Planning the Perfect Kitchen

Where to place a kitchen A kitchen should be located near… ◦ The service entrance and dining area ◦ In the same cluster as the other rooms in the service area

Work Triangle Imaginary line that connects the refrigerator, sink and range Measure from the center of each appliance ◦ No less than 12 feet ◦ No more than 22 feet

Types of Kitchens Closed Design ◦ Closed in with walls or other structures  Quieter  Less interruption of the work triangle  Less mess from other areas of the home Open Design ◦ Open to another area of the home, usually a family room  Makes kitchen more convenient to supervise  Allows participation in nearby activities  Makes small homes appear larger

Work Centers in the Kitchen Food Preparation & Storage Center ◦ Refrigerator, cabinets, counter space Clean Up Center ◦ Sink ◦ No more than 3 inches from the edge of the counter ◦ At least 2 feet on the left of the sink for stacking dishes ◦ At least 18 inches to the right of the sink for draining and stacking clean dishes ◦ Dishwasher ◦ Food disposal Cooking & Serving Center ◦ Range ◦ At least 24 inches of heat resistant counter space on either side ◦ Counter tops

Cabinets & Counter Tops Cabinets ◦ A minimum of 72 inches per person is recommended ◦ Base cabinets 34.5 in x 24 in ◦ Wall Cabinets in x 12 in Counter Tops ◦ Can be made from ceramics, stone, metal, wood, and laminate ◦ Usual measurements 1.5 in x 25 in

In planning, consider the following Refrigerator should open onto, not away from the adjacent workspace There should be at least 4 feet distance between appliances opposite each other for passageway and work area Range and refrigerator work best if they are not located side by side Resilient flooring (rubber tile, linoleum, vinyl plastic, complete vinyl) is easy on the feet

L-Shape 2 work areas on one wall and the 3 rd is on the adjacent wall Space-efficient Does not work well in small kitchens Work areas should flow from the refrigerator to the sink then to the stove/oven area

U-Shape One work area per wall Storage & counter space on three sides is more efficient Traffic flow won’t interrupt the work triangle due to the “dead end” created Difficult for several cooks 8 x 8 foot space minimum is required for this layout

Island This layout has a freestanding work area (island) that incorporates the sink or stove/oven Works best for large kitchens Not a good layout in a kitchen in which 2 work areas are on opposite walls 42 inches of aisle space is needed on all sides of the island

Galley Parallel walls allow the cook to move easily from one work area to the other Ideal for small kitchens Traffic path is in the way of the work triangle Lack of a gathering area for children or guests 4 feet of space is recommended between opposing counters Pairing the sink and refrigerator on one wall with the cooktop on the other centered is a good layout for efficient use

One-Wall Usually in apartments or vacation homes Saves the most space Least efficient for cooking Traffic paths can be a problem due to a door at one end This layout works best when the sink is in the center.