I don't think my kitchen favors one hand or the other. A couple of things are closer to the right or left hand, but I don't think a person of one dominance would love it and
another hate it. In the past, I've had kitchens set up opposite of the last one, especially for DW and sink placement and it just takes a little adjustment. For me, the thing that make it easiest is if the workflow is in the right direction, regardless of whether that works to the left or the right. For example, I like the sink to be between the table and the DW rather than the DW being an obstacle to the sink when open. Things like that.

My cooktop is right-handed. All the controls are on the right. I'm aware of this only because my father was a lefty, and it made me conscious of the challenges. I know he'd have hated it. On the other hand, I'd never seen him cook, so not really an issue . . . . :)

I am so right handed it's ludicrous. Even right handed DH says that it is just not a "hand" issue for me but that I have made him believe that people are right and left brained because I don't even back up and turn around the car properly in his opinion since I favor doing everything to the right regardless of the logic. I definitely have a right handed kitchen and it drives my left handed children crazy. I have everything set up so I reach with my left and manipulate with my right hand. When I try to work in the opposite direction I get totally clumsy. So, I don't think you're nuts and I wish you well in adjusting to your new handedness. I just hang on to the belief that humans really are the most adaptable creatures on earth, it's in our biology, and if I ever have to become left handed just as you have had to become right handed I'll do it regardless of my hardwired brain that makes me so right handed now. What you are doing demonstrates that human will can triumph over biological or genetic predisposition.

You are not crazy. We have equal numbers of lefties and righties in our house, and we are very aware of how most of the world's hand mechanical tools are designed for righties (can openers, pencil sharpeners, etc.) - we intentionally made sure that our faucet could be operated easily by all of us. Our kitchen is small, and layout dictated by size and door openings, so a left/right issue was not there for us in terms of how cabinets were placed. It was always a thought during our design, however.

See, I got a ranegtop and it's equal opportunity. ;-)

My main sink faucet and instant hot have single levers to the right, but they could be turned to the left. My main sink faucet and instant hot have side levers on the right, but they can me moved to the left.

The OP didn't really say what issue are causing a problem. Maybe the layout or operation favor one hand or the other -- maybe some things are just different from what was used before -- with both hands?

I think a kitchen can be "right" or "left" handed.

I think your brain is wired to be left handed, and probably always will be, so you may never feel completely comfortable using your right hand. That said, years ago, when my XH and I had plans drawn up for a house (we never built), I had them actually flip it completely because it seemed too "left-handed" for me. In mentally trying to work in the kitchen, it felt completely backwards. Once they redid the plans, the kitchen "felt" more comfortable.

In my current kitchen I find that I have the counter work spaces, important utensils and appliances (DW & fridge) so they are to the right of me when I'm working.

Maybe you can rearrange things to make it "more intuitive" to work with your right hand.

Good luck.

I've had faucets both ways--neither seems right. DWs both sides. The only place I think it would make a difference to me is having prep space to the left of the cooktop. But I'm not sure if that's handedness or just because I'm used to it.

I guess I haven't found handedness to impact many kitchen tasks. I thought it made most sense to put my faucet handle on the left since we're righties, but now we have it on the right and we aren't suffering. (The learning period had more to do with it being a weird European style mechanism than being on one side or the other.)

My kitchen had a right handed dishwasher. The kitchen I grew up in had a left handed DW, and when I switched I loved it (I'm a righty). However, in the new kitchen, the DW will be left handed again...oh well. I'm a little worried that I'll notice the difference, but I guess I'll get used to it.

As a left handed person I think it's some tools and appliances that become awkward because of handedness - butter knives, can openers, scissors... I think one has had to use so many things designed for right handers that it's easy enough to do non-fine movements with the right hand, too. I don't think I've ever had a kitchen that seemed backwards to me, and I've now lived in about 14 different places. Now where one sits at a table, that matters!

Once the kitchen is complete I think it may be a little more fluid. At this point its not very intiutive for me.

That said, I am not looking a gift hand (or hand surgeon) in the mouth! I am so fortunate to have two hands (albeit one very weak, deliberate and stiff).

With the limited space and cabinets (temp. counters) installed, it seems that trash pull out should be on the other side of the sink. In fact, I forget where it is and have a hefty bag for trash where my brain tells me it should be- Pretty fancy for a custom kitchen!

Such interesting replies. I may need to start teaching an old brain new tricks.

-September

Prior to our remodel, the diswasher was to the right of the sink. Being a die-hard lefty, it was so awkward. Now I don't know if that's because I was used to having a dishwasher to the left of the sink from my previous house or not. In any event, I had the dishwasher installed on the left side of the sink after the remodel and it just seems less awkward to me in that spot.

Now don't get me started on the rest of the righty appliances: refrigerator door, microwave controls, hand held can opener, even my vacuum sealer (can't think of brand name right now) is awkward to use with the right hand controls!!!

I never really thought about it, but yeah, my kitchen is right handed. All of my main work area, all of my gadgets, appliances, utensils, etc. are located to the right of the cooktop, which has its knobs on the right as well.

Oven is at the left end of the wall (under counter) so things that come out of there land above the oven or onto the cooktop to the right. Landing spot for fridge and pantry are on the right. Dishwasher is to the right of the sink.

I am so right handed it's ludicrous
LOL, yeah, me too. I'm sorta right-everything! Right eyed, right footed (or legged). I just favor my right side for everything.

My faucet got installed with the handle on the left side though, for reasons which aren't entirely clear to me, and they didn't want to switch it. I did get used to it for the most part but every once in a while it bugs me. DH does the dishes though so he uses it more than I do.

September, I can actually answer somewhat with real experiences to compare with what you're going through.

My house also tried to kill me. A ladder I was on had a mechanical failure (it had been recalled but the contractor didn't return it). I fell just a few feet, but crushed my wrist so badly they couldn't count the number of breaks when I asked how many there were. I now have a huge L shaped plate in my arm, so many pins that I can't go through an airport without setting off the alarm and about an inch of some dead guy...or gal's bone in me. My injury was May 12 and I still have only about 30% stregnth in that hand/wrist.

I only tell you this because now I want to share my kitchen experience.

I am right handed and it was my left hand, but the things we do in kitchens tend to be with both hands...ie reach down into the cabinet on the left for the pull out with oil and on the right the seasoning.....both done quickly and efficiently prior to the hand injury.

Now I can't pick up the oil bottle or pull the pullout with my left hand so I have to stop and reach across with my right hand to pull out the cabinet, and grab the oil, then I can set it down or put it in my left hand, and then make the second step and grab what the spice was. Gad forbid there's a tight lid on either of them.

I don't only notice this akwardness in the kitchen, but also in the master bath where I have my cabinet set up with things on both sides. Akward as hell!

And in the garage...I have always done all of the painting in our house, and some minor remodeling, wiring, etc. I can't reach for the paint brushes because they're in the drawer that's hard to pull out. And gad to open a paint can..it's a two handed gig.

So in life, since I broke my wrist, everything feels akward! I'm getting a bit more stregnth daily, and each day things that were odd are starting to feel better. Honestly I think it's the injury that's causing half of your problems or more, verses the lay out of your kitchen.

My DH is left handed, I'm right. We did plan the heavy pull out on the left because of this, but my left used to be available for that cabinet, and it wasn't a big deal at all, but not so much anymore :(

I hope your injury gets better and you find more stregnth. I'm sure it's much worse for you given that small motor skills with the hand you always have favored are so much harder...but I wanted to share my experience to see if it helps...I curse this stupid hand daily, and am thankful I even have use of it at the same time.

Sorry for the delay. It's a busy week here in the Bluegrass. I'm hoping the sun will come out before 4:45 tomorrow. It's truly Lovely. My eyes water every year when the entire track sings 'My Old Kentucky Home'.

Thank you all for weighing in, especially neat to hear from some lefties. Lots of good fodder.

Wonderful tips and suggestions of moving kitchen accouterments to better suit my changed environment.

*Holigator- love the island pic. I read maps like your DH prefers to prep, LOL. I noticed the jot in the preferred spot has a little bigger smile.

**Igloochic- I emphasize and agree w/o a doubt. However, I've not given much thought to this disconnection having directly to do with nerve damage and diminished fine motor skills. Instead I figured more neurological than physiological.

My accident was May of the previous year. So, I will continue to gain a bit more strength. Re: motor skills, I'll just have to fumble through. I severed all the nerves and tendens in my fingers,an artery and three bones. It's amazing the stellar technology considering the complexity of the hand. They replaced nerves in fingers with ones from my arm. Then pieced the rest together. There were grommets, rubberbands, pulleys,etc. attached to every finger for 8months. I looked like the Bride of 'Edward ScissorHands'. Best to you in your recovery and continued improvement.

Thanks for your insight, perhaps it will make adaptation less of a challenge in time. Knowing my good fortune helps a great deal,too.

It works remarkably well all things considered. Its been nicknamed my mannequin hand b/c it feels like it belongs to someone else. You're right, Without a doubt, the devil is in the detail-

You all have a great Kentucky Derby tomorrow. There's nothing else quite like it!

-September

How about a left handed kegorator? In all seriousness, my stove is on the right side by a wall. Can't be moved because the vented hood is above. But need a 24 inch stove the the bid burner on the left.