Kitchen Designing Steps/Ideas

1. Make a list. (Make several.) What do you like about your current kitchen? What do you like about kitchens from past homes and from those of friends'? What do you wish you had?

2. Needs: Sort of like current events. What do you currently have that needs a home? If you design a kitchen with the things your own in mind, you'll more likely find a home for those things that tend to be left on the counter, such as toaster, coffee/tea pots, mugs, knives, griddle, pans, etc.

3. Daily use items: Certainly plates, glasses, cups, flatware. Perhaps a favorite pan. Coffee/Tea. Sugar, toast, milk, cream, jam, spices, butter, etc.

4. Weekly use: Skillet, waffle maker, popcorn popper, pressure cooker, slow cooker.

5. Monthly/Seasonal: Roaster (hey, why don't we make turkey more than once a year?), Lefse griddle (what's that?), Juicer (we're supposed to use that daily!), Pasta Maker (Boy, we sure used that a lot when we first bought it.), Blender, Mixer, Salad Spinner, etc.

6. Space needs: Where do you want to chop, peel, cut, slice, crumble, mix, blend, puree, saute, fry, steam, roast, braise, etc? It's the work space, and perhaps you want to make daily coffee/tea and so that, perhaps has a permanent location (no getting things out and putting away, though perhaps behind a door would be nice, like a counter-top garage thing.)

7. Where is the refrigerator? Large box thing that is very difficult to place though indespensible.

8. Stove/Range/Oven(s):

9. Sink and, more likely than not, dishwasher:

10. Garbage, Recycling, Composting, Clean-Dry-Reuse items, Broom, Mop, Dust pan, Vacuum, Pail, Sponge, etc.

11. Extra Stuff: 9 boxes of cereal, 25 boxes of spaghetti, beans galore, etc.

There are more, especially when you consider your own particular needs.

Now, when laying out the kitchen, place these items (words) appropriately (approximately) so that everything has a theoretical home. Then, at least, you'll have a notion of where everything might fit (in a perfect, imaginary world.)

Perhaps, depending upon your circumstances, and space available, a butler's pantry would serve nicely to place a great deal of things on shelves for easy access and a simple closing of a door for clean up.

Mike