Guidelines for Kitchen Design Part 1

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : Guidelines for Kitchen Design Part 1

Whether you are doing the work yourself or hiring others, once you have a good idea of the features you want in your new kitchen, it’s time to create detailed plan drawings. Good planning drawings will help you in several phases of the planning process:

• Selecting cabinets and appliances to fit your kitchen layout;
• Soliciting accurate work bids when negotiating with plumbers, electricians, and other subcontractors;
• Obtaining a building permit at your local Building inspections office;
• Scheduling the stages of a remodeling project;
• Evaluating the work of contractors. If a carpenter or cabinetmaker fails to meet your expectations, your plan drawings serve as proof that the contractor did not complete the work as agreed


Codes & Standards

Creating plans for a kitchen can seem like an overwhelming challenge, but fortunately there are guidelines
available to help you. Some of these guidelines are legal regulations specified by your local building code and must be followed exactly. Most codes have very specific rules for basic construction, as well as for plumbing and electrical installations.


Another set of guidelines, known as standards, are informal recommendations developed over time by kitchen designers, cabinetmakers, and appliance manufacturers. These design standards suggest parameters for good kitchen layout and following them helps ensure that your kitchen is comfortable and convenient to use.

Guidelines for Kitchen Design

The goal of any kitchen layout is to make the cook’s work easier and, where possible, to allow other people
to enjoy the same space without getting in the way. Understanding the accepted design standards can help you determine whether your present layout is sufficient or if your kitchen needs a more radical layout change or expansion. A classic kitchen design concept, the work triangle theory, proposes that the sink, range, and refrigerator be arranged in a triangular layout according to the following guidelines:

• Position of the triangle should be such that traffic flow will not disrupt the main functions of the kitchen;
• Total distance between the corners of the triangle should be no more than 26 feet and no less than 12 feet;
• Each side of the triangle should be between 4 feet and 9 feet in length.

If two people frequently work in the kitchen simultaneously, the layout should include two work triangles. In a two-triangle kitchen, the triangles may share one side, but they should not cross one another. Don’t fret too much if you can’t make the triangle layout work perfectly. Some kitchens, for example, may have four workstations instead of three, and others may not have enough space to accommodate the classic triangle.
For general traffic design, it is recommended to leave 4-feet “corridors” between all stationary items for walking comfort. Some designers will allow this standard to be reduced to 3 feet in smaller kitchens.

Kitchen Industry Standards (Click image to enlarge)

The work triangle is a layout concept that lets you develop a convenient arrangement of the range, sink, and refrigerator in the kitchen.

Guidelines for Kitchen Design Part 2
Guidelines for Kitchen Design Part 3