The kitchen is a place to work, but why not make it also a pleasant place to be? For kitchen design ideas, the best is to give the best view to the kitchen. A kitchen would preferably be on a corner, where it can get light from two sides, and where you can see in more than one direction. Many mothers like to have a kitchen window overlooking the play yard, so they can supervise the children's activities while continuing with their work. It is also desirable to be able to see who is coming to the door.

Although when you drive up with the groceries you should have easy access to the back door of the kitchen, I do not favor the door that opens directly from the garage into the kitchen. The area for the pleasant activity of eating includes not only a place for the table and chairs, but also a place to store and prepare food, and a place to clean up things after meals, and room to store the dishes and utensils.

Planning a kitchen so that it will be efficient, beautiful, and adequate takes time imagination and the right kitchen design ideas.

Too many doors in a kitchen are to be avoided, as they cut up the space and make for inefficiency. Many authorities say that three doors are the absolute maximum that should be permitted in any kitchen. Two doors would be better. Perhaps it is impractical to try to get along with only one door, although it might be managed with a little ingenuity.

The kitchen should be so arranged that the food can be taken to the place where it is to be served without too many steps.

Kitchens are of three general shapes: the "U" shaped kitchen, the "L" shaped kitchen, and the parallel kitchen. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. How many people will be working in the kitchen at one time also has a bearing on its design.

The "U" shaped kitchen is convenient for one person to work in, but two or three young daughters trying to help might be in the way in this type of kitchen, unless the "U" is rather wide and not too deep.

Although the parallel kitchen is perhaps the most efficient, it is subject to the same limitations as the "U" shaped one. This consists of a rather long room, with cabinets and equipment on both sides, and usually a door in each end. This type of kitchen must be at least 8' wide to give enough working space in the center of the room.

The "L" shape is good when it can be arranged in conjunction with the breakfast nook or the so-called "living kitchen" in which the kitchen is large and doubles for the family room, the dining room, and a general purpose room, with the kitchen really occupying only one corner of it. This is very good for informal entertaining, as the person preparing the sandwiches, instead of being off in another room, can do her work and still not miss out on any of the fun.

When working with kitchen design ideas, remember that wherever the kitchen is placed, or whatever shape it may have, certain working areas and pieces of equipment are a necessity. These might include drainboards, baking area, sink, refrigerator, dish washer, stove top, oven, mixer, blender, toaster, waffle iron, silverware, kitchen hardware, kettles, lids, dishes, paper towels, waxed paper, garbage disposal, storage for package foods and for tin canned goods, and for home canned fruits and vegetables, and perhaps room for a deep freeze unit.

A well-planned kitchen will make everyone happy.