Discuss Blind Corner Unit from Lee Valley Page 9 on IKEAFANS.com. We're Personalizing the IKEA Experience. Blind Corner Unit from Lee Valley - Post here about your modification project details or questions. Share ideas and take some away - mods are cool!.
Can you please confirm you are all just using a 36" base cab pulled a way from the wall a bit (how many #?)and a cab perpendicularly attached to it and using an 18" door and you could or could not have a drawer as well?
WHat is the advantage to that over the 37x37 corner cab? I read and re-read this thread and everyone is mentioning the 49" corner cab but nothing about the 37x37?
I am assuming the 37X37 cab has the same lazy susans as the 49" corner cab but with a paino hinged doors? Can you use the LV with the hinged doors??
I think I am making this way way too complicated....
I like the 37" cab better than the 49" because it uses more of the available space. The 37" cab uses 3/4" round shapes, the 49" uses 1/2 round shapes. The only disadvantage of the 37" is that it needs 12" on each side of the corner. We really like ours though...
Thanks NBeth - now I thought I was all ready finished with my design that being said I really hate corner cab's - I am know wondering if I should go with the LV units on 36" base instead of the two 37x37 corner units - I think after I put it into the planner I will have more room - cant go two 15" drawers on either side of the sink but rather if I decreased the sink base to 24 I could get two 12" pull outs - maybe one for dog food and supplies and one for garbage and recycling etc.
Unfortunately your plan underestimates the amount of dead space required in corner with the Lee Valley: 6" appears to be the bare minimum (and I think that only gives you the 15" door because you need some filler too), plus you need a bit on the the other side of the corner lest handles clash.
I do have one more radical idea for a corner which would use a Lee Valley. It downsizes the sink, moves the dishwasher to the sink side, skips the inner *kitchen* corner on the stairs side, and gives you a big 36" drawer unit.
But what makes this mod worth considering is the possiblity that you can create some cool cubbies in the dead corner accessible from the stairs side when you strip it down to studs. They would probably be narrow slots between studs, but you could surely figure out some sort of slide out to take maximal advantage. Maybe pegboards for tools? I'm not a skilled carpenter but it seems possible to make this happen and then you don't really lose the space after all!
Note I didn't bother to fix the wall cabs to compensate for changes: this just gives you a pic of the base layout with a sketch of the slot cabs between the studs opening onto the stair zone. The range wall is tight but I think it will work--you'll need to run by the more experienced installers to be sure.
Whoops! I thought I was just "previewing" and somehow my very incomplete post was submitted.
Anyway, sorry to hijack here but I've been following along and I'm psyched to hear about using the 36" cabinet in lieu of the 49" blind because - I think - that will solve a couple of things that have been bugging me about my layout.
I am a little unsure about a few things and how it relates to my specific situation and was wondering if you guys could help.
OK - here's my current layout (complete with 49" blind corner cabinet):
I didn't know how to get a screen shot including the measurements so I guess I'll have to tell you here about the pertinent stuff.
Starting from the 49" blind corner - to the left of that is a 36" range and then ending that run is a 15" cab. (Yuck - bad symmetry.) The available space along this run- from corner to edge of doorway is 101.625". (Obviously, I want to leave myself some wiggle room and not take up the entire space.)
Starting from the 49" blind corner and moving in the other direction toward the sink is a trash cabinet. I've put in a 21" cab in the planner but plan to have 18" cab with filler - how much filler depends but I've allotted up to 21" for that space. I don't think this will make a difference but the sink will be a shaw's 30" farm sink in a 36" sink base.
OK- I'm psyched about doing the 36" because I think I can get more symmetry and readily accessible usable space. Now I'm thinking about using the 36" in the corner - pulled away from the wall 6" with 18" viewable on the outside. Then I would be able to have the range to the left and then an 18" cabinet ending the run.
My questions about this:
1) Can I use an 18" door on the viewable portion of the "blind" 36" or will the door bang into the filler to the left of my trash cab or the knob? I plan on using knobs that project 1- 1/16 ".
2) The range -taking into account the door and handle - will project to almost 29". Will the LV insert be able to clear this? How far does the larder pull out before it turns? (This may be a LV question.)
3) Is there anything I am not considering?
Thanks! I'm so close to ordering my cabinets and this thread has been a great help!
1) Can I use an 18" door on the viewable portion of the "blind" 36" or will the door bang into the filler to the left of my trash cab or the knob? I plan on using knobs that project 1- 1/16 ".
2) The range -taking into account the door and handle - will project to almost 29". Will the LV insert be able to clear this? How far does the larder pull out before it turns? (This may be a LV question.)
3) Is there anything I am not considering?
Thanks! I'm so close to ordering my cabinets and this thread has been a great help!
1) you will need to be able to clear the handle on your trash pullout cab.
2) I have this setup, only as a mirror image to yours. the LV will not pull out completely thanks to the 28" projection of the range, so the back shelves are not completely exposed. The back only pulls to the cab opening side as the first set of shelves (attached to your door) are swung sideways, and since i can only get about a 60degree angle because of the range, the LV has proved to be a inefficient option for me. I am returning the unit, and will go with the half-moon LS from IKEA (i have the 49" cab). This will most likely be poorer use of space (given its odd shape), but at least i will be able to access things without having to reach around and into the blind corner. and it won't cost me 225 USD.
HTH, sorry it's kinda some "bad news" about the clearance. i guess you'll have to decide if the LV's efficiency and ability to use the 36" base cab as a blind corner outweighs some of the impracticality of how the LV will function given its appliciation in your kitchen.
Do you think putting in a spacer/filler between my range and the blind cab would make a difference? I might have a little space I could spare.
I also spoke to someone at Lee Valley and he seemed to think that the unit pulls out straight and doesn't turn to the side. Is that true?
Thanks,
Debra
if you had the option of using a filler, i would imagine that would help, but i would also think that it would depend on the width of the filler (obviously the larger, the more play you'd have with your opening door. would love to be able to get a pic of our install, but DH removed it last night. i'm returing it today. (the LV people have been very good, the order came with a prepaid return label and I was told that I will probably be reimbursed for a portion of my S/H charge that I paid when i ordered it, which was 27 USD.)
the LV DOES swing to the side. below are two links to youtube to give you a visual of what you'd be working with.
in addition, let me say that the LV was overall a real disappointment. after working with the blum hardware that IKEA sells, the LV pales in comparison. you can note in the 2nd vid clip the user has to push the LV and it sort of jolts...that's because it's not a smooth mechanical operation. it's tight and awkward. (we made several adjustements and still found the same problem.) just my 2cents on the LV. let me know if you have other ?'s.
Regarding the LV unit, I initially had the same problem with it being displeasingly tight and somewhat herky jerky in how it glides. However, I found it vastly improved after my contractor adjusted it and put a little silicone on it; now it glides smoothly but is still a bit tighter than the Blum glides. We ordered a second LV unit and installed that in another cabinet; for whatever reason the second one glides beautifully -- almost as good as the Blum. I was initally disappointed with the LV but once we got that one unit working right I was thrilled with them.
Regarding how it opens -- the front 2 shelves of the LV unit attach to the door, which you have to pull straight out to full extension and then pivot to the side. As Ann pointed out, the back shelves on the blind side do not start shifting to the open side until you start pivoting that door. Because the mechanism pivots tightly at the side of the cab, without filler, the unit undoubtedly would be obstructed by an adjacent range that projects.
Filler would solve the problem. I am not sure how much you would need because I would have to measure using my LV unit, and right now those cabs are wrapped tightly in drop cloths to protect them during construction. I think it would need at least2 and maybe as much as 4 inches. If you end up needing more room for filler, you might consider doing the 15 inch door option described in this thread, which would give you an additional 3 inches space for fill.
As an aside, I personally am not a fan of wire baskets, and replaced 3 of the 4 baskets on the LV unit with solid-bottom versions from hafele (a fourth would not have worked because the placement of the guard rails on the Hafele version block the hooks for the uppermost basket in the back of the LV unit). I really love the Hafele ones. I will post pics when we get the drop cloths off.
Last edited by yankeelawyer; Apr 20th, 08 at 6:50 am.
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Re: Blind Corner Unit from Lee Valley 
