PART I: KITCHEN TRAFFIC AND THE WORK TRIANGLE

There’s a certain flow to how traffic moves in your kitchen and it’s important that this flow is not disrupted when you do a remodel. Fortunately, it’s easy to maintain order, requiring that you pay attention to the kitchen work triangle.

What is the kitchen work triangle?

The concept of the kitchen area as a “work triangle” originated in the 1940s, revolving around a person’s movement as cooking-related tasks are carried out. As you work in the kitchen, you will invariably move around three main areas: the refrigerator, the sink, and the cook top. These three areas form the three points of the so-called kitchen work triangle.

General principles

A big factor in designing your kitchen’s work triangle is the space involved: too little space between the points and the room will feel cramped; too much space in between and it becomes burdensome to move from one point to another. As a general rule of thumb, the distance between the points should be no less than 4 feet, and no more than 9; additionally, the sum of all three sides of the work triangle should not go beyond 26 feet.

PART I: KITCHEN TRAFFIC AND THE WORK TRIANGLE

Additional considerations

The kitchen’s layout should not be designed without taking the rest of the house into consideration as integrating the room into the flow of traffic throughout the home can have tremendous impact on kitchen tasks. For instance, a garage located close-by can be attached through a mudroom to the kitchen, providing not only a staging area into and out of the house but making it easier as well to move groceries into the kitchen.

Keep in mind, also, that too many people passing through the kitchen to get to another part of the house, or going through the work triangle can and will disrupt the activity in the kitchen. Plan accordingly to ensure that efficiency in your kitchen is not negatively affected.

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In the next part, we’ll be talking about how you can enhance your kitchen remodel by making the most out of integrating appliances in the room. Read on to learn more!

PART II: COMPLEMENTING A KITCHEN REMODEL

With flow in and around your kitchen plotted out, it is now time to add details to the work triangle, ensuring that each point has what they need to function right. Failing to provide the right complements will affect how you use your kitchen, leaving a negative impact on your remodel.

THE REFRIGERATOR

The refrigerator should have clear space for its door to swing open. To ensure this, check that there are no cabinet doors in the refrigerator’s immediate area to interfere with its operation. Ideally, there should also be room for two people to access the appliance at the same time and counter space beside it to facilitate putting in and taking out items from the fridge.

THE SINK

The sink is your main area for washing and drying, and counter space at either side of the sink should be allocated for these, whenever possible. Typically, one side will be used for stacking dirty dishes, while the other will be relegated to drying or making room for prep work. Because a lot of prep work will occur a lot in a kitchen, the “dry” side of a sink should be located between the sink and the cook top.

PART II: COMPLEMENTING A KITCHEN REMODEL

Your dishwasher will be best placed close to the sink, but you are free to decide on which side to have it installed. Keep in mind as well that the areas immediately above the sink, and in between the range and the sink, are great places for cabinets for storing dishes and glassware, as well as hooks for hanging pots and pans.

THE COOK TOP

You will typically want to install the cook top along an exterior wall to make it easy to install a hood and ventilation system. Additionally, the stove should have between 21 and 30 inches of overhead clearance for access to rear burners and to help the ventilation system work efficiently.

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You’ve got your kitchen plotted and decked out, but what about your storage spaces? In the next part, we’ll be dealing with pantries, an essential part of your kitchen.

PART III: PANTRIES AND KITCHEN STORAGE

No discussion of kitchen remodeling would be complete without a discussion of storage space. After all, not everything that you cook will come from your refrigerator. Depending on the size and layout of your kitchen, you may need more than one pantry for storing your groceries. While certain items can be stored in shelves or cabinets near or around your food prep or cook top areas, a dedicated storage space is still ideal.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

There are three things to keep in mind when designing or designating pantry space: convenience, visibility, and accessibility. Convenience refers to the pantry’s location. A pantry doesn’t have to be in the kitchen itself, but it should be close enough, preferably adjacent to the room. Visibility is concerned with how easy it is to spot the things that you need from the pantry, while accessibility pertains to how easy it is to get at those things. Ideally, you’ll want a pantry that’s nearby, fitted with sufficient lighting to find what you need quickly, and easy enough access that taking items from the pantry will not impede kitchen activity.

PANTRY LOCATIONS

For ease of access, you’ll want a pantry close by where the items stored in that pantry will be used. In certain instances, this may mean multiple pantries, such as if you have a separate baking area from your “main” kitchen. If that is the case, consider smaller pantries that you can put up in several locations to facilitate access instead of one big pantry catering to several food preparation areas.

PART III: PANTRIES AND KITCHEN STORAGE

LARDERS

Depending on how big you’re going to need your storage to be, you may end up with a walk-in pantry, or larder, a room ideally adjacent to your cooking area, for storing majority of items in your kitchen. For more immediate food preparation needs, however, it may help to have a trolley in your kitchen so you can easily access items, like herbs and spices, that you commonly use.

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A remodel can open up your kitchen to a number of possibilities, each one making your use of the room more enjoyable. Work with a reputable contractor and you’ll definitely find satisfaction in doing a kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Tune-Up of Riverside County

1231 S. Buena Vista, Suite K, San Jacinto, CA 92583

(888) 761-0240(951) 331-3090

KitchenTuneUpRC.com