Creating Your Perfect Kitchen

Remodeling your kitchen can be an overwhelming task. The number of decisions that need to be made is nothing short of staggering. However, by planning ahead and figuring out what you want most from your kitchen, you can save yourself headaches and complete the kitchen of your dreams.

There are countless things to consider when redesigning your kitchen, so here is a list of some of the most important things to keep in mind when planning your new kitchen:

Don't waste steps: organize your kitchen items by keeping objects close to areas where those items are needed. Keep breakfast foods and bowls near the area where you prepare the first meal of the day. Place the dishwasher near the cabinets where you will keep your dishes and flatware.

Give yourself room to maneuver: aim to make the paths through your kitchen at least 36 inches wide. In areas where cooking happens, the walking zone should be increased to at least 42 inches wide. This helps ease the juggling acts that can happen when there are multiple people in the kitchen.

Keep away from corners: position appliances away from corners and make sure that you plan spaces for the doors in your kitchen to swing fully. This helps to make sure that your cabinet doors won't bang into each other if opened at the same time.

Know the function of your island: If you plan to eat and cook on your kitchen island, then be sure to allocate enough space to keep the cooktop separated from the dining surface.

Give yourself enough landing space: give yourself at least 15 inches of countertop on both sides of a cooktop, the refrigerator, and if you have the room, the microwave. This will ensure that you have enough room to use all of these appliances, and you will never be starved for space when unloading groceries.

Store your knives: having a designated spot for knives can help keep them out of the reach of children. Having a knife drawer keeps dangerous tools in a single spot, and away from grabbing little hands.

Power-up your kitchen: make sure to include multiple outlets in your kitchen, along both the backsplash and on the island. This ensures that you will always be able to plug in an appliance when you need it.

Incorporate a message center: at some point during the day, every family member uses the kitchen. Adding a message center can help you and your family members keep track of what groceries are needed, but any other communications that need to be seen.

Cut down on cleaning: There are a few things that you can do to reduce the amount of cleaning you do in your kitchen. Glass shelves in your refrigerator can catch spills that other materials will allow to penetrate. Use under-mounted sinks to avoid crumb-catching rims on standard sink fixtures. Finally, matte finishes on countertops don't show as much dirt as glossy finishes.

There are many other solutions that can be incorporated, so use your imagination to help you come up with your ideal kitchen. With a little pre-planning, this idea can become a reality.