What’s The Best Kitchen Layout?
A great kitchen design is not only about choosing the right components for your kitchen but also choosing the right placement for them. Getting the layout right will give you a kitchen that’s a joy to be in with everything in a logical place that works for you.
The Kitchen Triangle vs a Work Zone
Historically a kitchen came down to 3 components:
- Cooking
- Sink
- Fridge.
Drawing an imaginary line between them resulted in a Work Triangle.
This design principle was developed in the 1940’s when most people had compact, closed-off kitchens, and which were the domain of the housewife – things have changed a little since then!
Gone are the days where the ideal kitchen has everything within arms reach or a few steps. Today’s kitchen are multi-functional open plan spaces featuring numerous appliances and which are often designed around entertaining or family time. To cater to this new style of kitchens the concept of a kitchen “work zone” has emerged.
The basic principle of a Work Zone is to divide the kitchen up into different areas, or “zones,” in which components and appliances are grouped together according to their use.
The first step in determining the work zones for your kitchen are to identify the functions and tasks you’ll be using your kitchen for:
- food storage
- preparation
- cooking
- crockery storage
- baking
- cleaning.
These become your “zones” and the kitchen is then set up to perform the tasks in these zones. The kitchen may also include an area for seating – perfect for casual dining.
When it comes to the task of cleaning, the zone would often include:
- sink
- bench top space
- dishwasher
- rubbish bin
- compost bin.
Grouping items together into a zone enables you to clean efficiently within that dedicated zone.
The preparation area ideally sits between the sink and cooktop with easy access to the waste bin, knives, boards and spices, oils and condiments.
A Cooking zone would give you easy access to oils & condiments, utensils and pans without you having to walk out of the zone to get anything.
The right design approach depends on the size of your kitchen, your needs and how you want to use your kitchen. The Jag Kitchens Design Team have the experience to step you through your options and help you achieve a design layout that works for you and your lifestyle.