The late comedian George Carlin used to have a comic routine about how we always need a place to put our “stuff”. Whenever I’m working with a new client who complains about not having enough storage space in their kitchen, I am always reminded of this routine.
There are many reasons for lack of storage in a kitchen. Common problems that I often see include layout problems with appliances and cabinetry, accessibility problems with corner and wall cabinets, and not enough drawer space. However, the universal culprit of this “lack of storage” problem that I encounter across the board is really something else. It’s called “clutter” or “too much stuff”! Unfortunately, this problem can’t be cured with new cabinets and fancy storage devices. The only thing that can cure this is getting rid of stuff.
And that’s where we start. The first step in designing a great new kitchen is clearing the clutter from your existing kitchen. That’s right. “Ok, so what does that mean exactly?” you ask with a worried look on your face. That’s when I smile and gently tell you to go get some boxes.
Here’s the deal. We don’t want your new kitchen to be a repeat disaster of your old kitchen. So we take everything out of your cabinets and do a complete inventory. In other words—clear the clutter. We make 3 piles: 1) Stuff you use everyday, 2) Stuff you use occasionally, and 3) Stuff you never use and forgot you had. Guess where the stuff you never use goes? That’s right. Goodwill, a garage sale, or in the trash- you choose. Now, for the stuff you use occasionally, that doesn’t need to be in your kitchen unless you have room for it. So now, we’re left with the stuff you use everyday. Let’s talk about how we deal with that.
Every kitchen has at least 4 main zones: 1) your clean up zone, 2)your cooking zone, 3) your prep zone, and 4) your food storage zone. In larger kitchens, there may be additional zones. In each of these zones, you need to have the stuff that you use in these areas accessible. We’ll go through each of these zones briefly.
The Clean Up Zone: This zone should have cabinets for your dishes that are within easy reach of the dishwasher. Take a good look around and note any problem areas and frustrations. Before I remodeled my kitchen, I had to put up with a dishwasher that was jammed in the corner and made it impossible to load dishes into my cabinets while the dishwasher door was open. This is the kind of accessibility problem that, unfortunately, I see too often in my client’s kitchens. The other problem that I run into a lot is the lack of a trash can in the clean up area, or a tiny one shoved under the sink cabinet. In planning your new kitchen, I would definitely recommend a double trash roll out cabinet. If you prefer a trash compactor, that will work too.
The Cooking Zone: This zone includes the area on either side of your cooking surface and any adjacent prep space. This is the place where you want to keep your pots and pans, cooking utensils, spices and oils, pot holders, and anything you might need to access quickly while cooking.
Some of the issues that I commonly encounter in this area, particularly with my clients who love to cook, is the lack of storage for spices and oils. There are many storage solutions available for this problem that will be great for your new kitchen or can even be used to retrofit your existing one. A tiered spice tray that fits into your top base cabinet drawer is wonderful for small spice bottles that you need to access quickly. Spice racks that fit inside of the door are also a nice solution. My favorite is the roll out spice cabinet that may or may not be something you can do in your existing kitchen, but could definitely be specified for your new space. The other problem is lack of accessible space for pots and pans. If you don’t have deep drawers or roll outs for these items in your cabinets, you’re probably down on your hands and knees, fishing through the cabinets to get them. I prefer deep drawers over roll outs because it’s only one step, instead of two that you have to deal with when you have roll out shelves.
The Food Zone: This area houses your dry foods and canned goods. Many kitchens have some sort of cabinet pantry in their kitchen, but most have fixed shelves that cannot be adjusted and the cabinets are too deep to access the stuff in the back. Rollouts are definitely the solution here. Although there are many fancy new cabinets that have all kinds of storage compartments for pantries, they are not very flexible. You are forced to put the items of different sizes into pre-defined sections. That does not work for everybody. Refrigeration drawers can also be great if you have the room in your kitchen. These can be used to store produce and perishables that you need to get to frequently.
The Prep Zone: This is the counter space that you have the largest amount of room available and is most accessible to the sink. In a larger kitchen, having a second sink in an island that is used for a prep zone is ideal. The most common issue that I see is that most kitchens don’t have much of a prep zone and the space that they do have is not very close to a sink. This problem also makes it challenging when multiple cooks are in the kitchen at the same time. Finding space for cutting knives, mixing bowls, and other items used in this area can be another challenge without enough drawer space. There are many ways to create additional storage and prep space, depending on your layout. If you have a U shaped kitchen, a small, movable island on wheels can be a great supplement to your kitchen. If you are planning a new layout, an L shaped kitchen with an island can be designed with ample space for your prep items.
Now that we’ve gone through each of the zones and discussed problems that are typically encountered in these areas, you may feel like you can relate to some of these issues. And you may be asking yourself how clearing the clutter from your existing kitchen is going to solve the accessibility and functional problems that you’ve just identified in your kitchen. The short answer is this. By getting rid of the clutter, you will begin to understand how you really use your kitchen, the space you waste, the space you maximize, and how you should equip it. What you may find is that you don’t need more storage, just better storage…and less stuff! Once you understand what the problems really are with your existing kitchen, you are on your way to creating a fantastic new kitchen!
There are many reasons for lack of storage in a kitchen. Common problems that I often see include layout problems with appliances and cabinetry, accessibility problems with corner and wall cabinets, and not enough drawer space. However, the universal culprit of this “lack of storage” problem that I encounter across the board is really something else. It’s called “clutter” or “too much stuff”! Unfortunately, this problem can’t be cured with new cabinets and fancy storage devices. The only thing that can cure this is getting rid of stuff.
And that’s where we start. The first step in designing a great new kitchen is clearing the clutter from your existing kitchen. That’s right. “Ok, so what does that mean exactly?” you ask with a worried look on your face. That’s when I smile and gently tell you to go get some boxes.
Here’s the deal. We don’t want your new kitchen to be a repeat disaster of your old kitchen. So we take everything out of your cabinets and do a complete inventory. In other words—clear the clutter. We make 3 piles: 1) Stuff you use everyday, 2) Stuff you use occasionally, and 3) Stuff you never use and forgot you had. Guess where the stuff you never use goes? That’s right. Goodwill, a garage sale, or in the trash- you choose. Now, for the stuff you use occasionally, that doesn’t need to be in your kitchen unless you have room for it. So now, we’re left with the stuff you use everyday. Let’s talk about how we deal with that.
Every kitchen has at least 4 main zones: 1) your clean up zone, 2)your cooking zone, 3) your prep zone, and 4) your food storage zone. In larger kitchens, there may be additional zones. In each of these zones, you need to have the stuff that you use in these areas accessible. We’ll go through each of these zones briefly.
The Clean Up Zone: This zone should have cabinets for your dishes that are within easy reach of the dishwasher. Take a good look around and note any problem areas and frustrations. Before I remodeled my kitchen, I had to put up with a dishwasher that was jammed in the corner and made it impossible to load dishes into my cabinets while the dishwasher door was open. This is the kind of accessibility problem that, unfortunately, I see too often in my client’s kitchens. The other problem that I run into a lot is the lack of a trash can in the clean up area, or a tiny one shoved under the sink cabinet. In planning your new kitchen, I would definitely recommend a double trash roll out cabinet. If you prefer a trash compactor, that will work too.
The Cooking Zone: This zone includes the area on either side of your cooking surface and any adjacent prep space. This is the place where you want to keep your pots and pans, cooking utensils, spices and oils, pot holders, and anything you might need to access quickly while cooking.
Some of the issues that I commonly encounter in this area, particularly with my clients who love to cook, is the lack of storage for spices and oils. There are many storage solutions available for this problem that will be great for your new kitchen or can even be used to retrofit your existing one. A tiered spice tray that fits into your top base cabinet drawer is wonderful for small spice bottles that you need to access quickly. Spice racks that fit inside of the door are also a nice solution. My favorite is the roll out spice cabinet that may or may not be something you can do in your existing kitchen, but could definitely be specified for your new space. The other problem is lack of accessible space for pots and pans. If you don’t have deep drawers or roll outs for these items in your cabinets, you’re probably down on your hands and knees, fishing through the cabinets to get them. I prefer deep drawers over roll outs because it’s only one step, instead of two that you have to deal with when you have roll out shelves.
The Food Zone: This area houses your dry foods and canned goods. Many kitchens have some sort of cabinet pantry in their kitchen, but most have fixed shelves that cannot be adjusted and the cabinets are too deep to access the stuff in the back. Rollouts are definitely the solution here. Although there are many fancy new cabinets that have all kinds of storage compartments for pantries, they are not very flexible. You are forced to put the items of different sizes into pre-defined sections. That does not work for everybody. Refrigeration drawers can also be great if you have the room in your kitchen. These can be used to store produce and perishables that you need to get to frequently.
The Prep Zone: This is the counter space that you have the largest amount of room available and is most accessible to the sink. In a larger kitchen, having a second sink in an island that is used for a prep zone is ideal. The most common issue that I see is that most kitchens don’t have much of a prep zone and the space that they do have is not very close to a sink. This problem also makes it challenging when multiple cooks are in the kitchen at the same time. Finding space for cutting knives, mixing bowls, and other items used in this area can be another challenge without enough drawer space. There are many ways to create additional storage and prep space, depending on your layout. If you have a U shaped kitchen, a small, movable island on wheels can be a great supplement to your kitchen. If you are planning a new layout, an L shaped kitchen with an island can be designed with ample space for your prep items.
Now that we’ve gone through each of the zones and discussed problems that are typically encountered in these areas, you may feel like you can relate to some of these issues. And you may be asking yourself how clearing the clutter from your existing kitchen is going to solve the accessibility and functional problems that you’ve just identified in your kitchen. The short answer is this. By getting rid of the clutter, you will begin to understand how you really use your kitchen, the space you waste, the space you maximize, and how you should equip it. What you may find is that you don’t need more storage, just better storage…and less stuff! Once you understand what the problems really are with your existing kitchen, you are on your way to creating a fantastic new kitchen!
What is so hard about being motivated to creating a "new" look is knowing where to start. This is a great blog that gives others the knowledge of where to start and exactly what to do when we get there!
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