I’m almost 5’3″ and that is really short . . especially in our new house.
The ceilings on the main level in the new house are all 10′ or 12′ tall and in the laundry and bathrooms, the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling.
See the bar for hanging laundry? I cannot even start to reach that. I can’t even jump and reach it. That’s ok . . there’s a closet just past that door facing you see there. For the most part, I bring the laundry to the bedroom and fold it on the bed and hang up clothes directly in the closet.
The funny thing is that there are almost as many cabinets in the laundry room as there are in the kitchen in the house in Texas.
When I got to MO last week, I knew I’d be getting Addie the next day. I had some of her Christmas presents that weren’t yet wrapped and I needed to get them out of sight. She would spend 24/7 searching if she thought I had something there for her.
I was going to stick the presents in these cabinets. The two shorter cabinets . . I can barely reach the bottom shelf and if something is on the back of that shelf, I can’t reach it. I keep a folding step stool in the space between the sink and the washer so I got that out and even on the top step, I could barely reach the shelf in the top cabinet.
I was over at the new home of the sellers when I was there and I was asking her if she could hang clothes on the bar in the laundry room and she could. She’s just a couple of inches taller than I am . . maybe she’s taller . . we didn’t measure, but she isn’t super tall.
The guy said “I just couldn’t waste that space so even though the cabinets are way up there, they’re usable space.” I’m glad he did it that way. I was telling them about kitchen gadgets I have that I rarely use but didn’t want to get rid of so they’ll be great to stick up there.
Of course, I started a spreadsheet for what goes where and made a little drawing of all the cabinets and numbered them so I don’t have to climb up and down the step stool opening a dozen cabinets to find what I’m looking for.
The cabinets in the kitchen don’t go all the way to the ceiling but I can still only reach the bottom shelf without my trusty step stool. I absolutely love this kitchen . . and the laundry room, and the bedroom! 🙂
QuilterBea says
That’s curious why the open space between the cabinets and ceiling didn’t bother him as a waste. I call that open space “my dust catchers” that I have to get up and clean at least once a year, which I dread. I love your new kitchen and laundry room.
Liz says
I’m also “vertically challenged”, so I got some plastic containers for the upper shelves. I can put a bunch of small items in them & then I label the container. It’s a lot easier to grab the basket and items are not lost way in the back.
I also have a top loader washing machine and I have the tongs from a BBQ set to grab small items from the bottom of the washer.
JUDITH TRUMBULL says
What a good idea! I have to stand on a step stool even to get the top layer out of the washer. If I stand on my tiptoes and bend over as far as I can I can reach the lower levels of clothes in the front, then turn the basket to bring the back to the front. I have nightmares of falling in and not being able to get back out! Love the tongs idea.
Deborah A. says
Somewhere I did see a rod with hooks to make extra space in small areas. It has hanger type hooks with long extenders attached to the rod.. Sorry, the name of the item escapes me. People use them in kids’ closets and also to hang blouses at the top and pants on the bottom rod.
By the way, been following your new home adventures. You all make me tired!
Judy Laquidara says
I think I know what you’re talking about and I think I saw something like that at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I’ll have to check. Thanks.
Sara Fridley says
I saw a “pull down” hanging rod on some HGTV show a while back. It was set up so a person in a wheel chair could pull the hanging rod down or push back up. I like your idea of setting up a chart to identify what you are storing where. Good idea.
danielle says
When we replaced the kitchen cabinets in our new/old home I did not realize how non-user friendly they were going to be, I can reach the bottom shelf on the cabinets – although there are 2 that I cannot reach the back of that shelf. Even my 6′ tall husband has to use a stepstool to reach the top shelf. I was use to having to use a step stool to reach the top shelf, both in this old kitchen and the kitchen at our old house, but not for the second shelf!
Judy Laquidara says
It’s storage that I desperately need so I’m not complaining. There are so many things that I have, that I wouldn’t buy again but if I use them even rarely, I’m keeping them so I can stick them up high, and I won’t have to be climbing up to get them often but, like you . . that second shelf is a bit of a problem.
Vivian K Oaks says
How smart is that to make a spreadsheet for where everything goes!! That would never have entered my mind!! (I may have to borrow that tool to help me remember things! ) Your new house is gorgeous, even if the shelves are high.
Judy Laquidara says
I live by spreadsheets. Without them, I’d be lost.
Swooze says
I was going to suggest you write it down! Great minds!
Lee Young says
We remodeled our 50+ year old kitchen last year giving us so much more space, but the cabinets now reach to the ceiling, and like you, I am just shy of 5’3″ so reaching upper shelves is challenging. I believe we’re close to the same age also, and I’m beginning to fear being on ladders/step stools and didn’t really have a space to keep an open (or folded step-stool) except in the garage, so I ordered one of those round step-stools like is often found in an office or library; the kind where you can roll it (using your fit if your hands are full) and when you step on it, it locks the wheels. My ceilings are only 8′ so it works perfectly for me.
I am envious of your laundry space with all of its cabinetry and a sink. Ours is just enough space next to the hot water heater in the garage, no sink, and a couple shelves above.
What a blessing to find such an ideal house in a great location. I’m very happy for you and Vince.
DarW says
I love all your cabinet space! I’m the same height as you, and I was shocked and a bit dismayed to find, when we moved into the new house 3 years ago, I could barely reach anything! I have limited range in my shoulders so that creates a problem even reaching the lowest shelf, but everything here seems built for a much taller woman! I have to stand on tiptoe to just use the door peephole!!! I now have a step stool in all the crucial places. LOL Hubby loads and unloads the dishwasher and it’s a constant battle to get him to stop putting things out of my reach – he’s 6 ft. tall… he keeps protesting “I can’t put EVERYTHING on the bottom most shelves!” He would blow up your spreadsheet, Judy: he never puts anything in the same place twice! My kitchen cupboards are new everyday!! Oh my……
Judy Laquidara says
Vince doesn’t either and it drives me crazy. I know I should be happy that he puts things away when I’m gone but I never find some things. I’ve been back three days and just today found where he put my measuring cups.
Carolyn Sullivan says
I had a friend that is very short, when she redid her HUGE kitchen she only put in bottom cabinets. I thought it was really cool. everything was in the bottom, drawers for everything.
Judy Laquidara says
She probably didn’t have as much “stuff” as I have because I definitely need the upper cabinets too but it surely would make for an open kitchen with no upper cabinets.
Phyllis says
Have you found the missing cookie molds yet?
Judy Laquidara says
Have not! They’re not in either extra bedroom and they’re not in the sewing room!
April Reeves says
My money is upstairs part of the shop.
Judy Laquidara says
You may be right but I would have sworn I checked every square inch up there.
April Reeves says
Just thinking it might not be too long till she is aware you have a blog, can find it, and read it.
Judy Laquidara says
She knows I have one because sometimes when she’s with me, I have to stop and write a blog post and I have to ask her to stop talking for a few minutes so I can think but . . she has no idea how often she is mentioned. When she figures that out, and is able to get on the blog, I’ll have to stop talking about her probably. Chad still gets aggravated at me when I mention him on here.
Nelle Coursey says
As you know you can never have too much cabinet space. I love the new house!! I also like a lot of cabinet and closet space. I don’t have that in this house! I am slowly going through stuff and getting rid of things I don’t use or have a need for! One day I am going to start looking for something and it is not going to be there. But out of sight, out of mind!
Judy Laquidara says
Except — the more room I have, the more junk I collect — and them we have to move it all.
cindy says
i am not quite five feet tall. this house has 8 foot ceilings upstairs and ten or eleven feet in the basement. i got a taller step stool. enjoy all the space.
Amy Makson says
I am 5″2″… and our house has only 9 foot ceilings.. but still! I have two and three step ladders with the nice handle part they now have in various rooms. a 2 step in my bedroom closet as I cannot reach the top bar or shelves, and a 2 step in the laundry room that also is used in the kitchen. I also have a 3 step that I take out for those top shelves. I keep Christmas and holiday plates wayup there. Only have to climb up once to get them and once to put them back every year. But hiding Christmas gifts is a great idea!!
Judy Laquidara says
The former owner of our house said that’s what she mostly kept in the top cabinets – Christmas dishes.
JustGail says
I’ve seen people in clothing stores use a rod with a U shaped end to hang clothing oh hangers way up high in the stores. I have no idea what where to get one, but I imagine there’s a way to make one. A cup hook at the end of a wooden dowel? I hate that space between cabinet and ceiling – so much greasy dust builds up, especially those closer to the stove. The cabinet tops are lower than the molding around the top,so useless for display. Yet, not having them probably keeps me from accumulating to much more stuff out of sight out of mind that I wouldn’t use.
Tricia says
i recently bought an XL top-loading washing machine especially to be able to nicely wash my large quilts. Now, I have to use long bbq tongs to reach all the way down and grab my clothes out of the bottom to put them into the dryer! It’s a tall woman’s world, for sure!
Judy Laquidara says
Definitely. I think my new washer there is just a bit shorter than Nicole’s because I can reach things in the bottom unless they’re really flat – like underwear or a sock!