I love to cook and cook at least twice a day. I didn't use a kd, in part because my kitchen is small (9x11) and there wasn't much I wanted - just good storage and bigger expanses of counter. I did decide against a peninsula in order to have more straight runs of counter (it would have been a dinky peninsula - 54" on the non-kitchen side). I knew I wanted the minimum number of the largest cabinets I could have. I ended up with a total of 5 base cabs: 3 sets of 30" drawers, a sink base and an oven base.

Budget also played a part: fewer cabs meant less cost, and nixing the peninsula saved me a bundle on the soapstone counters. I bought a free standing island for a little more workspace and a lot less cost.

I am very very happy with my layout. Now if you asked about using a kd for colors/design advice my answer would have been different. I am not entirely thrilled with the cabinet stain I picked.

yes we love to cook- dh and I are both cooks and my daughters love to help in the kitchen as well. What that meant for us was:
1. a very large fridge ( 48 inch sub zero)
2. double ovens
3. lots of counter space
4. island that we could also work at
5. 1 large sink and 1 prep sink
6. lots of drawers that allowed us to create zones for storage of cooks tools and pantry items

Yep, we both cook a lot, and actually do cooking classes in our new kitchen.

We went thru 4 kitchen designers, then decided to can them all and go our own way, doing it on the computer ourselves. Couldn't be happier with the results. It's a very functional, simple, and beautiful kitchen in a great room, and one that works for any family in the future, not just ours.

We were also able to use the money wisely, putting it where it counts, and saving elsewhere where it was not as important.

I love to cook, & started at age 10, oldest of 5. DH & I married at 21 & we have mostly cooked our meals together, since I had a career until DS arrived when we were 45. Now we all cook, so that absolutely figured into our kitchen plans. We had an architect design our new home, but he (wisely) left the kitchen a blank space. I did a ton of research, including so much from this forum (thanks!). I also contacted Don Silvers, who wrote the book "Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind" & "Kitchen Appliances 101", & he had invaluable suggestions regarding our layout. Finally, I had a professional interior designer do the cabinet drawings from my layout. We're thrilled with the end result.

I went through three KD's before I decided to design on my own. DH and I sat down with my basic plan and talked about every aspect of how our kitchen would work. He's the "cook" and I'm a baker and salad maker ;) He grew up in a family where the men and women cooked and hopes our son will enjoy it as much as he does, so we planned a kitchen that we all could find a place for ourselfs in at any age.

He picked the range, and I argued him down to a more reasonable choice (Lacanche) I picked the fridge and our space argued me down to a more reasonable choice (36" verses two 36") Cabinets, sinks, counters, lighting, and storage were all designed around who would cook where and what would be prepared there. Even down to the fake cabinet doors on the end of the island which open up to reveal a chalk board for DS to play on while we cook (out of both cook's walkways.

My current KD used my plans and added a couple of my wishes to them (I hadn't been able to figure out how to inset the main sink for example and I really didn't like my microwave placement). She's the best in Alaska and kown for her ability in the kitchen :)

I don't think they have to cook to be good...but they do have to understand cooks to do their job well. If you think that cooking dinner involves a foil tin out of the freezer that slips into the microwave or caterer, you're not going to understand why we want the knife drawer near main prep counter.

I LOVE to cook and cook a lot - every meal, every day - my family refuses to eat out because we're usually left unsatisfied or feeling crappy from the junk being served in restaurants these days...in fact, if we eat out more than 10 times a year as a family, I'd be surprised! (Me and DH definitely "try" to get out a little but unless its to the North End of Boston, it's not a good food experience, just a night "off" for me!).

As for kitchen design - I canned all notions of a designer when I interviewed GCs. Instead I used my Chief Architect software to create my space and couldn't be happier. I never considered designing a kitchen for the space - my goal was a kitchen for our family. I wanted it open with lots of different zones - a space that embraced someone snacking (visiting with me) while I cook AND someone doing homework AND someone cooking alongside me AND someone working on the computer AND someone cleaning up while the meal prep progressed, etc etc. It's all about how your family functions and I didn't want the kitchen to be just about utility - it had to be about us spending time together and not worrying about whether the 6 yr old's milk might spill on the 12 year old's homework or whether the 9 year old could cook with me and DH could be our clean-up guy. It's not a HUGE space but it's a functional one that makes us all feel welcome to hang out and do our thing.

Mnhockeymom, you don't happen to have pictures and a drawing of your layout, do you? That kitchen sounds PERFECT! :-) It's just what I'm trying to achieve--my space won't be huge, and it's not going to be super fancy, but it absolutely MUST be functional and allow us all to spend time together doing what we do. I'm going to gut and start from scratch, so I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanks!!
Cj

We definitely are a family who loves to cook...and bake. We have a lot of people to feed, and since we homeschool it means we make 3 meals a day, plus the baking. It seems everyone wants to do things at once. It is a busy, conversation-filled experience, and it's GREAT. This had everything to do with how the kitchen was designed (by me with family input, no KD). Actually, I have to say that in designing our new home, having the perfect kitchen for our family to work in together was the number 1 priority after budget and enough places to sleep. By day #2 in our house, with much of the kitchen cosmetically unfinished, we had 3 kids working at our 48" rangetop doing different things all at the same time...That is why I chose it. It is an absolute joy to see them work together.

The new kitchen is sometimes not as efficient as I'd like, but having zones and traffic patterns that don't overlap was the big priority. Now if I could only get them to clean the sinks...

I love to cook and love to feed my very large family great food. I did the design and layout of my kitchen and am absolutely enthralled by it. It is about 400 sq. ft. including the large pantry. I knew exactly how I wanted it to feel, and how I wanted to work and cook in it. It will allow many people to work together without stepping all over each other. I have no uppers in main part of kitchen but do have uppers in skullery. It feels warm and comfortable but it really is spacious with considerable storage. I have the breakfast room and dining room with built-in buffets on each side of kitchen. The floor plan works so well, I am anxious to live in it as our finish date is about 4 weeks away. We have been at this for almost 3 years so I am ready.

cj47 - thank you! I've got pics in the FKB which should give you a really good idea of the layout and different spaces.

rhome410 - when are you going to post your finished pics? Sounds like you're liking the range better now? Getting used to the gas - yes?

acountryfarm - I had a scullery in my last home and in both that one and this I've got no uppers either - ours goals sound familiar - can't wait to see your pics!

I love to cook, and I'm looking forward to teaching my kids how to cook as they get older. I did my own kitchen design: I bought a couple of books about kitchen design, read websites, and then went for it. That way I get what I want.

This was my first kitchen reno. I used magazine pics that I had saved for years and my DH and I drew ideas on graph paper. We are both cooks and bakers so I knew I wanted work zones. Our DS1 and DIL are professional chefs ( mnhockeymom you need to come down here and eat out...you would change your opinion of restaurant dining ! :) They offered ideas also. It has turned out perfectly as far as placement of appliances, choice of appliances and also paring down how much stuff we "needed" . We have empty cupboards all over now. My pantries are also much less full. I have only the essential perfect for us pans and utensils and nothing else. I love the "lightness of being" now that we have the new super efficient space.

mnhockeymom, we are liking the rangetop much better, and having lots of fun with it and the cast iron cookware. You all were SUCH help with that. BUT, I still have unpainted cabinet doors, a temporary top on my island, no trim, no backsplash, missing drawer fronts, no knobs or pulls, and an old Melamine wall cabinet is holding the place of my dish hutch. I'm afraid it's going to be awhile until I have 'finished' photos to show!

Each of your answers and philosophies is so interesting! I love interior design, and am constantly fascinated with the thought process that's behind every beautiful, well-designed room created by ~ or at least directed by~ the owner/occupant. The individuality of them is like a piece of original artwork to me.

Our kitchens, are the heart of our homes. The way I see it, how you as an individual or couple, designs it or at least sets down specific priorities for it's design is, in many ways, a portrait of who you are . . . all wonderful, but each uniquely different. Listening to this woman on HGTV yesterday, brought that home to me again.

When I design a room for someone else (I don't do kitchens, though), I work as hard to incorporate that person or family's personality and needs as I do in creating a cohesive design that functions well for them. So, I can understand that letting a KD have carte blanche over the design could have all the makings of a disaster. Certainly for someone who loves to cook; probably not so much for someone who cooks just to feed themselves and/or eats out most of the time. I don't believe many good KDs would do a kitchen, though, without demanding a huge amount of input from their client(s). I personally think that working with a great KD can be a win/win situation, especially with large kitchens, problem kitchens or kitchens where you're changing the entire footprint (mine), as long as it's a real partnership between the two (or three) of you. I also admire every one of you who goes it on their own and still pulls off a great working kitchen for yourselves.

The cool thing about all our kitchens is that each is uniquely ours, like our own original piece of (functioning) art . . . and maybe a portrait of who we are, as well.

"The cool thing about all our kitchens is that each is uniquely ours, like our own original piece of (functioning) art..." Well said, Lynn...I very much agree. What I addressed in my first post here was the functional layout. But in deciding the visual design in concert with that function...the overall feel, colors, materials, etc., it was very important to me that it be unique and be a reflection of "Me," and have clues to different sides of my personality that others may not even know exist. I knew how I wanted to feel in the kitchen and how the surroundings would contribute.

I love to cook and so do my kids. DH doesn't cook but does clean up.

I had a friend who had worked at HD as a KD so she gave me some advice when I first started. Some of her advice was great, some was not. And when she started to tell me how she thought I should lay the kitchen out, I figured out that no one but I knew better what I wanted. Especially since I'd been in that kitchen for over 4 years and knew exactly what was bad about the existing layout.

Lynn and rhome - I totally agree. My materials along with the colors, fabrics, etc were probably more thought out than anything in my kitchen (and house!) because I want to feel "ME" here - I want it to be a warm embrace and give that same feeling to others. As much as I can admire and be attracted to different colors and styles, for my own space I make very specific selections, right down to the furnishings. With the kitchen, in a home where good cooking and great food is a priority, it becomes the SOUL of the rest of the house.

I knew I'd passed this on to my 3 boys when one day, after we had been living on rental furnishings for 4 mos while all of our earthly belongings where still in our MN house, the moving truck FINALLY arrived and as exciting as it was, nothing could have prepared me for my sons' reaction to the moment that our big farmhouse trestle table was unloaded. Two of them started to cry and the third attempted to lie down on it as it was being carried across the lawn. They all looked up at me and said "Mom, we can now be home." Yep, I cried like a baby in front of all the movers. And, of course, the entire dining room remodel was planned around that darn table! Later I said to my husband, "Now that's not going to be an easy one to deal with in our Will." :-)

I do love to cook, as well as growing vegetables in the garden and canning, etc and we almost never eat out either. I used to be a flight attendant and had enough of eating out to last a lifetime! Also, since we're vegetarian, our choices are always somewhat limited.
Our house is old, kitchen somewhat small (11 x 19), but only the 11 x 12 part of it is the working part and the other part contains my old 7 1/2 tall by 6' cupboard for dishes. I have a 6' long old French farm table as my "island" and gathering table.
Now we're in the midst of making it look like us which it never quite did before as well as functioning more efficiently due to taller cabinets and storage options. No KD, just us looking at the room thinking about what we needed to change the most, then researching for hours on GW. But in the end it just confirmed our beliefs that we are all unique individuals with different needs and desires and it seems most people follow their hearts and instincts.
The thing I'll be the most excited about when this mess is finished is the new range....well, that and my new love, "Old Dominion."
Yeah, I like to cook and entertain friends and family as well!

Lynninnewmexico,
I am in the planning stage and would love to hear about these ideas that your KD thought of but didn't. We are planning our own and I always like hearing these ideas.

This thread, which I didn't catch the first time around, made me think.

In general, I cook to eat and feed my family. However, I do enjoy baking for special occasions. I think that if I didn't work outside the home I would cook more...and be more adventurous. But, I work and have a long commute so by the time I get home I have to make fast meals with little time for creativity or major prep work. So, we eat a lot of frozen veggies--as is out of the bag, pre-cooked meats warmed up, pasta, soup, occasionally waffles/pancakes/eggs, potatoes, etc. I.e., for the most part things that I can cook fast.

One up side to this is that our meals haven't changed that much w/o a kitchen since we do have a MW, Toaster Oven, and hot plate to cook with!

One very big downside to this, though, is that my children are not learning to cook like I did from my mom.

Back on topic...

After finding this site and reading about zones, I realized that one thing that I really wanted was a baking center. So when my kitchen was being designed I had it in the back of my head that whatever we ended up with had to have an area I could designate my "Baking Zone", preferably near the ovens--with room to roll out dough, spread out cookie sheets, and have cookie cutters spread out all at the same time!

The other thing I got from this site was our window...having the window down to the counter (OK, not cooking-related, but a very important design element!)

Our very first plan that our KD came up with had input from us...but a very naive/ignorant us! (Before GW...BGW!)

Then....I found this site.....and the changes began. Actually, I posted that original plan and asked for help (and also asked my KD to start over w/no island)

Many, many people here helped me come up with a plan over several weeks (months?). We finally came up with a plan that has changed little since then. Interestingly, when I took away the island "must have", my KD came up with a plan very similar to what we came up with here. The only 3 differences were (1) no mini peninsula, (2) a 36" pantry cabinet rather than a corner pantry, and (3) no separate Message Center cabinets.

My KD wasn't completely happy w/our differences, but she, wisely I thought, told me to go home and mock up what I wanted to see how it would work (same advice I got here!) Well, the mock up was great! It proved that I did indeed want the mini peninsula (I liked it so much I left the mock up in place until demo and used it!) When I told her the results, she didn't argue, she accepted it telling me it's my kitchen, so ultimately it's up to me.

So in the end, my design was/is based on what I wanted, not what the KD wanted.

[If only someone else had measured my kitchen and she was given more authority, I think a lot of subsequent problems would have been avoided.]

Our kitchen isn't done yet, but it's close...so I can't yet tell you how it is going to work for us...but we are so...

I enjoy cooking, and my DH helps with prep and clean-up. So, there are many times two of us are working at the same time, but my new kitchen accommodates us both beautifully. The plan I ended up with is remarkably like the plan I drew up about five or six years ago using some primitive web-based design program. Two KDs attempted to insert their (bad) ideas into it, but the original vision persisted and came through. With some help from the folks here, I tweaked it a bit more and came up with a final product I love.

I love to cook and wanted a bigger, brighter kitchen than the original (like everyone here!). Fortunately we were gutting the entire house and remodeling it before we moved in, so I was able to push out the walls 2' on two sides. Still not huge, but a much more comfortable 13x14 with an efficient U-shape.

Because the house is small and the LR/DR/kitchen were changed to an open plan, the layout is constrained visually. The frig must remain where it is or you'll see it when you walk in the front door, a big 'no-no' for me. There are no upper cabinets on the sink leg because there are massive picture windows on the entire back wall of the house showcasing an unobstructed hillside view - when you walk in you can see across to the top of the hills.

So I really didn't think I needed a KD. But I made several mistakes that maybe a more experienced design eye would have picked up. They're minor, and not a big deal in everyday usage. What I'm constrained in is for future changes - now I know, for example, the cabs will outlast the appliances by 3- or 4 to 1, so I would plan better for accommodating different sized range and frig.

But walking into my kitchen every day still makes me smile after almost 20 years, so overall it was a successful design! Still, I'm lusting over a 27" Lacanche Cormatin, which would only involve moving two cabinets, updating my already updated 2003 countertops with new ones in Zodiaq's Saddle Brown, tossing out the Grohe Ladylux Plus for a Kohler Vinnata and dumping the useless Broan Allure III hood for a decent Zephyr.....hmmm, where can I find another $35K lying around unused?!?

I'm loving all the unique ideas and answers we're getting here. Jkom51, good point!

I am currently beginning my first kitchen renovation and it has all been a bit overwhelming. I can't believe some people do this multiple times in multiple houses - you are braver than me! We bought our current home planning to do the kitchen - actually we had originally planned to do a big addition w/ family room, garage & master suite as well but when the market tanked we scaled back.
We came to our kitchen design using some input from the KD at the cabinet place as well as our own thoughts and ideas -- obviously space constraints also played a role. As I'm sure you all can relate - there are always trade offs!
As to kitchen use, I consider myself a serious home cook. I make a pretty wide variety of foods, nearly all from scratch. Of course, since I've got two kids under 5 I don't have the time to make elaborate gourmet meals every night. We eat at home for the most part - usually restaurant food isn't nearly as good as what I make (apart from fancy places where we can't take the kids). Of course, we have the occasional takeout pizza or Chinese/Japanese and we do go out to eat sometimes (thought I try to stay with ethnic cuisines that I'm less likely to be making at home).
Funny thing is, reading this forum you'd imagine that most Americans cook a lot, but I know that isn't the case. My hubby read recently that the average American family eats out 4 times a week - gotta say that blows my mind!!

I feel my house is "kitchen-centric" because everything was designed around our family of multiple cooks and the type of entertaining we invariably wind up doing. I posted my completed kitchen photos on GW in late March. In case you didn't catch it, the link is below.

I also have a scullery that I did not include in the photos.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nuccia's kitchen

I just want to say that Nuccia's kitchen is one of my absolute favorites--best layout I have ever seen. It is the kitchen I will have someday in my dream house!

I am starting a separate thread: Best things for a multiple cook kitchen!

It's a gorgeous, wonderfully thought out kitchen, Nuccia! I'm so glad you shared it with us.