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Kitchen Layouts
CORRIDOR LAYOUT |
L-LAYOUT | U-LAYOUT | ISLAND LAYOUT
| DRAWING A LAYOUT
A kitchen layout is something that
not all people have complete control over. Unless you plan on
remodeling your entire kitchen, knocking down walls, or extending your
home, you must work within the confines of a given space. However, a
kitchen makeover is a possibility, and although expensive, a newly renovated
kitchen may turn out to be an excellent investment.
Kitchen designers use what is called
the triangle principle, meaning the sink, cooktop, and refrigerator form a triangle, the perimeter of which should not exceed 26 feet.
Most efficiency experts suggest having counter space on either
side of both the cooktop and sink. There are four basic layouts that
accommodate the triangle principle.
Corridor
Layout
Corridor kitchens are mainly the product of necessity. Small
apartments often feature these kitchens to free up living space
in other rooms. In these kitchens, the sink is usually located along
the same wall as the oven, and the refrigerator will be situated along a
parallel wall. It's called a corridor kitchen because of its
narrowness. Most corridor kitchens are no greater than 1.5 meters in
width. When standing at the stove, the opposite wall is right behind
you. Triangles in corridor kitchens usually have short perimeters, as
there is limited room to work with. When planning one of these rooms,
make sure to allow enough space for two people. Oftentimes, one person will
be using the kitchen while someone else tries to pass by. If possible,
avoid situating the major appliances directly opposite one another.
This would cause cramming in the event that two people wanted to use two
things at the same time.
L-Shaped Layout
An L-shaped layout looks exactly how it sounds. Two perpendicular countertops
form an L-shaped workspace. Along the L, a sink, stovetop, and
refrigerator form a triangle. This is often the most efficient layout
possible, because the majority of food preparation can take place in the
corner of a kitchen. As a result, passersby do not interfere with the
cook's work. The cook does not have to worry about people bumping into
him or her, and the other
people in the house do not have to purposely avoid the cook.
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U-Shaped Layout
Small kitchens often lack the counter space that some cooks need.
Hence, you can add an additional
countertop to an L layout and form a U. This gives cooks plenty of room
with which to work. However, some people begin to feel claustrophobic
when surrounded by worktables on all sides. Triangles fit perfectly in
U-shaped kitchens. Because there are three countertops, each of the
three major appliances will reside on their own. Cooks
operating in a U will rarely have to deal with people trying to pass in
front of them while they work.
Island Layout
The island setup is only possible in kitchens that have ample room.
When you set up an island, you must be sure to leave enough room for
passersby on all sides of the island. Some islands provide additional
counter space and seating, and many of them even feature cooktops, stoves,
or sinks. Islands with cooktops offer the most efficiency, because they
facilitate shorter triangles. Islands become not only areas on which
to work but also places for socializing. Bar seating underneath
hanging lights with dim control make people feel comfortable and relaxed.
It becomes the ideal spot for wine and cocktails.
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Drawing a Layout
Drawing a basic layout can make the kitchen remodeling process much
simpler. Start off by jotting the dimensions of your kitchen. At
first, disregard counters, appliances, and any existing furniture.
Only take into account the walls, windows, and doors. Starting off
with a blank sheet makes it easier to be creative. If you put in
counters and other features, you may feel more confined, and it might be hard to
imagine the setup without those things. Start off blank even if you do
not plan on taking your counters down.
Using a ruler and pencil, draw your empty
kitchen on graph paper, indicating where the openings start and finish. The graph
paper makes it possible to draw the room according to scale. One box
on the graph paper can represent six square inches, so that two boxes equals
one foot. If you have a long kitchen, purchase larger sheets of paper
to accommodate the dimensions.
After you have the dimensions on
paper, you can start browsing through the Kitchen Accessories Unlimited
online catalog. When doing so, consider whether or not you could use
additional storage space, workspace, or improved ventilation. If you
need extra storage, consider searching for pot racks or baker's racks.
For additional workspace, take a look at the islands, butcher blocks, and kitchen
workstations available. As you discover items that fit your tastes and
needs, use a pencil to draw them onto your blank kitchen layout. Draw
lightly, as most people end up experimenting with various setups before deciding what they like. In other words,
have an eraser handy.
When sketching your dream kitchen,
think about the work triangle, the space needed for kitchen traffic, and how
much room you'll need between tables and walls. After making a rough
draft, consider whether or not the setup you have sketched will require
rearranging counters, adding electrical outlets, changing the plumbing, etc.
If the work and money are not worth it to you, try to incorporate as many
aspects of your dream kitchen into your draft as possible without making
structural alterations. BACK
TO TOP
Drawing a layout will help you see
the potential of your kitchen. Like an artist with a blank canvas, you
will have the ability to imagine the design and decorating scheme of your
dreams.
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