Linda Carucci's Kitchen: Kitchen Consulting

Linda Carucci's Kitchen before the remodel.(Photo by Al Rehmke)

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? If so, you're right in sync with the season. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, nothing inspires homeowners to redo their kitchens like the upcoming holiday season. Maybe it's visions of baking Christmas cookies with the kids. Or lingering over the breakfast table with holiday houseguests. Whatever the reason, will this be the year of your kitchen remodel?

There are plenty of books and magazines devoted to kitchen remodeling. But few actually tell you how to begin this daunting odyssey. Just like buying a car or choosing a college, it's important to do some soul-searching and research before you start writing the checks. Planning and organization up-front will help keep your costs in line and prevent your remodel from becoming a "re-muddle."

Goal-Setting: How Do You Define the Perfect Kitchen?
Perhaps you'll be satisfied just to update a few appliances, re-face the cabinets and install a sleek new countertop. Or maybe you're dying to tear down a wall and create a large island with a new six-burner stove.

My own kitchen remodeling goal was twofold: First, I wanted to create a kitchen that functioned well for frequent entertaining. Second, and not incidentally, I needed a place to work. A professionally trained chef and former dean of the California Culinary Academy, much of my work these days consists of developing recipes for cookbooks and culinary clients as well as teaching cooking classes in my home kitchen. In designing my "perfect kitchen," I envisioned the warm ambiance of a home kitchen with the efficient layout and solid equipment of a professional kitchen.

Begin by writing down, or drawing, if you're so inclinedÑthe features of your ideal kitchen. Imagine yourself cooking there. Will anyone else be in there with you? Will they be cooking? Doing homework or spreading out a newspaper? Perched on a barstool chatting? Will you be watching the news on TV?

The First Step in Preparing for Your Kitchen Remodel: Start Making Lists
If your dream kitchen has a focal point or cornerstone such as a particular stove or a built-in indoor grill, be sure to identify it early on. Make a list with the heading "Must Have" and include that stove. Title another page "To Consider" and list itemsÑmaybe an instant hot water dispenserÑthat aren't top priority, but might be nice. Keep in mind an image of the activities you and your family will perform in your ideal kitchen as you add to your lists. Be sure to share these lists with every designer, architect and contractor you interview. If you start to feel confused or overwhelmed during the decision-making phase of your remodel, a quick review of your lists will get you back on track.

Coping with the Remodeling Process: Advance Planning and Organization are Key
Next, considerÑand discuss with every family member involvedÑhow you'll physically cope with the demolition and reconstruction phases of your remodel. Would a certain time of year be most conducive to the upheaval you're about to undertake? Is there a "slow season" when your contractor charges less? (Given today's strong economy and the demand for contractors, this is unlikely, but if money is an issue it won't hurt to ask.) How frequently can you afford to eat out during the renovation? Can you cope with making the morning coffee in the bathroom and microwaving dinner in the laundry room? (While you're still in the planning phase of your remodel, consider freezing extra batches of casseroles and soups so you can enjoy the reheated flavors of your home-cooked cuisine while your kitchen is out of service.)

It's also important to organize the myriad paperwork you'll accumulate as you remodel your kitchen. Set up a file drawer where you can storeÑand easily retrieveÑmanufacturers' brochures, photos you tear out of magazines and notes you scribble in the middle of the night. If you've already amassed a single overstuffed "Kitchen Remodel" file, it's time to break it up into separate files for Kitchen Appliances, Sinks/Faucets, Countertops, Floors, Cabinets, Lighting, Furnishings and Miscellaneous. It's also helpful to keep separate files for your "Must Have" and "To Consider" lists, Blueprints and Important Dimensions, Magazine Articles/Photos, Contractors, and Estimates/Invoices. Years after your remodel you'll still refer to these files when you need to look up a warranty or find operating instructions for the self-cleaning feature of your oven.

Taking Stock of Available Storage: What's Really Necessary
Fairly early in the decision-making phase, you'll want to start thinking about cabinets. There are basically three options here: ready-made cabinets that come in stock dimensions; semi-custom cabinets that are basically already built, but can be tailored to your specific needs; and custom-built cabinets that are designed and built just for your kitchen.

It's hard to know what configuration of cabinets and drawers will work best in your kitchen until you do a little research to understand your particular kitchen storage needs. So, before you even visit your first kitchen showroom, start taking copious notes. Set up a notebook on your kitchen counter in a place that's accessible, yet out of the way of spills and splashes. Use a new page for each day and write the date at the top of the page. Each time you're in the kitchen during the day, write down which appliances, cookware and unusual tools you used. When you cook, make a note of where you do the chopping, measuring, rolling, kneading and other tasks. Keep track of other family members' kitchen activities and what space and equipment they use while performing them. Each time you wish your present kitchen were different, make a note of that, too. A typical entry might read, "Countertop crowded with empty soda cansÉtoo rainy to take them outdoorsÉneed indoor recycling center." Add to these lists for at least two weeks, preferably for a month. Then, go through your cabinets and drawers and make another list of every item you didn't use within the month. Is there another place to store these things? If you're short on space, this is a good way to determine what can be kept in auxiliary storage in a laundry room or pantry. Be open-minded about what you discover. I'd always assumed I used my food processor on a regular basis. After two weeks of recording, I realized I hadn't used the food processor once. By storing it in a hall pantry (just steps away from the kitchen) I freed up valuable counter space and no longer have to wipe it down every time I inadvertently splash something on it.

Eliminate Clutter: Use It or Lose It
Look at what's currently on your countertops. Is the toaster oven worth all the space it takes or could you live with a new slim-line toaster that stays in a drawer when it's not in use?

Make another list of items you'd like to store differently. Would you like a more sanitary or convenient way to collect compost or trash? Maybe you long for a dishwasher so silent you could run it during dinner parties. And don't forget the family pet: If you create a designated alcove for the dog's water bowl, people would be less likely to trip over it. Knives presently stored in a bulky knife block on the counter can be stored in a drawer with built-in knife inserts (or purchase such an insert at a hardware store and install it yourself).

Rather than storing pots and pans in the "Bermuda Triangle" corner cabinet, keep cookware in deep drawers with full-extension glides that allow you to see everything at a glance.

These exercises are valuable for anyone figuring out how to organize a kitchen. But they're particularly helpful if you have limited space. You may discover that you've assigned favored-location status to equipment you use infrequently. Observe a simple rule of thumb for kitchen storage: use it or lose it. If you don't use a bulky piece of kitchen equipment at least once during the course of a week, store it in an auxiliary location.

Ten Tips for Sensible Kitchen Lay-Out
Once you've determined what you want to store in your new kitchen, it's time to consider the layout of the room. Here are some simple guidelines.

In situations where just one person works in the kitchen at a time, consider the efficiency of the classic triangle layout for your refrigerator, stove and sink. The triangle doesn't have to be equilateral, but try to minimize the number of steps among the three points. If possible, position your primary work area (where you'll do most of your chopping, for example) on one side of an island or peninsula so you can look out into your family room or through a window.
If you have plenty of room, or if more than one person works in the kitchen at a time, consider an alternative to the classic triangle. Create separate workstations for various kitchen tasks. A baking station near a wall oven would include storage for baking ingredients, utensils and related equipment. This station might feature a built-in marble slab for keeping doughs cool. Consider lowering the counter height in this section of the kitchen for ergonomic benefits when using a rolling pin or whisk. An appliance garage on the counter in the baking station is a perfect place to house your electric stand mixer. Just roll up the garage door and slide the mixer forward when you need it. When you're not using the mixer, it stays clean and out of sight.
When selecting cabinets, to maximize accessible and visible storage space consider drawers instead of doors. For extra "counter" space where you're likely to need it most, install pullout breadboards above drawers near the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. Pull out a breadboard when you're unpacking groceries, loading or unloading the dishwasher, or transferring food from the stove to a heavy platter.
Right-handed people have an easier timeÑand chip fewer dishesÑloading a dishwasher that's installed to the right of the sink. (Even if you're a southpaw, this is an important consideration for resale value.)
Simplify the task of unloading the dishwasher by storing frequently used items like flatware, glasses and dishes in close proximity to the dishwasher.
Store glasses in a cabinet near the refrigerator so people don't have to trek across the room to pour a glass of juice. If your refrigerator and glasses cabinet are close to the dining area, people don't have to walk through the kitchen just to get a drink.
Keep flatware in a drawer relatively close to the table where you eat.
Store potholders in a drawer near the oven; kitchen towels in a drawer near the sink.
Allow at least 18 inches of countertop on each side of the stove for pot handles to extend and for platters, cooking utensils and bowls of prepped ingredients. Leave enough space between the back of your cooktop and your backsplash for large saut„ pans to sit centered on back burners.
Finally, don't forget to find a place for the telephone and its accompanying directory, notepad, pencils, etc. I wired my phone right into a kitchen drawer where it stays clean and its ring is muffled when I'm teaching a class in the kitchen.

With a bit of research and some careful planning, you'll be well on your way to designing your perfect kitchen.

Copyright Linda Carucci. All rights reserved.