Originally Posted by WhyFi

Drives me nuts.

Between NYC livin' and a small house in MN, I'm accustomed to working in a small kitchen. For someone working alone, I think that a compact layout is beneficial, but you've gotta keep on top of clutter or you'll rapidly have a log-jam and efficiency will go to ****. Since I do the vast majority of the cooking/food prep in the house, I see the kitchen as my space and get a frustrated when others muck up the works. Along the lines of the "broken window" theory, I think that a dirty dish sitting out, on the counter or in the sink, is an invitation for a bigger mess.