Kitchen Remodeling

When considering kitchen remodeling, you need to take into account that the kitchen is generally the hardest and most complex working space in the home. A good kitchen renovation aims to make efficient use of the space available, and save time and energy for the user.

A good kitchen design aims to fit the users lifestyle and family arrangements. Kitchen renovations reflect that kitchens are now much more than simply a space for meal preparation, cooking and cleaning up – they are the center of many homes, doubling as an entertainment area, homework space and casual dining area. Careful placement of appliances and fittings in the kitchen renovation will enhance the flow of traffic within and through the kitchen; help provide space for the cook, as well as for extended uses.

Kitchen renovations today come in a variety of configurations: galley, L-shaped or U-shaped. Some are large with island benches and walk-in pantries; some are compact walls of cabinetry with intergrated appliances.

In achieving a successful kitchen renovation, there are 10 major points that need to be addressed.

Kitchen work and traffic flow

For an ideal layout, consideration needs to be given to the work and traffic flow with and through the space. The layout should be planned to reduce disruption to the cook by other kitchen users. Studies have shown that people working in a kitchen follow a logical pathway from one work zone to another. The following reflects the typical sequence of the flow of food in a kitchen.

1. Groceries and supplies enter the kitchen for storage in the pantry and refrigerator
2. From here, the food is taken to the sink and food preparation areas.
3. The main food preparation area is generally between the sink and cooktop, but an area between the sink and refrigerator is useful for preparing frest food. The kitchen should be orientated to left or right handed requirements of the primary user.
4. Activity then fows to the cooking centre and to the adjacent serving area.
5. The clean-up area then becomes the centre of activity with left-over food being stored in the refrigerator and pantry; and waste items disposed of.

Within the kitchen, most time is generally spent in the vicinity of the sink, with the secont most important area being the cooktop work zone. Typically, the majority of movement within the kitchen is between these two work zones. The other major traffic route is between the refrigerator and the sink.

Consideration also needs to be given to the floor clearances through the kitchen, with adequate space of walking, reaching, bending and crouching.

Kitchen work Zones

Kitchen planning is primarily about planning a number of work zones that will allow the activities associated with food preparation to occur in a comfortable, safe and efficient manner. A sound understanding of how much space a typical person takes up moving around a kitchen is essential.

The three key work zones and associated appliance are:

• Food storage, centered on the refridgerator and pantry. A minimum 400mm landing space beside the fridge is recommended to allow adequate space for unpacking and stowing awat groceries, preferably on the door opening side.
  
• Food preparation, with the cooktop as the focal appliance. This area is where the following storage your get located; food preparation utensils including knives, cutting boards and other small appliance; pots, pans and bakeware; cooking utensils; cooking oils, herbs, spices and condiments; serving platters and crockery, and storage for small appliances such as blender and food processor. A minimum 300mm landing either side of the cooktop is recommended, with 400mm next to oven and microwave.
• Clean-up zone, incorporating the sink. This area should incorporate storage ofr cleaning products, and storage for clean crockery and cutlery should be located adjacent to the dishwasher. A 400mm to 600mm landing space on either side of the sink is recommended

Kitchen work triangle

To achieve optimum efficiency and ease for the user, the three key work centres each form a point on the work triangle. The three key work areas are as follows – Food storage, food preparation and clean-up. Ideally the layout of the work centres in the work triangle will reflect the typical sequence of the flow of food in the kitchen. As the clean-up centre is the most frequently used area it should be centred in the work triangle.

There are suggested distances between the points of the work triangle. If the distance between the cork centres is too great, the cook may find the space tiring to use. Alternatively, if the work centres are not sufficiently separated, tasks will be cramped and interfere with each other, and the bench space will become crowded.

The suggested range of distance is:

• Refrigerator to cooktop – between 1200mm and 2700mm
• Cooktop and sink – between 1200mm and 2100mm
• Sink and refrigerator – between 1200mm and 2100mm

In addition, it is recommended that the sum of the three sides of the work triangle does not exceed seven metres in length. The optimum length of the sides of the triangle is somewhere in the range of 4000mm to 7000mm.

Although the work triangle theory may be referred to when kitchen planning, given the increase in the type and number of appliances, work zoning considerations are becoming more influential in kitchen space planning.