deglazing.com

Recently, I began the process of trying to design a really great kitchen for the house we are building.  I have to say I was pretty overwhelmed with all of the options out there.  Every cook dreams of Viking appliances, granite counters, high-end custom cabinets, but we can’t all afford these luxury items.  When my husband and I discussed the kitchen, we knew it was going to be the heart of our home, so we decided to put a little more into the kitchen.  We reached this decision after living many years in a variety of really small homes with non-existent kitchens.  Right now I have so many kitchen appliances on my very small counter I can’t even roll out dough properly without having to move everything in my kitchen. 

I decided I wanted to do it right, so we read as much as we could on the options.  One of my favorite books on kitchens was Better Homes and Gardens Kitchens Dream it. Plan it. Remodel it.  I found this book to be extremely helpful.  The first point they made was the placement of the “kitchen work triangle”.  The work triangle consists of the fridge, the sink, and the cooktop or range.  Someone who cooks frequently will want to keep the distance between the center of the sink, the center of the fridge, and the center of the cooktop between 22 and 26 feet total. Each side of the triangle should measure 4 feet to 9 feet.  The next thing to consider is the different activities that will be done in the kitchen at the same time, to avoid kitchen pileups.  Then you want to look at the shape of your kitchen - do you want an L-shape with an island or a U-shape. 

Once you get a feel for your space you need to look at materials.  What materials are there available to you?  In cabinetry the options are endless, but the really important thing to consider is - do you want custom, semi-custom, or stock cabinets.  Stock cabinets are the cheapest at $60 - $200 per linear foot.  These cabinets are in stock and are not available in special sizes.  The next option is the semi-custom.  Some modifications can be done to semi-custom cabinets.  There is a longer wait for these cabinets, they typically cost $100 - $650 per linear foot.  The last type of cabinets is the custom cabinet.  They are just what the name implies.  They can be built just the way you want them.  Custom cabinets take a very long time to complete.  The cost is also prohibitive at $500 - $1,200 per linear foot.

So that’s the basics on kitchen shape and cabinet choices tune in tomorrow for a discussion on countertop and flooring options.  Friday we will finish this discussion with appliance options.