Make a list of everything you want to store, and post that here with the final layout.

Jillius - I LOVE that the "for dummies" looks like it translates to "we'll do it for you!" I wish life always worked that way! :-)

You could do what Jillius suggests but I think you should also do some of this on your own as only you know how you cook, how often you use certain items, and such. Here's some tips you may fine helpful...or not.

First, figure out where you want to store things. Most people suggest trying for as much "use in place" storage as you can. This means the pots/pans/lids, and both gadgets and seasonings that you typically use at the cooktop should be stored in drawers or cabinets right next to the cooktop. If you don't have room for everything, at least store the ones you use on a regular basis close to the cooktop with lesser used items stored elsewhere. This could be in a pantry or a drawer/cupboard across the room, whatever.

Do the same for your clean-up sink/DW area. Regularly used dishes/glassware/cutlery should be stored right next to them to make it easy to put things away quickly. Of course, some items will be elsewhere in the room and you'll have to walk around but the regular daily stuff that makes up the bulk of what you put in the DW should be near the DW.

If you have a separate prep sink, think about what you need for prepping. Cutting boards, colanders, mixing bowls, measuring cups/spoons, the various gadgets you use, etc., should be stored near there. You might also want any dry goods you regularly use in that area, if possible, like rice, couscous, beans, whatever.

If you have a separate area for baking, then all the items you regularly use for baking should be stored there. Yes, this can mean that your mixing bowls, measuring cups/spoons and a few other items are needed in two places (prep and baking). If at all possible, have a set in each. Of course, you'll also want your baking spices, mixer, rubber scrapers, baking pans/sheets, flours, sugars, baking soda/powder, etc., in this area as well. Again, you don't need all your stuff there if it doesn't fit. For example, if you rarely make bundt cakes or mini-muffins and you don't have room for them in the baking center, you could put those items less used elsewhere.

If you have a beverage area for coffees/teas, your mugs and anything you use to make coffee and tea should be in that area. This could include a set of spoons for stirring, sugars, flavors, gadgets, and so on.

Regarding glasses - you would put all of them by the DW but you could also spread them out. Maybe you want a set by whatever sink you use when you get a glass of water, or by the fridge to pour milk, juices, etc. And another set in the beverage center if you also mix cold drinks there.

Hope this helps a bit.

I keyed in 2 paragraphs and hopped over to see if I could provide a photo. Nope, lost all my keyed in stuff.

I used my line drawing to fill in the cabs...on paper. In essence, I started with what items had to stay in kitchen. My mantra - if it didn't have a place in the kitchen, it didn't belong in the kitchen. What pressure! For some reason I started with pots/pans. Logically in my small kitchen, it made sense to have pots/pans/skillets near the stove. Which drawer was available and did its location work? Ditto with silverware. My kitchen is small, so I couldn't have 2 separate areas - a prep area and cleanup area, for example, so I was forced to determine the best location for our needs. On the sink run of cabinets, what items should be there? Ditto around stove. I have a microwave drawer in base cabinet in island. The space under the micro was originally a cab with a door. I wanted to put the microwave ware near the microwave and the space under microwave seemed like a good fit. A drawer there would be a better fit so I wouldn't have to get on my knees to see the back of space. So I switched to a drawer before confirming cabinet order. During this process, I actually measured certain items and drawer depths to ensure it would all fit.

Am I the only one who found, despite weeding stuff and culling the the herd of pots and pans, by the time we had to vacate the kitchen, I still had items in my kitchen that I no longer needed? -- 1 large crab pot, a yogurt maker (from the days before there were whole supermarket aisles devoted to every kind of yogurt), an electric meat slicer (very handy for leftover beef, ham, etc. - not so much any more since we eat more fish and chicken)

When I got ruthless about de-cluttering, I was surprised how much I could get rid of and never miss it! It's great to start a new kitchen without any of the baggage.

Funkycamper - thank you. You know, in theory, I know this isn't so complicated. I SHOULD be able to do this and I know that in reality I CAN do it, but I'm finding it so overwhelming that I'm not doing it. You're on target when you mention perhaps having two sets of similar items in different spaces (I'm thinking that the fridge side of my galley kitchen will also have the coffee maker & toaster... & will end up being quick prep/breakfast prep more than the sink/range run.) I think I'm afraid of it, even though I can do it.

@zwizzle1 - No, you're not. when we last moved, I put stuff that I didn't use often in the basement or other storage areas but they have slowly migrated their way into the kitchen again. During our remodel, I'll do another good decluttering. Hopefully, that one will stick!

Zwizzle1 - I'm absolutely sure I have things I don't need! As a matter of fact, I THINK I have TWO blenders (inherited from a friend moving to the west coast) in the back of an upper cabinets - for years - which I've NEVER used. I have a wok that I've used a half dozen time in ten years - and that's big! I have spices that I wouldn't know what to do with... not to mention that I'm certain their shelf life expired in the 1990's...

You can do it, Carrie! I think I mentioned in a previous post about your kitchen that it's a good exercise to walk through your space pretending to make coffee, breakfast, bake cookies, cook a turkey dinner, whatever it is that you often do, to work through where things should be. That might be the best way to get you started. While doing that, have a big drawing of your new kitchen handy where you can make notes about where it makes the most sense to put which item. This should help you start realizing what the most efficient flow is.

You might also need to measure how big things are to ensure they'll fit where you want them.

I actually thought this was one of the funner parts of the planning. And it helped me realize where I needed to make some tweaks to make things work better. Have fun!

Mags - for some reason, I didn't see your comment on the first go-around. You know, a part of what's getting me overwhelmed (it doesn't take much, lately, it seems) is that, right now, first, I have a few kitchen items (tablecloths & place mats) stored in a living room bureau. I'd like them to be in the kitchen.

I also store cat food & extra beer, misc. cleaning supplies in the basement landing - some stuff, will stay in the basement landing (coats, umbrellas, umbrellas, hats, scarves, mops & brooms) but I'd like to move at least the cat food & human food related stuff into the kitchen.

Then - and I know this is technically unrelated, but it's swirling around in the storage muddle that is my brain - there's all this office-type-stuff stored in the guestroom on the second floor - copier, filing cabinet, other office supplies - that really should be on the first floor. So, I think I'm letting this project become bigger than it is.

Maybe I need to make a therapy appointment over posting to the GW/Houzz Kitchen Forum...;-)

Clueless - I sure hope so, on the storage front! I forgot to mention, above, that the last bunch of 18" drawers by the back door I'd like to hold mostly (exclusively?) garden stuff - bug spray, gloves, candles, daily-use garden tools...

I'll re-post, soon, but I've basically decided to go with the KD's last design. Let's see if I can figure out how to post multiple photos in one post...Hmmm. I'm not figuring out how to turn even one of the KD's PDF files into an uploadable picture... will figure it out eventually.

Oh, the cats are fed in the kitchen - water on the floor, corner of range & window - one cat gets fed on that windowsill, the other on the peninsula. ;-)

(about a month ago)

Friend (to me): why do your cats eat on the counter?

Me: Because that's where I put their food.

I made a list of every single thing that was kept in my cabinets/drawers (that I was keeping) as well as a list of things that I would like to make room for that aren't currently being kept there. Then I took a print out of my new kitchen diagram and and started writing on each cabinet/drawer of things I knew FOR SURE then I slowly filled in the rest...and I mean slowly...lots of erasing!

Oh, OK. That worked!

So, I struggled with several decisions, and, eventually, decided to pretty much go with the KD's last proposal. The old counter space vs. storage issue. I (mostly) went for storage. As mentioned, there are quite a few things now stored on upper floors that should really be downstairs. Silly that I bring mail up to the guest room for filing, and that I bring the laptop upstairs when I have to print something, and that all that stuff is stored in the guest room - which I rent out....

lcskaisgir - How did you figure out how much internal space you'd have? I guess an estimate would get me close enough. I know I'm getting hung up - this is emotional, now, and not practical. Darn. I'm almost 50, and I keep feeling like a petulant 13 year old with lots of homework that I just don't feel like doing.

Lol, some of my home improvement projects are solely for resolving storage issues, so I can relate! For cat food, how much and what are the storage needs? My Sasha's (doggie) stuff/accessories are contained in one drawer in a 3 drawer stack. Her food bowls are nearby. As already mentioned, some items we got rid of or replaced with a multi-function item. When the kitchen project is done, consider putting a closet or shelves under your basement steps for kitchen long term storage items.

Lol, it's overwhelming for sure! You're not just trying to find a spot for everything but you're also trying to make a million other decisions. I guess I kind of had an idea of space because I kept a similar footprint. But for some things I just made some good guesses. I'm sure it didn't end up EXACTLY like I planned it out, but for the most part it did. For example, I have about twice as much stuff in my super susan than I originally planned because it ended up fitting a lot more than I anticipated.

Is that a pantry next to the fridge? Why not keep a plastic container for the cat food on one of those shelves? Or are you using all three 18" drawers for your gardening stuff? You could use one of those? Or even under the sink. I would make it a priority to find a dedicated spot for that in the kitchen since that's where the cats are fed and its used on a daily basis, plus it will help clear off the basement landing.

lcskaigir - Yes, that's a pantry. Actually 21" wide & 30" deep! Yes, I do hope to keep cat food on those shelves - I think they'll be pullouts. The 18" bank of drawers is on the other side, near the range - that will have everyday garden supplies (I think.)

I'm going t have pullout trash & recycling under the sink.

Weird - I thought I uploaded a photo of my cat supplies...

Remember, it doesn't all have to be in your kitchen at once. My 85# dog really goes through the food. I typically only bring up to my laundry area (next to kitchen where she is fed) about 4-5 days worth of food at a time. The rest is in the basement and brought up to replenish as needed.

At 30" deep, pls get rollouts. On fridge wall, I have a pantry with some rollouts and utility cab with no rollouts. The upper upper shelves do not have rollouts; wasted space! Only the front part of shelf is really useable/accessible. Luckily, I put drawer stacks below pantry and utility cabinet...more efficient use of the 30" depth.

Generally, the things that you will access daily should be at eye level. The less used item, the further away it should be from eye level.

Having my dishes close to my dishwasher has been huge. I didn't have the right set up before to make that happen. My son even said he liked unloading the dishwasher now!!!

I made a lot of my decisions after my cabinets were in about where things would go. I know that's not really the way you are supposed to do it. I had a general idea but it's hard to see how it's going to work until you put everything away. I left one bottom cabinet specifically to house my KA mixer. Dh hated it there (and no he never uses it!). My pantry shelves are adjustable so he fixed a shelf waist high that fits it perfectly and requires less muscle to move it around.

Mostly, I'm posting this so you can join me in patting myself on the back for facing my fear head-on and just attempting to do this - however humble my attempt. ;-) I also know it's kind of a hard-to-read-jumbled-mess, but if you have thoughts, I'd love to hear them!

You did it! And you even found space for the cat food! Were you able to find space for everything that you needed to?

lcskaisgir - thank you! :) You know, I'm not really sure - volume wise - how much internal space I really have or need, so I'm not really sure if things will fit and/or if I have huge empty spaces still to fill. So, the nuts & bolts aren't really accounted for. The very fact that I've started thinking about it (in an on-paper way, as opposed the the circular thinking in my head ;) ) feels really good & now, more manageable.

The only suggestion I have is that it will be a bit hard to put dishes in the upper immediately above the dishwasher when the dishwasher is open. You might want to swap the current contents of that upper with the contents of the upper on the left that has party stuff and wine glasses. (Presuming the former is more everyday stuff and the latter is less-frequently used.)

One more thought: aren't you getting a shed for the garden? Why wouldn't you keep your gardening tools in that instead of in kitchen drawers? I presume it would be best if the tools and gloves could dry out in between uses instead of moldering inside closed drawers? I would think some open shelves or a peg board in the shed would be better suited to the job.

Jilllius - really good point about switching the dw cabinet contents with the other one!

Right now, I have a storage bench in my garden where I keep shovels, rakes, loppers, fertilizer, etc. I do plan on getting a larger one that will fit all of that, plus a trash can or two, and hopefully more. What I do now, and suspect that I will continue to do, is to have a handful of things that I might use several times a day - things that now accumulate on top of the microwave because it's easier than putting in storage (& taking back out.)

I'm thinking that one drawer smallish would take care of most of that stuff. I could also work on training myself to leave it outdoors - and, truth is, that stuff might be more likely to end up on TOP of the drawer, on the counter, than in the drawer.

Yay! Glad you finally did it. It wasn't so bad, was it? With all your mentions of beer, I'm surprised to see so many wine glasses but not beer steins. :)

I wonder if for the few frequently used things for the garden, having a little basket that you leave just outside the door or carry around with you wouldn't make more sense? Or perhaps a tray table just outside the door to drop things on? Either would keep that stuff wrangled, easily accessible, and and still not cluttering your counters.

http://st.houzz.com/simgs/2841d5e903e3c720_4-6578/contemporary-baskets.jpg

http://www.craftynest.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/tray_tables5.jpg

This is both -- a table with a basket tray you can lift off:

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/aplus/detail-page/B00GBUN3QQ_3.jpg

(It appears you can no longer embed pictures, and when I at least tried to make the links clickable, they disappeared when I posted.)

Funkycamper - I cleverly multi-use water glasses for beer. If ever need be, no one will ever suspect that I drink beer. ;-)

Jillius - good idea about a basket (or something) for frequently used tools. I like that first basket photo you posted! Drag that you can't embed photos - you are such a good sleuth-er & so good about posting photos to illustrate your points, and that's so much easier (for the rest of us to see) when they're embedded.

Yeah, I am going to start a thread about photo embedding directed at Houzz developers. I hope we can change that.

I realized that I forgot to add spices & my vitamins into the chart (I've since added to the paper version.) think the mop & broom are going to stay in the basement landing - since they don't take up much floor space. I also want to by a good step-stool, which may also live in the landing, or maybe somewhere else.

Now that I've started this, if feels less overwhelming and more like an interesting puzzle. Thank you again, for your suggestions and - more than anything - your encouragement.

@Jillius, when you click on the photo icon at the bottom of your post, you simply drag and drop the link to the photo into it and the photo appears in the post. It's quite simple. However, you do have to either save the photo on your computer or into an Ideabook on your Houzz account. That's a bit of a bummer but I find it quicker than going through Photobucket.

To put clickable links in a post, click on the link bottom at the bottom of our post and put the URL there. It also gives you an option to give the URL a name like "cute tray table" or whatever you want.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for trying to help, but the sticking part for me is that I am on my phone most of the time, and it is pretty inconvenient to upload the image to Houzz or save it locally to my phone and then upload it. It takes more data, take up space in my hard drive that I then have to clear, and it is just 12 extra steps for each picture I post. It used to just be a matter of finding a photo online that illustrates my point and then typing <img src="URL of the photo">.

And as for the links, I was doing as you suggested. They were just disappearing when I hit submit.

" if feels less overwhelming and more like an interesting puzzle"

good going carrie! keep us posted on your progress.

I decided I should do something similar. With all my stacks of stuff to 'to do'. I'm going to plan on attacking 3 a day - and if I get 2 done I'll be so pleased. small steps. I'm starting with the stack of papers by my bedroom window. It WAS a stack until my dog thought she saw someone waaaay out at the road thru the 6" I had the blind pulled up (and window open). the papers went flying to the floor. I did rather swish them together - but not good and still on the floor... so that's 1st. I even have a few empty folders to put them in by category (it's car, doc, vet receipts etc). I already made myself make a trip down the road to my sister's to drop off my trash (I take mine there to be picked up). I'd been putting that off for at least a week. Getting serious with organizing my pantry is on the list (it was once...). plus several boxes of paper 'stuff' from when I moved 2 or 3 yrs ago... good grief! if I die before this stuff is done, my son will kill me!

Carrie, I read your post about cats being fed on the counter to my own cats and they now want to go live with you.

Linelle - If I had human children - I'd probably feed them on the floor. Good thing I only have felines!

you are making tons of progress Carrie!

Where's your heat source?

Mags - thanks for the compliment, and for your help - you've been a biggish part of what's gotten me this far.

Heat source is actually just outside of the kitchen - near where the table will be. There are two intakes on the floor of the kitchen - one functioning & one sealed up. The functioning one will be partially covered by range & cabinetry. I'm thinking maybe we seal that one up & open up the other, unless it's OK for it to be partially covered.

How about including one toe kick drawer? Some one on this board kept a neat little step stool in one.

Thanks, blubird. You know, I should ask my KD what the added cost would be. I suspect that it would be way more than I'd want to spend, though, vs. just keeping it in the nearby stairwell (or even in the basement.)

i would prolly look at re-opening the sealed one if duct work still there and works with new floor plan. If we keep having this freezing weather, you may regret, at least not doing a preliminary review of the possibility, Maybe it's something you can look into later if needed. ?

Yeah, Mags. The ones in the kitchen (both sealed & functioning) are both intake - so no heat directly into the kitchen anyway - but the one that heat does come out of does a good job warming the entire first floor.