Design Your Own Kitchen Layout

Kitchens Have Basic Design Elements

Designing your own kitchen layout requires using some basic design elements.

A properly laid out kitchen remedies design problems right from the beginning. There is nothing worse than trying to prepare food and socialize in a poorly laid out kitchen.

These old layouts might have work in the past but it doesn’t meet the needs of a modern, well-functioning modern kitchen of today.

Whatever design problems exist, the time to fix them is during the remodeling process.

A Kitchen Triangle is Efficient Work-Space

Here's a few considerations when designing your kitchen work triangle:

- No one side of the triangle should be greater than 9 feet or less than 4 feet. After 9 feet it requires moving across too much space to work efficiently. Less than 4 feet and you’re running into each other.

- And another consideration – no traffic through this triangle. And no cabinets through here either!

- And lastly, this magical triangle perimeter should not measure more than 26' or less than 12'.

Basic Kitchen Layouts

There are four basic kitchen layouts to design your own kitchen. All efficient kitchens require a basic work triangle.

This triangle optimizes work space and movement in the kitchen. Every kitchen has 3 elements in the triangular shape.

These three elements are the refrigerator, the stove and the sink!

When laying out the kitchen, a point should be drawn between these 3 kitchen elements to represent a triangle shape.

Kitchen Islands & Peninsula Add:

• More Value
• Additional Work Space
• Extra Storage
• A Dining Station
• Help Create Efficient Work Triangles
• Helps Reduce Traffic Flowing through Work Triangle

U-Shaped Triangle

• Probably the most efficient shape
• Utilizes 3 different walls for your 3 basic elements (refrigerator, stove & sink)
• This shape allows for ample working stations between frig, stove, sink

G-Shaped Triangle

• This shape is the U-shape with a hook to create the G-shape
• A peninsula creates this shape
• This shape gives you great work stations and room for extra cooks (extra hands in the kitchen are always welcomed !!)

L-Shaped Triangle

• This shape has 2 elements (say sink/stove) on one longer wall and the third element (say frig) on a shorter wall
• Most times this is a very efficient work zone
• Minimal traffic flows through this triangle

Straight Line Design

• All 3 elements (frig, stove & sink) and cabinetry are located along 1 wall
• No triangle – inefficient work space
• Traffic tends to walk through this space

Parallel Design

• Galley kitchens are 2 walls facing each other
• Two elements (say frig, stove) are located on one side and the other element (say sink) is located on the opposing side
• Proper spacing is important here
• Galley kitchens usually require people to move through that space – that means walking straight through the triangle