Main Line Kitchen Design Podcast
Paul McAlary of Main Line Kitchen Design
Paul McAlary of Main Line Kitchen Design
Paul McAlary of Main Line Kitchen Design answers kitchen design and cabinetry questions from callers across the United States. Paul’s bio from the magazine Kitchen and Bath Design News: Paul McAlary possesses a voice that resonates far beyond the boundaries of Philadelphia’s western suburbs and the city’s prestigious Main Line – the location of his well-established Delaware Valley design firm. McAlary, president and senior designer of Bala Cynwyd, PA-based Main Line Kitchen Design, is an internationally recognized kitchen design authority who has won more than a dozen local and national design awards, including being named a 2017 Viking Appliances Designer of Distinction. Beyond his achievements as a designer, McAlary has also forged a burgeoning reputation as the creative force behind the “Main Line Kitchen Design Blog,” a unique online forum and social media resource that is read by more than 40,000 people each month and has been honored as one of the top kitchen design blogs in the world. Main Line Kitchen Design’s videos and blogs address a wide range of kitchen/bath-related topics aimed at sparking a constructive exchange of ideas among both consumers and design professionals. McAlary, whose kitchens and comments often appear in trade magazines and on social media sites, is sometimes at odds with the kitchen design establishment, but he maintains a distinct sense of humor and is known as a fierce advocate for design standards, ethics and transparency in the kitchen design trade.
Jul 27, 2021
Paul talks with Michael who has a kitchen design just a little too tight. Or as Paul says “ten pounds of sausage in an eight pound wrapper.” Paul also talks about The IKEA Effect which is a common psychological delusion that all kitchen designers must face daily from their customers. For those curious: The IKEA effect was identified and named by Michael I. Norton of Harvard Business School, Daniel Mochon of Yale, and Dan Ariely of Duke, who published the results of three studies in 2011. In these studies, researchers found that consumers valued their own work product far above what would be considered reasonable or rational. For example, the majority of people attempting origami for the first time irrationally rated their own creations above those of origami masters.
Aug 4, 2021
Paul talks with Jeremy who has a small kitchen in Manhattan New York. Maximizing the usable space in the apartment is discussed, not only for Jeremy’s kitchen, but also for his living room and bath. Jeremy plans on renting the apartment in the future and Paul talks about the do’s and don’ts when designing a kitchen for a rental property. Main Line Kitchen Design podcast engineer and producer Felipe Archila asks Paul some pointed questions about designing kitchens for tough spaces.
Aug 9, 2021
Paul talks to Olga who called in previously to get advice on her kitchen design. Olga talks about her bread making and gets Paul’s help getting the appliances and the countertop she needs worked into her kitchen design. Paul explains why you shouldn’t use a particular design feature just because you like it. Paul explains that design elements and appliances need to work well in the design and fit. Olga’s original design, seen below, was too tight and left her without a kitchen table. In the revised kitchen design seating is comfortable and spaces actually work.
Aug 18, 2021
Paul talks to Sam, who like many podcast callers, and people that write us on our blogs, is concerned about selecting the best cabinet brand for her kitchen. Paul explains why comparing kitchen cabinetry brands can be difficult and how pricing works at different cabinet dealers and showrooms. Paul also explains to Sam why the design of her kitchen is more important than the cabinet brand that she selects. Paul discusses with Sam and later with Felipe what makes a cabinet well constructed and what the difference is between framed and frameless cabinetry. Towards the end of the podcast, Paul and Felipe discuss incorporating pets into the design of a kitchen. If you are price comparing kitchen cabinets, particularly less expensive kitchen cabinet brands, this is the must listen to podcast episode of Calls with Paul.
Sep 30, 2021
Paul talks to Wendy, a return caller that took much of Paul’s design advice from a previous call and is now calling in for advice on some final tweaks to her design. Paul explains why 33″ Lazy Susan cabinets are a bad design feature and solves much of Wendy’s design challenges by recommending that she use the absolute smallest cabinet that fits a standard single bowl sink. Surprisingly many professional kitchen designers are unaware of what that size sink cabinet this is, and what the advantages are in using that size are over a larger size cabinet. Paul also explains why 36″ high wall cabinets should be used in rooms with 8′ high ceilings.
Dec 1, 2021
Paul talks with Linda about everything from designing a kitchen to cabinet features and pricing. Paul explains why so many kitchen designers give customers misinformation. And Paul also talks about what pricing features are needed or worth it when buying cabinets.
Dec 16, 2021
Paul talks with Fahad and looses his cool. Paul explains how frustrating it can be for kitchen designers when architects, who generally know very little about kitchen design and cabinetry, insert themselves into the kitchen design process. Paul discusses possible layout changes and what things are impossible or poor design choices in Fahad’s kitchen.
Dec 21, 2021
Paul chats with fellow podcaster Nancy Hugo, the host of the podcast Home Design Chat with Nancy, about the most dangerous kitchen design mistakes. Nancy and Paul go over what makes these design mistakes so dangerous and discuss how common they are. This episode is a combined podcast with Nancy.
