It All Starts With A Kitchen Plan

How do I design my kitchen plan? The bottom line is that the kitchen must be an efficient, productive environment conducive to the task at hand. There are many tasks to plan for in a kitchen i.e. food prep, cooking, eating, storage, entertainment, media, socializing, homework, office.

Nevertheless, the kitchen must now function on all of these levels. That makes it a highly complex room that serves many different functions.

You can't design a kitchen without a PLAN.

Good kitchen planning practices will consider the needs of a range of users. People want a kitchen design that suits them. People want a kitchen that fits them. People want the space to be efficient yet specialized. More personalization than customization. What kitchen guidelines exist to personalize my plan?

No single kitchen plan suits every household or every kitchen.

You've heard of the phrase "form follows function". This is true when it comes to the layout of a kitchen.

There are, however, some basic kitchen layout shapes i.e. Straight, Galley, L, U, and G that are based on the work triangle. The work triangle is formed by tracing an invisible line between the sink, range, and refrigerator.

No leg of the triangle is shorter than 4 feet nor longer than 9 feet. With the total of all legs not being greater than 26 feet.

No obstructions in the triangle.

The kitchen plan must meet certain guidelines. Although these are not hard fast rules but they will make life easier if you don't ignore them. You might even regret it if your designer doesn't follow them.

It's TOO LATE once the framing is done. Or WORST YET when your cabinets are installed.

The NKBA has created 40 guidelines based on the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Plumbing Code (IPC). These good planning guidelines consider the needs for space minimums for landing areas and prepping areas. They also set guidelines for minimums between adjacent work areas i.e. cooking, baking, food prep, clean up, storage.


In recent years the work triangle concept has evolved to the idea of work zones. Each zone serves a specific group of tasks. Common work zones include food preparation, food storage, cooking, and cleanup.

Additionally specialty zones can be devoted to enjoying wine and other beverages, brewing coffee, baking, communicating, and doing homework. The size and placement of each work zone depends on how important that function is to you. Remember zones can overlap but you must pay attention to traffic paths and the number of people likely to be using various zones at one time.

When creating a kosher kitchen , try to create a double kitchen design for your kosher clients. The ultimate kosher kitchen is really two kitchens. 

Dining and entertaining are popular activities in today's kitchen. Areas such as a bar for snacking or serving food, a relaxing area where guests can help themselves to beverages and kick back, an inviting dining area, and a convenient spot to watch TV or work on a computer. Thanks to innovations in cabinets and creative designers. You can now store more than ever before in a kitchen.

Work with a kitchen designer to include special cabinets and drawers in your kitchen to organize small appliances, hand goods, utensils, dishes,pots, pans, and bakeware.

As you plan your kitchen, keep in mind how you'll use the space now and in the future and remember the special needs of every member of your family. With thoughtful planning, you're well on your way to a perfect custom kitchen.


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