Standard Kitchen Layout
As many kitchen layouts exist as people can imagine, but there are several tried-and-true layout formulas or designs that have been used enough to call them standard. When considering any kitchen layout, you must take into consideration the space you have for your kitchen as well as the functional flow of the space. Does this Spark an idea?
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Work Triangle
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In each kitchen exists an imaginary triangle that represents the main work area and flow in the kitchen's space. Any kitchen design should take into account the work triangle, which connects the middle of the sink to the refrigerator and the stove. No traffic area should cut through the triangle, and obstructions such as islands should not intrude on the triangle by more than a foot.
Gallery
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Gallery kitchens, sometimes called corridor or strip kitchens, have counters and cabinets on two sides that face each other. Traffic in the kitchen flows down the middle of the sets of cabinets, cutting into the work triangle. The gallery kitchen design is favored in kitchens that are long and narrow and that one must pass through to get to other parts of the house.
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L-Shape
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L-shaped kitchens literally look like a giant "L" with cabinets and a counter lining one wall and then wrapping around a corner and continuing on for a little longer down the other wall. Because of their layout, L-shaped kitchens stretch out the work triangle, requiring the cook to walk more when preparing food. Adding an island in an L-shaped kitchen can increase the kitchen's functionality as the size of the work triangle shrinks.
U-Shape
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Like the L-shaped kitchen design, the U-shaped kitchen layout looks like a giant "U" or a horseshoe with cabinets and counters lining three of the four walls in a room that is square or close to it. The work triangle is not disturbed by a traffic pattern in U-shaped kitchens. An island may go in the middle of the kitchen's layout, but it should contain the stovetop or the sink, if at all possible, to maintain the work triangle.
Single Wall
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Single wall kitchens literally have just one strip of cabinets and countertop space as well as appliances. The single wall layout takes up little space, making the layout a favorite in apartments and smaller condos. In studio apartments, where the kitchen shares a space with the living area, the kitchen can be set back into the wall, and doors are installed so you can shut the kitchen off completely when you are not cooking. Single wall kitchens do not have a triangle, unless you install an island if there is room to support one.
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References
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