Kitchen Layout Ideas

Kitchen Layout Ideas

Choosing the Most Functional Kitchen Layout Design

While the wall decor you choose can make your kitchen more stylish, there are a number of different layouts which can be used to make working in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable. In the past, the classic "work triangle" approach of arranging the refrigerator, sink and stove was popular. However, there are other factors to take into consideration when designing your ultimate kitchen layout design, such as kitchen size and shape, how many people work in the kitchen at the same time, and other appliances and work areas that you might need in your kitchen.

The "Work Triangle"

Arranging the key refrigerator, sink and stove areas into a triangle has long been one of the most popular approaches to kitchen layouts. The distance between the three key areas should be kept as close to each other as possible without cramping the various areas, to minimize the need for excessive walking. There also shouldn't be any other obstructions in this area, and ideally the main foot traffic patterns in the kitchen shouldn't intersect the work triangle.

Kitchen "Work Zones"

Today many families enjoy cooking together in the kitchen, or providing areas where the family can gather to socialize or help when meals are being prepared. As a result, a better kitchen layout can result when separate "work zones" are designed in the kitchen. These areas are designed around a particular type of task, such as food preparation, cooking, baking, or even kitchen cleanup. By designing a kitchen with these separate work areas, multiple people can work efficiently in the kitchen at the same time. To add effective work zones to your kitchen layout, the first task is to determine the types of tasks that you normally perform in your kitchen.

Baking Zone
If you enjoy baking, you will want to design a zone that is geared to this cooking activity. There should be ample counter space in this area, as well as storage area for the pans and utensils that you use while baking. If you use a stand mixer, there should be adequate counter space in this area to both store and use it. A separate oven would be ideal in the baking zone, but if this isn't possible, there should be easy access to the kitchen oven.

Food Preparation Zone

A food preparation zone can also be extremely useful, and can make cooking more of a team effort. The food preparation zone should be located near the sink and refrigerator, as well as having easy access to the trash can or garbage disposal. There should be counter space available for the food processor or blender, as well as a cutting board. If possible, a food preparation zone should have its own sink, to free up the main kitchen sink. After cooking, this area can often do double-duty as the cleanup zone.

Main Cooking Zone

The main cooking zone should be located in close proximity to the stove and microwave, and should include any other small appliances commonly used in cooking such as the toaster oven or deep fryer. There should be plenty of counter space and storage in this area, and it should also be close to the food preparation zone. If the kitchen is small, the main cooking zone might need to overlap or even replace some of the other specialized zones. But with a little planning and organization, zones can really help make a kitchen layout more efficient.

Kitchen Layout Ideas