The kitchen is often referred to as the “heart” of the home. Even if you’re not much of a chef, the majority of people find that the kitchen is the ideal location for hosting guests and spending quality time with their families.
The aesthetics are vital, but the functionality of how your kitchen is laid out and organized is even more crucial. When it comes to how fast and effectively you can complete tasks in the kitchen, the layout of your kitchen will play a significant role.
A bad layout can force you to repeat procedures, which can be frustrating, and forcing you to spend more time in the kitchen can diminish your enjoyment of cooking. Take a look at these helpful hints for designing an effective floor plan for your kitchen.
To plan the modern-style kitchen floor, you can use this floor plan software for free.
Laying Out the Work Triangle
There are three primary elements that comprise the “work triangle” in every kitchen. These elements are the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator.
An effective work triangle is created in the kitchen by the refrigerator, which is where food is stored, the sink, which is where food is washed, and the stove or oven, which is where food is prepared.
Create a floor plan of your kitchen and observe how the three different parts are organized. In an ideal world, you would be able to move from the stove to the sink and then to the refrigerator all along the same straightforward route.
Your layout is inefficient if you have to backtrack or navigate around barriers in order to reach any of the three locations listed above.
Layout Work Surfaces
The work surfaces should be arranged in such a way that a work surface or countertop space is situated in the appropriate location between each of the work triangle zones. Consequently, it is preferable to have a countertop area between the refrigerator and sink, as well as between the sink and the range or oven.
Due to the limited amount of space available, a work area in each space may not be viable in kitchens that are smaller in size. It is to your advantage to create as many separate working areas for yourself as possible. If you are limited in space, you might think about using work locations that serve many purposes.
For instance, a raised countertop that is adjacent to a dining room can double as both a sitting bar for eating and a prepared work surface for cooking. This is because of the countertop’s proximity to the dining area.
Kitchen Islands
Installing a kitchen island in a spacious kitchen can help reduce the amount of time spent walking to each section of the work triangle. Think about putting one or more of the functions that make up the work triangle on the island.
If the island on which you prepare food has a sink, you won’t have to repeatedly make the trip from the refrigerator to another, more remote spot. Kitchen islands designed for use in a kitchen with limited space may be mobile and mounted on rollers or wheels.
The space below an island can be utilized for storage, and the island itself can function as an additional work surface. It is a good idea to use a moveable kitchen island since it adds convenience and can be moved out of the way when there are too many people in the kitchen.