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K I TC H E N/ B A T H e d uc a t i on s e r i e s R A place for everything egardless of a kitchen's size, organization is a must for most people who love to cook. Time wasted looking for the right- sized pan can take the fun out of cooking that special meal. A good kitchen designer will spend time inter- viewing clients to determine how they want things stored in their kitchen. Occasionally, the designer will be asked to recommend locations for kitchen storage. This is not common, but it happens. Ideally, the best way to plan kitchen stor- age is to arrange the kitchen in an organized manner. The smallest kitchen should have a minimum of three basic centers: refrigeration/ food storage, sink/clean-up and cooking center. As these centers are planned, place the sink/ clean-up center in the middle of the other two centers. Each center will have utensils, pots, pans and dishes unique to that specific center. However, there are some items that might be used in more than one place. Utensils used in the cook center for stirring also could be used for transferring food from cooking pans to serv- ing bowls and platters. Therefore, some items would best be stored between two centers for quicker access. Ask your clients to name their six most-used pots and pans. A typical list might include a couple of different sized sauce pans, two dif- ferent sized frying pans, a casserole dish and a covered baking dish. These items should be stored between the cooking center and the sink/ clean-up center. By storing these items between the two centers where they will be used, it will be easier to get to them when cooking and easy to put away after cleaning. If I had planned a wide, three-drawer base cabinet between the cooking surface and the clean-up center, these six items would be in the middle drawer with less frequently used pots and pans in the bottom drawer. The top drawer would contain utensils, 14 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 pot holders and other items commonly used during cooking activities. Storing items at point of first use is the No. 1 thing to consider when planning storage in the kitchen. If I am standing in front of the cooking surface, what are some of the things I would need to complete my task? Spices, pots, pans and lids come to mind first. These items should be within arm's reach of the cook. Spices can be stored in either horizontal spice racks in base cabinet drawers, or in swing-out racks mounted in wall cabinets. Baking pans and trays can create a storage problem unless they are separated with vertical tray dividers. Nine-inch tray base cabinets with dividers can hold several trays, and since they are stacked vertically they will be easy to reach with little bending. Trays also can be stored vertically at the top of oven cabinets. Storing items within a comfortable reach is the next important consideration. Store the most utilized items in a space between 15 and 48 inches above the floor, in the area between the knees and shoulders of most people. This space will be more important to our older cli- ents. When placing roll-out trays in tall utility cabinets, keep them in this 15- to 48-inch area. Since typical wall cabinet storage will not meet the 48-inch dimension mentioned above, con- sider pull-down wall cabinet storage. S toring items in convenient accessory spaces is another important consideration. The kitchen is the location of many accidents, and disorganized storage is the cause of many mishaps. A cutlery divider will organize the flatware, while a knife drawer can keep the knives accessible but safely stored. Sometimes these two accessories can be within the same drawer space. Consider pull-out waste contain- ers for trash and recyclables storage, as recy- cling is easier if it is convenient. If the recycling container is next to the trash container in one r e si d e n t ia l d e s i gn + b u i l d A well-organized kitchen improves functionality, safety and productivity PHOTO COURTESY KRAFTMAID Ç Previously unusable space is made functional thanks to specialized hardware and shelving like that shown here from KraftMaid. base cabinet, you are more apt to recycle the item rather than take placing it in a separate container. Storing items in previously unused spaces is much easier now than in kitchens designed several years ago. Blind corner cabinets now have accessory units that provide access to space we could not use in the past, by using half-circle shelves or slide-out trays. Spices and other small items can now be stored vertically behind fill- ers in pull-out shelves. Additionally, tilt-down trays in sink bases can hide cleaning supplies normally found behind the sink on the counter. Remember, the most important part of a glamorous kitchen may be a well-designed and convenient storage space. ■ David Newton has more than 36 years' experience in the kitchen and bathroom industry in cabinet building, project installation, kitchen design and layout, and sales. In 1989, Newton formed David Newton and Associates, Knoxville, Tenn., and devoted 100 percent of his time to training kitchen and bath designers. F o r R e si d e n t ia l P r o s . c o m