Re island clutter, I am afflicted w/ that, too. The most frustrating component of the clutter is mail, which aggravates me b/c I had cubbies put in the hutch across from the island for the purpose of organizing mail. I think it's a variation of the old saw "Work expands to fill the time allotted" to "Clutter expands to fill the space available". :-)

@Bruce Crawford, this is why I must have an island with drawers in it, or at least a low shelf near the floor where i can throw all the stuff in a bin for later - when I have 15 minutes to go through it and put everything in it's place. My island is a magnet for clutter!

There is no clutter on my kitchen island. My family knows if they put anything there, I'll take a swipe at their hands with my chef's knife, now more conveniently located on a metallic strip on the pantry wall...

No mail clutter on my island. We receive lots & lots of catalogs in the mail each day along with everything else. Upon getting the mail I immediately separate it into “trash” vs “keep” piles. The keep stack then goes upstairs to my office & the trash immediately goes into our recycling bin.

Thank you Bruce Crawford.

Like how much does this reno cost? I would be figuring out how long I would be able to eat out for with the same amount of money...so many choices to make :)

Rita -- Sorry for the late response. I'll try, but in addition to a small kitchen, I don't have a smartphone (or a camera!) Maybe I can find a picture on the web that matches what I have.

Edited to add: This is fairly close to what I have except the cabinets and hood on mine are a creamy light yellow and the countertop is tile. Like here, the refrigerator is behind cabinetry but I don't have an oven (I have a dishwasher). My kitchen unit doesn't extend into a mirrored sitting area like this one. It just stops where you see the hood/countertop stops in this photo, where in my house there is the back wall. So the whole kitchen unit takes up half a wall.

Opposite my kitchen unit I have a large farm table with six chairs. A huge china cabinet anchors the wall opposite the kitchen unit. And below is the view out the window looking the other way, so I don't mind having a small kitchen!

ital mover, living in Italy, what a wonderful experience for you! Enjoy it for all the rest of us that would love to visit there. Thanks for sharing.

I think it would definitely inspire me to eat better!

Guess it really just depends. We are almost done with our kitchen remodel, it was a gut job that involved moving a wall and some appliance locations. It has been a long haul because my hubby has been doing all of the work (except installing the granite on our perimeter counters, and installing our massive 60" range... but he only paid to have that done because there is no way to enter our house without navigating a lot of stairs and he didn't want to risk moving the behemoth.) But because we've done the designing and work, we've been able to afford some pretty fancy upgrades that you tend to see in high end designer kitchens that most only have for show.
But don't be deceived, my kitchen is a true work horse. I don't always use multiple burners on my 60" range, but there have been MANY times already in under a year where I HAVE had both ovens going, along with 4 burners, and the griddle all at the same time... and yes, it takes a lot of moving and know how to have it all going at once when you only have two hands. However, it turned what used to take me hours to finish into taking under an hour to finish. (The indoor grill is nice to have, but I use the griddle a lot more often.) No, I'm not a caterer or some cooking blogger... I'm just a homeschool mom with a fairly large family (i.e., I cook in bulk often) and I appreciate having nice tools. I buy a few convenience food items here and there, but my food budget does a lot a better when I cook from scratch, and I do most of the time.

I cook a lot more from scratch now compared to before we remodeled the kitchen and most of the reason has to do with finally having things well organized and having good prep space again. Yes, it was possible in my other kitchen, but it was miserable so I relied on quick convenience more often just so I didn't have to deal with such a poorly functioning kitchen. (That someone else built for "looks" but must've never used...) Oh, I also cook more of the dishes my family loves because I finally have a great venting system, the kitchen was without one at all when we moved here. We like a lot of high heat stir fry with spicy things, not fun to make without good ventilation, LOL!

Thank you so much ital mover! Those pictures are very helpful. Your view is quite awesome, indeed. Grazie mille!

I think a cheerful green helps make better choices and increases the chances of making a nice salad or fresh veggies for meals and snacks.

Just want to say I love the kitchen in the picture. The blue cabinets!

I voted yes because just the little bit we've done in our kitchen has helped me process more veggies and fruits, and I think that makes for healthier eating. We installed a larger deeper sink that has a cutting board and colander that fit into the edges (came with the sink) and a very tall faucet with a spring and a sprayer (and that's really what helps the most, I think!). Even if the sink has some dirty dishes in it, I can put the board over it and use the sprayer if I need to.

We lived previously in a place with a tiny tiny kitchen just big enough for a thin table against the wall, with two drawers and two 2' sections of counter on either side of a completely useless shallow double sink with a traditional low faucet. We replaced the faucet with a higher one. (And actually, the more I think about it, I really do think having a high faucet may be the single thing in a kitchen that makes the biggest difference in food preparation. It makes it easier to wash large pots and pans and do other things at the sink that need doing.)

Doing Thanksgiving in that tiny kitchen was so impossible we ended up eating Thanksgiving dinner at a Ponderosa the last year we lived there. No criticism of Ponderosa, and I do love buffets, but talk about not being able to eat healthy -- they have made all the choices for you and you have no idea how much fat, salt, etc, is in the food. And worst of all, it didn't feel like the holiday at all -- just kind of lonely, even though we were all together.

Bottom line for me is that a more efficient kitchen layout will definitely inspire me to cook more healthy food. Also, as for the comments here on clutter, my kitchen table piles up just as much as an island would -- the issue is not the island or table, it's the owners of same, and especially the traffic patterns of the house.

hsmeghan, funny how hard working a sink and its faucet can be and I think we don't spend as much time choosing those elements as some of the more expensive or prettier ones, like a range and countertops.

Absolutely! A bigger, better functioning kitchen with well made and intelligently designed appliances as well as tons of storage space most definitely helps me make better food choices. Cooking healthy meals and using lots of fruits & veggies (making huge pots of soup and stews) takes a decent amount of time and effort. I need lots of fridge space for fresh produce and lots of freezer space to store home prepared meals. I am all about convenience, and if a space is cramped and prep dishes/utensils or small appliances are hard to get to, I just won’t bother. A spacious kitchen where you don’t have to dig for everything makes all the difference for me. I love a large island, and mine has never been piled with junk. I find bigger spaces are much easier to keep clean (easier to maneuver). I’ve lived in tiny spaces as well as large, and the large, well thought out space gets much more use by me than the cramped congested space.

Renovation has allowed me to cook more effectively (better cooktop) and be able to store fresh food more easily (better frig). Plus I love spending time in my now beautiful kitchen, so I am happy to be there whenever possible, even if it is sipping coffee in the morning while admiring "the view". Also, I "pruned" all of the kitchen contents when we renovated - everything that survived the purge contributes to funcooking and new pans for the induction cooktop are a joy to use. An efficient and beautiful kitchen is a win win on all counts, including healthy cooking.

I am currently in the process of designing a new kitchen. My old galley format contained an entry from the carport with the dining room at the other end and the living room merely 8 feet from the junk food pantry. The new kitchen is not a walk through, but a destination with the pantry in a far corner, so out of sight out of mind! I'll have almost triple the counter space for meal prep, so home cooking will be enjoyable once again. The last thing, a cool color scheme of blue and taupe against white cupboards and walls, should help curb my appetite.

The more I like my kitchen, the more time I want to spend in it. Updated tile counters to solid surface quartz - easy to work on, easy to clean - beautiful to look at. I'm not sure it improves my dietary choices, but cooking from scratch more often is usually healthier. A better dishwasher makes clean-up easier and a good oven and stove encourage me to use them and create more.

Our kitchen renovation, like others, made it a place I actually want to spend time in, plus we finally got needed counter space and storage. My food prep space before was the old stove top -we had almost no counter space and it was dark and dreary. Don’t know if we’re really eating healthier -but that’s due more to kids’ activities. However, everything we make just looks so much better.

My kitchens have ranged from a pallet countertop under a tarp, with a campfire out away from the tarp, to very large well-equipped kitchens. I found that lifestyle is a major contributing factor to whether a kitchen gets used much. Also, the talent, stamina, emotional factors, and “outside” interests of the person who uses the kitchen, and the diet needs & expectations of the family members all are considerations of whether the kitchen would be benefited by a remodel or not.

A kitchen can have all the fresh food that is necessary, but the family’s habits, interests and lifestyle can be a detriment to healthier meals being prepared or not.

Adequate, convenient and well thought out storage is necessary (to encourage the use of a kitchen) but it need not be expensive. Thinking “outside the box” is helpful here. Example: In the laundry closet in our kitchen, we installed a countertop above our front loading washer and dryer and thus made room for small appliances to be used there. That gives our tiny kitchen more useable countertop space. And in the same laundry closet we added shelves in a u-shape above the countertop. Here, jars can be turned on their sides, and lids labeled with the name of the dry-goods it contains. Small baskets are useful for storing smaller items, all within a very short distance from the food prep area.

As far as beauty, I believe it is important, but not enough to “break the bank” and not enough to increase the time spent in keeping it clean, whether the cook cleans it or someone else does. And beauty isn’t necessarily what is the latest, greatest and most widely available, either. Often times, in trying to keep up-to-date, comfort and personal style get lost.

Cheery, pleasant and light (but not overly bright) surroundings can be more inviting to go to.

And work-flow is also a big factor effecting whether one enjoys using a kitchen.

How about food processor vs cutting board and knife, or dishwasher vs hand washing dishes? Certainly lifestyle enters into these matters. But even in a fast-paced life, sometimes the slow way of doing things is a help, giving more “think time”.

It isn’t too common to find family members rushing to do dishes. So this might be the quiet place you have been looking for to catch up on those project planning moments! ; )

I eat very healthy, organic and vegetarian and my kitchen desperately needs at least a facelift if not a full renovation. I can't imagine changing my eating habits based on my surroundings.

@fernridge - 100% agree with you. I grew up as 1 of 11 children. Once we were old enough to wash our own dishes my dad unleashed holy hell if you left something in the sink. Washing your dishes became much less painful than his insane tirades (ha ha) and you can imagine what a relief that was for both my parents (my dad was way ahead of his time - in the 60s and 70s he not only worked insane hours to feed and house us, but he also fed us all breakfast, got us dressed and cleaned the kitchen/living area before my mum got up and before he went to work. He changed nappies from day one).

I moved from a large kitchen (14x20) to a small kitchen (8x11) after my husband died. It didn't change the way I cook. In fact, the kitchen feels more efficient with less walking. Facing the pantry and counter, turn to the right to the sink, turn to the right to the stove with refrigerator beside. The dining area abutes the open kitchen area, so family gatherings are very social and fun. I wouldn't go back to a large kitchen again if I could help it. I have always bought and cooked healthy food. The choices you make have nothing to do with the kitchen you cook in, they have to do with your own character.

A beautiful kitchen can definitely change some habits. I would, naturally, spend more time in this kitchen because I like the surroundings. But this doesn't necessarily mean that I would cook or eat more. However, read and I believe that the color of the kitchen can impact our eating habits. For example, in a blue kitchen people eat less while yellow or orange kitchen inspires appetite.

if a kitchen renovation changed what you cooked.......

this is julia child's kitchen in paris, where she wrote 'mastering the art of french cooking'. can you imagine what she would have accomplished given one of today's mega kitchens?

i used to have the rest of that kitchen, let me check...it is a shame, it has a lot todo with how i am designing my kitchen.

The choices you make have nothing to do with the kitchen you cook in, they have to do with your own character. -jmslezak

That applies to most everything if you ask me. Circumstances are not what matter.

My back aches looking at that picture of Julia!

It would have no impact upon which restaurant I would dine at every night (or where I would pick up food ). Sorry, I’m not a cook, never will be, that gene escaped me . Maybe if I had some Italian blood in my background....:)

My grandmother was 100 percent Italian and she had zero cooking genes. I started to cook when I had children and I do not cook recreationally (my husband does.)

can you tell me the color of the cabinets thanks

dgd

so sean, is that secret agent man, 009? and is that secret code you speak?

rhaeb

rhaeb

where is a translator when you need one?

saenconner

nice

I can personally attest to this one. When I moved to a home that had a better kitchen layout and appliances, I found myself cooking more and eating prepared meals less simply because I enjoy cooking more in a kitchen that is accessible and ergonomic. Also, many newer refrigerators are designed to keep fruit and veggies fresher longer which can encourage people to eat healthier.

Ultimately, however, it all depends on the individual.

so true.

I love cooking. Right now there's no counter space and the only thing that would change in my dream kitchen is the ease of my cooking and baking.

@havingfun, I can somewhat relate to hubby's cooking. I broke my foot (badly) can put no weight on it and after just 1 month he's tired of cooking.He's good but, another 2-3 months of the same meals, well......

i feel it,deep in my heart or is that belly?

Pre-renovation we told our designers we weren't cooks and preferred eating out. During renovation, which lasted 9 months without a kitchen, we got really sick of eating out. Post-renovation, we are using the kitchen quite a bit. More than we thought we would.

Moving from an apartment with a tiny dated kitchen to one with a newly renovated kitchen twice the size has made me not only keep healthy and fresher food, and actually use it before it goes bad, but I eat wiser as well.

It will definitely enhance the choices.
Not so sure about the influence on the healthy food.

J Design Group
225 Malaga Ave
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Ph: 305-444-4611
https://www.JDesignGroup.com

I think that not only a new kitchen could change your food choices but also the change of colors in you old one could.

It is known that colors in our environment effect us. Therefor, orange plates can make your mind think that the food tastes better and feel fuller after eating from it OR green plate can make your mind believe that the food in it is healthier because of it relation to leaves (that's how all the food packaging and commercial works and it works for them)

Sasha - www.NestingJourney.com

right

sjdkhdd

I happen to love the way my kitchen is laid out. It's not too small or so large that I have to walk a long way to get to things.