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Review the kitchen triangle
The refrigerator, sink and stove make up what is known as the kitchen triangle. These high traffic areas require careful planning to allow for easy access. To complete each station make sure to include adequate counter space adjacent to each of them.
No matter the kitchen size or layout, the 3 key stations of
the triangle should not be less than ten feet and greater than twenty-five feet
from each other. If they are too close, it will be hard for multiple people to
function in the space and if too large, cooking and food prep could be more
difficult. In planning the refrigerator, dishwasher and oven, make sure to
allow for plenty of room for doors to open unobstructed while also allowing you easy
access.
Plan Countertop Work Spaces
One of the biggest complaints about kitchen designs is the lack of counter space. Review your kitchen triangle and consider all the kitchen activities that would take place adjacent to those key stations, as well as appliances that are permanently located there. You will want to plan on give a little more space to the sink & food prep areas. More horizontal space may be achieved by adding an island or breakfast bar to the kitchen.
Add Storage
Pots & pans, china, small appliances and not to mention
all that food, kitchens need to hold a lot of items. Many of the items held in
those cabinets can be oddly shaped and require a lot of space, such as food
processors, blenders or stand mixers. Finding a spot for all your stuff while
keeping it easily accessible can be a tough.
Most kitchens have wasted space, but that can be minimized
with some adequate planning. If the kitchen is small, consider installing extra
tall upper cabinets and always plan on placing cabinets over the refrigerator and stoves. Install
shelves across the backs of the lower kitchen cabinets to increase the storage
capacity of those areas.
Kitchen Island or Not
The extra storage and counter space that comes with a kitchen island can be appealing, but choosing the wrong island or placing it in the wrong spot can present a problem. Islands that obstruct the flow of traffic to your primary workstations will create bottlenecks and hassles. At minimum, an island should be 4 feet long and a little more than 2 feet deep, but it must also have room for people to move and work around it. Specialists recommend that unless the kitchen is at least 8 feet deep and more than 12 feet long, don’t install an island.
Review Lighting Needs
Good lighting is a must for kitchens. The types of lighting
rooms use are set into three categories: general lighting for overall
illumination, task lighting, and accent lighting. For the kitchen consider
adding lighting directly above all the main working areas, use of cans or pendant
lights are great ways to enhance the lighting for those areas. Pendants look
great above kitchen sinks, while a series of mini-pendants can enhance the
appearance and lighting of breakfast bars and islands. Consider installing under-cabinet
lighting as a way to provide sufficient lighting for common kitchen tasks, as
well as offering accent lighting to highlight design features you may have in
the space, like a back splash.
Benefits of Back Splash
While budgeting or designing a new kitchen space, often the
back splash is a last minute addition or never makes the list at all. A back splash
can be a key design element to add that splash of color or give you a higher
end look. But beyond their good looks, they can serve a useful purpose. For
instance when it comes to steam, humidity and grease content in the kitchen,
you will quickly come to appreciate having back splash behind the stove. It’s
much easier to clean grease off a back splash made of tile or metal, than wall
paint or wallpaper.
Don't Forget About Proper Ventilation
Most people do not consider ventilation in their kitchen
planning. But when you walk into someone’s kitchen and can smell last night’s
fish dinner, you quickly come to appreciate the need for proper kitchen
ventilation. Inexpensive range hoods
simply circulate dirty, stale air, while a good ventilation system will help
improve the quality of your indoor air and also helps keep your kitchen
cleaner.
Find a Professional
Taking over a kitchen design project on your own can cost
you not only in time and energy, but also costly errors. There are some jobs
where, for safety and quality work, a professional is needed. Kitchen designers
understand the latest trends, ideas, products and overall details to help you
identify your specific needs and translate those into an efficient plan
according to your taste.