Kitchen Cabinets: Why Planning is Important

The kitchen is a very important place in all our homes. We prepare most of our meals there, we eat many meals there, and sometimes we use the kitchen as our main meeting place. Consequently, a well planned and organized kitchen can be a great asset to daily living.

Kitchen cabinets are underrated in their importance by many people since we store all kinds of utensils in these cabinets and the doors are usually closed, if there are doors. Making cabinet space "utensil sized" and conveniently located makes any kitchen a joy to use and occupy. Take the time to plan your cabinets whether they are additions or all new. And be sure to leave yourself some growing room if you can. New items are continually being brought to market and some of them might find their way into your kitchen.

Here are some things to think about when planning your cabinet(s). You will have some ideas of your own, but these will get you started:

1. What is good about the kitchen you now have? Think about the location of refrigerator, stove and sink....would you change any of these sites? A refrigerator move can cause havoc in cabinet space since these big boxes are so tall. Take a little survey of what you have now and you may find that there are some things you'd like to keep in your plan.

2. What about the "decor" of the cabinets? Do you like an unpainted finish? Or maybe you like the simplicity and clean lines of metal cabinets. Color choice is pretty important since the painting of a kitchen is more difficult than most rooms. Hinges that you like can make a difference if the doors have exposed hinges. Devote a little time to appearance.

3. If you are doing a new kitchen, be sure to compare the new cabinet space to what you have now. That comparison includes number of shelves, depth of shelves and the height between shelves. It's a little tedious but worth the effort so that you can finish with adequate space for your things. And remember, almost one third of all household equipment is in the kitchen.

Some folks feel a little overwhelmed by this task of planning cabinets. If you feel this way, then by all means, consult a professional in the field. Local advice is available in most urban areas and you also have the option of searching the internet for help. If you are not computer literate, there are many computer clubs who are usually willing to help.

Timing: Start your planning process early enough so that you don't get pressed for time as a deadline approaches. Make the project one of excitement and fun as you move into your new cabinet space.