The core of the home is the kitchen. The “work triangle” was the focal point of traditional kitchen design which situated appliances, storage and the sink in close proximity to all activities around food preparation. The assumption was one person was cooking. Double work triangles now exist as multiple cooks work in the kitchen. Further, more non-cooking activities are being done in the kitchen – helping the kids with homework, watching TV or catching up with a friend on the phone or the computer. Kitchen design has altered to tackle these activities.

Kitchens actually play a key role during parties as people gravitate to the kitchen even when you don’t plan for it. So why not decorate the kitchen and do it so you can easily move decorations off the counter tops when it’s time to bake those cookies.

Traditional Food-Oriented Activities

An inventory of all the stuff stored in the kitchen will reveal the following:

* Consumable storage – for all food items – canned goods, boxes of cereal, baking ingredients, soda and other bottled drinks.

* Non-consumable storage – for glasses, dishes, silverware, plastic containers to store food in, disposables like napkins and paper towels and cookbooks.

* Food preparation area – where food is prepared and where mixing bowls, utensils, spices and other cooking ingredients are stocked.

* Cooking space – includes the range and oven along with the microwave, all pots and pans, baking sheets, etc.

* Cleaning area – where cleaning up is done after cooking, baking or eating. It includes cleaning supplies and hopefully a recycling
center that is easy to access.

* Informal eating area – common in today’s kitchen, a place where several people or even the entire family can have lunch or an after school snack.

Other Activities in the Kitchen

To accommodate other pursuits in the kitchen, space has been added as homes become larger:

* Home office -for meal planning, paying the bills, keeping the family’s master calendar and controlling the home’s security system and other smart technologies.

* Homework center – where parents can monitor and help with homework while working in the kitchen before children move to other rooms.

* Laundry area – moved closer to the bedrooms in newer homes but still included in the kitchen or an adjacent room so laundry can be done simultaneously.

* Hobby center – i.e. drawing, sewing or scrap booking.

* Communications center – for telephone and the computer/internet to look up recipes, a phone number or sports schedule.

* Entertainment center – electronics and other gadgets like video games for family fun, a small refrigerator for cold drinks