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 Kitchen Planner
A guide to the busiest room in your home
by Jessica Tolliver

For most of us, one of the most eagerly anticipated rooms in a new home is the kitchen. Regardless of our current kitchen's amenities, we all want more counter space, extra storage for utensils, or better lighting in key work areas.

That makes sense. After all, the kitchen serves as the hub of family activities—day in and day out. Besides cooking here, we eat, pay bills, work on crafts, plan the week's menus, visit with friends and catch up after a day at work or school.

Building a new home gives you the opportunity to get exactly what you need and want out of this important area, with none of the limitations of remodeling an existing kitchen.

So what do you do with this blank slate? First, you ask yourself a lot of questions. Take a look at your current kitchen and the way your family uses it.

• Do one or more people cook at one time?
• How many join in cleanup?
• Do you have enough counter space?
• Are the countertops too high or too low?
• Is the work triangle—made up of the sink, stove and refrigerator—outside the flow of traffic?
• Do you need more storage space?
• Do you use the kitchen for other activities?
• Do you need an informal eating area?
• How many small appliances do you use daily?
• How do you handle recycling?

In addition to considering the nuts and bolts of a kitchen, look around for as many ideas as possible. Leaf through home-related magazines and product literature, visit showrooms and check out friends' kitchens. Keep a file of all the good ideas you find.

Don't pass by anything at this point because of cost. Right now you want ideas and inspiration. Later on, take those ideas and adapt them to your specific needs and budget.

Also, when looking at kitchen layouts in home plans, don't rule out a design you otherwise like just because the kitchen needs tweaking. Maybe you want a vegetable sink in the island, or storage for dishes and flatware closer to the dishwasher. With the help of a professional designer, you can probably incorporate these details into the design.

Before you make your kitchen a reality, settle on a budget. Most often, the price tag for the kitchen runs higher than for any other room in the home, so careful attention to the bottom line is crucial.

When most of us undertake an expensive project like building a home, we start with a dream and then scale back to meet a realistic budget.To do this, make lists of what you need and what you want out of a kitchen, and prioritize them. Use those lists to decide what you will do without or what you will add later on.

When choosing appliances and products, weigh bargains against quality. High-quality appliances save money on maintenance and utility bills, so a cheap price tag up front could end up costing more money in the long run. If you find a bargain, make sure you are getting a product that will stand the tests of time and family use—or abuse. Once you have a framework for your kitchen in mind, go out and make it happen. Remember that your family will probably be spending a significant amount of time in this space. Take the time now to make sure you end up with a kitchen that reflects and meets your family's lifestyle.

Ten Tips for a Better Kitchen

1. Look for a kitchen that opens to adjacent living areas, letting the cook visit with the family.
2. Make sure there are plenty of electrical outlets for appliances.
   Do you have kids? If so . . .
3. Choose countertops with rounded corners.
4. Get a cooktop with the controls on top.
5. Install a hot-water limiter on the faucet.
6. Put childproof locks on drawers with cleaning supplies and knives.
7. Install counters at varied heights—one for chopping, one for kneading, etc.
8. Create a sit-down workspace for planning menus, taking messages, etc.
9. Get skid-proof flooring.
10. Storage! Storage! Storage!

Here are some Web links to help you start imagining and planning your dream kitchen!

Kitchen Resources:
Aristokraft
Ikea
Kraftmaid
Merillat
GE Appliances
Kohler
Viking

Additional Tips and Related Articles:
Kitchen & Bath Business
National Kitchen and Bath Association

Expense Calculator
Cabinetry (including a planning desk and interior storage units)	$_____
Countertops and backsplashes	$_____
Dishwasher	$_____
Flooring	$_____
Garbage disposal	$_____
Indoor grill	$_____
Lighting	$_____
Microwave	$_____
Pantry organizer	$_____
Plumbing	$_____
Range (or cooktop and ovens)	$_____
Range hood	$_____
Refrigerator/freezer	$_____
Sink(s) and faucet(s)	$_____
Telephone/intercom	$_____
Trash compactor	$_____
TV/VCR	$_____
Ventilation	$_____
Warming oven	$_____
Water (hot or cold) dispenser	$_____
Water purifier	$_____
Wine cooler	$_____
Total	$_____