A Collection of Blog articles by Kathi Cloud, Owner
WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Also known as the heart of the home, your kitchen is the most important room in the house. It makes sense that so much thought goes into making choices for your dream kitchen. After all, you want it to be everything you envisioned it could be. In this blog, let’s examine some of the most popular kitchen layouts.
Laying It All Out
The Galley Kitchen, also called Corridor or Walk Through, consists of two walls facing each other. Usually, the sink is on one wall and the range is on the other.
This layout maximizes space and keeps everything easily within reach; however, it functions best as a one-cook kitchen. It typically is separated from the rest of the house.
The L Shaped Kitchen offers more privacy since it keeps traffic out of the kitchen. This style consists of two adjoining walls with the sink or range on the main wall and a shorter run to create the L-configuration. If you have more than 15 feet to use on the long run of cabinets, you may want to consider a different layout that will make better use of the space.
The U Shaped, or Horseshoe, Kitchen consists of three walls of cabinets. This layout works best if there is at least 10 feet of space between the two opposite walls. This style can easily accommodate more than one cook since there will be plenty of workspace.
Kitchens with islands offer more workspace, storage, and seating. In addition, islands can be used to turn an L-shape layout into a U-shape or a One Wall Kitchen into a Galley. For all their function, islands won’t work in every kitchen. There must be ample room to walk around the island. There also needs to be enough room for all cabinet and appliance doors to open on the island as well as on the kitchen perimeter.
Peninsulas are like islands, with two main differences. They are attached on one side, and they don’t take up as much space. In other words, you cannot walk around all sides of a peninsula, like with an island. Peninsulas can turn an L-shape layout into a U-shape.
CODES AND KEY MEASUREMENTS
The following measurements were taken from the NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) website. These guidelines are all about ease of motion and function. Most importantly, they help keep you and your family safe.
Doors and Interference
A doorway should be at least 32 inches wide, but 36 inches is recommended when possible. A door shouldn’t interfere with a cabinet or appliance door, nor should cabinet or appliance doors interfere with each other. Make sure to give special attention to all doors at corners. Additionally, in a Galley style kitchen, you will need enough space for doors to open on opposite sides without interfering with one another.
Walkways and Work Aisles
You will need at least 36 inches for walkways. Work Aisles require 42 inches for one cook and 48 inches for two cooks. This gives space to maneuver around open doors, and each other, while working.
Working Triangle
The Work Triangle consists of three primary work centers: cooking, cleanup/prep, and refrigeration. The placement of these workstations in relation to the others will determine the efficiency of your kitchen. Also, keep in mind that each leg of the triangle should remain between 4-9 feet. If possible, make sure no major traffic patterns cross through this triangle.
Traffic Clearance at Seating
If no traffic needs to pass behind the seating area, allow at least 32 inches from the edge of the table (or countertop) to the wall (or any other obstruction). On the other hand, if traffic does pass behind the seating area, allow 36-44 inches to pass.
Landing Spaces
For function and ease, you will want to have 24 inches of countertop space on one side of the sink and at least 18 inches on the other. Give yourself at least 15 inches on either side of the refrigerator as a landing space. It is also acceptable to have a landing surface no more than 48 inches across from the refrigerator. Safety is the priority of the following specifications. There should be 12 inches on one side and 15 inches on the other side of a cooktop. Add a minimum of 9 inches behind cooktops that are in islands or peninsulas. You will need 15 inches above, below, or adjacent to the handle side (when closed) of a microwave. Ovens require 15 inches on either side or above for adequate landing space. Instead, if you have a landing space that is not more than 48 inches across from the oven, that is acceptable as long as it doesn’t open into a walkway.
For a beautiful kitchen that performs, contact By Design Cabinetry today! We will customize your space, so it looks amazing and functions safely and efficiently.
