If you have lingering misgivings about your ability to plan and carry out a kitchen remodeling project that won’t look like an amateur attempt, put aside those fears. Today, a kitchen renovation should not be a cause for anxiety. Don’t put off getting a kitchen that works well for your family because you don’t know where to start!
Even if you think that the kitchen triangle is about as mysterious as the Bermuda triangle, you can learn enough about popular kitchen layouts to decide what elements you want, and dismiss other ideas that don’t hold much promise for your home and your family.
6 Classic Kitchen Styles
As simplistic as it sounds, most kitchens are variations on six basic layouts:
- One-Wall Kitchens
- Corridor or Galley Plans
- L-Shaped Kitchens
- Horseshoe or U-Shape
- Island Kitchens
- Peninsula Plans
Each can be stylish and efficient, but some work well in small spaces and others — the horseshoe, for instance — are ideally suited for making a large space more user-friendly and cozy.
The size of the space allows for almost infinite variation, however. Large kitchens may incorporate an island and a peninsula, two separate islands, or an eating area in addition to a standard work triangle or specialized work centers.
The kitchen triangle is simply “kitchen design jargon” for the work space defined by the range, sink and refrigerator. In the past, there was a fairly strict “formula” for the optimum distance between each element. The standard kitchen triangle of the past constituted the fewest number of steps and the most logical arrangement for food preparation and clean up duties.
The Best Kitchen Design Styles are Personalized
Today, lifestyles are different. Multiple cooks and more informal meals mean that kitchen design has evolved, and spaces should be altered to reflect personal preferences as well. Modern kitchens are more apt to include “work zones” — secondary sinks, remote refrigeration, specialized cooking areas, multiple ovens and cooktops, even unique areas devoted to baking, grilling or snacking, as well as personalized storage and serving ideas. In an era without servants, individual preferences dictate how a kitchen is designed and used. A single kitchen may have more than one work triangle, catering to multiple cooks or cooks of different ages.
More elaborate kitchens often include a few built-in appliances and smart technology, with the result that there are few hard and fast rules and a lot of room for innovation.
Analyze Popular Kitchen Styles
Whether you plan to modernize an existing kitchen space, or start fresh to design a totally personalized layout, you can learn a lot from studying the elements of time-tested kitchen design. The “cook houses” of the past bear little resemblance to the keeping rooms of New England; today’s high-tech kitchens in downtown lofts seem lean and spare when compared to a busy suburban kitchen that is known as the neighborhood’s teen gathering spot.
Whatever you wish your kitchen to be is what the talented professional designers at The Kitchen Masters can help you achieve with your remodel. We would be delighted to help you hone your ideas so that your kitchen renovation will reflect your family’s needs and serve you well for many years to come.
Why not call us to schedule a consultation at our impressive 4,000 square-foot showroom in Naperville? We have been helping Chicagoland homeowners realize their remodeling dreams for many years, and we look forward to hearing your ideas. There’s no reason to delay your plans to make your kitchen great!
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