Kitchen layouts – the ‘working triangle’

Whether your kitchen is mainly built-in or contains unfitted elements, there will inevitably be fixed points in the layout corresponding to servicing arrangements – electrical supply, gas supply (if any), fresh water and drainage. Kitchen planning entails coming up with a layout that incorporates these fixed points in an efficient and workable manner.

The notion of the ‘working triangle’ informs kitchen planning. This concept specifies that the kitchen should be laid out with reference to three essential points: the refrigerator (or cold area) the hob (cooktop) or oven (or hot area) and the sink (or wet area).

Cooking and preparing food is a sequence of related activities. If the three points of the working triangle are spaced too far apart, you will waste time and energy producing even the simplest meal.

If they are too close, your working conditions will be cramped and awkward, and might even be dangerous. Ergonomic studies recommend that the total distance travelled between the three critical points should be no greater than 6m (20ft).

The working triangle can be applied to several different types of layout. These include the single-line layout, where the three points are arranged along the length of a wall; the L-shaped layout; the U-shaped layout; the galley kitchen; and the island kitchen. Island kitchens require the most floor space, while single-line and galley kitchens are more efficient if you do not have much room to play with.

Kitchen storage

Storage should be considered in the context of the working triangle. Begin planning the organization of your supplies and equipment by concentrating on the critical area between the sink and the stove. Anything you keep within arm’s reach of this hard-working area should relate directly to preparing and cooking the kind of food that you eat on a regular basis. Here is the place to store the pots and pans you use almost every day, frequently used utensils, basic provisions and condiments, as well as cleaning products such as washing-up liquid and dishwasher powder.

Be guided by your own tastes and cooking preferences. If you hardly ever bake, you don’t need to keep flour in this part of the kitchen; if you don’t use the food processor very often, don’t keep it on the kitchen counter.

The remainder of your provisions and equipment can be stored away from the main preparation area, organized according to type. Keep all tinned, preserved and dry goods in a larder cupboard. Store cutlery (flatware) and crockery close to the kitchen table to make setting it easier, but not too distant from the sink or dishwasher. Specific items of equipment or small appliances that you use from time to time, such as blenders and food processors, need their own dedicated storage area.

Organizing a kitchen on the basis of accessibility is no more than common sense, yet all too often people make things harder for themselves than they really need to be.

While the DIY shows and home improvement programs often show grand, expansive kitchens, on average the kitchen is still one of the smallest rooms in the house. Especially in older homes, the kitchen was merely a place of food preparation, not a place of gathering like it is in today’s lifestyle. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) considers any kitchen 150 square feet or smaller to be a small kitchen, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it look more spacious with some big ideas.

Use unique storage solutions. Installing floor to ceiling pantry cabinets is a great way to maximize storage space where smaller cabinets would have been used. Add pullout shelves, rotating inserts and tilt-out bins to increase accessibility and storage within the cabinets. Adding undermounted lights, mullion doors, and even using lighter cabinet finishes are all great way to create the feeling of a larger space . Also, by adding more open display shelves/cabinets, the room will look greatly expanded. Too many cabinets, especially made of dark materials, will give the illusion that the room is much smaller.

Choose your appliances wisely. While everyone would like to that the 5-6 burner professional cooktops in their home or condo, it doesn’t always fit todays lifestyle or space constraints. There are numerous high efficiency, sleek appliances that will allow individuals with small kitchens to have the same luxuries as those with large kitchens. Maximize your space by keeping your cooktop and oven in the same area. When at all possible, mount appliances like a microwave, to save valuable countertop space. Any appliances that are not utilized on a daily basis should be store away in a cabinet or appliance garage if possible.

Avoid clutter. While it is nice to put your own personal touch on your kitchen, try to avoid filling it with knick-knacks and small items that will just end up cluttering up your work space. While they made add some warmth or personality, they often end up making the space busy and unorganized.

Utilize wall and base filler spaces. There is a new generation of kitchen storage companies that are offering storage units for spaces that had been previously unused. Rather than using wall or base cabinet filler strips, companies are now offering pullout storage units for spices or hard goods that can fit in spaces as small as 3″ wide. These unique storage spaces offer additional storage space, while at the same time freeing up countertop and shelf space.

So if you have a small kitchen and you are looking for way to maximize your storage space, consider some of the options above.