Kitchen Design Tips and Updates: Space Requirements and Recommendations

Kitchen design can be as simple as a straight countertop with minimalist appliances, or as sophisticated as multiple sinks, dishwashers, stoves and ovens on islands, under islands, above islands and more. Wine coolers can fit in the space of a dishwasher or be as tall as a pantry. Sinks can be ice-filled troughs to chill bottles, small ones for an entertainment center, double or triple bowls, and an endless variety of materials. Materials vary wildly, you can go green with countertops made from compressed recycled paper, clear glass, concrete, granite, limestone, or the good old standbys. Even within materials, such as granite, prices vary wildly depending on the exact stone chosen, and you can find some very reasonable and beautiful stone if you look around. There is an infinite world of possibilities in the kitchen.

First we can start with some design basics. How much space do I need for a kitchen? Well that depends on what you want in it. At its smallest, you could fit a kitchen into a 5′-4″ x 7′-5″ space, but there wouldn’t be much more than a few very small appliances without a dishwasher. Let’s look at some size ranges of standard appliances and accessories.

• sinkholes: Sinks come in many sizes, depths, materials, and prices. You can get them as narrow as 11″ wide, but you’ll probably want to plan for a cabinet that’s at least 30″ – 36″, which can accommodate a wide range of 25″ to 33″ standard size kitchen sinks in a variety of styles. (recessed, undercounter, or exposed front cutout) You will also need to decide if you prefer a single, double, or triple basin sink, as that will affect the sizes available. There is also the option of placing the sink on an island, or by placing a entertainment sink or a channel sink in a secondary location.
• Dishwasher: Dishwashers are pretty easy because they’re pretty standard 24″.
• Cooking: again we have multiple options, but the sizes are a little easier. You can choose between a freestanding or slide-out unit, in which the unit fits between two cabinets, which are typically 30″ wide; a range with separate ovens (either below or in a separate cabinet), which comes standard on sizes 30″ or 36″ and will fit in cabinets that size (although you can get professional-style kitchen countertops up to 48″); or a professional style range made by companies like Viking, Wolfe or GE Monogram that range from 24″ to 60″, and require significant ventilation. If you choose a separate oven in some type of wall oven arrangement, standard oven widths are generally 27″ and 30″, although up to 36″ can be found.
• Refrigerators: Elections, elections! Refrigerators are sort of two basic style decisions. Do you want one that is shallow (about 2′) and is known as built-in or counter-depth, or do you want the slightly deeper traditional style where some of the sides of the refrigerator are exposed? Shallower recesses generally come in 36″, 42″ and 48″, while deeper styles can be found just under 30″ wide and up.
• faucets: Kitchen faucets, in addition to an almost endless variety of styles, materials, and colors, have also evolved. Faucets are now available just for filling pots on your stove, you have a choice of pull-out spray heads or separate sprays, single or multiple handles, are available with two-button remotes for a prep sink allowing for quick sink rinsing or a more thorough cleaning flow, and can fit into any decor, from ultra-modern to renaissance.

How much countertop is enough? According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), a total of 158 inches (13′-2″) of counter front (not in the corners) is needed to accommodate all uses of the counter. Try to leave a continuous section of countertop that is at least 36 inches wide by 24 inches deep next to your main work area The NKBA recommends that you leave at least a 15-inch countertop area next to your oven and on the handle side of your refrigerator.

When it comes to storage, the NKBA recommends a total shelf/drawer front of 1,400 inches for a small kitchen (less than 150 square feet), 1,700 inches for a medium kitchen (151 to 350 square feet), and 2,000 inches for a kitchen. large (over 350 square feet). What does this mean? Does this mean I need more than 100′ of shelving for a small kitchen? Well yes, but each individual drawer or shelf must be counted towards the total. So if you have a 24″ wide, 30″ tall cabinet with 3 shelves, you already have 6′ of shelves. And if there was a 24″ base cabinet with 4 drawers, there’s another 8′, so this 24″ area of ​​your kitchen already has 14′ of shelves.

What is “the work triangle”? The work triangle represents the three large work stations in the kitchen: the cooking area, the fridge and the sink. Measuring from the center of each, the maximum total length of the triangle must not be more than 26 feet with the maximum leg not more than 9 feet and the minimum not less than 4 feet. In 3D Home Decorator, there are actually 9-foot and 4-foot arrows that you can place on your floor plans to test distances.

Eating areas are not limited to tables! Islands can accommodate eating areas, cooking areas, laundry areas, or simply prep areas. A typical kitchen counter is between 34 and 36 inches high. A table is typically 30 inches high. Therefore, when planning kitchen eating areas, part of an island eating area can be dropped at table height or a table can be built as an extension to an island, left at counter height with bar stools or raise it to 42 inches for a high counter eating area. , which is often used to hide the counter work surface behind it when viewed from the rest of the room.

How much space is ideal between a table and the wall? The NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association) recommends a minimum of 32 inches if no passing traffic is necessary. 36 inches will allow someone to walk through, and 44 inches will allow a person to walk through. If you need to pass a wheelchair, allow 60 inches.

If possible, it’s best to vent your stove to the outside, but there are recirculation fans that will draw odors out of the air if outside ventilation isn’t available. Do not place cooking surfaces below operable windows. If you’re lucky enough to have an operable window above counter height in your kitchen, place the sink below it instead of the stove. You can put a microwave with a fan combination on your stove, either vented or recirculated.

Don’t waste the corners of your kitchen. Upper cabinets can be decorative open shelves or have a two-part door that opens on both sides of the cabinets. Blind base cabinets may have lazy susans, which pivot for access, or base cabinets may have shelves that pull out, swing to the side, allowing deeper shelves to be pulled out to accessible locations. While it’s the hardest to access, the least expensive solution is to simply have deep shelves or a simple lazy-susan (the revolving shelves). If you have an L-shaped kitchen or an island with a peninsula configuration, the doors can be placed on either side for easy accessibility.

Don’t forget the space between the upper and lower cabinets. If you have more than enough counter space, the space between the upper and lower cabinets (even in the corners) can have louvered doors (rolling doors) that can hide appliances or the space can be filled with open wine racks, leaving half the counter displayed for normal purposes.

Cabinets come in all sizes. Base cabinets come in all widths from 3 inches up and depths from 12 inches to 24 inches and larger, so they can fit all kinds of needs. The 9-inch and 12-inch bottom extractors for bottles and soda cans are wonderfully efficient for filling tighter spaces. There are lower cabinets with drawers for trash and/or recycling, or with lift-up shelves for a Kitchenaid Mixmaster appliance. A 12-inch-deep cabinet at the end of an island can be used for cookbooks or designed to store wine. Don’t forget full-height pantries, which may have shelves, pull-out drawers, door hardware for spices, or other specialty storage. Both the lower and upper cabinets can be decoratively opened to store wine, books, glassware and more. An 18″ or 24″ base could have a built-in small wine/soda cooler. There are cabinets with 6″ high drawers or open shelves that can fit under the upper cabinets to provide storage for smaller items. The base cabinets can also have glass doors and elegant faces, which can be used to display specialty dishes. Kitchen cabinets have gotten very clever to offer maximum efficiency in minimum space.