Today’s kitchen is the nerve centre of the home. Just think for a moment of the many things that happen in this space: food preparation, eating, entertaining, recycling station, homework supervision, message centre, budgeting and bill payments, and family meetings.

This room, more than any other in the home, clearly calls for good planning and design to meet the many demands of modern family life.

If you are planning to renovate your kitchen, think simple, streamlined and functional for a stylish and efficient kitchen.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your kitchen renovation:

	Before renovating make a plan that shows traffic pathways — both through the kitchen to enter or exit the space, as well as between work areas. This is a high-use area and having people crossing your path will result in both lost time and frustration.
	Take stock of what you have. If you love glassware and have a lot of it, then you’ll need to create a space for that collection. Same goes for your most used appliances. Nothing creates a sense of clutter as much as too much stuff on the countertops. Make sure there is a space for everything.
	Plan to have your main work areas in close proximity. The traditional work triangle of refrigerator, food prep area and cook top works well. But think beyond the basics to include a second work triangle for quick meals, such as microwave, island counter and dishwasher.
	Plan a small office space that can accommodate a desk, laptop and few shelves for sorting paperwork. House the space behind cabinet doors to keep maintain the overall style of the kitchen and ensure any clutter can be quickly closed away.
	Efficiency is as much a sense of style as it is the right design and tools. For an efficient look choose stylish cabinetry, chrome or stainless steel appliances that marry high-performance with sleek design. Counters at various heights combined with a variety of materials give a kitchen creative flair, as well as providing extra workspace for smaller members of the family.
	Choose a side-by-side refrigerator to minimize bending and shave precious time off food preparation.
	Make sure utensil drawers are easy to reach under food preparation areas. Use dividers to make sure you can find the right tool quickly and easily.
	A pullout pantry and lazy Susan are great storage solutions. Take a close look at your options and use any extra space possible for slide-out shelves. The dead space beneath cabinetry, for example, is a great place for pullout drawers for pots, pans and bake ware.
	Install open shelves or hooks to maximize empty wall space. Just be careful not to overdo it and create a cluttered display.
	If space is really tight design areas to do double duty, such as a kitchen island that works as both a food preparation area and a space for eating. House roll-out carts underneath so everything you need will be close at hand during food preparation, yet can be easily moved away to accommodate seating.
	Think about efficiency for cleaning and maintenance also. A ceramic tile backsplash, for instance, is easy to clean. Natural stone countertops are durable and resist scratches and burns.

By designing your new kitchen with efficiency in mind, you’ll create a space where you’ll want to spend time.