Home Designing is one of my favorite topics. Because I really enjoy eating, the kitchen gets a lot of my attention. Here are two more major areas of kitchen design that often fall into the “I wish I’d thought of that earlier” category.
Kitchen Layout
Kitchens seem to be designed in one of three basic floor plans:
1. Galley kitchens with a straight run of cabinets on each side.
2. “L” shaped kitchens with or without an island.
3. “U” shaped kitchens with or without an island.
Galley kitchens are usually small and require less walking for the cook, with two ways in and out. They rarely have separate preparation and cleaning areas. I don’t like mixing germs from used dishes with my food prep area. A small galley kitchen usually compromises appliance placement and adequate storage for the three types of storage discussed in the last issue.
“L” shaped kitchens are my personal favorite. These are usually open to the rest of the home with two ways in and out. This layout also lends itself to a rectangular or neo-angle island with room for seating and serving. A weakness of this design is placing appliances or sinks in the corner, losing good storage in the corner cabinets.
“U” shaped kitchens are my least favorite. Having two inside corner cabinets, appliances usually end up in one or both corners with only one way in and out. If you add an island, it often becomes a “turn-style” as people circle around it trying to stay out of the cook’s way. A “U” shaped kitchen needs to be at least 400 square feet of floor space to compensate for the weaknesses of the layout.
Appliance Placement
Appliances create the traffic patterns in your kitchen. The sink, cook top and refrigerator need to be placed correctly to create a favorable traffic pattern. Here are a few simple rules about appliance placement.
1. Never put appliances or the sink in a corner. This blocks both countertop work surfaces and both sets of doors and drawers by the person using the appliance.
2. Don’t place sinks or cook tops at the end of a countertop or island. Most of us like to wash dishes and use our cook top from our left to our right. Counter space is needed on each side, minimum of 18”.
3. Never place the refrigerator on “the other side” of the cooking area. The refrigerator should be on the outside edge of the kitchen to keep people from crossing the cooking area.
4 Don’t place a cook top in an island or peninsula where you plan to sit and eat. Cook tops are hot and messy and not conducive to an enjoyable serving and eating area.
Obviously, new design is easier, but care should be taken when remodeling. Consider bringing in more space by removing a wall or incorporating a seldom used breakfast nook. Remember to think outside the box and create your own personally enjoyable kitchen.
