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COMMON KITCHEN LAYOUTS Common Kitchen Layouts
It's the layout of the kitchen—and not its color or its style—that determines how easy it is to cook, eat and socialize in the kitchen. At the most basic level, the layout addresses the placement of the appliances, the sink(s), the cabinets, the counters, the windows and doors, and furniture such as a kitchen table and chairs. If you're building a new home or adding on, you have the luxury of choosing the layout that works best for you and your family. If you're remodeling, the structure of the existing home will limit the options. The most common kitchen layouts include the one-wall kitchen, the galley kitchen, the U-shaped kitchen, the G-shaped kitchen, and the L-shaped kitchen—some of which can also incorporate an island. Read on to find out the pros and cons of each option, as well as some tips for coping with the layout you already have. DECIDING ON A LAYOUT FOR A KITCHEN IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF KITCHEN DESIGN. IT'S http://www.kitchens.com/design/layouts/common-kitchen-layouts
Zone Design The Basics of Kitchen Zones Think of zone design as an expansion upon, rather than a replacement for, the classic work triangle approach to kitchen design and layout. It's a practical (and increasingly popular) way to group kitchen activities together in appropriately organized spaces, allowing for multiple cooks and work centers. While the work triangle focuses on the positioning of the range, refrigerator and sink, zone design addresses the full scope of appliances, plumbing fixtures and gadgets available to today's homeowners. It also considers the many activities — entertaining, doing homework, charging cell phones and more — that occur in the kitchen, as well as the fact that kitchen size is growing and floor plans are more open to the rest of the home. But don't fret if you don't have a kitchen large enough to house a distinct area for every activity: few people do. Prep, cooking and cleanup areas are the primary zones, and they're mandatory. All other zones (baking, beverage and communication centers, for example) are not necessary and therefore called auxiliary zones. By combining some zones into one area or eliminating zones that don't fit into your layout and lifestyle, you can make your kitchen multi-task just like you do.
Zone Design A few tips: • Prep and cleanup zones combine well • Baking and cooking zones combine well • Islands can host multiple zones with ease • Consider adding just one element of an auxiliary zone — a key appliance or critical storage cabinet — to a primary zone
Cooking And Cleaning Zones Deciding Where to Cook and Clean Cooking Always a hot place to be, the cooking zone is where fire enters the picture. Centered around the range or cooktop, this is the spot where stir-frys, spaghetti, and sauces sizzle. You may want to keep your microwave and toaster oven here as well. Include: • Deep drawers for pans • Shallower drawer for pot lids • Spice drawer (or cleverly hidden racks in pull out corbels that flank the cooktop) • Microwave cabinet for concealing and saving countertop space • Utensil drawer for spatulas and spoons
Cooking And Cleaning Zones Deciding Where to Cook and Clean CleaningAnchored by your sink and dishwasher, the cleaning area is the home of water and washing. Be sure to keep "water dependent products" like your coffeemaker and salad spinner nearby. You'll also be emptying the last bits of lasagna and soup into containers here, so keep storage supplies nearby. Include space for an adequate number of cleaning and drying supplies, as well as a convenient way to store clean dishware. Include: • Pullout rack to neatly tuck dishtowels • Plate rack for storing daily or occasional dinnerware • Undersink pullout for dishwashing detergent and cleaner • Tilt out sink tray for sponges and scrubbers • Foil box rack or drawer for aluminum foil, paper, and plastic wrap storage • Pullout drawer for Tupperware, divided for lids and containers Don't forget about the "dining zone." Though there's a lot more flexibility involved with designing your eating area, consider adding easily accessible storage for tablecloths, placemats, napkins, or infrequently used china.
Prep and Baking Zones Areas for Slicing and Dicing, and Kneading and Baking Food Prep This is where it all begins: in the food prep zone, you slice and dice your way toward dinner. If your kitchen is spacious enough to accommodate an island, the food prep zone would be well-placed there. It's helpful to include a second sink for rinsing fruits and vegetables, as well as a refrigerator drawer for storing milk and eggs if your main refrigerator isn't easily accessible. Include: • Butcher block pullout (if you aren't working on a butcher block surface) • Drawer for knives • Pullouts for mixing, measuring and serving items • Pullout trash center
Prep and Baking Zones Areas for Slicing and Dicing, and Kneading and Baking BakingThe area built for fun, the baking zone is where cookies, breads, and casseroles come to life. Aside from the appropriate countertop space and material (marble slabs work best for rolling dough), you'll need to keep a number of supplies within easy reach. Include: • Apothecary drawers for storing small items like cookie cutters • Bins for flour and sugar • Tray divider rollout for baking sheets and pizza pans • Pulldown cookbook rack • Drawers for rolling pins, measuring cups and teaspoons • Easy-to-reach cabinet space for heavy casserole dishes and mixing bowls • Storage for oven mitts, pot holders and trivets • Divided utensil storage for spatulas and wooden spoons • Pop-up stand for your mixer
The Work Triangle Breaking Down A Standard Kitchen Design Rule Your lifestyle should determine the functionality of your kitchen, not the other way around. The work triangle is not a law, merely a suggestion for good space planning. The dominant geometric shapes in most kitchens are the four-sided variety, from rectangular cabinetry to square appliances. But it is a triangle — albeit an imaginary one — that has always been an important element of a kitchen's design and functionality. The "work triangle" is defined by the National Kitchen and Bath Association as an imaginary straight line drawn from the center of the sink, to the center of the cooktop, to the center of the refrigerator and finally back to the sink.
The Work Triangle Breaking Down A Standard Kitchen Design Rule The NKBA suggests these guidelines for work triangles: The sum of the work triangle's three sides should not exceed 26 feet, and each leg should measure between 4 and 9 feet. The work triangle should not cut through an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches. If the kitchen has only one sink, it should be placed between or across from the cooking surface, preparation area, or refrigerator. No major traffic patterns should cross through the triangle.
The Work Triangle Breaking Down A Standard Kitchen Design Rule Efficiency is the triangle's main goal, as it keeps all the major work stations near the cook, without placing them so close that the kitchen becomes cramped. The work triangle is also designed to minimize traffic within the kitchen so the cook isn't interrupted or interfered with. Here are some examples of standard kitchen layouts with their work triangle:
The Work Triangle The work triangle isn't without its flaws though. The layouts above illustrate one of its problems: It assumes that a kitchen will only have three major work stations and one person cooking. As kitchens grow in size, and feature more than three workspaces, the regular work triangle isn't always practical. And in many households today, two or more people share cooking duties. Because of these issues, designers do not always play by the triangle's rules when it comes to drafting kitchen plans.
The Work Triangle Linda Larisch, CKD, CBD, a designer who works with Smartrooms in Chicago says "With many of the kitchens we design, we'll have more than one work triangle in it. If you can't configure the standard triangle, you have to make do by creating the most functional kitchen possible.“ Remember, your lifestyle should determine the functionality of your kitchen, not the other way around. The work triangle is not a law, merely a suggestion. Although it can be a helpful tool, don't let it inhibit you from thinking outside the triangle when it comes to designing your kitchen.
One-Wall Kitchen For the Small Home • Typically found in small homes, the one-wall kitchen works by keeping all appliances, cooking tools and ingredients within easy reach. It can even be hidden behind sliding or pocket doors to minimize visual clutter in a small, open space such as a studio apartment. As shown here, the sink often sits between the range and refrigerator, a convenient location for cleanup. This design also offers counter space on both sides of the range, which is an important code and safety consideration. • Unfortunately, the sink, range and refrigerator still take up a fair amount of counter space, so finding enough work room for food prep can be a challenge, as is having two cooks use the space. In a truly tiny one-wall kitchen, compact appliances such as a 24-inch range or 24-inch refrigerator can add some counter space while also providing more room for cabinet storage. Using the dining table or a movable island for additional work space is another common solution. • In fact, these days a one-wall kitchen with a built-in cabinetry island across from it has become a popular layout even in homes that aren't small, but that have open floor plans. Think loft-style condos or Southern-style long, narrow houses. Adding the island adds some of the efficiency of a galley layout without closing off the kitchen.
Galley Kitchen EFFICIENT COOKING The galley kitchen is perhaps the most efficient of all kitchens when it comes to the original and primary use of the kitchen: cooking. After all, this layout takes its name from the galley, or kitchen, of a ship or airplane. By nature and necessity, these kitchens make use of small, cramped spaces to feed tens or even hundreds of people. Many restaurant and other commercial kitchens are designed in similar fashion, with cooks working in a long, narrow space between appliances and counter space. "from a functionality perspective, most kitchens in restaurants are galley kitchens," says duncan firth, chef de cuisine at barona resort & casino in san diego. "for a chef, it works great. Everybody's lined up close together. Plates are on one side, pans on the other." But what works in a commercial kitchen has some drawbacks in a home. The galley layout doesn't have room for a dining area, and it limits interaction with guests and with family, which can make a home cook feel like "you're trotting out the plate like you're catering," says firth. A galley kitchen that is open on both sides as shown, rather than just on one end, helps to bring in more light and create a feeling of connection to the rest of the home. A decorative range hood and glass-front upper cabinets also prevent the kitchen from feeling closed in, while having the cooktop and sink located on the same wall keeps the messiest part of the kitchen close to the cleanup area. Alternatively, you could turn one of the walls of cabinetry and appliances into an island for a more entertaining friendly update on the galley kitchen.
U-Shaped Kitchen A One-Cook Kitchen A U-shaped layout is an efficient kitchen designed for one primary cook. Basically a wide galley kitchen with one end closed off, it keeps onlookers out of the main work area while remaining open to other rooms of the home and allowing traffic to pass. Problems with the traditional U-shaped kitchen typically arise due to its small size. For one, it doesn't offer room for a kitchen table and chairs. Secondly, depending on where the sink is situated, it may be impossible to fit the dishwasher right next to it. To address the seating issue, you can try, as shown here, a pass-through to the dining room on one of the "legs" of the U. Another option is to turn that leg into a peninsula by eliminating the wall and the upper cabinets. The peninsula counter can then be used for eating, homework or paying bills, that method also eliminates a significant amount of storage space. Moving the refrigerator out of the main U shape can give you more food and cookware storage near the range top and ovens. Adding a kitchen island may seem like the obvious choice, but most older U-shaped kitchens don't have room for one. Industry guidelines recommend at least 3½ feet between the island and surrounding cabinets and appliances so that doors can open properly and people can maneuver safely.
U-Shaped Kitchen with an island A More Social Kitchen Adding an island to a U-shaped layout increases the kitchen's functionality as well as its interactivity. Whether the island is used for a work surface, seating, the sink or the cooktop (as shown), the cook can now get work done while facing out of the kitchen, allowing for conversations and the ability to keep an eye on family activities. In fact, adding an island also makes it much easier for a second cook to help with meal preparation and cleanup. If you have the space to add an island to your U-shaped kitchen, there's a good chance you also have the room to let the kitchen extend a bit beyond the "U." If you have a wall opposite the main area of the kitchen, you could use it for pantry storage, a built-in desk, a bar, or a "kids' zone" where children can use the microwave and store their snacks. What's not to like about this layout? Some people still prefer a more open floor plan that allows for even more people to mingle and work in the kitchen. Others may find it annoying to carry plates and food around the leg of the U rather than having a straight shot to the dining room or the back yard.
G-Shaped Kitchen Maximizing Space The G-shaped kitchen layout is essentially a pumped-up version of the U-shaped layout. It's best suited to those who want to pack every square inch of kitchen possible into their space but don't have room for the clearance required around an island. Instead, a fourth leg is attached to one side of the U at a right or obtuse angle. Typically this fourth leg is a peninsula, because having a wall and upper cabinets would nearly close off the kitchen from the rest of the home. Make sure the peninsula is not so long that getting in and out of the kitchen becomes difficult. Essentially this area is a work aisle, not a walkway, so a width of 4 feet would be ideal. At the same time, don't make the peninsula so short that it can't offer enough room to seat a few guests or contain an appliance—or both, like the cooktop and breakfast bar shown here. This fourth leg is what makes the G-shaped layout—unlike the U-shaped layout—workable for multiple cooks.
L-Shaped Kitchen with A Popular Option With the increase in great rooms and loft-style living and the decline of the formal dining room, open floor plans and L-shaped kitchens have become very popular. As you would expect, this layout consists of two adjacent, perpendicular walls. It can range in size from small to large, depending on the length of the legs–but without a dividing wall between the kitchen and living area, the legs could be long indeed. People who like to entertain will appreciate this layout's ability to incorporate multiple cooks, invite guests into the cooking area and allow for mingling and conversation during a family dinner or a cocktail party. However, without an island, the cooks are still facing away from the activities while working. To turn the room into an eat-in kitchen, you'll probably want a good old-fashioned table and chairs. The best part about that: Unlike most islands with seating on just one side (what some designers compare to "frogs on a log"), everyone can face each other throughout the meal. Besides, the tabletop can be used as a work surface, too.
L-Shaped Kitchen with an island A Flexible Floor Plan For maximum flexibility in cooking, entertaining and hanging out, an L-shaped kitchen with an island is the way to go. This set-up lends itself to a zoned approach to kitchen planning rather than the more traditional work triangle approach. The L-shaped kitchen shown here has three distinct zones, with enough space between them to avoid collisions and catastrophes. On the right leg, the sink and dishwasher create a clean-up station. On the left leg, the range with griddle and the adjacent wall oven and microwave comprise an impressive cooking zone. The island, with its under-counter wine cellar and raised bar top, makes a great place for casual dining or drinks. It can even encompass a fourth zone when necessary, as the lower counter provides an extra surface for prep work (and he upper level conveniently hides the mess). Some people prefer to have the cooktop on the island.
