Remodel Your Kitchen According To Zone Usage

Working with kitchen remodeling contractors to create a new kitchen for yourself is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. You’re finally getting the kitchen you want, but you’re also spending a lot of money to do it. Planning is one of the key ways to ensure a successful kitchen remodeling. Still, this planning also means giving a lot of thought to what you want versus what you need.

Part of this planning is looking at how you will use your kitchen, and this means understanding how the space you have will fulfill your needs.

Breaking Down The Parts

Many people are familiar with the idea of a “kitchen triangle.” This is a rule of optimum kitchen usage that breaks the kitchen down into three work areas, where food is stored, where it is prepared, and where it is cooked. This should be a “triangle” shape to ensure easy rotation between the different areas.

However, within these three parts, there are specific sections. For example, the kitchen triangle itself can break down into five “zones,” and these are the zones that will change a lot based on your own personal needs. The zones are:

Food Storage

This zone can be broken into two “sub-zones” as you plan your kitchen with kitchen remodeling contractors. The first subzone is your perishable food items, typically stored in a fridge or even a freezer if you decide you want a larger, dedicated freezer space in the kitchen.

The second zone is for dry goods, such as spices, oils, boxes of breakfast cereal, tins of hot chocolate, and others. If you cook extensively, you may want a larger fridge. If your cooking is minimal, the storage of dry goods for snacks may be more critical.

Tool Storage

This is where appliances that can be put away, such as blenders, join with everyday tools of food usage and preparation, such as dishes, cutlery, and glasses. Of course, a family will have a much more significant portion for this, as will people who like gadgets, such as food processors and air fryers.

Cleaning Area

Both food and dishes need to be cleaned. This area is dedicated to that, with a sink or sinks and possibly a dishwasher. Food must be adequately cleaned before it is prepared; otherwise, it may be unsafe for consumption.

Preparation

Clear counter space—or a dedicated island—is needed here as the cutting, grinding, mixing, and other activities occur here. It’s essential to allow for a lot of room in this space and try not to minimize how much real estate you’ll need for food preparation.

Cooking

The final zone will be where the food is actually cooked. The stove, oven range, and possibly even microwave are all located in this area.

Once you have a clear idea of what you think you’ll be needed from each of these five zones, you can go over your options with your kitchen remodeling contractors to figure out how to work these spaces. Of course, different sizes in different homes will require their configurations to make this work, and how you prefer to use a kitchen plays into these plans as well.