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Original poster

Is there such a thing as a tall person kitchen?!

56 replies

CheriLittlebottom · 05/04/2020 21:12

Ok, this is going to sound weird. I'm my defence I've been Corona'd for the last five days (not seriously) and there's been a lot of laying in bed musing idly.

Can you get kitchens in an extra tall fitting?! I'm quite tall, 5'11", and kitchen benches always feel about two or three inches too short to me. Washing up gives me backache because the bottom of the sink is too far away, so I'm bent over awkwardly the whole time. I'm guessing the standard bench height / under counter cupboard height is designed to fit shorter, average height women (because kitchens are for womaning in, obvs) which is why they don't work for me.

We will hopefully be knocking through / extending and creating a new kitchen diner from scratch in a few years. Can you get kitchens made taller? Or is it just one standard height and lump it? I guess a totally bespoke kitchen would be made however you want it but assuming you don't have bespoke kitchen money, is it possible? Or am I doomed to endure a minor worktop height annoyance forever?

I'd quite like the extra two inches cupboard space too.

Any other tall people have a kitchen that fits?!

OP posts:
Moreisnnogedag · 05/04/2020 21:16

If you’re having a kitchen gotten you can ask for them to be fitted on top of a raised box/plinth for your correct working height.

For my DH, we stacked up a load of chopping boards and he did all the kitchen work on those until we found his most comfortable height.

Moreisnnogedag · 05/04/2020 21:17

Fitted not gotten

isseywith4vampirecats · 05/04/2020 21:17

you could probably have a platform built under the cupboards to raise them off the ground

lokoho · 05/04/2020 21:20

Oh yes this is really easy to do and not expensive. They just put the base cabinets on higher legs (in fact most of them are telescopic) and the plus is you can get a really good kickboard drawer space as well.

Average worktop height is 900mm. My kitchen is set to 1100mm - from Howdens so nothing special!

forrestgreen · 05/04/2020 21:22

Yes you can. Tile behind the units and worktop though so if you sold your house you can tell a buyer that they can just drop the legs.

Bluewavescrashing · 05/04/2020 21:22

Are you joking??

Most kitchens, cars, reception counter tops etc seem to be made for giants. I'm 5ft 1 so not exactly a dwarf.

hellywelly3 · 05/04/2020 21:23

Most kitchens have adjustable legs so you can make it higher. We have really tall wall cupboards too. I have to use a stool but my extra tall DH is fine. Ours is from Ikea

Original poster
CheriLittlebottom · 05/04/2020 21:24

Oh yay!! I'm really pleased this is an option! And that I'm not going to look like a crazy person when talking to kitchen places in a few years 😂.

Kickboard storage is a brilliant idea too, thank you!

OP posts:
Moreisnnogedag · 05/04/2020 21:25

I believe they are made for 5’4 to 5’6 - DH is 6’1 so really struggles.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 05/04/2020 21:25

How you do it depends on how much you want to spend. If you employ a cabinetmaker you can adjust the worktop height to allow for the fact that one of you is 6' and the other 6'3", and gain extra cupboard space at the same time. You will have a big space above any under-worktop white goods, though.

DramaAlpaca · 05/04/2020 21:26

Yes! I am 5'10 and when we installed our kitchen I got the fitters to do exactly that so our worktops are higher than average. Even 6'3 DS is comfortable cooking in it. Oh, and mine's not a bespoke kitchen at all.

Original poster
CheriLittlebottom · 05/04/2020 21:28

Sorry blue, but to me 5'1" is tiny! I had the same thing with pushchairs with dd1, the first silver cross one we had gave me such bad back & shoulder pain because I had to stoop a little to the handle.

OP posts:
QuitMoaning · 05/04/2020 21:29

I also get backache from washing up and my kitchen is standard height but I am only 5ft 4

So raising the height might not fix it. It must be something I am doing wrong with my posture.

Original poster
CheriLittlebottom · 05/04/2020 21:29

Hmm white goods, will have to factor that in. I guess go for built in and hide it.

OP posts:
FortunaMajor · 05/04/2020 21:31

I'm a similar height and have the same issues. Until I can get a custom kitchen put in, I have made some adaptions. I have an extra piece of worktop that is approx 2 inches high and a little wider than a chopping board to place on top of the main work surface. I've also placed a plastic tub in the sink to put the washing up bowl on top of to make life easier. I can't do anything about the extractor fan height though.

Original poster
CheriLittlebottom · 05/04/2020 21:31

It's definitely height, if I do a funny little crouch and drop my height by about three inches I immediately get rid of the back pain. But my squatting muscles aren't up to holding it for long!

OP posts:
Original poster
CheriLittlebottom · 05/04/2020 21:33

Oh my god yes, extractor fan to forehead injuries aplenty here. The one we inherited from the previous owners has really fecking sharp corners. Angry

OP posts:
NewCatMummy · 05/04/2020 21:35

Relative moved into a house with Celina mounted wall cupboards. 6ft sons could just about reach the bottom of three shelves. Couldn’t reach one high single cupboard. Was built for people 7ft plus. Standard suburban semi.

oohnicevase · 05/04/2020 21:35

We had a bespoke kitchen made last year and you can have it how you like. Kitchens usually come in set sizes but you can put them where you like on the wall . I chose to have tall cabinets that touch the ceiling as I prefer it like that and I'm 5 foot .!! I have to use a step to use the microwave but I like it out the way and dh is talk as are dc.

NotMeNoNo · 05/04/2020 21:36

You can set the extractor fan as high as you like.
DH is tall, the worst thing for him is the bottom shelves of the base units and the under worktop grill. So its worth having drawers/pull outs in the base units and a higher level oven/grill.

OneEpisode · 05/04/2020 21:40

There is an expensive adjustable option too. I’ve seen in a holiday rental. The worktop can drop right down for a wheelchair users and up when it’s the tall spouse’s turn to cook. But in a holiday rental they aren’t trying to optimise storage.
For a permanent home, you could have worktops on the left for the tall cook and the ones on the right for the shorter cook, for instance. Height of sink tactical so that person has to wash up most!

Wimpeyspread · 05/04/2020 21:40

Yes, I once bought a house with one in! As a short person, it was difficult! Think it was bespoke, though

GoldBoo · 05/04/2020 21:42

When we moved into our house, one of the first things we had to do was take the wall units off in the kitchen and reposition them.
They had obviously been put in to suit an extremely tall person, but I’m only 5ft2 and could barely get them open.

QueenOfPain · 05/04/2020 21:43

I’m 6ft and empathise with all your kitchen problems. Will definitely be looking to get some custom height options when I finally purchase a kitchen.

Taytotots · 05/04/2020 21:44

Yes. We did this with our ikea kitchen - just put longer legs on the cabinets. Dh is 6ft 1 and i'm 5ft 9 (so not massively tall but still find usual kitchens a bit short). I hope short people aren't living there now!