In a Michigan lakefront home, summer happens at the walkout level. The patio, the fire pit, the dock and the boat are all down there. The kitchen is not. Every meal, every round of drinks and every armful of towels makes the trip down the stairs and back up again.
A dumbwaiter closes the gap
A home dumbwaiter is a small lift for goods. It travels in a shaft between floors, with a door at each level. Load a tray in the kitchen, press a button, and it is waiting downstairs by the patio door.
Typical routes in a lake house
- Kitchen to walkout bar or kitchenette
- Road-level garage to kitchen, for groceries
- Bedroom level to laundry
- All three, with a stop on each floor
What it carries
- Food and drinks
- Coolers’ worth of supplies, a load at a time
- Dishes coming back
- Beach towels and laundry
- Firewood for the lower-level fireplace
Where the shaft goes
A straight vertical run about the size of a small closet. Pantries, the back of a cabinet run and corners beside the stairs are common places.
New build or existing home
Many lakefront homes are being rebuilt or renovated. That is the easiest time to include a dumbwaiter. In a finished house, a route can often still be found.
Finish
Doors can match the cabinetry so the dumbwaiter is invisible when closed.
Safety
Doors lock unless the car is present, and the car will not move with a door open. It is for goods only.
Paired with an elevator
In a three-level home, a home elevator moves the people and a dumbwaiter moves the provisions.
See if your home has a route
Visit our dumbwaiters page. Call Nationwide Lifts of Michigan on (810) 346-1037 or request a site visit.