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BASIC KITCHEN LAYOUTS

Written by peter    Monday, 15 December 2008

BASIC KITCHEN LAYOUTS Now the fun begins: it's time to start planning your new kitchen. While brain-storming, it helps to have some basic layout schemes in mind. The floor plans shown below have become classics practical both for utilizing space and for incorporating an efficient work triangle. One-wall kitchen. Small or open kitchens frequently make use of the one-wall design, incorporating a single line of cabinets and appliances. This is not ideal, as there is a lot of moving back and forth from refrigerator to range to sink. Still, it's the only choice for some small areas or open floor plans. An island or peninsula with sink and eating area can provide needed counter space while effectively blocking out foot traffic. Corridor kitchen. A kitchen open at both ends is a candidate for the corridor or galley kitchen; the design works well as long as the distance between opposite walls is not too great. Traffic flow can be a problem it's tough to divert kitchen cruisers away from the cook. L-shaped kitchen. This classic layout utilizes two adjacent walls, spreading the work centers out; typically, the refrigerator is at one end, range or wall ovens are at the other end, and the sink is in the center. The L-shaped kitchen allows a comfortable work triangle; however, now you'll have to decide how to utilize the corner space U-shaped kitchen. Three adjacent walls make up the efficient U-shaped design (efficient, that is, as long as there is sufficient distance between opposite walls). Often this layout opens up space for auxiliary work areas in addition to the central work triangle options such as a baking center, a second cooktop and dishwasher, or a complete work center for a second cook. Great room. A great room is simply any large space that houses the kitchen, dining room, and living areas, thus opening up the kitchen as an entertainment space and bringing family and friends together during meal preparation time. There are potential drawbacks. The kitchen is on constant view and work areas must be blocked out very carefully. Noise can be a problem to consider in great-room design, and privacy is obviously reduced. In remodeling, a great room layout almost always means knocking out an existing wall or two. Island. A kitchen island is a popular addition to many kitchen remodels: the extra cabinets and countertop add storage and work space, block off unwanted traffic flow, and can save a cook a number of steps in a large, underutilized space. On the minus side, islands can cramp space and cut into work triangles and traffic flows. See page 15 for minimum clearance and other guidelines for sizing and placing these units. Peninsula. A landlocked version of the island, the kitchen peninsula is an effective addition to any basic layout, assuming that there's sufficient room for traffic to move around the end. A well planned peninsula can augment the work triangle, create a breakfast nook, break up unwanted traffic flow, and corral many storables. t's sometimes easier to route utilities to a peninsula than to the free floating island: gas lines, wiring, and plumbing simply come through the adjacent base or wall cabinets.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 February 2009 )

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