Current kitchen design still owes much to traditional planning principles, however, there is no one perfect solution to your design needs. Multiple solutions are available, depending on the restraints of architectural, structural, budgetary, and building/zoning code requirements. Ultimately, it is more important for your kitchen to function well and to provide an appealing aesthetic environment than it is to follow design guideline precisely.
The Work Triangle
Classic kitchen design has always relied on the concept of the work triangle. This term refers to the path of the tasks you perform in the kitchen: removing food from the refrigerator, moving to the sing to wash and prepare food, and moving again between the sink and the cooktop for cooking and cleanup. The points of the work triangle are generally referred to as work centers.
Classic design principles include the following:
- The optimum work triangle has equal-size legs
- Traffic patterns should not interfere with the triangle
- Classic Kitchen Shape
- Classic kitchen design has grouped these various “centers” into work triangles within different- shaped kitchens. The most popular shapes have been.
The “Galley,” or “Corridor,” Kitchen
In this kitchen the main work centers (range, refrigerator, and sink) are located along two opposite walls. The efficiency of this plan is that it allows the cook to pivot between work centers with relative ease. The drawbacks are that caounter and storage space are often limited, and traffic can go through the cook's path. This shape is often found in apartments and townhouses.
The L-shaped Kitchen
In this kitchen the range, refrigerator, and sink are located along two walls that are perpendicular to each other. The benefit of this plan is that it allows for a natural triangle and workable counter space.
The Ushaped Kitchen
In this kitchen, the range refrigerator, and sink are located along three walls that form a U. Designers like the U shape because it enables the cook to save steps; the cook is surrounded on three sides by countertop and storage.
You can also read: Changes in Kitchen Design Principles
If they are spacious enough, L- and U-shaped kitchens may also lend themselves to variations with the introduction of an island or peninsula. Islands or peninsulas are particularly useful when there is more than one cook present; they help establish separate work areas. They also improve traffic flow by directing it away from the cook's path.
The G.shaped Kitchen. In this kitchen, the U is extended. with an extra wall for cabinets and appliances, The extra wall might take the form of a peninsula instead of a solid wall. The advantage of this shape is that it allows for the separation of functions, encourages practical traffic patterns, and provides for some privacy. The potential drawback is that the space may seem too enclosed.