This Kitchen is Rockin'!
Where Function Marries Fantastic
Written by Glen Peloso
Read Glen Peloso's Bio

As the song says, “you’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties”, and oddly enough that is generally true of most everyone. The kitchen is really the heart of the home for both parties and families. It is important to make sure that the kitchen functions in the way that you need it to, for the whole family.

Layout First

The first function is that of preparing meals.  When you are planning the layout of the appliances, you have to plan on a triangle of the fridge, stove, and sink.  They should be situated approximately one to two steps from each other so that you can easily get items from the fridge to be used on the stove, or to be cleaned at the sink, as well as easily get hot items from the stove to the sink without having to take a long trip. 

Everything In Its Place

Storage is the second most important planning item.  The dishwasher should be close to the cupboards the dishes will return to when they are cleaned, and pots and pans should be in good proximity to the stove. Dry food can be stored in the remaining areas of the kitchen.  I think it is useful to understand what you require from your appliances in relation to how you live your life. If you are a single person living in a condo space, perhaps you don’t require a massive fridge, stove and dishwasher, as the storage space will be more valuable than appliances. Conversely if you love to entertain or have a large family, investing more of the budget into those items has more logic in terms of the way you want this room to function.

Your Table Is Waiting

Now that you have organized the food preparation areas, it is time to plan for an area where the family can eat. Having an eating bar or island with counter top height stools works very well for the working family.  It gives the parents an opportunity to continue to prepare food while keeping an eye on the children eating.  I also think it works well for the light meals like breakfast and lunch as it contains the mess created in the kitchen around meal times.   These spaces inevitability also double as the homework space as well as the space where the adults address the household bills etc, so having a decent sized surface is very useful.

A Change Of Place

I also believe that a desk in the kitchen is a great idea.  It is a perfect space to be able to place a computer for recipes (our grandmothers would roll in their graves!), and it is a great place to have the kids do homework and play on the computer, as it gives a perfect vantage point for parents to observe what is being looked at on screen.

If really well planned, and suited to your lifestyle, you will not only find yourself in the kitchen at parties, but you will also find the kitchen a party for the family, every night!