Kitchen Confidence
Written for Upscale Remodeling Magazine, this tells contractors how to work with clients doing a kitchen remodel.
Evaluate existing kitchens by observing the client’s use of the space.
When it comes to helping a client locate or re-locate all of the elements in a kitchen, make sure it’s a family affair. While one or two persons in a family may be the primary user of the kitchen, other members of the household should be included in any well-thought through remodel. If there are no children at home, ask if they have visitors who gather in the kitchen.
Watch during peak use time. Try to be around when there is kitchen traffic so you can develop a first-hand understanding of how the kitchen is currently used. Notice the traffic flow. Is it a tough squeeze past the fridge when the door is open by one person and another wants to get past it? Do chairs, islands, tables block the most natural flow through the space? Are foodstuffs, cups, plates, and utensils in the best spot for the youngest and the oldest of the house to access without assistance? Are there places for guests to sit or stand that doesn’t impede the function of the kitchen?
Do a dry run. Have the client demonstrate for you how the kitchen is used. Have the client walk in to the kitchen carrying a grocery bag full of groceries. Is there a functional well-located place for a grocery bag to be put down? Is it close enough to the refrigerator or the pantry, or the cabinets, or wherever the contents are intended to go? If not, where might you place one? Make notes or videotape this as the client does this mock demonstration.
Have the client cook a meal. How far do they have to walk or bend to get the ingredients and take them to where they will be used? Are utensils and pots accessible? Are outlets, cleaning, and cutting areas well-placed? Does the client seem physically comfortable during the cooking preparation process? Use yourself as a barometer as you watch: if this was your kitchen, would you enjoy repeating the movements the client is making now?
Is there a safe place to put down hot foods? Is there a place to eat it if it’s an eat-in kitchen? Can the person who’s cooking converse easily with others in the kitchen or in an adjacent room? Can he see the television easily if he so desires? Also watch the clean up process, noting how fluid it is or isn’t. For example, is it a struggle to find storage containers, access the trash, load or unload the dishwasher?
Giving a kitchen an observational test drive yourself will help you make suggestions to your client which is based on first-hand knowledge, not guesswork. The client will appreciate this and your design process will go more smoothly.