The kitchen and the work triangle

I often hear this sentence from many of my clients: “I love cooking in my kitchen, but its design doesn’t appeal to me.” Once again, the kitchen is often the last space we pay attention to, even when designing a home. If you love cooking and are currently designing your home, I advise you to read this article. Understanding the basic principles of kitchen layout will help you master the design process easily. The primary design principle is the work triangle. The work triangle is the line drawn between the main work areas in the kitchen—namely, the storage area, the stovetop, and the sink. The angles of the triangle need to be wide (depending on the space), and thus, these three areas should be at appropriate distances for a person to move between them easily.

Thus, the three primary areas in the kitchen will form the design triangle, and these areas are:

Food storage area: This is the area where food is stored, whether it’s a refrigerator or a pantry cabinet. I also suggest having sufficient counter space next to the refrigerator for placing items taken from it.

Preparation/cooking area: This is the area where the stove, microwave, and small appliances are placed. The counter space opposite this area is extremely important, as it will be used for taking and placing cooked items from the stove and microwave.

Cleaning area: Although it is the least used area in the kitchen, it is the most important one. This is the area where the sink, trash bin, and dishwasher are located. This area is designed to accommodate the trash bin and serves as a space for placing the garbage can cabinet.

Today, especially in modern family homes, the kitchen is considered more than just a place for cooking and eating. It may be designed to include a breakfast table, a table with bookshelves, a computer desk, a television, and even a seating area for entertaining guests. In the upcoming articles, I will explain more about kitchen designs and layouts—stay tuned!