Fundamental Principle of Kitchen Design Rules & Guidelines

The kitchen is the most important part of the home. It is a place for entertaining guests, cooking, and devouring meals. Therefore, your kitchen layout is important, especially because of the many activities in the small space. To have an efficient kitchen, you require a good design that follows the kitchen design rules.

The University of Illinois, in the year 1944, conducted several studies of kitchen design and came up with various principles. Interior designers still implement these principles for kitchen renovations, kitchen remodeling, and those who need a new kitchen. For example, when a kitchen follows the rule of thumb for space planning, it is good to gain better results.

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We know you might not like the sound of rules, especially since you already have your dream kitchen in mind. However, for you to have good kitchen designs, you need to follow certain design principles. We can assure you that these rules are not burdensome through your design process, and they are even for your good.

Golden Kitchen Design Rules

Some rules guarantee the safe operation of appliances, storage space, appropriate task lighting, work aisle, breakfast bar, and even the plumbing of your kitchen. Whether you’re designing a large kitchen or a small kitchen, it can still be quite tricky to find the right angle for your adjacent appliances. This is why you need these rules:

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The Kitchen Work Triangle

This is the concept that describes the distance between the three primary work centers of a good kitchen. A kitchen triangle improves the functionality between the side of a cooking surface, the refrigerator, and the sink. The total length between all the appliances should fall between 4 to 7 meters.

If the distance is short, it reduces the work surface space, and if the distance is too long, you would have to walk around too often. Therefore, the measurement is usually done from the center front of the work zones. Although the work triangle design does not work for all kitchens, it is still an excellent way to gauge a highly functional kitchen.

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Kitchen Entry Doors

The opening for an entry door should be about 32 inches wide. Your entry door must not interfere with the smooth operation of things within the kitchen, nor must it collide with other appliances. In addition, it must not obstruct the work done in your work centers. This rule is essential to enhancing a smooth process of functioning in the kitchen.

Work Aisle and Walkways

A work aisle is where you stand when you’re working in the kitchen. It is different from the walkway; however, you would find walkway aisles that combine both in an older home. They are used both for work and as a passage through the kitchen.

The working aisle should have a width measurement of 42 inches for one cook and 48 inches for multiple cooks. The standard for a universal design requires measuring between the counter frontage, appliances, and the kitchen cabinet. For your walkway, the standard measurement is at least 36 inches.

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Major Traffic Patterns for Seating

If you have a seated diner that nobody passes behind it, you can have a minimum of 32 inches from the countertop space to the edge of the interior walls. For those that want to walk past, allow 44 inches, and for those passing on a wheelchair, it would be a minimum of 60 inches.

Ensure that the seating area does not extend into the work aisle. However, you can allow it to extend into the walkway in the dining room if ample space is available. You should also keep a knee space that is 30 inches wide as traffic passes.

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Cleanup and Prep Sink Placement

A kitchen with one sink must be located in the adjacent position across the refrigerator or cooking surface. The standard height is between 29-36 inches, while the sink bowl should be about 7 inches deep. All the drainage pipes should be protected from contact.

The prep sink landing area should have a minimum of 24 inches in width to one side of the sink, while the other side should be a minimum of 18 inches. You can make the cabinet with the sink lower than the other base cabinets to create the perfect landing space.

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Food Preparation Area

Make sure to include a counter space at least 30 inches wide and 24 inches in depth. Keep it close to the sink within your work surface. The preparation area is an important part of the kitchen, and it needs to have enough room for easy movement.

Dishwasher and Waste Receptacles

There is a tight relationship between the dishwasher, prep area, and even the trash can. It would help if you thought about the functionality of the cleanup process that you would have in the kitchen. You need to create enough room between these design elements while still keeping them within your reach.

Find the sharp edges of your dishwasher so you can keep it within 36 inches of clearance close to the sink and clean up. In addition, you can keep your waste bin close to the sink for easy access. This placement makes it easy to clean your dirty dishes and also dispose of the waste.

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Good to Read: Traditional Kitchen Trends, Designs and Ideas

Refrigerator Area

The ideal location for landing space is 15 inches on the handle side of the refrigerator. However, with a side-by-side refrigerator, the doors tend to get in the way. The best choice is to use the countertop that is right across the fridge as a landing area. If you find it difficult, you can create an open-plan space at an open position right at the end of the door. Afterward, you include a space of 15 inches of clear countertop that you can use for the refrigerator landing area.

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Cooking Surface

Make sure that there’s a 24-inch clearance between your cooktop and an unprotected surface above it. You also need a ducted ventilation system for all your cooking surface appliances; the minimum you can settle in 150 cubic feet of air per minute. The ventilation control system should be accessible, easy to read, and noiseless.

Also, as a safety measure, you should keep a fire extinguisher at the exit of your kitchen. Make sure to keep it away from your cooking appliances. This has no national kitchen code requirement. However, you have to check your local building codes to see if it is there. Make sure to read the instructions on using a fire extinguisher and test it every six months to see if it’s still functional.

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Microwave Oven Placement

Before you place your oven in the kitchen, take note of the height of the user. The best place for the bottom of the microwave is 3 inches below the major user’s shoulder and a minimum of 54 inches above the floor. In a case where the oven is placed under the countertop, keep the bottom of the oven at a minimum of 15 inches off the finished floor. You can also use the exact measurement for a wall oven. Also, make sure that the oven door does not collide with other appliance doors in your kitchen.

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Storage

For your small kitchen, you can have 1400 inches. If your kitchen is of medium size, the appropriate measurement would be 1700 inches. However, for a large kitchen, the storage space should be around 2000 inches. This has to do with your tall cabinets, lower cabinets, and kitchen drawers.

You have to keep all your utensils in an area that is easy to reach. Store your item in one layer where there’s no item hiding under another one. Things like your hot pans must be kept in a place where it is first used. Also, make sure that your cabinet doors do not collide with appliance doors.

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Lighting

Apart from general lighting, you need extra light for the specific tasks that have to be done in the kitchen. You cannot depend on natural light for an area as busy as your kitchen. The best lighting designs are the ones that would require little energy and electricity while still providing appropriate lighting.

Your kitchen requires at least one light controlled by a switch. It is best to keep the switch at the entrance. Also, get kitchen lighting from multiple sources and make sure that it is adjustable. The best way to go about it is to get someone with an in-depth understanding of lighting to handle it.

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Types of Kitchen Layouts

There are different kitchen layouts that you can use when designing your kitchen. They have their additional features, they include:

L-shaped Kitchen

This is the most common one among all the designs, mainly because you can use it for any kitchen size. It has workspaces on the two joint walls that form a perpendicular line. If you have two different cooks working simultaneously, it is a great choice to settle for. In cases where there is more space, you can add a dining table for more functionality.

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U-shaped Kitchen

If you need a versatile design for your kitchen, this is your best bet. It covers the cook on every side and creates an excellent opportunity for storage and countertop space. You can easily incorporate your work triangle into this design and form an ample storage space. It is an effective way of separating the dining area from the cooking space.

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One Wall Kitchen

For your small house, a one-wall kitchen layout is the best answer. It flattens the work triangle when you position the sink between the cooking area and the refrigerator. You have to eradicate every possibility of a hindrance in workflow by placing the refrigerator so that the door can open away from the kitchen sink.

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Galley Kitchen

Have you been thinking of the perfect design for a narrow space? Well, the galley kitchen layout is ideal for you. It creates two different walls as workspaces that have one traffic lane between them. You can have a straightforward workflow by placing the cooktop on one side of the kitchen while the sink and refrigerator can go into the opposite side. If you have a rectangular space, this layout would fit well.

Kitchen Island

This design forces you to rely on your creativity because it can seem more like a mini-kitchen. The size of your kitchen island would be based on your space and the preferred material for your countertop. You need to carefully choose a design for your kitchen island, mainly because you still have to host your appliances, trash, sink, eating area, and food prep space.

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Final Thoughts

A great kitchen is merely a combination of effective principles. For you to achieve such a kitchen, you need to apply them. You can get all your designers, carpenters, and decorators to pay attention, especially to the focal points of your kitchen. Although the process might take much time, time is a little price to pay for your safety. Get a solid surface for your kitchen, pay attention to the littlest details like the drawer frontage or the exterior wall. With the golden rules, you can make your dream kitchen come into reality.