Designing Your Kitchen

by Alden Smith

There are a lot of considerations to make when designing a new kitchen workspace. A lot of it depends on personal preference, but it is a good idea to consider what happens down the road. Will you be staying in the home? Are you fixing it up to turn a quick profit? Should you be thinking ahead and designing the kitchen for future buyers? These questions and more constitute what goes into designing a kitchen. It is not just a simple matter of buying new appliances and putting them in place with no thought of work flow or amenities. Because the kitchen in a lot of homes in a main gathering area, and because how a kitchen is used today is a lot different than in the past, this article will focus on designing a kitchen to meet your needs, with work areas defined and layouts that meet every need.

Defining The Work Area

Typically, the work area in a kitchen is designed in a triangular shape, with the main points of the triangle being the stove, refrigerator, and sink. In an ideal kitchen, each of these components would be 4 feet apart in the triangle pattern to make it the most efficient. In most cases, unless it is a new build, this defined space is often hard to reach.

In past years, three typical work spaces were defined - the U-shaped kitchen, the L-shaped kitchen, and the gallery or Pullman kitchen. The kitchens were designed for women who were homemakers, did a lot of cooking from scratch, and usually worked alone in the kitchen. Storage space was designed for 400 items.

All this has changed in recent years, and what worked then doesn't work so well today. Now, we have women who work outside the home, have a tendency to use a lot of pre-made foods, and shares the cooking with family members. Storage space now required is for 800 items.

The Science Of Design

A lot of research has gone into making a kitchen perfect for the chef. Size of appliances, the need for adequate workspace, and distances between appliances are considered. Barriers in the traffic area are defined. Design has allowed for two people working in the kitchen. Let's look at the most desirable conditions for a well laid out kitchen.

1. Well defined work space
   - Utilizing the popular triangle pattern, no
   leg of the triangle should be more than 9 feet
   and no less than 4.
   - The total sum of the three legs shouldn't
   exceed 26 feet.
   - Counter top work spaces should be a
   minimum of 2 feet deep, with a circumference
   of 36 inches minimum for work area.


2. Proper location of appliances
   - Large, full height obstacles should not
   interfere with the work space. Things such
   as tall storage units or a refrigerator can
   interrupt work flow.
   - Recessing these obstacles eliminates the
   problem.


3. Work aisle
   - For one person, the minimum space to work
   in should be 42 inches. For two people, it
   needs to be at least 48 inches.
   - In an "U" shaped kitchen, them minimum work
   area should be a circumference of at least 60
   inches.

These definitions are basic, but give a jumping off point. Because no two kitchens are alike, and you often don't have the luxury of building from scratch, we'll look at the different types of kitchens there are today.

1. The Pullmann or "single aisle" kitchen. This type
   of kitchen is often found in apartments. Sink,
   refrigerator and rage share one wall. Ideally, the
   sink should be placed in the center, with food prep
   space on both sides of the sink.


2. The galley kitchen is preferred by professional
   chefs. Two work areas are parallel to one another
   and reaching a work area can be as simple as turning
   around. If designing this kitchen, be sure to allow
   at least 48" of aisle space to allow doors to swing
   open without interference.


3. The U shaped kitchen is a very good working kitchen,
   especially for families that spend a lot of time in
   the kitchen. There will be ample countertop space, and
   the design allows for the best work zones because of its
   layout.


4. The L shaped kitchen works well for people who wish a
   good family kitchen. It utilizes 2 walls, and there is
   ample space for entertaining. Traffic congestion is not
   a problem with this type of kitchen.

You may also want to consider an island kitchen in your design. This type of kitchen is ideal if space is not at premium.

Whatever your choice, when designing a new kitchen, be mindful of the area needed, the type of cooking you do, and if you have some help. A little thought will go a long way in meeting your needs.

Alden Smith is an award winning author and regular contributor to DoItYourself.com. He writes on a variety of subjects, and excels in research.

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