Turn your kitchen design into a masterpiece using the easy-to-follow triangle kitchen design technique
Design experts agree that one of the most important concepts in kitchen design is the kitchen triangle design.
This is a simple concept that blends form and function, making one of the most used rooms in your home functional, stylish, and homey. The National Kitchen and Bath Association defines the “work triangle” as an imaginary line between the three most used items in any kitchen: the sink, countertop, and refrigerator.
The sink is the workplace for preparation, the cooktop for cooking, and the refrigerator for cold storage. These are the center of all kitchen activity. A functional and well-designed kitchen allows for a smooth workflow and a pleasant experience.
The basic layout of the kitchen layout is a triangle with its three sides measuring no more than 26 feet in length. The straight line between two of the workstations should be 4 to 9 feet, with no more than 12 inches impeding a peninsula or island. Also, domestic traffic should not flow directly through the work area.
Some reasons for these guidelines are that the food preparer will be going between these work stations frequently, the distances will allow for a more efficient and streamlined workflow, and domestic traffic would hinder that workflow.
There are several variations of the standard triangle. L-shaped kitchens have a long wall with two of the elements intersecting one short wall with the other, with the sink being the central element.
The Double L kitchen allows for ample storage and counter space for larger kitchens, and with an additional sink or countertop it provides two functional triangles for a second cook. The U-shaped kitchen allows for three walls with the sink in the center section and the stove and refrigerator facing each other.
Kitchen G builds on the U-shape by placing a fourth wall with an additional sink or stove, creating two functional triangles. An I-shaped kitchen can be used in a small, confined and narrow area if the sink is in the middle. A central sink allows this non-triangle to partly benefit from the triangle concept.
The Galley is in the shape of a double I, with cabinets, counters and our three key elements on opposite walls. The sink should have its own wall in front of the stove and refrigerator.
Some things to consider when putting together your kitchen triangle design are the space available to you, how that space interacts with the flow of traffic in the home, whether you need a double triangle, and how many you typically prepare for.
The traditional kitchen layout is ideal with a cook in an area that is not part of the normal traffic flow of the house. Some of the variations, including the double G and L-shaped kitchen, are perfect design fits for second cooks and homes where multiple preparation areas are needed.
The kitchen triangle design is a useful and proven concept that provides a pathway to make your house your home, and the masterpiece you create using this triangle and modifying it to suit your needs can attract and bless your home for many happy years.