136-chop-zonePlanning the aesthetics of your kitchen remodel can be a lot of fun.  Sometimes it’s so easy to get wrapped up in colors and materials that people often forget to include elements that are important when it comes time to put that space to use.

Here are a few areas you’ll want your kitchen designer to organize well in your space to make your life easier:

Preparation Area

Preparing meals is fun when you have the space and everything you need within reach.  Things to plan for in this area are countertop space, chopping tools (i.e. butcher block, knives), storage for stirring, measuring and mixing tools and appliances.  Keep in mind that you may also want storage for casserole dishes and cookbooks nearby as well.  During preparation, we’re often discarding items like used boxes, peels, cores and seeds, so it would be beneficial to have your trashcan nearby.

Cooking Area

It’s obvious that this area will include a stove, oven and likely a microwave, but make sure you include features that will make it work well for you such as proper storage for pots, pans and lids, an area close-by for spices and of course cooking utensils.

Cleaning & Accessing Water

Your kitchen sink and dishwasher will be the highlights in this area, but additional things to think about when it comes to this space are location of cleaning supplies, and also those that depend on water to function (such as your coffee maker).  Keep in mind that you’ll likely be scraping what you don’t want down your disposal into the trash bin before finally placing your items in the dishwasher, so you may want to keep your trashcan within reach from this area as well.

Other details to think about are storage for dishtowels and also items that frequent the dishwasher (dishes, glassware, silverware, etc).

Eating/Socializing

If you have the space, this is a great area to include in your design.  In this area, you’ll want additional countertop space and seating.  Islands are a popular space to facilitate this area, or along a countertop bar.

Kitchens vary, so if you’re not able to include a specific zone for each of these activities to call its own, that’s ok.  Some areas may overlap, but the most important thing is to make sure your layout makes sense so that you won’t have regrets later.

If this article got you in the mood to cook, check out this free recipe book: