I wrote the following article
in 1997 and have included it here for your reference!
May 16, 1997
I began thinking about cabinet standards many many years
ago. I had several questions in regard to the present 2412 cabinet
standard. Primarily those questions revolved around the functionality of
kitchen cabinets. I wondered why the depth of base cabinets were pretty
much set at 24" deep. I certainly understand the logistics of making a
base cabinet 24" deep since plywood is manufactured to 48" X 96" sheets.
But you know, if you take the time to think about it at
least as far as true custom cabinets go, they should really be anything
but standard. At most, price is a secondary consideration for when someone
wants a true custom cabinet. Okay let's now eliminate price and stock or
standard cabinets from the equation.
Custom
cabinet buyers want eye popping great looks, the beauty of
a hand rubbed finish, inlay work, and anything but a "standard" size. Not
to say that some don't want standard size cabinets but I have found that
few really do especially after I take the time to design a set of cabinets
that is designed specifically for the client's height and reach limits.
A client's height and arm reach limit have
everything to do with custom cabinet design. You wouldn't expect a lady
who is 4' 9" tall to be able to reach into a standard wall cabinet now,
would you? Just as you wouldn't expect for someone who is 6' 2" tall with
an arm reach limit of 28" and an inseam of 36" to be comfortable preparing
meals at a "standard" 36" high work surface, I believe and evidently there
are some consumers out there who also believe that countertop height,
wall, and base cabinet depth shouldn't be standardized.
In support of the industry standard 2412 cabinet design
specs, I suspect that at some point in time, hundreds if not thousands of
hours went into talking with the public at large before deciding that a
countertop would be standard at 36" high. I have to admit that some
standard had to be initiated to make manufacturing cabinets easier for the
industry. Consequently, the 2412 cabinet standard was born.
I believe though that I may in fact have a better idea or
standard if you will. I would propose a standard of 3018. Why? It makes
sense. Think about it. The average arm reach is about 31 inches at 90
degrees and it makes sense that a cabinet not be deeper than a person's
reach. It seems as though we are wasting 6 to 7 inches of storage space.
The question remains, why are we still supporting a standard of 2412 when
a 3018 makes much better sense? I'm not sure about you but I'm willing to
bet that women around the world would love to add 6 more inches of storage
depth to their cabinets. Lets see now, 6" X 30" wide equals . . . . oh my,
we gained 180 square inches of storage for every 30" wide 24" deep cabinet
now in existence. I'm thinking that this is a great idea!
Update:
Since writing this article almost five years ago, I have designed and
built many of my 3018 cabinets. All of them were for clients requesting
truly custom cabinets. The comments that I have received over the years
certainly support my 3018 standard however, the point isn't that I
personally want the cabinet standard changed. Frankly, I could care less.
The point is, if we are to serve our customers well, be it from a design
standpoint or from a manufacturing standpoint, we all need to do a better
job of listening to our customers and giving them EXACTLY what they want!
