REMODELING ARTICLE - THE FIVE WORST KITCHEN REMODEL MISTAKES
The kitchen is the heart of the home and remodeling it can be very stressful since you want to make sure you get it right. The August 2006 issue of Consumer Reports took an in-depth look at kitchens and outlined the 5 worst kitchen design goofs.
These are the 5 big mistakes they advise you to avoid:
Mistake # 1) Oversize the island.
Consumer Reports recommends an island countertop that’s no more than 36 to 48 inches deep and 36 to 120 inches wide which they believe should be plenty of work space and enough room for an overhang for sitting. They say that anything deeper can be hard to use or clean. In addition, they recommend at least 42 inches between the island and surrounding cabinets to ensure plenty of room for cooks to get by one another and oven or cabinet doors to open freely.
Mistake # 2) Not maximizing storage.
The Consumer Reports article cautions that it's not just the amount of cabinets in a kitchen that matters but where you place them. They recommend 48 to 72 inches of wall cabinets for glasses, plates and bowls above the sink and dishwasher; another 48 to 72 inches for cooking dishes and supplies near the oven; and 48 to 72 inches of base cabinets for pots and pans near the cook top. They also recommend maximizing potentially wasted space for storage by outfitting blind corners with swing-out cookware caddies or lazy susans, deep pantries with high-backed pull-out shelves, and drawers with full-extension glides and built-in dividers.
Mistake #3) Blowing off ventilation.
A range hood and an over-the-range microwave that is vented to the outside will help exhaust heat, smoke and odors away from your kitchen interior. The article makes the point that in addition to the practical aspect of proper venting, a smoky room does nothing to enhance your professional chef image.
Mistake # 4) Not lighting the way.
In addition to recessed ceiling lighting and pendant lights Consumer Reports recommends wiring for under-cabinet halogen, xenon, or fluorescent task lights wherever you will be doing food prep, doing homework or reading a recipe.
Mistake #5) Leaving the garbage out.
Trash and recyclables each require a 30-quart container at minimum, located ideally in a base cabinet on the side of the sink opposite the dishwasher. This allows you to pivot as you scrape dishes and then load the dishwasher.
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