Kitchens that really cook: Your ideal food-prep room needn't be a dream

Stacia Hickey had limited resources to remodel her kitchen in Whitefish Bay, Wis., so she had to get creative - and learn to live with some things, like a vintage countertop. Now she's happy about that.

"Our counters and backsplash are a cool, authentic red Formica that is in great condition for being 60 years old," she said.

"What I like the best is the sense of history my kitchen has. The older items remind me of the two families who lived here before us. I like to think about the happy times we are adding to theirs in this kitchen - birthday cakes, holiday dinners, breakfast on a child's first day of school and all the little moments that add up to a lifetime of happy memories."

Let there be light

 

Lori Cannestra, a self-described "kitchen design junkie," did a big kitchen remodel and loves her new custom spice rack, phone niche and home-organizing corner.

But one small detail stands out for her: "Our simple, under-cabinet outlet strip. Tucking an outlet strip under the cabinets, rather than traditional receptacles every three feet, enhances the beauty of our tiled backsplash by allowing an uninterrupted, clean line across the length of the wall."

Roundly praised

 

Not every kitchen attribute requires a makeover. Putting a lazy Susan kitchen-tool organizer next to her stove has proven to be indispensable for Joan Dean, of Menomonee Falls, Wis.

"It holds measuring spoons, wooden spoons, various knives, spatulas, a garlic press, two scissors, whisks, potato peeler, bottle openers, pizza cutters and more," Dean said. She ordered it 25 years ago from Rodale Press' Organic Gardening magazine.

"I could not cook or bake without my kitchen-tool organizer," she said.

Measure by measure

 

Making every inch of cabinet space count was a personal mission for Deborah Kramer when she remodeled her kitchen in Onalaska, Wis. She measured cans and boxes to make sure they fit in the drawers she had in mind. To get every inch of space to work, she had pantry drawers designed to fit next to a long row of wine cubby holes.

"I had them plan the wine rack first and then make the drawers with the remaining space," she said. "These pantry drawers pull completely out so no canned good is unseen."