Bad Kitchens Have Bad Layouts: How To Find Your Perfect Kitchen Layout

Squeeze As Much Out Of Your Space As Possible

After not spending enough money, next up on the list of big kitchen mistakes is getting the layout of your kitchen wrong.
This is all about working within your defined space and squeezing as much out of its potential as possible. I’ve seen some real howlers when it comes to layouts, so here are some tips and tricks for finding the optimum layout for your space.

The Working Triangle

You may have heard this phrase before. If so, there’s a good reason – it’s bloody important! The premise of the working (or kitchen) triangle is that the parts of your kitchen that you use the most get put in the same area, traditionally in a triangle shape, so that you can turn from one to the other, to the other, and back again.

The kitchen triangle usually includes the sink, the hob and the fridge, however, it’s also popular to include other important appliances close by, turning your triangle into a square or pentagon. For example, you’d want the dishwasher close to the sink so that all dirty plates and utensils gather in the same area. Making sure you group your most-used areas/appliances is a rule of thumb that I would most definitely follow.

Flow

Flow isn’t just a term that fancy interior designers talk about. It’s a real thing, and you need to give it some thought. There is nothing worse than having to walk around a daft kitchen peninsula or dodge dining room chairs for the rest of your life, all because you chose to put them in the middle of your flow space.

A flow space or area is the path of the least resistance to your desired destination. For example, we often go to the kitchen sink. If you have to walk around something to get there, it interrupts the flow. The journey from the dining area to the working triangle is a well-trodden path, so making sure your kitchen has an easy flow from space to space is something to think about.

I’ve seen too many people regret putting in breakfast bars that never get used or peninsula islands when they haven’t quite got enough space to do it, all because they so desperately wanted some form of island. Often, clever storage can resolve the need for an island, but we’ll talk about that later.

Good Layout and Flow Leads to a Better-Designed and Happier Kitchen!

At this point, it’s good to identify where your main workstation is going to be. Where are you going to do your food preparation? Deciding on that early in the planning phase means you can make better decisions about your working triangle, kitchen layout and all-important flow.

Placing an oven or a fridge in the main flow (where people will likely be walking) is not only an inconvenience but can also be dangerous. No one wants someone walking past when placing items in or out of the oven. The same goes for carrying boiling pots from the hob to the sink for drainage. Carrying dangerous items this far is not only inefficient but also increases the risk of accidents.

Existing internal doors are often not thought about – a door swinging the wrong way can severely impact the usage or flow of your kitchen. In my youth, I owned a house where an internal door would collide with the door of the fridge if you opened them in unison.

Good layout planning and considering flow negates these inefficiencies and leads to a better-designed and happier kitchen! Contact Ream to get started on your kitchen journey today.