The work triangle is an ancient belief associated with the design of your kitchen layout and is just as relevant today as it was when it was first introduced years ago. It refers to a specific area within the room; It is within this area where the main activity takes place. It involves prepping, cooking, and cleanup that takes place on a daily basis, so it’s important that you organize key appliances along with this layout, so what exactly is included in it?

There are three main appliances that make up this triangle; these are your stove, sink, and refrigerator. However, recently this theory has been expanded and other items such as the dishwasher or microwave have been included because, for some people, it is appliances like these that are considered the most used, however, the true intention of the triangle is to include the stove, sink and refrigerator. In addition to making sure that these three items are placed next to each other, it is also important that you take into account what should be placed next to them. For example, you should have a work surface on each side of the stove to compensate for things like handles that can stick out of pots and pans, etc. Plus, having work surfaces on either side means you can easily prepare food for cooking. Something similar can be said for the sink area. You need to make sure there is enough drainage area for the items after they have been washed. All these aspects contribute to make up the most important part of this room.

Kitchens are considered the heart of your home, so you want to make sure it’s designed around your needs, which means space is an important concept. You need to make sure you have room for essential items, all of which need to fit around the location of your stove, refrigerator, and sink. The work triangle refers not only to the specific items that need to be placed here, but also to the distance that needs to be maintained between those items. Each of these items is a main focus of the room in its own right, so when arranged correctly, you should be left with a room that has the most effective preparation area. You need to make sure that when you place such items in the room, you keep the number of steps taken between each focal point to a minimum. Basically, in any size kitchen, the distance present between the sink, stove, and refrigerator should not be more than 27 feet, however, on the same note, it should not be less than 12 feet. Staying within these measurements gives you enough space to use your kitchen enough.

In any kitchen remodel, this work triangle should be at the forefront of your mind. You should plan the kitchen layout so that whoever is using the kitchen can move seamlessly between these three main points. Just make sure you don’t leave this theory out of your planning, as you could end up with a kitchen that isn’t very user friendly.