If you’re asking yourself the question, “How should a kitchen be set up?” remember that there’s plenty of inspiration available online. From ideas and concepts, kitchen setup designs, to the organization, you’re spoiled for choice.
Here are some great tips to keep in mind if you’re planning to reorganize or remodel your kitchen.
Kitchen Triangle
How should a kitchen be set up? With the kitchen triangle as the focal point. The kitchen triangle refers to the relationship between the refrigerator, stove, and sink. These three areas see the most traffic, which is why it’s essential to create a kitchen design with an easily accessible and unobstructed kitchen triangle.
Check out these considerations to ensure a more efficient kitchen triangle:
- Your kitchen should be near your plumbing. If the placement of the pipes is undesirable, you might want to consider hiring a plumber to help you plan out the best location for the sink.
- Ideally, the three components should be four to nine feet apart. If they’re too close to each other, people will be colliding with appliances. If they’re too far apart, food preparation can get too tiring.
- Avoid having major traffic areas cross through the kitchen triangle.
Storage Space
Kitchens house a lot of things, from food to appliances. It can be tough to find a home for everything, especially when there are pieces that are oddly shaped or are too bulky for your cabinets, such as your stand mixers or food processors.
If you’re planning to renovate your kitchen, make sure that you include enough storage. With smart planning, you can minimize wasted storage space and keep your shelves and cabinets organized.
Below are some tips to help you maximize your existing storage space:
- Group similar items together. For example, set aside a distinct space for all your baking supplies or your glassware.
- To make sure that you know where everything’s located and that you’re not overlooking certain items, store them inside clear containers.
- Make sure that appliances and cabinet doors have enough space when they’re open. Furthermore, ensure that they won’t collide into each other when multiple doors are open.
General, Task, and Accent Lighting
One of the most neglected aspects when planning how should a kitchen be set up is lighting. This room is the one place where having poor lighting must never be an option. General, task, and accent lighting are crucial for your safety, especially when you’re handling sharp tools.
If you’re trying to find ways to improve your kitchen light, here are some useful tips to consider:
- Layer your lighting to cover all possible task areas. On top of a general, overhead light, install some pendant lights over a food prep station and under-cabinet lighting near the stove or kitchen sink.
- Add some ambient lighting to create a warm and homey atmosphere.
- Light dimmers are also a great function to help you customize the degree of light you need for each task.
Conclusion
There are many ways to answer the question, “How should a kitchen be set up?” The most important thing to remember is that the kitchen isn’t just a place to prep and cook food. It’s also where people gather and enjoy time with their family. This is why it’s essential to create an efficient but welcoming space. Here’s how to learn more about kitchen organizing.