How to Design a 7 X 12 Kitchen

Get ideas for your kitchen worked out on paper first.

Designing an efficient and comfortable 7-foot-by-12-foot kitchen is an exercise in the maximization of tight spaces. A kitchen design includes appliances, sink, wall (upper) cabinets and base (lower) cabinets. Draw the kitchen design on graph paper, using pencil, dimensioned in inches. You can draw both a floor plan, which is easier to use as a space plan, and a front-view elevation. Indicate measurements of each appliance, cabinet or other component on the plan.

Things You'll Need

• Graph paper
• Architectural ruler
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Tape measure
• Appliance catalogs
• Cabinet manufacturer catalogs

Instructions

Appliances

1. Select essential appliances and calculate dimensions: allow 30 inches or 36 inches for the refrigerator, 24 inches for the dishwasher, 30 inches for the stove and a space-saver microwave that fits under a 30-inch-by-15-inch two-door cabinet located over the stove.

2. Place the sink base, which is 36 inches, next to the dishwasher. The sink base is often placed under a window.

3. Plan placement of the stove, which is never next to the refrigerator. Allow 9 inches next to the stove for a 30-inch-by-9-inch wall cabinet for spices and a 9-inch base cabinet for cookie sheet storage.

4. Add a 24-inch diagonal corner wall cabinet with round roller shelves. This cabinet allows for a 36-inch lazy Susan base cabinet.

Cabinets

1. Fill the remaining spaces on the plan with wall and base cabinets. Cabinets are calculated in 3-inch increments starting with a width of 9 inches.

2. Stack cabinets in equal widths, for example, a 21-inch base cabinet under a 21-inch wall cabinet.

3. Fill odd dimensions on the plan with filler strip. Filler strip is from 1/2-inch to 3 inches wide, cut to the height of either the base or wall casework.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with appliance layout on the graph paper. The room that is left is for cabinets. Standard cabinets are manufactured in 3-inch increments (9 inches, 12 inches, 15 inches, 18 inches, 21 inches, 24 inches, 27 inches, 30 inches, 33 inches and 36 inches. Custom cabinets add complexity and substantial cost increases to a kitchen design.

• Do not place appliances so they block each other when open. Base cabinets with drawers placed in corners should allow for handles and pulls that don't hit other cabinets or appliances when opened.

References

• HGTV.com: Kitchen Design Ideas
• superkitchens.com
• Kitchen Remodel Ideas