Kitchen Layouts and Designs

Before you begin, bear in mind that you don't want just a good looking furniture, but also one that is functional and allows you to move around quickly when preparing your food, and that provides enough storage space and is easy to clean.

Standard kitchen layouts

During the last fifty years, most designers were building on three types of kitchen layouts: the L-shaped kitchen, the U-shaped kitchen and the gallery kitchen. The gallery layout was very suitable for small kitchens. All these three layouts had one thing in common: the work triangle concept. They all placed the three main kitchen components (the refrigerator, the stove and the sink) in a triangular position.

This decision was based on a research study conducted in the 1950s that showed most women stayed home all day, worked in the kitchen by themselves, prepared the food from scratch and needed to store about 400 items.

Modern trends

Another research study conducted more recently showed that the trends have changed. Nowadays, most women are working outside the house. Men started get involved in the cooking process. Most people use semi-prepared food and need to store about 800 items. These conclusions led to new trends in kitchen designs to respond to the changes in house working trends.

Modern kitchen layouts focus on multiple working centres. The standard designs don't allow for more than one person to be working in the kitchen. In order to allow multiple work stations inside the kitchen, designers have come up with the idea of an island layout. In this layout, the counter top is placed in the middle, thus providing up to four small work stations. These can turn into major work stations if you add an extra sink or set the cook top into the island.

However, you can make more work stations even without an island, by placing the cook top and the microwave oven in opposite parts of the sink. This way you can make counter space for two people to cook food each at one appliance.

Finish materials

Flooring

Floor styles include sheet vinyl, ceramic tiles and wood. The old linoleum is definitely out of fashion. Sheet vinyl, however, is a popular choice for moderately priced kitchens. Ceramic tiling is more popular for high-end kitchens, while wood floors are becoming popular in both moderate and high priced kitchens.

Kitchen sinks

Sinks come in a wide range of materials and shapes: solid surface, stainless steel, cast iron or plastic, top-mounted or under-mounted, single-bowled, double-bowled, shallow or deep. They also vary in finishes: brushed nickel, chrome, stainless steel or polished brass. You should choose the model that responds to your needs but also fits your price range.

Cabinets

Cabinets come in two styles: the European style (with no frames) and front-framed. They can be ordered from cabinet makers or stock supplies. They can be built from various types of wood, have different door styles and finish options. They also vary in the construction quality so you should be very careful when you choose them.

Countertops

You can choose from a wide range of counter tops available on the market. Solid surface or granite countertops are very resistant, but also very expensive. Tiles and laminates tops are still attractive, but less expensive and allow a do-it-yourself approach.

Appliances

The first choice you will have to make is whether you prefer a built-in or free-standing style, as this is a decision that will affect the whole kitchen design. The refrigerators can be either side-by-side or units and have top or bottom mounted freezers. Other choices involve smooth-top or halogen cook tops, microwave ovens, trash compactors, down-draft vents and range hoods.

Measure your kitchen carefully before making any decisions. If you're unsure, you can browse online catalogues for ideas or visit home design showrooms. Some home design websites feature applications that allow you to build your furniture from the grounds. However, a customized kitchen layout is more likely to suit your needs rather than a standard kitchen set.