Basic Measurements for Appliances and Lighting

Just the basic rule of thumb in this post for new construction.


Refrigerators: Plan on fitting the width of the cabinet opening: 30,33, 36, 42 and 48 with 36 being the most common size. They have varying heights and depth, so be careful when replacing

Dishwasher: 24 inch width 98% of the time and 18 inch 2%. They are similar height and depth. Asko does have one that meets ADA


Stove: Plan on 20,24,30,36 and 48 inch width with 30 being the most common by far


Chandelier: Hang a fixture 30 inch from the table with12 inches less diameter as a general rule


Bathroom: Hang sconces 65" high on either side of the mirror. Raise a couple of inches if you are taller(so you do not look into the bulb)

Recessed: 12-24 inches from the cabinet and 3-4 feet apart as a guideline

Odd Green facts

I met with some Bosch marketing people on Tuesday. Sat through roughly 100 slides of information. 4 were interesting. Then again, they were very interesting. Bosch is a great brand for energy efficiency, and this will be their big push in the future.

The slides summarize the environmental payback of buying Green. For the Boston market, the MWRA/ Boston clean up insures that we pay the highest water/sewarge rates in the country. The payback monetarily on a washer is probably $300 per year in water, electricity and reduced drying time at least.

Some other eyepopping facts:

How to....Buy a Single Wall Oven

Why separate single and double wall ovens, you ask? Simple. Two of the most elegant installations involve single wall ovens, so the topic is worth independent discussion. I still think that the best product to purchase for reselling homes is still a double oven. In certain applications such as space constraints, it may not be the most practical


Two great single wall oven ideas:

The first is the wall oven under a cooktop. This configuration allows for the granite and toekicks to run continuously. Big red flag: Try to stay within the same brand especially with gas cooktops. Mixing brands can cause installation issues. Here is an example a good combo:

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The second idea is placing a microwave over a single wall oven with a warming drawer underneath. The double wall oven may be the most popular, but this combination is the most practical. All of the cooking products are in one area. Also, there are some great microwaves available, if you like speed/convection cooking. One small caution: A few microwaves are not recommended for that application:

How to...Light up a bathroom

Bathroom used to be easy. The key to bathroom is and always will be cross illumination, or in other words to provide task task lighting to shave or put on makeup. This can be effected three ways in order of preference:

A. The best way is to place wall sconces on either side of the mirror at about 65-67 inches off the ground(a little more if you are taller so you do not look down into the light)



B. Recessed Lighting on either side of the sink focused down on the sink

C. A light bar from the top

Now we need to light the bath/shower area. This too is fairly simply and can be effected by a couple of insulated recessed cans and damp location trims. Water tight sconces can also be used as well, and there are some interesting choices.

Do not forget the bath fan for steam and other odors.(See the bathroom lighting post for detailed info)

The basic lighting is done. However bathrooms have become real rooms, and now can be lighted as such. For this, you can draw other decorative and accent elements into the mix. As I have said in other posts, have fun with it, but check local codes especially if you are hanging a chandelier over a bath tub.