No, the work triangle isn't some mysterious corner of your kitchen where things disappear and are never seen again.  It's the area where you spend most of your time preparing meals.  Your sink, range, and refrigerator usually represent the three points of the triangle.  The sum of these three sides should be no more than 26 feet.  If the total is less, your appliances are too close.  If the sum is more, they're too far away.  So before you finalize your room redesign, make sure it gives you the right amount of room.

The Work Triangle

One wall or single wall

A one wall or single wall kitchen has all it's

work centers along one wall.  The is the

least efficient plan, but a necessity in

smaller homes and apartments where

space is limited.

Corridor or galley

Similar to the one wall plan,

but better suited for cooking, is

the corridor or galley plan.  It

offers an efficient workspace

for the single cook, grouping

work centers on parallel walls.  

This plan, however is less than

ideal for households with

multiple cooks.  Expect lots of

bumping and maneuvering in a

galley kitchen.

U-shaped

If you could use more space,

consider a U-shaped plan.  It's

perfect for one or more cooks.  

A common characteristic of this

design is continuous work area.  

The cook is surrounded by

countertops on all three sides,

making everything within reach.  

This layout allows others to

pass by the kitchen without

interrupting cooking.

L-shaped

The L-shaped kitchen has a

definite advantage over

U-shaped kitchens thanks to a

more generous amount of

counter space.  With work

centers on two adjacent walls,

people can come in and out

without even entering the work

area.  Add an island and you'll

encourage interaction between

cooks and guests while gaining

another work surface.

G-shaped

The G-shaped kitchen is

really only a modification

of the U-shaped design.  

It simply adds an extra

wall of cabinets and

appliances or a fourth

partial wall.  To keep you

from feeling too closed

in, open up one or two of

the cabinet sections to

adjacent spaces.  When

you do so, you'll have a

kitchen that's spacious in

every sense of the word.

The Benefits of Universal Design

Have you thought about the needs of those who'll use your kitchen?  Not just yourself, but your family, guests and even those who may own your house after you?  If you haven't, you should.

This practice is called Universal Design and it strives to make all elements and spaces in a room more user friendly - for as many different people as possible.  Universal Design emphasizes making your kitchen accessible to young children, elderly parents, and a variety of guests.

For example, make "traffic lanes" such as hallways and doorways extra wide.  Doing so will accommodate unexpected furniture needs, like twins in a double stroller or perhaps yourself on crutches.  It will also allow you to easily get furniture and appliances in and out of the room.  Other aspects of Universal Design include utilizing slide-out storage systems so users of all heights can

access the contents, as well as varying the heights of work surfaces and countertops to accommodate different tasks and different people.

Fortunately, the cost of implementing Universal Design is usually negligible and it could increase your home's value.  To find out more, ask your designer for details.