subject: Incorporate the Work Triangle into Your Kitchen Remodeling Plan [print this page] Incorporate the Work Triangle into Your Kitchen Remodeling Plan
If you are planning a kitchen remodel, remember that there are three areas of the kitchen people use the most. You travel between the sink, stove, and refrigerator on a constant basis. For this reason, kitchen designers label the space between these three locations the work triangle, with each work area forming a point in the triangle. During your kitchen renovation, pay close attention to the work triangle. Its size and configuration determine how efficiently you can use your kitchen and, more importantly, how much you'll enjoy your time in it!
Each side of the triangle (i.e. the distance from one corner to another) should ideally measure between 4 and 9 feet. The whole triangle perimeter should measure between 12 and 27 feet. Much smaller and you may feel crowded. Larger and it is handy to carry heavy pots from place to place. You should also make sure that there isn't a lot of foot traffic moving through the triangle. There are a number of kitchen configurations that allow you to create an efficient work triangle. Which configuration works for you depends on the size and layout of your existing kitchen.
The L-shaped kitchen is the most common kitchen layout, allowing you to locate the fridge at one end of the L, the stove at the other, and the sink in the middle. If space allows, expand counter and storage space with a kitchen island. The galley kitchen is popular in homes with limited square footage, however, because of entrances at each end, more often than not you'll find people walking through the work triangle. If your kitchen normally includes two or more cooks working simultaneously, a G-shaped kitchen allows you to have lots of cabinet and counter space as well as two sinks and two stoves.
