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Kitchen Design Tips & Updates: Space Requirements & Recommendations

Kitchen design can be as simple as a straight countertop with minimalist appliances, or as sophisticated as multiple sinks, dishwashers, ranges, and ovens on islands, under islands, over islands, and more. Wine coolers can fit in the space of a dishwasher or be as tall as a pantry. Sinks can be troughs to fill with ice to chill bottles, small for an entertainment center, double or triple sinks 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 old standbys. Even within materials, such as granite, prices vary greatly 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. In its smallest form, you could fit a kitchen in 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.

  • sinks: Sinks come in many sizes, depths, materials, and prices. You can get them as narrow as 11″ wide, but you probably want to plan on a cabinet that is at least 30″ – 36″, which can accommodate a wide range of standard sized kitchen sinks from 25″ to 33″ in a variety of styles. (recessed, undercounter, or exposed 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 sizes are a bit easier. You can choose between a freestanding or slide-in unit, in which the unit fits between two cabinets, typically 30″ wide; a range with separate ovens (either below or in a separate cabinet), which comes standard in sizes from 30″ or 36″ and will fit in cabinets that size (although you can get pro-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 a 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.
  • Taps: Kitchen faucets, in addition to an almost infinite variety of styles, materials and colors, have also evolved. Faucets are now available just for filling pots on your stovetop, you have a choice of pull-out spray heads or separate sprays, single or multi-handles, are available with two-button remote controls for a prep sink that allows for quick sink rinsing or a more thorough cleaning flow, and can fit 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 corners) is needed to accommodate all kitchen uses. Try to leave a continuous section of countertop 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 large kitchen. large (over 350 square feet). What does this mean? Does this mean I need 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 shelving.

What is “the work triangle”? The work triangle represents the three main work stations in the kitchen: the cooking zone, the refrigerator and the sink. Measuring from the center of each, the maximum total length of the triangle must be no more than 26 feet with the maximum leg no more than 9 feet and the minimum no 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.

Dining areas are not limited to tables! Islands can accommodate eating areas, cooking areas, laundry areas, or simply prep areas. A typical kitchen counter is 34 to 36 inches tall. A table is typically 30 inches tall. Therefore, when planning kitchen eating areas, part of an island eating area can be dropped to table height or a table can be built as an extension of an island, left at counter height. with stools or raise it to 42 inches for a high counter dining 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 traffic needs to pass. 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, please allow 60 inches.

It’s best to vent your stove outside if possible, but there are recirculation fans that will pull 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 place a microwave with a fan combination above your range, either venting to the outside or recirculating air.

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

Don’t forget the space between the upper and lower cabinets. If you have more than enough countertop, the space between the upper and lower cabinets (even in the corners) can have shutter doors (roll-up doors) that can hide appliances or the space can be filled with open wine racks, leaving half the counter exposed for the usual 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 meet all kinds of needs. The 9-inch and 12-inch bottom pullers for bottles and soda cans are wonderful and efficient for filling tighter spaces. There are base cabinets with drawers for trash and/or recycling, or with pull-out 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 lower and upper cabinets can be decoratively opened to store wine, books, glassware and more. An 18″ or 24″ base could have a small built-in cooler for wine or soft drinks. There are 6″ high drawer cabinets or open shelves that can be placed below the upper cabinets to provide storage for smaller items. Base cabinets can also have glass doors and fancy faces, which can be used to display specialty dishes. Kitchen cabinets have gotten really smart to offer maximum efficiency in minimum space.

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