apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I don't think we should be so quick to toss out the work triangle concept. Particularly in one-cook households, it's really convenient and efficient to have the refrigerator, sink, and range/cooktop in a logical progression.

The new obsession with "stations" seems to be pulled from restaurants, where there are several chefs/sous chefs assigned to different tasks, and thus they can focus on their own particular area. They don't need to be able to move between the storage, prep/cleanup, and cooking zones as much as a person cooking at home.

My own experience with a stove that is separate from the prep/cleanup areas is that it's inefficient, causes greater mess as you move foods back and forth over a larger area, and is potentially dangerous when you have to walk across the kitchen with big pots of boiling water or hot soup. And my kitchen is only 9 x 12.

I hope to renovate my kitchen soon, and I will definitely pay attention to the work triangle. I think it makes sense.

Best Tip: Plan to re-use or re-purpose as much as you possibly can. The cost and waste of most renovations is crazy and something like 80% or more of all waste generated can be recycled. When we remodeled we hired a dumpster service that tracked and recycled the waste, giving us a report. We re-used our old cabinets for more storage else-where in the house, pulled up and then re-laid our wood floor, sold or gave away old paint and light fixtures and purchased our appliances at a discount from a condo model. They were a couple of years old, but basically un-used! Waste can be reduced by careful dismantle-ing of cabinets, light fixtures etc. so that they could be re-used, if not by you, then someone else! Sell or give pieces away through craigslist or freecycle and look for materials through the same venues or auctions or local contractors, architects, interior designers and the like that may have clients who over-purchased or made a mistake and want to sell materials for a reduced price. Good luck! It's a total headache while it's happening, but satisfying when it's finished! I'll enjoy that satisfaction when I replace my stand-in countertops with "real" ones!

and I think that the work triangle can be expanded in height. There is a comment about the sink that shouldn't be too deep. I'd agree with that. But I think that there should be the space for spices/herbs/flours/sugars and so on easily reachable above the working area. Similarly, often used utensil should not be too far down (I don't like spending my time on my knees looking for the right pot).

I also like the idea of keeping big utensils (food processor, mixer and so on) on the counter top. I find it quite inspiring, since they are in front of you, you can easily include them in your cooking if you're making up a recipe.

The double sink is important.
A good ventilation is essential too.
I like some space, especially since I like to cook with someone or at least have people in the kitchen with me.

While a great kitchen doesn't make you start cooking (I had one that had a tiny fridge, double sink, stove and counter space, still cooked more than most of my friends), it does give you the initiative of cooking more intricate dishes.

I think that it's important to think about what your kitchen is:
-a work area.
-a design statement.
-a room you rarely visit (except for the microwave).

There is no point spending tons on stainless steel appliance if only the microwave will be used. And there is no point working with slightly fragile "good looking" design if you will spend 2-3 hours a day in there cooking (that is why stainless steel is used in pro kitchen).

How many *apartment* dwellers will actually use any of this? I'd love to dump a few grand into a kitchen remod, but not while I'm renting.

I renovated my kitchen a couple of years ago ... here are my words of advice.

1) Pre-fab can look just as fabulous as custom. I went with an IKEA kitchen (Adel Medium Brown), and I still rave about it to anyone who will listen! lol

2) Stay away from the open cabinet shelving you see in the magazines UNLESS you plan to use it for display only. I personally don't have open cabinetry, but I can only imagine the maintenance involved in keeping it tidy. And ew, it also gets dusty!

3) Get deep drawers in your base cabs to store your plates and bowls. I can't figure out why people store plates in the upper cabinets -- it's so awkward! Well, unless you're tall, I guess. Which I'm not!!

4) If you're going to renovate your kitchen, make sure it's in keeping with the rest of your house. Don't go ultra-modern or trendy while the rest of your house is decked out in traditional furnishings.

5) Try not to get too distracted about what's trendy, especially if it's not practical!! When my husband and I were planning out our kitchen, he recommended we tear down the wall connecting the kitchen to the dining room. He wanted to create an open concept space and also install a bar-height counter with stools. Okay, number one, I don't do stools! They're uncomfortable and I would never use them. And two, I like that my kitchen has 4 walls. We're messy people and don't want to be eating our dinner in the dining room staring at the mess on the counter and in the sink!