Working Kitchens
A kitchen can be as pretty as can be, but without it fitting your everyday lifestyle and flow, it is still a poor overall design.
I have recently found myself in the planning stages of several kitchen remodel projects and working flow is a main topic at this stage, even before all the colors, counters, pretty backsplash tile, etc.!
This is when the homeowner and usually the main cook of the home comes into play. They really have to pay attention and make a lot of detailed decisions of what they need to make a great work space for themselves! We typically meet with a cabinet designer on a showroom and go through all the things. From where they see themselves prepping, trash can handy? Silverware, utensils, baking area? Are there two people usually in the kitchen at the same time? Or during stages of the cooking process? Is there enough walk space between the island? Are we allowing enough space for the refrigerator doors to open? Are your main working stations in a nice working triangle?
Overwhelmed yet?? The best thing is to really look at each individual cabinet and imagine yourself working in the space, and think of what makes the most sense for your lifestyle to go inside each individual cabinet. There are usually several drafts of the layout during this stage until you get it just right and feel like you have thought of everything.
A few basic tips and rules I like to follow from the National Kitchen and Bath Association and working with several kitchen cabinet designers along the way:
-A minimum of 36” walk space around the island or any obstruction. 42” is comfort and anything above is extra! If I am working with a client that tends to have more than one cook in the space, I like to shoot more towards the 48”. Currently, I have a client that is used to 53” of walk space and she likes it that way… so we are sticking with that on the new design. I wouldn’t suggest going much more than that, because you really can get too far and it will become more of an annoyance than a good thing.
-A minimum of 18” of counter top workspace on each side of a sink and/or stove top.
-Position your stove top, your refrigerator, and your main kitchen sink in a nice working triangle that are more towards the main part of your kitchen and not too far away from each other. There are a couple of things to note here: Ovens and microwaves are usually secondary appliances used, so they can be a little farther away, and having a prep sink is a good way to keep a nice flow if your main sink isn’t going to be as functional as you are wanting.
-Think about when dishwasher is open, will the oven doors or refrigerator doors be open?
The PERFECT kitchen is different for everyone, but putting full thought in your everyday lifestyle and uses will give you the best kitchen for you… then all the pretty design items can be the cherry on top!
-Sara Fink