This is the first in a series of occasional posts related to my book about kitchens, to be published in 2020 by Lost Art Press.
The large door to the right of the sink hides a dishwasher. Instead of using the toekick system recommended by the manufacturer, I made a removable toekick that’s fully integrated into the cabinet design.
Contemporary appliances are the bane of my life (or at least, one of the banes). Their designs, specs, and modes of installation are constantly changing, with increasing complexity as manufacturers swap the simplicity of the analog universe for the obtuseness of the digital.
How Would You Solve This? (panel Ready Dishwasher Needs Smaller Panel)
My latest challenge involved fabricating a panel for a client’s new dishwasher. The appliance came with a poster-size sheet of instructions that featured numerous graphics and few words. Unlike most of the dishwasher doors I have fitted with decorative panels in the past, which had a metal framework or flange to hold the panel, the blank grey plastic front of this one offered no clue as to how I should proceed. Try as I might, I could not make sense of the “instructions.” So I called the manufacturer, expecting a bit of help. This was no naive expectation; over the years I’ve received invaluable assistance from Oneida, Blum, Zinsser, LaCanche, BEST, and SawStop, to name just a few, and I expected the same from this internationally respected company, whose dishwashers are prized for their efficient, quiet operation.
Instead, the customer service person I reached said the design and installation of the panel were the responsibility of the kitchen designer and cabinetmaker. “I am the designer and cabinetmaker, ” I replied, “and I can’t make sense of the instructions, so I am trying to get help.” She clearly did not know how the panel should be made or installed and insisted there was no technical department that could help. (When I told her I was surprised to find that her company offered no assistance to professionals, she replied “I’m not taking nothin’ from you.” I thought I called the “customer service” number?) At least she turned away for a moment to consult a colleague, who gave her the acceptable range of width and height dimensions, which was a start. I built the panel and delivered it to the jobsite, where it sat for days while I completed the straightforward aspects of the job.
In the end, my client’s builder figured out how the panel should be attached. Thanks to his help, it went on easily.
Miele Dishwasher G 2243 Scu Kick Plate Black
That left the toekick. This dishwasher comes with a prosaic metal panel you can affix at the bottom to hide the guts. Alternatively, you can use the pair of clips provided to affix your own toekick. In both cases, the toekick would have been recessed far more deeply than the cabinets’ toekicks, which I installed closer to the faces than customary to hide the unfinished section of subfloor the builder had installed to bring the level of the original mid-century floor up to that of the oak my client had put in several years ago.
Ideally, new cabinets and appliances are installed on a floor that runs across the room–or at least covers the first several inches behind the plane of the cabinets’ faces. This job did not allow for that convenience.
To make the toekick appear seamless with the surrounding cabinets, I made a pair of returns, each a simple “L” shape. The wider section would be attached to the back face of the cabinet stile (or “leg”) at each side of the dishwasher opening and painted to match the cabinets. The short part of the “L” would extend inward just enough to support the toekick.
How To Design And Install Cabinet Toe Kicks For Your Kitchen
Dishwashers must be able to be pulled out of their opening in case they need repair, so it’s important to make the toekick removable. It’s also essential to ensure you have sufficient width between the toekick supports to pull the appliance out. I allowed about 1/8″ on each side. I attach dishwasher toekicks with Velcro, which is available in self-adhesive strips from many hardware stores; cut the strips to width so that they fit the short section of the L-shaped support.
When installed, the toekick appears to be part of the cabinetry. Yes, I could have incorporated the little cove detail that appears on the rest of the cabinets, but the dishwasher door is clearly distinct from the other cabinets by virtue of its scale and the vertical divider. Adding the cove detail would look excessively fussy, in my opinion.If you are lucky to have a brand new kitchen, all shiny with modern finishes, you are most probably thinking that this post is not for you. But before leaving this page, read along because there might be more applications to this easy DIY than you may think. It started with the need to replace the most hideous dishwasher kick plate, but I now find that this idea can be used in various ways.
Our kitchen is older but in good shape and there is no renovation planned ahead, apart from small projects that I can undertake myself. When we moved into the house last June, one thing that needed to be replaced right away was the dishwasher’s kick plate – I didn’t take a picture before throwing it away, but it was a black plastic kick plate with a coat of white paint on top ~ to match the color of the cabinets baseboard, I guess. The paint was chipping and falling on the floor and the kick plate was constantly out of place as it was not properly attached to the dishwasher. On the back part, it had a thick layer of insulation that was all dirty. And the kick plate also had a weird shape – it was extending outwards, no wonder we were constantly hitting it with our feet. I contacted the manufacturer, hoping that I could purchase a stainless steel kick plate to match the dishwasher, and that it would also be strong and rigid so that it could stay in place. Unfortunately, the only kick plate for this model was the exact same plastic one I already had, available in two colors, black or white. Although a bit disappointed, I ordered the white one as it seemed that I had no other option. At least, it would be new, white and clean.
Ge Quiet Power Dishwasher Bottom Toe Kick Plate Access Panel White Fits Many!!!
Two weeks later, I had the brand new plastic white kick plate for my dishwasher but I still had a problem: it moved around every time we vacuumed, or whenever we just accidentally touched it with our foot. You can see its strange shape, here. I guess it is supposed to attach to the metallic brackets on the right and left side of the dishwasher, but no screws were included, nor any instructions.
A few months went by and it hadn’t occur to me that I could easily fix this problem until I was shopping at my local hardware store. That’s when I saw a stand with balsa wood boards and balsa wood sticks in various sizes. Balsa wood is a very lightweight and soft wood, used mostly to make model airplanes; it can also be found at hobby stores and craft stores.
I bought a board that seemed to be about the size I needed; I’ve worked with balsa wood before (for these two projects, here and here), so I knew how easy it is to cut it to size.
Cove Dishwasher Kickplate Installation And Clearance
With a sharp knife, you can give the shape you want to any piece of balsa wood. In order to make my board stay in place between the two cabinet baseboards (on the right and left of the dishwasher) without using complicated tools or hardware, I simply trimmed thin pieces of wood, a little at a time, to get to the point the board would fit
In between the dishwasher’s opening. I also trimmed a small part from the top of the panel so that it can be pulled out easily for cleaning and/or when the dishwasher will need to be hauled out.
That’s certainly an upgrade! I guess if I wanted, I could make it look like the cabinets baseboard by adding a strip of balsa wood running along the bottom part. But this photo is taken from a lower elevation, so we usually don’t have such a close view of the bottom part of the dishwasher. I think that it looks absolutely fine as is!
Dishwasher Toe Kick Plate Wd27x26119
In literally five minutes, this custom made kick plate was in place without drilling holes, without using a saw, or any other tool. The piece of balsa wood I bought cost about $3, while the plastic kick plate from the manufacturer was about $60 with taxes and shipping. I now regret for rushing to order and not trying to DIY this earlier.
As I am adding the photos to this post, I think I could also add a strip of balsa wood between the top part of the dishwasher and the countertop. We also have an IKEA dresser that lost its kick plate during the last move and we got an estimate that was above $100 to have it fixed (!).
