I'll add to lissa comprehensive post. I'd did some of the same. I also paid very very close attention to how I prep, cook, and clean up in my current kitchen. Even though the new kitchen will be a totally different layout then the one in this home; I realized that there are several things I tend to do; whether out of habit or necessity; that helped drive my new layout. For example; I tend to get out all my ingredients ahead of time which gave me more flexibility on frig and pantry placement. I also tend to use a small trash (Publix) bag on the counter for trash as I'm prepping... so a trash pullout though great; was not a priority. Most importantly for me; I realized I tend to prep on one side of the cooktop and not both. That realization helped me to decide to move my range over giving me a small space on one side but a larger space on the other. One last example; I discoverd that symmetry is not as important to me as balance.

I know for sure the most helpful thing was posting on this forum and reading other posts. If you do post a layout; be patient, open, and invite criticism. Not negativity mind you; but objectivity. It's hard... especially if your new to the game and just spent 5 hours working up what you thougth was the best layout ever that incorporated all the suggestions from a previous post. Within an hour; you'll realize all that you still have yet to rework. Don't get discouraged. Walk away, moan, pout, then get back to the drawing board and get to work again. Even though I've get to start; I know my layout is perfect for the space I have to work with, the way I love to prep/cook, and the budget we want to work within.

Be honest with yourself and determine whether your motivation is form or function. In the beginning, I'll be honest and say I was so influenced by the gorgeous kitchens I saw that I was trying to put too much into a small odd space. Trying to make my kitchen into something it wasn't. After much input and reflection; I learned that I will value function over form in the long term and then learned to embrace the layout we finalized.

I've been talking about this for a year and a half... we should start getting down and dirty this spring. I absolutely cannot wait!

I knew even before I closed on my house that I would someday rip out my kitchen, because it was seriously fugly. I lived with it for seven years. I obsessively flipped through every kitchen mag and book in Barnes & Noble. I drooled over every gorgeous shiny new kitchen here.

Yet, more important than the aesthetics, for me, was the function of the kitchen. In that 7yrs time I solidified what I wanted in a kitchen. Outside of the cosmetics, I learned that I did not want blind cabinets of any kind. My ex-kitchen(from here out abbr. to xk) had 6(!) of them. I wanted cabs to the ceiling. My xk had a drop ceiling and soffits which didn't utilize the vertical space available. I have monkey like arms and can use 8ft cabs. I only need a step-stool for the back of the upper corner cabs and I remembered to build in a spot for the step stool. I wasted steps in my xk walking from my prep area to my trash or recycling areas. I hated that I had to turn on the lights in my xk no matter what time of day it was, because there was no natural light in there. I found myself making notes of what really bugged me about my xk. Those notes developed into a rudimentary kitchen plan and layout.

I found this site a little late in the planning stages and didn't fully utilize it. I was afraid of de-lurking and didn't ask questions when I should. I didn't get everything right, but have been making notes for next time.

I'll add to your excellent post.

My planning happened relatively quickly, as we had a water leak that necessitated ripping out about half the kitchen. It was poorly laid out before, and I had no intention of rebuilding that design, so I had a short time to plan it all.

Even though we aren't done(we will be in about two weeks), we've been functional for a while and I can tell you that I really love my layout.

The BEST thing I did in my planning was to assign a location for everything that I own in the kitchen. I made sure that every thing goes where it will be used. Prep materials next to the sink, pots and pans under the cooktop, baking pans in under the butcher block, etc.

I wanted to share that because it has really made all the difference for me and I absolutely love my kitchen layout and how it functions.

Can I add to the above excellent advice?

We radically altered the layout of our kitchen and I spent hours and hours, days and months working on the layout as our kitchen is relatively small.

When I though I had a working plan, I blocked it all out in the garage with tables and packing boxes I got from the local appliance store.

Despite some criticism on here about how the layout would never work, and even more from my mom and sis, I "baked and cooked" my way through some of our favorite recipes in the garage "kitchen" and with very few tweaks, had a kitchen layout perfect for us.

Working with the cabinet maker resulted in a few more tweaks - he never said anything was impossible and had ideas for using up one blind space (now my stepstool storage) that has resulted in a kitchen layout so well thought out that 4 cooks can work effortlessly together without getting in each others way.

Don't be afraid to adjust something to work for you and trust yourself too. And if you have the space, lay it all out and work your way through your favorite recipes

Loves2Cookfor6, I love your kitchen! I'm not into contemporary AT ALL, but your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous! It looks perfectly workable to me, and I especially adore your pantry...which won't work in my tiny space, but looks so convenient for yours!

RemodelFla, 1, I'd love to know where in FL you are, since I'm there too...St Lucie County (Fort Pierce). 2, for some reason I thought your kitchen was already done and I spent some time in the FKB the other day looking for a drawer I thought was in your kitchen. :)

Amy, Are you in the FKB? I'll have to look. I'm also redoing my kitchen because of a water leak. My dishwasher flooded the whole kitchen last January. I'm in the final stages of dealing with the insurance company.

laxsupermom, I don't know what a blind cabinet is, but it doesn't sound appealing at all. Isn't it great to know that someone has already done everything you're considering? :)

Thank you! These are great ideas. I am going to cook some of my recipes in a fake kitchen! :)

lissa... I'm a bit further south then you in Broward County. The house we're going to do is in Hollywood, Fla. and we haven't even made the structural changes yet!

With my planning I found that it changed as I went along.
Originally, over a year ago when I began planning and found this site,
I was dead set on opening all the walls into the L/R. After a year of
research and budgeting in what was most important...
the load bearing walls stayed and the appliances got better.
So unless you have no constraints, financially or space wise...you will have some give and take.
Just try to love every item you purchase and make the layout work the way you work.
I am really happy with how its turning out so far and so excited that "I" planned it!
Best of luck!
vic

Remodel, You're very close! Nice to meet a neighbor on here! :)

Twinkletoes, I'm glad this helped you some. That was the point! :)