special out of these homes. Again, NOT whining, I was totally blessed and grateful my children were raised in the same home, and I know 1K sq ft might not be so tiny anymore, so I’m still blessed and appreciative to have it. Love watching your videos!