It is a layout repeated all over Southern California: garage on the ground floor, kitchen one or two levels up. Hillside homes, beach houses and newer townhomes all share it. The result is the same weekly chore of hauling bags up the stairs. A residential dumbwaiter removes it.
The basic setup
A small enclosed car travels in a vertical shaft between the garage and the kitchen. You load it by the car, send it up, and unload it at counter height. Doors at each level stay locked unless the car is there.
Adding more stops
- A bedroom level, for laundry
- A roof deck, for food and drinks
- A wine room or pantry
Each stop needs an opening directly above the last.
Where the shaft fits
- In a corner of the garage, rising into a kitchen cabinet run
- Through stacked closets
- Beside the staircase
- Next to an elevator shaft, if you are installing one
New build or retrofit
During construction or a remodel, framing the shaft is simple. In a finished home, the installer looks for a route clear of plumbing and ductwork. Many homes have one.
Finishing touches
The upper door can be clad to match your cabinetry so that it disappears into the kitchen.
Who benefits
- Anyone tired of carrying loads up stairs
- Owners with back, knee or balance problems
- Hosts who entertain on an upper deck
With or instead of an elevator
A dumbwaiter costs far less than an elevator. If you can manage the stairs yourself and it is only the carrying that troubles you, it may be all you need. If stairs are the problem too, see our home elevators.
Find a route in your home
See our dumbwaiters, then call Nationwide Lifts of Southern California on (714) 228-9982 or request a quote.