Kitchen design: get the dish rack off the counter.
SEE OUR FINISHED KITCHEN, HERE
Wasted space is an egregious breach of all that Paul stands for.
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I love complicating everything with more shiny.
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Can we integrate a built-in dish-rack?


My ideal amalgamation is integrated with the kitchen sink.
But HOW?
Over?
Behind?
In?
Here is our sink.
We are doing a wall-mount faucet, still undecided on specifics… here are my favorite faucet-options.
The dish rack just sitting on the counter all of the time… blergh. ALTHOUGH! You helped me join this century with the microfiber drying mat option or the thing that rolls over your sink.
But still… I am required to load the idea cannon.
You understand.

Also:
We are having extra-deep countertops… so we have plenty of space to get creative… SOMEWHERE in there, SHOULD be a smart design!
Theoretically.
But… err… Once you start drawing… THERE ARE SO MANY PLANES AND ANGLES AND ALSO SOME IDIOT PERSON HUNG THIS ANNOYING ANTIQUE CLUNK IN THE WAY.

ALSO:
Obviously<—— NOT something that LOOKS like a dish rack.
Thin brass rails?
A perforated brass sheet?
100 train racks stacked on top of each other?
But after 57,000 hours of internet-ing, I found no antique brassmeshrackthings of usable size.
Also, after the 197th round of what-about-this, what-about-that, Paul remained unswayed; he felt they were all too– HELLO LOOK AT OUR DISHRACK.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE DISHRACK?
WE HAVE A DISHRACK.
IT IS.
A DISHRACK.
Paul said— no. It’s clutter.
Self clutched Self.
But…
…we ARE clutter.
We are… to stop?

Turns out clutter is irrelevant because I couldn’t get any of the idea-sparks to be something I actually liked.
Perhaps because IT’S A DISHRACK.
But since I spent nine-hundred hours, I thought you might like to benefit.

Sadly, I cannot use any of the ideas that TRULY conceal it.
First– an argument could be made that damp, confined; is not something I would choose… I’d keep it open.
Second– we’d have to add cabinets; which I now see as a plague of locusts sent by the Cabinet-Industrial-Complex to fill all of our homes with boxes to STORE MORE CRAP FROM BED BATH AND BEYOND.

I mention the crap from Bed Bath and Beyond so that I may directly contradict myself by asking about carbonator water machines.
You saw seltzer in my kitchen.
And told me of the existence of seltzer makers.
I did not even know this is a thing.
You ROCKED MY WORLD.
Soda stream looks most popular… but then I saw this stainless one which is… nicer looking.
It’s also stupidly more money.
But unless someone says why not, I think the cost is weighed out in visual?
ALSO, WHY ARE THE CARBONATOR ROCKETS SO MUCH MONEY?
Also:
is there a secret source for buying bulk vinegar and baking soda that I do not know about?
Thank you in advance.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:13 am
Costco has giant sacks of baking soda and massive jugs of vinegar!
July 26, 2018 @ 10:28 am
Kate Teske knows whats right! I buy both at Costco, huge bag/jug, and use it for everything!
Love your blog, btw, every time I see you in my inbox, I leap to read it! Your style (of writing/rescuing/living/dressing/agonizing and all of the other things that is “Self”) is just brilliant! Thank you for bringing such beauty, levity and reflection to us! Love from Chicago…
July 30, 2018 @ 7:07 am
I get giant sacks of Bicarbonate soda from .. Amazon. And feel like a drug dealer when I do.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:15 am
I do have a built in dish rack. It’s called a dishwasher. I hand wash bulky things like pots and cutting boards, and then let them dry in the dishwasher. Then I put them away and can either load the dishwasher with handwashed items for drying or with soiled items for the dishwasher to do the work. (Just don’t mix the two.) The only caveat is that the dishwasher must be right next to the sink (which they usually are.) The best part is that the water drips into a drain, not onto the counter
Maybe I missed a post, but where is the oven going to be?
July 26, 2018 @ 7:46 pm
I do the same thing! Works for me.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:15 am
Once again you have improved my life. I must now immediately procure one of those roll-over-the-sink dealies. It looks so much more elegant and chic than my pedestrian dish drainer! Thank you thank you thank you!
July 26, 2018 @ 10:31 am
My mother in law only used her dishwasher as a giant drying rack. I dont get it. I MUST have a double bowl sink. One side to wash, and one side to dry (with or without a dishrack in the sink). Or …since Paul is against any clutter, HE could be your dish-dryer, put-er awayer, and then there would be no need for a rack. Problem solved.
Maybe you should re-think your obsession that your kitchen not look like a kitchen. “It exits, therefore it is”….with apologies to Descartes
July 26, 2018 @ 1:20 pm
;D
November 10, 2018 @ 9:06 am
I am in love with my “dishrack”. It definitely meets your fanciness requirement, in that it is a large, ornate, silverplate footed tray I picked up at a thrift store for a fiver.
In theory, when not in use, it goes into a cupboard. It is never not in use, though. I have five kids and live in a 1600 square foot duplex. We have a scratch and dent store Asko dishwasher for everything dishwasher safe. Everything else gets handwashed and is honored to drop onto the tray until the minions put the handwashables away.
That being said, you could go the route of drying dishes with towels and putting them away. It isn’t as tedious as it sounds, and no dishrack necessary. My sister-in-law, my best friend, and my aunt-in-law (who is a Sister, because she is a nun), all use the just-dry-it -off-with-a-towel -ya-dummy method, and they all say it has transformed their lives.
By the way, I polish my silver fancy footed tray with Bon Ami. It’s just non -toxic old calcium carbonate, and works great.
December 14, 2019 @ 8:14 am
I think you and I should be friends.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:31 am
You must get the custom rack for the bottom of the sink. Not only can you drain cutting boards, knives, cups, etc. there mostly out of site, but it saves the sink from stains and scratches.
July 26, 2018 @ 1:41 pm
but doesn’t it get yucky?
July 27, 2018 @ 9:27 am
No. It’s stainless steel with rubber feet and sits an inch above the bottom of the sink. The slots are an inch apart so dishes or cutting boards can drain standing up in the slots. You can rinse food off dishes, it just goes through the slots. There’s an opening around the drain so you can lift out the basket strainer to clean. I lift the rack out (it’s in two pieces) every couple of days to clean the sink bottom and wipe the rack.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:41 am
Check out FrugalWoods for a great tutorial on making soda water at home for much cheaper than you ever thought possible PLUS educed waste. https://www.frugalwoods.com/2014/08/11/how-to-cheap-homemade-seltzer-with-a-modified-sodastream/
July 26, 2018 @ 12:25 pm
they could do it this way and get rid of the soda stream altogether!
July 26, 2018 @ 12:36 pm
I was just going to share this hack. I’m sure it could be tucked into the back of a lower cabinet with a hole (and brass fitting) in the counter?
July 26, 2018 @ 10:50 am
I prefer as little as possible on the counter tops except a couple of accessories — in my case a “Sous Chef Pig,” vase with white snapdragons (my cat’s favorite), the mixer and two clear glass canisters for flour and sugar. The less clutter on the counter top, the easier to keep clean. I use the dishwasher (which are normally next to the sink) for drying hand-washed items.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:51 am
I have a flat plastic grid dish tray that I place my drying items on. The grid is small enough for wine glasses to easily stand on. When the rack gets scrungie , I can wash it in the dishwasher. It slides easily away under the sink counter. Got it a try Bed Bath and Beyond. Clutter free and off the counter…….
July 26, 2018 @ 10:55 am
What about using the microfiber mat and drying the washed dishes by hand? The hand dried dishes can be returned to their respective storage spaces. Depending on how many dishes and how wet the mat gets, you can then hang the mat under the sink, or you can take it to the laundry. Except for the one comment about the dishwasher and its drain, anything else involving dripping water in an enclosed space will become a disaster…rotten wood, pitted metals, mold, etc.
Michele – residential architect in Texas
July 26, 2018 @ 11:58 am
This!!! Yes!!! I hate crap on my cabinets, and a place to dry dishes is at the top of that list. I lay down a towel to one side of my sink and dry my dishes after I wash them all (or one of my kids does it while I wash) and then put them away. The towel goes in the utility room laid over one side of a basket to dry, and there is no clutter on my cabinet. An integrated drying rack screams mold and another place to have to wipe down because of water spots (*shudder*).
August 8, 2018 @ 2:05 pm
We do something similar — just put out a dishtowel, handwash any random items, dry them up and put them away. Clutter free and no dishrack!
July 26, 2018 @ 10:59 am
Aren’t you having a dishwasher? A) Use the dishwasher. no hand washing or drying rack needed. B) If that doesn’t work for you, use the dishwasher as a drying rack as others have mentioned.
July 26, 2018 @ 11:04 am
Two dishwashers is the answer. My friend and I came to this conclusion when we were planning her new kitchen – and a modest dishwasher actually costs less than a cabinet. When I redo my kitchen in the mythical land of The Future, I will be most definitely doing this.
July 26, 2018 @ 1:21 pm
I like the way you think. I would do this, except I have no room.
July 26, 2018 @ 10:25 pm
We did add a 2nd dishwasher at the suggestion of a friend who said this was her main regret with her kitchen (only 1 dishwasher). We “mathed” it & it was about the same cost as a cabinet. I have zero regrets about 2 dishwashers. With 2, there is never a reason to leave a dish in the sink (your welcome children). I can’t recommend this option enough.
July 26, 2018 @ 11:08 am
I have a soda stream and keep it in a lower cabinet. I just open the door and stoop down for the 20 seconds it takes to make the seltzer. Less counter clutter!
July 26, 2018 @ 11:13 am
Hey what about a two drawer dishwasher? Bottom for actual dishwashing, and top as drying rack?
And those brass luggage racks would be fabulous stacked as open shelving on your wall to hold all your garden and market produce.
July 26, 2018 @ 11:22 am
I changed from microfiber drying mat to silicone drying mat. I was worried about possible mildew issues with a fabric mat so I changed to a silicone mat and love it. It rolls up and goes in a drawer when not it use. Mine is a bright color, but a quick search shows it in some color choices which you might prefer.
July 26, 2018 @ 11:43 am
This is MAGNIFICENT!!! I’ve been trying to figure out the same issue for the second sink we are about to install. Here’s the old one: https://www.houzz.com/photo/57799-flp-breskin-eclectic-kitchen and the replacement faucet: https://www.houzz.com/photo/614484-kitchen-sink-2012-008jpg. That’s a stretch of closet shelving hung above that old high-back double-drainboard sink. There is nowhere for grey slime to accumulate. Wash, set on drain rack above, and do a final wipe on the counter below. And use pretty enough dishes that I’m happy to see the every day stuff sitting on display. That would be bright colored glass to sparkle in front of the window… But the new sink doesn’t have a window, so I am looking at all your ideas with delight! Thank you!!!!
July 26, 2018 @ 11:44 am
Stick a rack in the second deep sink and be done with it. Or if you pick one that you mount don’t leave the salt and pepper under it like the second to last picture.
July 26, 2018 @ 3:59 pm
I have a dish rack made for a camper van that stands in my 2nd sink to drain stuff on , and can be put in the under sink cupboard when not in use. If there’s a mountain of stuff to wash up I just spread a tea towel on the counter to stand saucepans on while I start on the drying. I don’t like having stuff hanging around to air dry as it’s ugly and maybe flies or dust will land on it. I’ve never had a dish washer, I feel Zen about the washing up (usually)
July 26, 2018 @ 11:46 am
This post is an important revelation about life and decor in this era. We were so busy in the sixties through to the eighties deciding on Harvest Gold or that brown color? for appliances and the psychedelic wallpaper and mini skirts and boots for Moms in their twenties? indecent? Hot? Weird?………(you’re a Mommy for crying out Hugh Hefner and smut) we didn’t notice that our homes were kinda cluttered. Everything today seems grey white sleek and gasp! uncluttered. Unless of course, one subscribes to the Queen of GFThingys.-hers’ is a decor that sings- of an elegant age of sculptural beauty, the artistry of craftsman and a modern simplicity of design and function. And she’s hilariously witty and fun. Boy am I glad I found this Lady and her genius spouse. I am glued to the news and folks it is worrisome so a peek into a lovely home where kindness and beauty reign is a lovely and welcome distraction and her bright witty articulate commenters give me bright hope for our future. Whew! Stepping down from my old lady soapbox.
July 27, 2018 @ 1:29 am
“that brown color” was Coppertone. I still have a stove and dishwasher in that, though it’s time to replace both.
July 26, 2018 @ 11:58 am
I became obsessed with this for a while too, and found every single solution pinterest and google had to offer. The best, given no uppers in my kitchen either, was a drawer next to the sink, lined in stainless steel, and tilted back into a drain tied into the sink drain, so you can close the drawer and the water will run off your dishes and down the drain.
But ultimately – we went with two dishwashers. One on the left for regular use, one on the right for holding drying hand-washed dishes. As ridiculous as it sounds, this was the cheaper solution. We first considered a dish drawer, but a regular dishwasher takes up basically the same amount of space and is more reliable. Not that reliability matters. I’m sure there may be a time I do run two dishwashers, but honestly, the thing could be a broken $2 piece of junk – as long as it holds dishes and drains. Panel ready dishwashers start at around $600, but I went with the cheapest the outlet appliance store had on clearance for like $350, since I didn’t care about real cleaning power. I’m sure you and your craigslist skills can do even better.
And if you are a big time seltzer drinker and know this is a permanent addition to your kitchen, look at the special faucets to have sparkling on tap! Grohe Blue is obviously the big name out there (and $$$$), but there are ways to set up a system yourself with a special faucet and carbonators hooked up. Idk if the money you spend to get the same results would be worth not just going with the Blue in the first place, though.
July 26, 2018 @ 12:01 pm
I have a $600 dish rack to dry my hand-washed dishes… most call it an “automatic dishwasher”. Husband loves telling others about this extravagant expenditure, but at least he doesn’t have to towel dry dishes.
July 26, 2018 @ 12:02 pm
What is wrong with a dish rack in one side of a double sink? It takes no counter space, and can be put away in the bottom cupboard under the sink. Who wants water dripping all over the place with some of those suspended racks.
Newer isn’t always better! Simple is best!