DIY Kitchen Layout
Anyone who has worked in a poorly designed kitchen will understand the observation that architecture is space enclosed by assumptions. In a 1920s house, the kitchen was servants' territory, and clearly no one cared about whether workspace was convenient for the cook. Post-WWII ergonomically influenced kitchens were so focused on efficiency that housewives felt trapped. To create a good kitchen layout, therefore, reflect on your assumptions about how your kitchen needs to work for your family, and keep the whole picture in front of you as you make decisions. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Lined paper
- Graph paper
- Pens or pencils
- Friend/family member to observe
- OR kitchen-planning computer software
- Paper or online kitchen catalogues
- Dimensions for basic appliances
Instructions
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Make a list of what you like best about your present kitchen. Make a second list of what you don't like. This may involve some role-playing or observation. Ask a friend or family member to observe your working in the kitchen and write down things you may have adapted to: the spot where cupboard doors hit each other; the long trip for washed produce you want to refrigerate; or the trip into another room for a broom and dustpan.
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Measure your present space, especially if it will remain the same during renovation. If your space is not going to be enlarged, it will be helpful to draw the present layout as well. This layout, combined with your notes, will give you a good picture of layout elements and design features that need to be addressed during renovation.
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Research the accumulated thinking of designers about kitchen design. This includes looking at the "work triangle" and the traditional layouts named for the alphabet letters whose shapes they resemble. Understanding how architects and designers have created kitchens will help you take advantage of their insights or improve on them.
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Think about the functions you want to go smoothly in your new kitchen. These can include specialized cooking (a baking center with a marble pastry counter, for example), family meals and socializing, entertaining, craft or hobby space, a home office, or space for several cooks at the same time. You may finally want to get laundry out of the basement, find a reasonable place for wet coats, muddy boots and sports gear, or build a good old-fashioned broom closet. These are the assumptions with which you want to enclose your space. Again, make a list.
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Research some of the options for using your space. Record the dimensions of appliances and other equipment you want to include. Tackle any special storage problems in these plans. Lots of cupboard space is great, but one of those cupboards needs to hold the lobster pot. A bottom-freezer refrigerator may come in every size but the one you want. Knowing what is available, and what is not, moves you closer to a final layout.
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Investigate software tools available to help you create a final kitchen layout. CNet lists a number of free or low-cost programs that let you incorporate a multitude of choices into a single plan. You can find other programs by searching for "free kitchen layout software" on your search engine.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember to apply some garden-variety practicality as your layout progresses. A stove, range or clothes dryer needs ventilation, and ventilation needs an outdoor destination. Marking the number of electrical outlets you need for each wall is not trivial. More than once, renovation work has been delayed because details like this have been left out of planning.
As hard as it may seem to do, try to be as flexible through the layout and renovating process as possible. Designers bemoan good layouts spoiled by a homeowner's "absolutely must have" appliance or other item. "Always" can be a dangerous word (we may always have washed dishes while looking out the kitchen window, but there is no law placing the sink under a window). Keeping the whole renovation picture in focus is truly challenging but is key to a successful completion.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
