A lot of life happens in the kitchen. No matter how different our lifestyles may be, a lot of activity revolves around the kitchen: Cooking , preparing a quick snack, eating breakfast etc. The kitchen is one place that needs to be both beautiful and functional. This raises a double challenge of do’s and dont’s in kitchen layout and design. Regardless of the kitchen design styles, organization and layout are essential in your kitchen design. Because of this special function of a kitchen, below are common mistakes we should avoid in order to achieve both practical and elegant kitchen design.
1. Don’t obstruct access to the kitchen triangle.
Kitchen triangle is the area of greatest activity which requires careful planning and unobstructed access, this area is the sink, stove and refrigerator. Of the three, the sink will see the most action and should have easy access to the stove and refrigerator, as well as your countertop workstations.
Sinks need to be installed in close proximity to the plumbing, but often kitchens are designed with the sinks installed right above the plumbing or in a poor location. Instead of making this kitchen design mistake, consider hiring a plumber to relocate the drains and the plumbing to accommodate the best placement for the sink.
Regardless of kitchen size or layout (L-shaped kitchen, galley, U-shaped or Island style), the sum of all the legs in a work triangle should not be less than ten feet and greater than twenty-five feet. If the sum of the legs in the work triangle is too small, people will be tripping over each other and if too large, food preparation could be a very tiring task.
2. Don’t waste storage space.
Kitchens typically contain lots of stuff. Not only that, but items often concealed behind modern kitchen cabinets can be oddly shaped and require a lot of space, such as food processors or stand mixers. Finding a home for your kitchen stuff while keeping it easily accessible can be a tricky proposition. Because built-ins are expensive and the overall size of the area you’re working with may be limited, one big design mistake is not including enough storage.
Almost every kitchen design has wasted space, but this can be minimized with adequate planning and forethought. If the kitchen is small, consider installing extra long upper cabinets with molding for extra storage space. Place lighting or greenery along the molding to draw the eyes up. Also remember to always install cabinets over the refrigerator. Not to fully utilize the space above the refrigerator is a waste of potential storage space for large or seasonal kitchen items.
3. Don’t ignore counter-top work space.
to be continued…