As summer ends and fall closes in, many people think about improving the interior of their house. A good area to tackle in the fall is the kitchen. Start planning your new kitchen in September, and it should be ready well in time for Christmas.

The quickest way to get a new kitchen is by dropping into a kitchen cabinet dealer and letting them make all the decisions. They have many styles, finishes and colors to choose from, and many can show you a three-dimensional computer model of your new kitchen.

The quickest route is not always the best way to achieve your dream kitchen. If you have a unique kitchen design in mind, it’s better to do some homework before approaching the dealers. For example, if your kitchen is expanding, thereby affecting the layout of adjacent rooms, it is unlikely cabinet dealers will be able to provide design advice about changes to the overall floor plan.

When renovating a kitchen, the main goals are improving looks, spatial flow, seating and convenience. If you’ve bought an older house over the summer, the layout may be fine, but the style a remnant of the late 1970’s. If you own a late-model home, with its typically undersized kitchen and dining room, creating larger, more comfortable work and seating areas may be the main focus. Since kitchen renovations are the most expensive per square foot, first identify the items needing improvement.

In designing a house, architects think in terms of the layout of every square foot of space, but in designing a kitchen, they think of every square inch of space. Kitchen design requires greater attention to detail since there are many types of work and storage spaces, and close coordination of mechanical and electrical items is essential.

The main complaints about kitchen design are lack of counter space, minimal storage shelving, narrow cupboard doors, awkward seating, dim lighting, and poor proximity of the main functional elements. Study your present kitchen to see if the present space can be better organized before considering an expansion.

Increase counter space by creating openings in the upper cabinets for small appliances such as the microwave oven. A six-inch wide glass shelf between the counter and upper cabinets is handy for displaying spices and decorative utensils. Strip fluorescent lights under the upper cabinets brighten the countertops.

If space permits, a free-standing island greatly increases work and storage areas. Locate the island within view of the dining room table and install a built-in cooktop so you can show off your culinary talents to guests. If a skylight is located over it, you can even have your very own “island in the sun”.

When designing a kitchen layout, think of circulation patterns. To prevent traffic jams, avoid alley kitchens where the work area doubles as the main thoroughfare between living room and basement. One entrance to the kitchen is best to reduce traffic through the work area.

Think of the order in which you do things. Place the fridge and pantry near the entrance where groceries are received. Locate the food preparation area between the fridge and stove, yet within reasonable reach of the sink for rinsing vegetables. Between the stove and dining table have a serving area for hot food. A dumb waiter near the dining table helps to quickly remove soiled dishes out of sight.

Trying to improve the look of your kitchen can sometimes have the opposite effect. Before tearing your kitchen apart, first work out the fine details. And don’t forget the most important rule of kitchen design – make sure there’s room for more than one chef!

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

Making the most of available counter space means providing ample work surfaces at critical points around the kitchen. For convenience and safety the following areas are recommended.

RANGE
16″ counter space on each side.

REFRIGERATOR
16″ counter space on the opening side of a single door type, or 16″ on either side of a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer.

SINK
24″ clean-up space on one side and 18″ on the other side.

WORK AREA
36″ is required for each cook to call their own. One work area should be near the sink.

BAKE CENTER
48″ wide counter area. Counter should be 6″ lower than the height of your elbow bent at a 90 degree angle.