There’s a certain flow to how traffic moves in your kitchen and it’s important that this flow is not disrupted when you do a remodel. Fortunately, it’s easy to maintain order, requiring that you pay attention to the kitchen work triangle.
What is the kitchen work triangle?
The concept of the kitchen area as a “work triangle” originated in the 1940s, revolving around a person’s movement as cooking-related tasks are carried out. As you work in the kitchen, you will invariably move around three main areas: the range, the sink, and the refrigerator. These three areas form the three points of the so-called kitchen work triangle.
General principles
A big factor in designing your kitchen’s work triangle is the space involved: too little space between the points and the room will feel cramped; too much space in between and it becomes burdensome to move from one point to another. As a general rule of thumb, the distance between the points should be no less than 4 feet, and no more than 9; additionally, the sum of all three sides of the work triangle should not go beyond 26 feet.
Additional considerations
The kitchen’s layout should not be designed without taking the rest of the house into consideration as integrating the room into the flow of traffic throughout the home can have tremendous impact on kitchen tasks. For instance, a garage located close-by can be attached through a mudroom to the kitchen, providing not only a staging area into and out of the house but making it easier as well to move groceries into the kitchen.
Keep in mind, also, that too many people passing through the kitchen to get to another part of the house, or going through the work triangle can and will disrupt the activity in the kitchen. Plan accordingly to ensure that efficiency in your kitchen is not negatively affected.
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For more information on professional kitchen remodeling in Winthrop MN and the local area, get in touch with a MBI Cabinets & Closets representative today at (507) 647-4446, or you can complete a Contact Us form while you’re here on our site.