Essential Tips To Plan Clutter Free Kitchen

Kitchen is that space in a house where all the nourishment is stored and the food is cooked. This space needs to be designed with care and precision. If designed properly, the user of the kitchen has a pleasant experience and as they say, “pleasant feelings make simplest of foods delicious”. Improper layout of a kitchen can easily put off the user. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind the points discussed in the article to avoid mistakes pertaining to the layout –

Keep in mind the Work Triangle

While designing the layout of the kitchen, it is essential that the work triangle or the kitchen triangle should be taken care of by abiding by the standards. The triangle comprises of three key areas vis-à-vis, the cooking space, washing area (or the sink) and refrigerator. The distance between these areas should not exceed beyond the standard dimensions (4-9 feet each). In addition, the triangle connecting the three areas should be devoid of obstruction and should have a perimeter, not more than 26 feet. Even, if one is planning to install an island, keeping these dimensions in mind will help in comfortable working. Adhering to the concept of work triangle ensures easy circulation in the kitchen.

Image credit: Graber

Image credit: Kitchn

Plan proper clearances

To ensure that the kitchen functions flawlessly, one needs to look at the factor of clearance very closely. The clearance is the measure of space required by various utilities to function freely. For instance, it is essential that there is adequate clearance for the doors of the cabinets, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, drawers etc. The clearance should be such that two doors in the same area can be accessed simultaneously, without obstructing each other. This unobstructed movement of the user and the various elements. Under the same head, one should pay additional head to the corners of the kitchen.

Horizontal clearance should be essentially taken care of but vertical clearance should also be kept in mind while designing. This means one should take care of the distance of cabinets from the countertops.

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Plan the Island

If one is trying to plan an island in their kitchen, it is important, first, to analyze if it is the right thing to do and, second, to see it as a functional platform. The platform of the island should be large enough to help in the working of the kitchen, but should not be humongous to interfere with the easy working. The platform should not be so small that it does not solve the purpose of an island.

Adequate countertop space is essential

Just like storage space, adequate countertop space is also essential for a smooth working of the kitchen. The dearth of countertop space leads to a cramped up and a clumsy-shabby kitchen, adding to the confusion. To save on the countertop space, allocate spaces for various gadgets in advance to save on the mess in the future. Use smart storage ideas to store small items, which have a tendency to rest on the counter, this will aid in clearing the countertop.

Plug-in Gadget hub

To plan and manage the gadgets better, one can consider allocating a working cabinet for the gadgets, wherein they could be plugged in and worked upon. This would help in avoiding obstructions in working and at the same time giving the kitchen a clean look.

Plan the landings

Landings are the spaces that should be given adjacent to sinks and stoves. These should be planned adequately so that the cook has ample space to keep their hot pans before or after cooking and washing.

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Storage Spaces aka cabinetry

While planning the layout of the kitchen, it is essential to keep in mind the storage space. Plan the cabinets according to the need and with a foresight. One should try to have a mix of open and closed storage units. Storage units should be equipped in a manner that not a single inch goes waste. Proper storage helps in organizing the kitchen giving it a clean and nice look.

Lighting essentials

Lighting is one of the factors that is essential in a kitchen layout. All the work areas should be well lit with focus or task lights. The workspace like an office space should be flooded with good quality light. Good lighting also helps in boosting the design elements put together. One can even go in for under the cabinet lights to light up the counter top. For Islands, pendant lights are preferred. Therefore, while planning the kitchen, poor lighting over the working areas should be avoided.

Electrical points – A must

These days’ people prefer buying all the electrical gadgets to manual gadgets, to ease out their work. Therefore, it is essential that one has access to an adequate number of electrical points and avoid restricting them to only one or two points. As a limited number might result in restricting your use of multiple gadgets simultaneously.

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A point for ventilation

Kitchen is a place, which is subject to many odors. Therefore, it is necessary, that the kitchen has a ventilation source in the form of a chimney or an electrical vent or may be an exhaust fan. Hence, while planning a kitchen one should keep in mind the placement of the ventilation unit and refrain from putting on the secondary to do list.

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Plan the trash

The maximum trash of any households comes out of the kitchen. Consequently, it is necessary to plan the right spot and mechanism for the garbage can. Avoid placing the garbage can in the way of circulation. To cater to this issue, there are many solutions available in the market today.

While planning the kitchen, one should keep in mind the points discussed so far. Each element and appliance in a kitchen should be planned thoroughly before actually placing it in the space. To plan a kitchen, the primary consideration should be the functionality of the kitchen and the finishes should be considered in the next step. As a functional kitchen is much more appreciated than a kitchen, which is ‘just pretty’.