Determine Your Kitchen's FunctionsTake advantage of every inch by working as much detail as possible into your kitchen plan from the beginning. "You may find an extra 6 to 9 inches that would be great for cookie sheets, bottles of wine or a few books," says architect Amy Alper of Sonoma, California. Deciding a cabinet's function depends on its proximity to other appliances and its size — once you've decided where major plumbing fixtures and appliances will go and know exactly how much space you have, you can determine which cabinet should hold dishes and which should hold wine."Everyone uses their kitchen differently. We have the owners imagine themselves standing at each major area of the kitchen, and determine what they need within arm's reach," says Portland, Oregon, architect Hiromi Ogawa.