A friendly kitchen

Several years ago, I read something about how traditional kitchens in many places in Europe (France was most specifically referenced) were built differently than here in the US.  These traditional kitchens in homes that had been built years and years ago were designed long and narrow as opposed to blocky and open.  The idea was that someone cooking could be at the stove and turn around and find a countertop fairly close behind them and they could go back and forth very easily without having to take several steps.  That got me thinking about my own kitchen.  For a long while, every time I cooked I wished my kitchen was built differently.  I began to look closely at kitchens when I was out somewhere else besides my home, when I visited eating establishments that didn't completely hide their kitchens, when I saw one on a TV show or a movie, and especially when I watched a cooking show.  Ideas started percolating and finally I decided to put a plan in motion.

With the help of my kids, I began to tear out all the kitchen cabinets.  I always had a love/hate relationship with cabinets.  One the one hand, they could hide everything so the kitchen could look perfect on the outside.  On the other hand, it took a lot of work to take things out, put them back in, and keep them organized, especially with some of the more crowded cabinets.  They always seemed to become more crowded as time passed no matter what I did to keep them organized.  And sometimes a cabinet might be hiding something inside that was pushed further and further back as each day passed until eventually it simply faded from existence and I forgot it was even there.  On days where I was doing a lot of cooking, the cabinets and the way their contents were organized and stored simply made things more difficult.

Well, I was exhilarated to be taking out all the cabinets.  It took a while since it was all done a bit at a time over the course of weeks.  As each section was removed, in it's place were built simple unpretentious wooden shelves using 2x6's and support brackets from my local hardware store.  My youngest son helped me coat them with a nice finish and stain, and although the finishing job wasn't perfect since neither of us was too worried about making it so, I loved it.  I see the imperfections now and I remember those times when we were working on this project, when we were seeing the kitchen being reshaped bit by bit.  So the cabinets were gone and these shelves went from floor to ceiling and were completely open.  I loved them then and still do now.

This project, of all the home projects I have done over the years, is the one that has most directly impacted day-to-day life in this house.  The open shelves allow me to access everything easily.  They allow me to quickly find all my kitchen tools and pans and gadgets and utensils.  Spices are organized on shelves just for them.  Salts are all on display in a row.  Chocolate, all the various varieties that I keep on hand, are ready to grab.  The microwave has its own special spot, out of the way, but readily accessible and not taking up valuable countertop space.

I did the same thing with a small pantry/closet in the kitchen:  took off the door, removed the shelves and put up new ones.  Also a winner in terms of how it impacted kitchen functionality.  I put restaurant style wire racks over my stove, and it was another winner.  And I hung many of my frequently used utensils on the wall in multiple spots.  No more drawers since they disappeared with the cabinets.

These days when I cook, my kitchen structure and design is a friend to me instead of a hindrance.  From time to time I ponder small additional changes, but by and large it has stayed the same now for several years and I have been quite happy with it.  For someone who is in the kitchen as much I am, that's a pretty nice thing.