Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Unit Kitchens

[PattyMara (PattyMara]

In a message dated 99-01-10 14:58:42 EST, bschaller [at] theriver.com writes:

<< 
 I'd like to know to what extent people's kitchen needs have changed 
 since moving into cohousing. 
 
 Do you actually use your kitchens significantly less than before? >>

We've been moved in at Tierra Nueva (central CA coast) since mid-August of
last year so I have only only 5 months experience.  My sense is that we use
our kitchen about the same as before.  The two common meals we share a week,
sometimes three, don't seem to lighten the usage significantly. 
 
 <<Have you found that a smaller oven was sufficient or not? >>
 
We have Amana ranges with one big oven in all of our homes.  I used to have a
two oven stove in my old home.   I think the one oven is very sufficient.
  
<<If it wasn't totally sufficient, then when was it not sufficient?>>

If I ever need another oven I can use the wolf in the common house.    
<<At this point, the unit in question will have 1-4 people living in it.
 If you could tell us your experiences with your own kitchen and 
 cohousing, this would be helpful to us as we finalize our drawings.>>

Our family has three people, four when my daughter visits from college (some
weekends, and summers).  It is smaller in size than my former kitchen.  We had
to add a custom pantry for food storage, and a wonderful butcher block rolling
cart for more counter space and storage.  It was the "economy" unit so the
kitchen is small.  The customization was worth the extra cost.  I agree with
the list member who wrote that the same amount of food and utensils need to be
stored, so the cabinets and counterspace can't be reduced significantly.  I
think it is a cohousing myth that we all need smaller kitchens once we have
the use of a common house kitchen for shared meals.  The kitchen is the heart
of our home, always was, always will be. 

Patty Mara Gourley
Tierra Nueva Cohousing, Oceano, CA