If you split it into 2 cabinets, you're going to lose space to drawer glides anyway, so I'd suggest using the 36" drawers with 1 1/2" of filler on each side.

Thanks, mama_goose. Yeah, good point about losing space storage anyway, and your plan would still give me the 3" of counter.

The other option is, instead of the filler, I could just make the pantry a few inches winder (24" instead of 21" ) and then, I'm still losing a few inches of counter, but not losing any storage.

Will the upper cabinet be custom 39", or standard 36" with filler, too? If faced with the choice, I'd probably keep the 24" pantry, because I lived a long time in a house with very little storage. I suppose it would depend on which appliances you want to keep on the counter. Maybe you could mock up a section of counter with all of the accoutrements, using boxes for the sides, then decide if the 3" will make a difference.

The cabinet next to the fridge holds my broom and other cleaning implements, as drawn, yours doesn't look tall enough to be doing that...do you have their storage accounted for in your plans? Is the space between countertop and counter big enough to hold the big mixer (presuming you have one), even though you intend it as a breakfast station now, it would be nice to have that flexibility should real life work out differently...

Mama_goose - I haven't decided anything for sure yet, here. Mocking up is always a good idea.

It just seems like if I go with filler, I'm wasting storage space - and I don't have a lot of it - so wasting 3" of storage to gain 3" of counter doesn't seem like a great tradeoff. I'm short (I think) on both storage & counter space. Initially, when I asked the KD to make the pantry narrower, I didn't think about fridge door clearance - I was thinking we'd make the pantry 18", which would have bought me 6" of counter.

Right now, I've got a small microwave, a small/medium toaster oven & a coffee maker on the counter. The microwave is going to be an OTR, so that leaves the other two. Either or both can be on either side of the kitchen, though it might make sense for the toaster to be here - near the bread (in the freezer.)

Coffee I could go either way on - sink wall is closer to the water it needs, fridge side is closer to the milk I use with every cup.

I just had a thought. If you need more elbow room, you might consider a pullout board. The nook could hold the appliances, and then you could use the board as work space.

Here is a link that might be useful: one of many old threads

Practigal - cabinet next to fridge - meaning the pantry? Not sure which cabinet you're referring to. I don't think I'll have storage for brooms other than the basement landing, where they are now. Not ideal, but with such limited space anyway, it may be the most practical way for me to go.

I don't have a mixer - and, well, at 49 plus, I've never had one or missed having one. When you say the space between the countop & counter, do you mean the space between the countertop and the upper cabinets?

Mama_goose - just saw your comment about the board. Something to think about - not sure that I'll need it either way, but it's a good option.

I still think you'd be better off doing this (pardon the crude photoshopping):

{{gwi:2135356}}

1) In the picture you posted here, the size your counter would be looks barely usable. In any other kitchen, it would just be a landing spot or, at most, a secondary work space for when you have a guest or something. But because you will have no other counter near this area, you will be somewhat forced to work at this very tight area regularly, and it just seems as if that would be very frustrating.

39" - the coffee maker = what, 24"? 30"? It's just not a lot, and it will feel like less because it is boxed in by a fridge on one side and a wall on the other. That is literally the very smallest a counter can be and still be considered a work space, and it will feel just like that.

If instead you turn the pantry into uppers, a counter, and lowers, now you have a 60" of counter. 60"- the coffee maker = 45" or 50" of work space. That'll be vastly more comfortable and better for counter used regularly.

Also:

2) 60" is a standard size for cabinetry

(Although how big is this wall? You don't want your cabs to add up to the exact length of the wall. You need space for the areas where the walls aren't straight, and an inch or two of filler is necessary between cabinets and the corner so your drawers aren't scraping against a wall when they pull out, and so your cabinet doors can open a bit past 90 degrees so you can remove stuff from them easily. You also want an inch or two of space on either side of the fridge for air circulation -- check the manufacturer's specs -- and so it can be shoved in/removed for servicing without major issue.)

3) With the fridge next to the stairs, door swing is not a concern at all.

4) With the fridge next to the stairs, you also don't have the fridge blocking your counter from the natural light.

5) It is a cleaner look -- all your cabinet doors will be the same width, and 4 of the six will also be the same length. You'll have two stacks of drawers that are the same size.

6) It is overall more spacious look. The more wide open counter you have, the roomier the kitchen looks.

7) The uppers and lowers will still work for your pantry, the same as the deep pantry cabinet would, but seeing/retrieving what you have will be easier with uppers/drawers.

8) If you find you miss the bit of pantry storage that you lost, you can install one of these on the inside of the your basement door:

{{gwi:2135357}}

Wow, Jillius. Thank you! I've told my KD that I'd get back to her by the end of the day tomorrow. You've give me a lot to think about in the next 24 hours.

That wall is 92.5 inches. The fridge I've selected is an apartment sized, counter depth 27.5" wide bottom freezer.

Jillius (and everyone else!)

One thing I completely forgot about - that cubby on the far side of that wall. It's 36" w x 8" x 72? 78? tall (I'm in bed now, so don't want to go down two flights of steps to re-measure.) When the KD first mentioned putting a pantry there, she said that even if I order stock, a good contractor could "customize" it by knocking out the back & making it deeper - so that space isn't wasted.

Someone here (sorry, I don't remember who it was - Jillius? Laughable? Lavender Lass? It could have been anyone) suggested making the counter top deeper in that area. I'm not sure how to make it look not-odd, and don't want to either waste that extra 8" of space OR blow my budget. What do you think would be a good way to handle the cubby if I go with your latest layout suggestion?

This post was edited by carrieb on Mon, Jan 19, 15 at 22:44

{{gwi:2135358}}
40.75" wall to wall, top about an inch wider than base. Old house. Frameless inset cabs. Just big enough. Wouldn't go smaller. I was one among others who suggested making counters deeper. Good use of space if you can. {{gwi:2135359}}
Forget the microwave in this one, too lazy to go to desktop. Push cab back in nook, cut down depth of cab in front of bump out. If I remember this was a 12" pantry, 30" frig cab, then custom work on remainder. I'd just do a small pantry then more counter like jillius showed, but I love counter ;)

I believe you'll have about 6' of counter on the sink wall. Having 1/2 of that in the fridge/storage wall makes sense to me. However, if you feel that counter will be the most used counter in the kitchen, then maybe doing what Jillius suggested is the way to go.

I'd personally prefer more storage and regular sized cabs to minimise cost, since a total of about 9' counter not too far from ech other, seem to be enough for 1 person or a small family.

Thanks, clueless, fro the good visuals. That top one is lovely - is that yours?

Sena - Good to hear another viewpoint. Yes, 6' total on the sink side - 36+18+18. I'm sure that whatever storage I have, I will use. Likewise, whatever counter I have, will get used (and will also get cluttered, regardless of proper storage, layout, etc - it's just the way I live - but I clean up well for company.)

I'm planning to get my sister's trusted input today, and welcome any other thoughts and ideas. Will email the KD this evening with whatever I decide...

Yes it's mine. Thanks! Useful space, but I don't use it as I had intended (baking area) because its not big enough and no sink. It does hold a lot including dog/cat stuff and all baking everything. Counter used for tea, coffee, and toast. Wish it was a foot bigger!
{{gwi:2135360}}

Just jumping in to say that I love the wider counter with the pantry in the uppers instead. So much more user friendly however you decide to use it. Looks much more 'spacious', too.

cluelessincolorado, I'm attracted to your cabinets. My google-fu is failing me. Can you tell me more about frameless inset and who might carry them?

Carrieb, you mentioned charging station in the first post. One of the goals of my kitchen remodel was to get clutter off the counters - and that included a pile of chargers and cords. I have a "command center" cabinet with outlets inside - perfect for charging phones, Kindles, and rechargable batteries out of sight. I love getting those items off the counter!

I really like Jillius's suggestion of moving the fridge and eliminating the tall cabinet. Does your cabinet line have deeper uppers? With a wider span, you could go for 15" deep uppers, and pull the bases out a couple of inches to match the fridge depth. You gain storage, and counter - and the extra inches of depth give you more room to leave appliances out.

Clueless, I also love your cabinets and would like to know more about them.

Thank you, everyone. I'm really, really torn. One minute I think one thing, and the next, another. I guess that means I'm OK whichever way I go...

I made a salad for lunch today - probably the thing I do regularly that uses the most amount of prep space and paid attention to how I used that space - I used up almost exactly 36", a couple inches more or a couple inches less - and I also had other stuff (tea box & honey) in the area I was working in. I agree that it would be nice to have a stretch somewhere that's more than 36." The salad was for me alone, but if I'd been making a salad for a group, the extra space would have come in handy.

Thanks, annkh - the only charging I really need is for my cell phone - and if it's daytime and I'm charging it, I want it to be easily accessible & probably visible, so, if I get a text, I can look down at it without opening a door. If it's night time, I don't care if it's on the counter.

I don't have a cabinet line selected, but will probably go with stock, budget cabinets. The fridge I have selected is counter depth, though I could go another way - though I haven't found a small, affordable freezer on the bottom other than the counter depth Summit one I have in mind.

Please excuse carrieb! Don't want to divert thread, but want to give link to wannakitchen and jillius about cabs. Had a buffet that I loved and wanted the look in cabinets. GC was game and amazing. Got a lot of help from this amazing place when I was searching so I wanted to pass on. If you keep at reading to the end, lots of info.

Here is a link that might be useful: Inset frameless thread

Clueless, did you ever do a reveal? What kind of wood are your cabinets?

Carrieb, in answer to your question about what to do for the recessed area, this is what I would do:

1) If I were really hurting for storage, I would bite the bullet and pay what would be quite a lot of money to have a custom base cabinet made with drawers that use the full depth. IKEA (or whatever) drawer fronts can be easily added to the front of custom innards.

If I didn't need the storage, I would just put blocking in the recessed area such that a normal-depth drawers cabinet could be screwed into the blocking.

It would be cheaper to do base cabs with shelves, cut a hole in the back, and cut new shelves that extend to the back, and technically then you would have the extra eight inches of storage. But less-deep-drawers are better, more useful storage than the deepest shelves. There is an emotional thing about not wanting to lose any space you have, but don't fall into that trap here. Get drawers at whatever size you can afford and never look back.

2) Run the counter into the recess and don't worry about its looking odd. In old, small, New England houses, having random radiator pipes running through or in front of things and having random chases running up walls is just par for course. It's the price of having electrical, heating, and running water in a house that wasn't originally built to have them.

Here is an example of a kitchen with a wall that goes in and out as yours will:

{{gwi:2135361}}

{{gwi:2135362}}

{{gwi:2135363}}

You can see it looks fine. So just have the counter be straight on the front edge and follow the wall in and out on the far edge, and it will be fine. Same with the backsplash if you intend to have one there. Just habe it follow the wall.

It'll create a nice little cubby for you to shove your coffee maker or toaster into when you are not using them and give yourself a bit of extra room on thr counter to work in front of them.

3). The upper cabinets can be modified to take advantage of the extra depth as your KD suggested, but I don't know that it is worth the money. Stuff just gets lost in the back of high, deep shelves.

I ascribe to my mother's tomato rule. Namely, a good tomato is worth whatever you have to pay for it, and a bad tomato is worth nothing. Custom extra-deep drawers are a good tomato. They will be easy to use, good storage. Twenty-inch-deep upper cabinets seem like a bad tomato. Why pay anything, however little, for bad storage that will frustrate you?

The Marianas Trench will hold everything you could ever want in a kitchen, but how would you ever get anything back out? With storage, it isn't just about having the space. It is also about ease of retrieval.

Lastly, this is off the wall, but would it be totally insane to have a pot filler on this wall? To fill up your coffee maker? It wouldn't take up any storage or counter space.

Please don't try to 'rush' through this phase to make an arbitrary deadline. You'll be living and using the kitchen longer than its planning/downtime. Complete the 'fill in the cabinets' and mock use of areas in question, before signing off on cabinetry boxes/layout. You have a small space and the goal should include best layout/function with best use of monies. Keep tweaking.

I had a pantry/broom closet with outlet built into my design. I really really wanted a place to keep broom, swiffer stuff, etc. I didn't feel the need to store a vacuum in a kitchen pantry but a 3drawer stack underneath was helpful. When the pantry/broom closet was installed, it was installed with shelves. Whoa! My eyes got big, and I imagined all the cleaning stuff I could store there. I'm trying out the value of the unanticipated extra storage...maybe I'll switch it back to a broom closet. I think was already mentioned, but from drawing, it looks like the pantry/broom closet needs to be taller to hold those type things. Maybe you want it tall enough to also include a shelf inside the cab? Drill down to that level of detail to get the best bang for your buck.

This post was edited by Mags438 on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 15:17

Mags - I'm not sure what 'fill the cabinets' means or how to do that.

Going back & forth w/ KD right now.

KD said that doing a horizontal flip up door over micro was not advisable because it would be too high to close (without standing on a stool/ladder) While I know that if I go w/ cabinets to ceiling, I'll need a stool/ladder to reach stuff on the very top, I'd rather not have to use a stool just to close a door that I open to get stuff on its lowest shelf - function over form.

I get the sense that this is a bigger project that KD anticipated (she initially indicated that my kitchen is so small, that she should be able to do it for well under her regular design fee - she's already gone over her regular fee/design hours.) I have no problem paying for extra hours & design. Good design is worth every penny.

carrieb, I think what Mags means is this: figure out exactly what will be put where in the new kitchen. Not specifically each spoon and bowl, but general areas for smaller items, and specific spots for larger items (small appliances, mixing bowls, etc).

Put things near their point of use: potholders and cooking utensils by the range, glasses by the water source, dishes near the DW, etc. Include things like plastic containers, dish towels, baking dishes, cookie sheets, baking supplies, cake pans, cutting boards, stock pots, roasting pans. Think about where things are in the kitchen now, and if that location works for you, or could be better. Consider how often you use things, and don't waste valuable real estate on something you use 3 times a year.

Some of the things that were completely different in my new kitchen: Tupperware in a drawer instead of a cabinet; knives in a drawer instead of a block on the counter; cereal and cereal bowls in the same cabinet.

I went as far as taping out a rectangle the size of a drawer, and placing my baking canisters (flour, sugar, oatmeal, etc) inside, to make sure everything would fit. I bought new square and rectangular canisters, so they fit in the drawer better. I also measured the height of things - in a 3-drawer stack, my bottom drawer is taller, so I can fit cake pans on their sides (with dividers, to keep them from tipping over).

Making an inventory of what you have and writing down where things will go in the new space might answer questions for you - like whether you need the pantry cabinet, or if Jillius's suggestion would work out better. Picture yourself going through different activities - like you did with your salad prep.

I'm chuckling at your KD - I'm no expert, but it seems to me that making the best use of a small space is a much bigger challenge than designing a medium-sized space (large spaces have their own challenges).

I completely agree with Mags and Jillius - take the time to get it right. You'll be living with the results for a long time.

Annkh - that all makes sense. I'm about to leave for a week (or two or three) to care for my mom as she recovers from a hip replacement, so it might have to wait a few weeks - but I'm in no hurry.

I agree with you about the small space being no easier - and maybe tougher - to design around. I was skeptical when she first said she expected it to take half the time - but since I'd already come up with a layout, and had it pretty much drawn up on graph paper with the help of people here, I thought (and maybe she thought) that it would be easier as the work seemed to be largely done.

Mags - you mentioned my "pantry/broom closet" I didn't think I had a broom closet in my design - just a pantry. Are you saying I should divide the pantry in half (or quarters, or thirds) so that half of it can be a broom closet and half a pantry? I was thinking the broom/mop would just keep living in the stairwell. Except now we're talking about not having a pantry at all, or having a very narrow one.

I'm waiting to hear back from KD. She did not respond to my last point on the last email about getting more countertop space on that side in our last communication.

I just wanted to chime in for a minute about the microwave. Near the fridge/freezer is the best place for the microwave to go, as you are generally pulling stuff out of the refrigerator to pop into the microwave. Maybe those uppers could be accommodated for a microwave shelf?

I've been trying to follow the various discussions about this kitchen but I'm not sure where the microwave is going to go these days?

Sorry to hear about your moms hip but kinda happy that you're going away for awhile. Use that time to ponder suggestions. And really pay close heed to the suggestions regarding point-of-use, accessible storage and the tasks you normally do, the space you need to do them, etc.

I feel like I'm Jillius's biggest cheerleader but I really agree with her layout. I've never heard anyone say that they wish they had less counter! And, yeah, go with more depth if you can so coffeemaker and such can sit toward the back and still give you good space to work on your counter.

That said, YOU work in your kitchen, not us. YOU have your own style of food prep and clean-up that may not match the way we all do things. We can make suggestions based on how we do things but not on how you do things. Sure, there are some basics of how good kitchen flow works and some are standard and should be heeded. But then we all have our own individual quirks. And then we need to assess those quirks to determine if they are simply accommodations we've made due to working in a poorly planned space. Or do we like those quirks and want to incorporate them into our space.

I suggest you take your drawings, measurements, etc., with you. While at your mom's, use large sheets of paper or cardboard, cardboard boxes and furniture, whatever you can grab, to mock up a pretend kitchen to play in. When you have breaks from caring for your mom, play in your pretend kitchen. Really think through just where you need that spatula, knife, bowl, whatever. Pretend you're making a meal for company as well as the simple, daily meals you make yourself.

Even if you can't mock-up with boxes/furniture, your pretend kitchen, you can still define an area at your mom's that is roughly the same space, the same distance counter-to-counter, and then walk through the motions. I think this is critical to getting a good layout that will work for you. All the tweaking on paper and with drawings can only get you so far, role-playing is critical to getting you the rest of the way there.

Seriously, my DH rolls his eyes each time I tell him "OK, now pretend I'm making a salad while you're making a stir-fry." Or "pretend I'm making a roast and side dishes while you're making a sandwich to tide you over until dinner". Every scenario I can think of, we've role-played. This has been key to helping me define what I really need, what compromises I can live with and what I can't, etc.

And I'm not talking about just pretending you're doing the last step of the cooking. I'm talking start-to-finish. I'm talking getting out the food, bowls, any gadgets/tools you need, washing, prepping, disposal, cooking, transfer to plate, clean-up, and then putting the stuff away. Every single step.

We're not done yet with our planning but we're ever so much closer. Between GW suggestions and the role-playing, I'm feeling increasingly confident in my layout.

DD will be home for a few days next week and I'm going to corral everyone into the "three people working in the kitchen scenarios". OK, that's rarely an issue but I still want it to flow as smooth as possible for the few times a year it happens.

Last tip: spend a few days away from GW. Heck, a week even. This place is great but you can get overloaded with all the wonderful suggestions from the creative, knowledgeable people here. It's overwhelming....in a good way, but still. During those days away, really play in your pretend kitchen.

Sorry to ramble on so long but I really get the sense that you haven't totally defined your own needs and working-style as well as you could before finalizing your plan. Once you understand all that better, you will be better able to just know that "yes, I need more counter space on fridge wall" or "no, I need that pantry".

Hope this helps a bit.

Jillius - I just realized that I never acknowledge your wonderful illustrations & explanations above. So sorry. And many thanks. That looks good and could work for me.

I also realized that the Summit fridge I've got on my mind is counter depth, so, if I were to move it close to the basement door, I'd probably want to switch it out for a standard depth, or there would be issues opening it (unless I pulled it out a good deal from the wall.

Steph - I'm pretty decided on putting the microwave OTR. It's a decision I really struggled with - but in such a small kitchen with so little storage & counter space, it just seems like the practical & economical thing to do. You're right that it does make sense to put it next to the fridge. OTR, for me, will make it 7.5' away - three steps (yup, I tested it.) Not ideal, but I'm pretty sure that it's better than the alternatives for me on a bunch of levels. Plus, I only tend to use it, on average, about once a day, so, three extra steps once a day I can handle.

Thanks, funkycamper, for your words about my mom. She's been in so much pain. I hope this helps. She got out of surgery today, I pick her up on Friday or Saturday when they release her from hospital, and stay at her place (no WiFi!) as she recovers. Thank God for smartphones. I hope there's a library nearby where I can bring my laptop from time to time. (edited to fix typos, & while I'm here: I just talked to mom, in recovery room. She's not in pain, and cracking jokes, though she's doped up on pain meds & a bit hard to understand. Relieved)

You know, the thing about assessing quirks & making accommodations for a poorly laid out space... I've lived in this kitchen some 15 years, and in tiny, badly laid out apartments before this place. I have this (not so) secret embarrassment about not cooking AND this (not so secret anymore) fantasy that if I re-do my kitchen, I'll actually start using it to... cook!

I garden in the city for a living and I used to work with active drug users to preserve their health. I GET that you should make policy & plans & kitchen designs based on the reality of how things are & not the fantasy of how you want them to be.

So, I'm trying to be realistic, but also to encourage the best in me - I could get along pretty well right now if my range (cooktop & oven, both) completely died. I could throw away 1/2 of what's in my pantry cabinet - rice, pasta, sauces, flour, brown sugar... and not even notice. I could give away pretty much all of my pots, pans, saucepans, cookie sheets....

But that seems really defeatist, like I'd be just giving up on myself, and I'm not quite ready to do that. So, I'm trying to walk this delicate balance... who am I right now? What modifications for the good can I encourage myself with?

OK, thanks for the unpaid therapy session. No wonder I'm so indecisive. Yikes.

This post was edited by carrieb on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 16:03

Carrie, nothing to add re your kitchen. Sorry to hear about your mom's hip problem, but now that the she had a surgery, I hope she'll recover soon and be free from any pain.

>I have this (not so) secret embarrassment about not cooking AND this (not so secret anymore) fantasy that if I re-do my kitchen, I'll actually start using it to... cook!

>I garden in the city for a living and I used to work with active drug users to preserve their health. I GET that you should make policy & plans & kitchen designs based on the reality of how things are & not the fantasy of how you want them to be.

I don't know that learning to cooking is a fantasy so much as a thing you'd like to do that you've never had the opportunity to do before now because of decades of bad kitchens. And that's not foolish or a pipe dream. We all have stuff we'd like to do. It's my intention to use our new bonus space to do yoga in the morning after our floor is installed. I've never done yoga that regularly, but I've also never had the space to do it.

The combination of interest in doing something (which you and I have) and having what you need to actually do it (which you and I will have) reasonably would result in actually doing that activity. It's not some crazy, out there fantasy that we should get real about it.

Fantasy is when you decide you are going to be five-star chef tomorrow. Or that you will become a chef without a functional kitchen. Or if you have tried 17 times to do something and think it'll work the 18th without any change in circumstance.

None of that is what you're doing. You are changing your circumstance (terrible kitchen to functional one) and then reasonably expecting that it'll allow for different behavior.

Glad to hear your Mom is out of surgery!

While you're at her house, spend time in her kitchen. Open drawers and cabinets; see where things are, in plain sight and hidden away. Get a sense for what works and what doesn't.

You're used to "making do" in your existing kitchen, and probably don't think too much about what works and what doesn't (well, now that you're planning a new kitchen you probably do!) But experiencing another kitchen, not just in pictures or to walk through, but to prepare meals (or at least snacks) gives you a different perspective. I expect you'll be making meals for you and your Mom, probably going to the grocery store. A great opportunity for you to think about how a different layout could (or could not) work for you.

Sena - thank you. I was so relieved to talk to her a few minutes ago & to hear that she sounds good, if a bit slur-ry in her words.

Jillius - thanks for the encouragement, and best to you with your yoga. I love yoga, though I can't get myself to do it at home (hope I'll get myself to do it at mom's, since there are no studios around there.) Paying money to join a studio is what gets me to do it, and it's worth it to me. Maybe re-doing my kitchen will work for me in the way that paying yoga studio membership gets me to do yoga.

Annkh - Good idea @ paying attention to my mom's kitchen. I suspect that hers, while bigger than mine, is at least as inefficient. She's never been much of a cook, and now that she lives alone, well, it'll be interesting, and I will pay attention to it.

Nothing wrong with indecisive, just lets you know you can see that there can be more that one good answer. Now I'll let you in on my sad little mind... I actually calculated to the inches cubed how much storage I had vs what I was pretty sure the new cabinets would afford me. I also put boxes up around me to see how I would feel with actual counter space. It looked weird and DH had fun watching me, but the more info I had, the better the decisions were for ME. Now that's not to say that I didn't get completely overwhelmed and would stomp away from the whole process for days at a time! So don't be afraid to set that microwave up at the level you'd be using it at over the range. See how it feels to you, then you'll know for YOU. Good luck with your mom, she's lucky to have you!

If you want to start cooking more and learn to be a better cook, a nice, functional kitchen will really be worth the effort.

It sounds like we're all on the same page regarding helping you understand pretend cooking. Since you don't normally cook, maybe collect a few different types of recipes like a few main dish, a few sides, some salads, maybe some things to bake like a cake and cookies, and then pretend create them. Collect the ingredients (all pretend, of course), then collect the tools you'll need (ditto), pretend you're following each step.

If something seems clunky, it probably is. It doesn't take any expertise to determine that if you've had to reach in 10 different cupboards for 10 items, it's clunky. That is way too inefficient to make cooking or baking pleasurable for anybody.

So then you can start to think about where else you can store those items so they're better grouped. Will they fit in the space you're creating? Yada yada.

It's a time consuming process but totally worth doing, imho. And now you have a wonderful break, away from work and the computer, to do that. Enjoy it. And give your mom her healing hugs!