If we could build the perfect house from scratch, what would it look like? What features would it contain? Let’s have ourselves a little daydream…

The other day, I had a big mound of clean laundry to fold. Before I began, I pressed play on a youtube video, as one does. Olivia Munn was surprising her tiny, asian mother with a kitchen renovation. (Stars: they’re just like us! Their parents live in ugly, outdated hovels!)

I folded, and Olivia blapped on to the designer helping her about how much her mom cooks, how she’s 4footnothing and can’t reach anything, and how intuitive and resource-rich, the website sponsoring the project.

I was nearing the end of the pile. Olivia, meanwhile, was taking her mother on a tour through the new space. “And see, mom? All the cabinets pull-down, so you can reach everything.”

They do what now?

I put the shirt down and hurriedly clicked backwards in the status bar.

I watched as Ms. Munn demonstrated pulling the whole set of shelves within the counter-to-ceiling cabinet down to reachable height. Then her mom tried it for herself. Everything that had never been was finally within her grasp.

UMMMM, EXCUSE ME, OLIVIA? How did I not know about this, and why did I never expect you to be the person from whom I learned such invaluable kitchen design lesson? And how is it that having such a feature isn’t even complicated, it’s just a matter of buying the thing?

Image credit unknown

Image credit: Rev-A-Shelf

Image credit: Rev-A-Shelf

Image credit: Houzz

In conclusion, thanks for giving your mom a new kitchen, Olivia. Way to pay it forward. To all of us.