Bath Cabinetry

Most cabinet manufacturers offer comprehensive lines
of both bath and kitchen cabinets. Some offer both
lines in the standard kitchen-cabinet height (without
counter top) of 341⁄2 inches so that cabinet types can be
combined. Most, however, offer bath cabinets (vani-
ties) with heights of either 32 or 331⁄2 inches.
Most manufacturers also offer vanities with depths
(front to back of frame) of both 18 and 21 inches.
When combining vanity modules and when ordering
vanity tops, double check the vanity depths.

Typical Modular Bath Cabinetry

12"
15"
18"
21" 24", 27", 30", 33" 36", 42", 48"

32"
331/2"
341/2"

12"
15"
18" 36", 42", 48", 54", 57", 60"
21" 12, 15, 18, 21", 24" 27", 30", 33", 36", 42"

32"
331/2"
341/2"

12"
15"
18" 24", 30", 36", 42", 48", 60" 48", 60"
21"

32"
331/2"
341/2"

442 STORAGE
Kitchen Cabinetry
Unless you special order or build your own,
chances are your cabinetry will be of standard
dimensions. The only choice open to you is the
height of the wall cabinets above the counter.
Low wall cabinets make wall shelving more
accessible. On the other hand, if you plan to hang
a microwave oven and a cookbook shelf under the
wall cabinets, you will need greater height for a use-
ful counter surface.
The countertop frontages shown are the mini-
mum. Cooks who use lots of pots and pans or who
entertain a lot will appreciate 36 inches to the left of
the sink and a separate 24- by 48-inch work surface,
such as the island shown.
Recessed counter surfaces on inside corners do
not count toward either frontage or surface area.

Recommended Kitchen Cabinetry Dimensions

Countertop
to wall
std 25" clearance:
42" min
Wall
Countertop cabinet
to countertop depth:
min 24" clearance: min 4"
54" min std 15"
max 15"

std 30"

Top shelf height:

max 72"
min 36"
24"
Base to walll
cabinet
Countertop depth:
clearance:
min 15"
min 15"
48" std 25"
std 30" std 18"
max 30"
or 36" max 24"

min 18" Countertop

height:
min 30"
std 36"
max 38"

std 36"

Kitchen Cabinetry 443

 Standard modular kitchen cabinets are available in
a wide range of styles and prices.
Standard base cabinet height is 341⁄ 2 inches,
assuming a 11⁄ 2-inch countertop and 36-inch counter
surface height. Cabinet height can be raised or lowered
by adding to or removing from the kick space.
Ideal counter height is considered to be the
bottom of a bent elbow less 3 inches, but modifying
counter heights should be taken seriously because it
decreases the home's resale value.
Cabinet widths range from 9 to 36 inches in
3-inch increments, and 36 to 48 inches in 6-inch
increments. Exact fit is made by trimming standard
3- and 6-inch filler strips.
Typical modular kitchen cabinets are shown
below and on the opposite page.

Typical Modular Kitchen Base Cabinets

12", 15",18"
21", 24" 24", 30", 36" 24", 30", 36" 36", 42", 48" 36", 42", 48"

341/2"

REGULAR BASES CORNER BASES

12", 18", 24" 12", 18", 24" 12", 18", 24" 12", 18", 24" 12", 18", 24"
6" 9" 30", 36" 30", 36" 30", 36" 30", 36" 30", 36"

341/2"

SPICE TRAY DRAWER BASES

36" 60" 36" 30" 36"

341/2"

SINK BASES SINK FRONT RANGE BASES

24" 24" 24"

36
"

341/2" 341/2"
"
24

LAZY SUSAN ISLAND BOOKCASE DESK CENTER

444 STORAGE
Typical Modular Kitchen Wall Cabinets

12", 15" 24", 27", 30"

18", 21" 33", 36", 39"
12" 48" 12"

12" 12"

15" 15"

18" 18"

24" 24"

WALL CABINETS ISLANDS

27", 30", 33"

36", 39"
24

24

24"
"

"
"

"
12

12

LAZY SUSAN EASY ACCESS CORNER

24" 24" 18" 12" 18" 24"

84" 84"
90" 90"
96" 96"
37" 44"

WALL OVENS BROOM CLOSETS

Kitchen Cabinetry 445

 Finding Space
The single most common complaint about houses
is lack of storage space. Of course, just as “nature
abhors a vacuum,” so do our possessions rapidly
fill all available space. Short of holding an annual
garage sale, however, we can increase, or at least
improve, the built-in storage capacities of our
homes. The illustration on the facing page points to
storage possibilities you may have overlooked:
1. The space behind a knee wall is perfect for
either built-in bookshelves or (as shown) drawers.
Note that to preserve the home’s thermal envelope,
the insulation must be between the rafters.
2. Heated or unheated, attics offer huge unused
storage spaces. If the insulation is between the raf-
ters, install a plywood or OSB floor. If the insula-
tion is between the joists, suspend a platform from
the rafters.
3. The spaces under most beds store nothing
more than shoes and dust bunnies. Placing the
mattress on a platform allows for pull-out drawers
perfect for storage of sheets and blankets.
4. Dual-lavatory vanities often contain enough
undercounter space for a half-dozen drawers. If that
is not enough, add a hanging wall cabinet to any
blank wall in a large bathroom.
5. Walk-in closets are a must for both him and
her. Extra depth can be used for storage shelves, as
well as one or two closet poles.
6. You can never have too much cabinet space in
a kitchen. Utilize every inch of wall space for both
undercounter and wall cabinets.
7. A room between an attached garage and the
kitchen can serve double duty as both a mud room
and a pantry. Pantries are especially useful because
their open shelving allows one to see contents at a
glance.
8. A linen closet can often be tucked into a left-
over nook or cranny. They don’t have to be very
large to store the linens for the average home.
446 STORAGE
9. An entrance closet solves the problem of where
to hang guest overcoats and umbrellas. Find a place
close to the entrance door so that wet and muddy
apparel don’t penetrate too far into your home.
10. Walls on either or both sides of a fireplace are
the perfect places for built-in shelves and bookcases.
Use them for a sound system, family photos, and
interesting objects d’art, as well as your prized col-
lection of books.
11. A window bay is a perfect place for a window
seat, whether for you or the family cat. Hinge the
seat, and you will have a perfect place to store games
and toys for the grandchildren.
12. Garages offer a wealth of storage opportuni-
ties. A space beyond the automobiles at the end
may be perfect for a built-in workshop. Placing the
workbench on top of kitchen base cabinets pro-
vides drawers for storage of tools and supplies. Use
kitchen wall cabinets for storage of paints, stains,
adhesives, and chemicals. Install pegboard, or ply-
wood with screws and nails, on the wall beneath the
cabinets for hanging tools.
13. A wide garage may provide space along one
side for wall racks to hold bicycles, canoes, kayaks,
etc. The walls of even the narrowest garage can be
used to hang garden tools.
Finding More Storage Space

INTERIORS

KNEE WALLS

3
1

6
4
4
5 11

7
8

5
12
10

10

13 13 9

ATTICS

2 2

Finding Space 447

 Shelving
No residence or office ever has enough shelving,
whether for books, DVDs, clothes, or items for display.
For fixed shelving, carefully consider the heights
of the items to be shelved. Book heights, for example,
range from 8 inches for small paperbacks to 16 inches
or more for oversize coffee-table editions. Use the
tables below and at right to calculate the spacing of
your shelves. Better yet, sort your items by size, and
use the actual maximum dimensions. Remember,
however, that the height is the clear distance between
shelves, not the on-center spacing. If you are very
careful, you may just squeeze in an extra shelf.
The tables on the facing page show the maximum
clear spans of shelving limited by deflection (sag) of
1/240 of the shelf length (1 inch in 240 inches,
1⁄ 2 inch in 120 inches, 1⁄ 10 inch in 24 inches, etc.) for
a range of uniformly-distributed shelf loads.
To use one of the tables, weigh on a bathroom
scale a typical load you plan to place on a running foot
of shelf. If the shelf is 12 inches deep, that is the load
in psf (pounds per square foot) of the first column. If
the shelf is 6 inches deep, the psf is doubled.
Find the nearest psf in the first column, then
run across the table to find the allowable shelf spans
for the listed shelving materials and thicknesses.
The deflection ratio of 1/240 is quite conser-
vative. For a more saggy ratio of 1/180, you can
increase shelf loads by one-third. If the shelving has
a back panel, the listed spans may be doubled by
fastening the back edges of the shelves.
Heights of Shelved Objects
Item Typical Height, in
Audio cassette 5
Book, hardback 11
Book, oversized hardback 15
Book, paperback 8
Book, oversized paperback 16
CDs and DVDs 5
Slide carousel 10
Videotape 8
448 STORAGE
Dimensions of Closet Storage Items
Item Dimensions, in
LINEN (LENGTH × Width × Height)
Bath mat 9×10×3
Bath towel 13×14×2
Blanket 22×27×4
Dish towel 10×16×1
Fitted sheet 11×18×2
Flat sheet 14×15×2
Hand towel 6×10×1
Pillowcase 7×15×1
MEN’S CLOTHING (hanging Height)
Pants, folded 22×27
Pants, unfolded 11×18
Shirt 22×27
Suit 22×27
Tie 11×18
Topcoat 22×27
WOMEN’S CLOTHING (hanging Height)
Blouse 22×27
Coat 11×18
Dress, long 22×27
Dress, regular 22×27
Robe 11×18
Skirt 22×27
Suit 22×27
ACCESSORIES (hanging Height)
Garment bag 22×27
Shoe bag 11×18
Umbrella 22×27
cleaning equipment (width × height)
Broom, push 22×27
Broom, regular 11×18
Carpet sweeper 22×27
Floor polisher 22×27
Scrub bucket 11×18
Vacuum, canister 22×27
Vacuum, upright 11×18
Maximum Shelf Span, Shelves Freely Supported at Ends
Maximum Allowable Span, in

Particleboard Medium Density Fiberboard AC Plywood E. White Pine Red Oak

Load, psf 1⁄ 2” 5⁄ 8” 3⁄ 4” 1⁄ 2” 5⁄ 8” 3⁄ 4” 5⁄ 8” 3⁄ 4” 3⁄ 4” 1” 3⁄ 4” 1”
10 23 31 37 25 32 38 31 38 55 74 63 84
15 20 27 32 22 28 33 27 33 48 67 54 73
20 18 22 27 20 25 30 24 30 44 61 49 66
25 17 21 25 19 23 28 23 28 41 57 46 62
30 16 20 23 18 22 26 21 26 38 53 43 58
35 15 19 22 17 21 25 20 25 36 51 41 55
40 15 18 21 16 20 24 19 24 35 49 39 53
45 14 18 21 16 19 23 18 23 33 47 38 51
50 13 17 20 15 19 22 18 22 32 45 36 48

Notes: Shelf ends not fastened in any way.

Maximum span limited by deflection of 1/240 (deflection = length between supports divided by 240).
Assumed Moduli of Elasticity: Particleboard = 0.32 × 106, Medium Density Fiberboard = 0.35 × 106, AC Plywood =
0.33 × 106, Eastern White Pine = 1.1 × 106, Red Oak = 1.6 × 106.

Maximum Shelf Span, Shelves Supported at Ends and Midpoint

Maximum Allowable Span, in

Particleboard Medium Density Fiberboard AC Plywood White Pine Red Oak

Load, psf 1⁄ 2” 5⁄ 8” 3⁄ 4” 1⁄ 2” 5⁄ 8” 3⁄ 4” 5⁄ 8” 3⁄ 4” 3⁄ 4” 1” 3⁄ 4” 1”
10 30 38 45 34 39 46 37 46 67 90 77 102
15 25 32 39 29 34 40 33 40 58 82 66 89
20 22 27 33 27 33 36 29 36 53 74 60 80
25 19 24 29 25 31 34 28 34 50 69 56 75
30 18 22 27 23 29 32 25 31 46 64 52 70
35 16 20 24 22 28 31 24 30 44 62 50 67
40 15 19 23 21 26 30 23 29 42 60 47 64
45 14 18 22 21 25 28 22 28 40 57 46 62
50 13 17 20 20 25 27 22 27 39 55 44 58

Notes: Shelves freely supported at ends and at midpoint. Span refers to distance between an end and the midpoint,
not the total shelf length.
Maximum span limited by deflection of 1/240 (deflection = length between supports divided by 240).
Assumed Moduli of Elasticity: Particleboard = 0.32 × 106, Medium Density Fiberboard = 0.35 × 106, AC Plywood =
0.33 × 106, Eastern White Pine = 1.1 × 106, Red Oak = 1.6 × 106.

Shelving 449
 Fixed Shelving

NO JOINERY DADOED DOVETAILED CLEATED

2x2s FASTENED TO
JOISTS OVERHEAD

2x2s ripped from 2x4s

WALL CLEATS AND
Plywood DADOED UPRIGHTS
sheets

Dadoed 2x4
1x4 cleat

Strapping
cleats

450 STORAGE
Adjustable Shelving

45° AND 90° KERFS SPLIT 2x4 WITH 7/8" HOLES

SHELF SUPPORTS DOWELS

STANDARD AND BRACKETS PILASTERS AND CLIPS

Shelving 451