The kitchen layout is the main starting point for any kitchen remodeling project. You must get this piece of the design puzzle right first. Understand your space, who will be using the kitchen and for what purposes, and design a layout that promotes an easy workflow through the kitchen.
While today’s kitchen serves many purposes, the heart of the kitchen is still food – storage, cooking, and eating. A key part of your layout is careful positioning of appliances to meet these needs. This could include a primary refrigerator, beverage refrigerator, dishwashers, oven, range, microwave, and more. Consider where they are placed, their proximity to each other, ease of access to them, and their size.
What do you need?
You may love the idea of a massive refrigerator or a large, professional oven, but do you really need it? If you do not cook enough or have a large family to feed, these large appliances become nothing more than decorations that take up space. Consider how your family and home function, how much space you have, and choose appliances to fit your kitchen design requirements.
Think about your work areas.
The kitchen layout is typically based on work zones that allow particular activities to take place simultaneously, possibly with multiple people at once, without tripping over each other. This may include food preparation, clean up, dining and entertaining, and possible a study zone or pet area.
The sink, main refrigerator, and stove should be in close proximity to each other. You require a minimum of 4 feet between each point to easily maneuver, and equally not more than 9 feet. This allows easy access to get food from the refrigerator to a preparation point, and then into the oven. A dishwasher is typically located near the sink. In a large kitchen design, you may have a second clean up sink and put the dishwasher in this area, perhaps in the kitchen island.
