The modern kitchen has become the heart of the home – the hub of its social activity where the family all gather whilst meal preparation is in progress to share thoughts and experiences. Kitchens are likely to be the second largest investment you will ever make so they should be aesthetically pleasing, functional and practical.
When planning a kitchen, unless there is lots of open space, a kitchen designer has to produce a smart, clever layout that best fits the space available. This design must also ensure comfortable and efficient workflow as well as ergonomically positioned appliances, shelves and drawers. Here we discuss the top 6 most common popular kitchen layouts:
- The Straight Wall
This simple layout is ideal in small kitchens with the fridge, sink, oven and hob installed along a single wall. Storage is limited but this can be increased by going vertical with an upper level of cabinets above the countertops.
- The Galley
This is the most efficient layout for narrow kitchens. Two rows of cabinets face each other with a single traffic route in between. It’s best to keep the work zone to one wall only to avoid disruption to your workflow and accidents should a family member decide to wander through unexpectedly. This style allows the kitchen, at one end or both, to be open to the rest of the house.
- L-Shaped
This style works for both large and small kitchens. It has counters on each of two adjoining walls that are perpendicular to each other. While this style requires ingenious cabinetry to make effective use of the corner junction, it offers much storage and more flexibility in the placement of appliances and work areas.
- U-Shaped
This is the most versatile style as it consists of work areas along three adjacent walls and is ideal for more than one person cooking together. Although it provides a great workflow and loads of countertop space and storage, it can feel very enclosed so it’s best not to have upper cabinets on all the walls. Keep at least one wall open or with attractive open shelving for artefacts, culinary books or kitchen items and have sufficient windows to allow natural air to flow through.
- The Island
This style, popular in bigger and open-plan rooms as the centre of the home’s social interaction and meal preparation counter, has a large independent work and storage area placed in the centre of the kitchen. If space permits, an island can also be incorporated into the Straight Wall or the L-Shaped kitchen. An island is versatile with multiple uses – for family congregating as well as for meal preparation, cooking and dining.
- The Peninsula or G-Shaped
This style is a perfect replacement if you don’t have space for a separate island. It’s a variation of the U-shaped kitchen with a counter jutting out from the wall or cabinetry which can be used for preparing meals and eating. In a small kitchen this permits some social interaction during meal preparation and for more than one cook to be cooking in the kitchen at the same time.
Although the floorplan of your kitchen will most often dictate the layout for your kitchen, an experienced kitchen planner will be able to offer various smart, valuable and insightful suggestions on how to optimise your kitchen interior that will enhance your interior home decoration.
If you are designing or redesigning your kitchen, consult us, as we are well established and renowned professional kitchen designers, at: https://www.chillipepperdesigns.co.za/
To see some of our stunning completed home interior design projects, follow this link: https://www.chillipepperdesigns.co.za/portfolio/
If you need professional interior design advice, contact us at : https://www.chillipepperdesigns.co.za/
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