Get Cooking on Your New Kitchen

Belinda Albo – Interior Designer and Author

Read Belinda Albo’s Bio

Your Six-Step Kitchen Planning Guide

The kitchen is the heart of any home. If you’ve recently bought a new house, then the kitchen might have even been a deciding factor. Even so, you may still want to put your own stamp on one of the most important rooms in your house. Here are six helpful tips for laying out your new kitchen.

1. Make a Check List
You need to consider a typical workday in the kitchen. Map out the activities and tasks you do and plan accordingly. The key is to design your kitchen to work for you on a day-to-day basis. Determine your needs and make a wish list of considerations. Organize and write it out so you don’t forget anything.

2. Plan for Action
You have to be aware of the physical limitations and restraints of the existing space. Look carefully at the room to see how it functions and what is behind the walls. You might find that the adjacent room will provide you with better planning potential. Moving a wall a few feet out can make a big difference. By simply repositioning some items like an air register, plumbing or window, the needed space may now be made available. If you have limited storage space, have your cabinets installed to the ceiling. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t build out, build up.

3. Keep Your Cool
The refrigerator and pantry are your main storage areas and are typically located at the end of a counter run and near the eating area. A tall unit such as a pantry, a wall oven cabinet or refrigerator should never be placed in the middle of a counter run because it interrupts a functional continuous work surface. Allow a minimum of 15 inches of space on the hinge side of the refrigerator. A well-planned storage area keeps countertops clutter free and manageable.

4. Look at the Cleaning Factor
This area consists of your sink, dishwasher and trash locations. You need an area for stacking dishes and cups so cleaning will be a breeze. Since the sink is the most used fixture in the kitchen, consider the view and try to allow at least 18 inches of counter space on both sides. To make your kitchen function smoothly, try to minimize the distance between the sink and cooking area. If you have the space, a second sink can be a big help. To cut down on costs, avoid complicated or long plumbing lines.

5. Plan Your Appliances
Once you have laid out a plan with convenient locations for appliances, consider the position of the hinge side of the items. Consider door and cupboard swings as well as the opening of your refrigerator, stove and dishwasher to see if you have allowed enough space. You don’t want your oven door to bang into your island. The average budget for purchasing the five major appliances is between $6,000 and $10,000.

6. Go beyond Basic Ingredients
Once you are closer to completing a plan you like, consider some accessory options like a wine chiller, slide out shelves, spice inserts, deep pot drawers, adjustable interior shelves, and plate racks just to name a few. A wine rack above the refrigerator or in a small corner is a great way to maximize hard to reach places, while a movable island is great if floor space is tight.