Hey good lookin'... whatcha got cookin'?

When I set out remodel my house, I originally only planned on adding a bathroom upstairs. That led to expanding the two bedrooms up there. Which led to adding walk in closets in both rooms. The, since I was already getting a contractor, I figured, why not have them knock out the wall by the stairs? And while we are knocking out walls, I guess we could get rid of this door here... and add on to the porch... and enlarge this window... and get rid of the side door and window... and extend the kitchen into the family room... you get the idea.

So from that laundry list of things we are fixing, the biggest surprise was the kitchen. I am not a super cook who needs warming drawers and granite countertops, but this kitchen was a tiny bit ridiculous. There was a total 24" of counter space. Two feet. The dishwasher was one of those European deals that is super skinny and only meant for people who shop at the original Ikea or live in New York City. There were three cabinets. Soooo I may have gotten a little carried away, but now we're redoing the kitchen!

I met with Laura, my kitchen planner, for the first time this past week. Kitchen planners are great because unfortunately, things like cabinets and appliances aren't really standard or anything. Every kitchen is different and comes with a unique set of needs. So here are some things to keep in mind when setting up your kitchen (even if you are not remodeling, keep these in mind when putting things in drawers, etc.):

- Keep in mind your three primary work spaces: refrigeration storage, cook top, and sink. Technically, these three spaces should be no more than 9' from each other (not a problem in my kitchen, haha). They should also be no closer than 4' in order to leave room for prep spaces. There should be no obstacles (such as an island or trash can) in the middle of the triangle.

- There should be at least three feet of counter space next to the sink for food preparation.

- Your dishwasher and trash receptacle should both be within two feet of the edge of your sink.

- Keep in mind landing areas. Each of your primary work spaces should have 'landing areas' nearby... basically, that is just a fancy word for counter space to drop food as you retrieve it from the refrigerator or before you throw it in a pot on the stove.

- Keep the clutter to a minimum. Your mixer, blender, food processor, coffee maker, etc. can all be stored in a cabinet when not in use. OK, maybe not the coffee maker. But things that you don't use all the time, store away. It will make you feel like a neater person and all your guests will be so impressed! And by "guests," I mean your mom.

- Don't forget to consider your primary uses for the kitchen when defining the space. Expert baker? Spring for the marble countertops. But if that is not something you consider a huge deal, save your pennies. I am not a great cook, though I love to dabble. I am also keeping in mind resale, so my kitchen won't be crazy specific as far as extras.

- Height matters. When I lived in South Carolina, I had this great loft apartment with 18' ceilings. Awesome, right? Yeah except the cabinets were proportional to the space, meaning I could only reach the first two shelves. Anything higher and I either had to hop up on the countertop or get my hand dandy reach extender. Not OK. Now I won't be designing my kitchen specifically for someone who is 5'3", but it will also not be for a giant.

Above all, when considering your kitchen set up, think logically. Cups and glasses should be close to the refrigerator. Utensils should be below dishes. Cooking utensils should be near the stove. Use your head, and enjoy an easy cooking experience. Now, learning to cook is a whole other story... I'll be working on that for awhile. Until then, I can subsist on spaghetti and scrambled eggs.