For years kitchen designers have used the Work Triangle as a guide for measuring the efficiency of a kitchen. The Work Triangle is the distance between the three primary work centers of the kitchen drawn in the form of a triangle. The work centers consist of the food storage center (refrigerator area), the food preparation center (range area), & the clean-up center (sink area). The total footage of the three sides of the triangle should measure between 12' & 26'. Less than 12' means your appliances are to close together & you may have a cramped kitchen. More than 26' means you may be wasting time & steps walking between the work centers. Note the Work Triangle is highlighted in red in each example.

The 6 Basic Floor Plans
While there are endless variations on ways to design your new kitchen, most designs should be centered around one of 6 basic floor plans. The diagrams below illustrate these plans & give insight to the advantages & disadvantages of each design. Take note of which design might best fit your new project.

The Straight Kitchen
The Straight Kitchen is the simplest of all designs & is usually found in smaller homes, apartments, or office applications. All work centers are located on one wall. It is difficult to provide ample countertop & storage space with this type of design. Use it only when space is limited.
 

The Gallery Kitchen
The Galley Kitchen with two walls of cabinetry is a vast improvement over the straight kitchen. There is much more valuable counter space & distance between work centers is reduced, cutting down on wasted footsteps. Isle space should be at least 48" for one cook. If there are two cooks isle space should be increased to 60" to avoid bumping or running in to each other. Heavy traffic flow can sometimes present a problem in this type of kitchen.


The L Shaped Kitchen
The L-Shaped Kitchen is a great design, providing ample counter space, room for two cooks, good access to work centers, & better traffic flow. This layout allows the unused corner (lower right hand area of drawing) to be used for a dining table. This layout is good for medium sized kitchens.
 

The U-Shaped Kitchen
The U-Shaped Kitchen is also a great design, especially for larger kitchens. Lots of counter space, good access to work centers, & plenty of room for two cooks. This layout eliminates household traffic through the kitchen giving the cook plenty of room to work within.


The Peninsula Kitchen
The Peninsula  Kitchen is also a good design, for larger kitchens. Similar to the U-Shaped kitchen it provides lots of counter space, good access to work centers, & plenty of room for two cooks. This layout eliminates household traffic through the kitchen giving the cook plenty of room to work within. A wide bar top can be added to the peninsula providing an ideal kitchen seating & eating area or  a large work & serving area.


The Island Kitchen
The Island Kitchen takes the L-Shaped kitchen a step further. Notice how the placement of the island helps define the perimeter of the kitchen, while providing extra counter space& storage. The island offers possibilities for positioning the sink or cook top in the center of the room.  The  addition of a wide island top provides a seating & eating area.

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