Editorial 1: What will you change?
My kitchen planner, step 1: What do you do?
Try this. Put a pen and paper in the kitchen and ask everyone to write down what they do when they're in there. If you wish, download and print our form (it's in PDF format, try the link, and if it doesn't work you probably need to download and install Adobe Reader to view it). You'll probably be surprised at the length of the list, from washing gardening boots to doing homework, from talking on the phone to brushing the dog, and from watching television to chatting over wine with friends .. kitchens are not simply used for cooking.
What about things you'd like to be able to do in the kitchen, but can't? Can the kids play while you cook? Can friends talk while you cook? Is there somewhere you can sit quietly to do the finances? Add these to the list if you want them.
As you see, the kitchen is probably the most multi-functional room in the house. If you like, now's a good time to prioritise your list, considering the frequency and the amount of time spent on each task. Maybe welly washing only happens once a month or so, while cooking happens three times a day. Prioritise your list according to your own needs. Kitchen design is all about making your kitchen fit your lifestyle.
The top fifth of your list contains the key tasks and should probably have their own areas, their own dedicated kitchen zones. If eating, cooking and laundry are the key tasks, you should plan your kitchen primarily for those tasks.
