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KITCHEN AND CABINET DESIGN |
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FIRST STEP IS TO CONSIDER HOW YOU USE YOUR KITCHEN: |
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- How many people are in your household
who use the kitchen? The answer to this
question will determine how much use
your kitchen cabinets get, and how much
traffic there is likely to be in the
kitchen at any one time.
- Do two or more cooks typically work
at the same time? If so, you may want
extra counter space in your kitchen
cabinets and/or an extra sink.
- Do you entertain frequently - and
do you typically have formal or informal
gatherings? If you entertain a lot,
you may want to open up the kitchen/living
room area into a great room that lets
you be part of the party while you're
working.
- What other activities commonly occur
in the kitchen? Some houses have a laundry
closet in the kitchen. Some people want
a wet bar, a breakfast bar or even a
desk for writing or computer work included
in their kitchen cabinets.
- Do you have any special kitchen cabinets
needs? Is a user exceptionally short
or tall, and uncomfortable working at
standard-height counters for long periods
of time? Do you have a disabled or elderly
household member who may have special
needs?
This, obviously, is not a complete list
of the general considerations in kitchen
cabinets planning - the list is nearly
infinite. But before you begin designing,
think about who uses the kitchen and how
they use it.
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| Next, think about
the features you want, for example |
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- Do you need an island (and have room for
it), a peninsula or a breakfast nook included
in your kitchen cabinets?
- Would you fill a pantry?
- Would you rather have a stainless steel
sink or enamelled cast iron?
- Do you use a microwave for major cooking
or just to heat up cups of tea?
- Do you prefer cooking with gas or electricity?
- Do you want a combination oven-and-range
or a seperate hob with a wall oven?
- Do you use enough small appliances that
you could use an appliance garage in your
kitchen cabinets to store them?
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The
fewer structural and mechanical changes you make,
the less you'll spend. But that doesn't mean that
all those changes cost a lot of money. You'll
need the advice of licensed professionals to make
final decisions, but you can at least get a rough
idea of how much extra major changes would cost
by answering the following questions: |
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The
next step - and the most fun - is to think
about style. Chances are, you've seen kitchen
cabinets that you like, in magazines, friends'
homes, etc. The first question to ask is
whether the style you like best will fit
with your home. You may have loved European
kitchen cabinets in the magazine, but they
might not look as good in your Queen Anne
Victorian.
Also, consider what kind of colour changes
you'd like to make - and whether your ideal
colours would necessitate buying new appliances.
When you choose colours, think of them in
relation to surrounding rooms and try to
find colours that complement the rest of
the house.
Finally, consider your budget and any other
remodeling that you might want to do. Sometimes,
related projects are easier when done at
the same time as the kitchen. |
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| Most kitchens are
designed around four work centres: |
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THE CLEANUP CENTER around
the sink should have at least 18" to
30" on one side, and 48" to 54"
on the other, to allow enough room to stack
dishes, pans and utensils. Always plan for
at least 12" between the sink and the
nearest corner, measured from the front
of the counter. Take into consideration
the distance between your sink and dishwasher
as well.
- THE COOKING CENTER around the range requires
12" minimum on one side of the range,
and 15" to 24" on the other side,
again with 12" minimum to the nearest
corner. Microwaves and built-in ovens should
have at least 15" to 18" counter
space on the right side (assuming the door
is hinged on the left side).
- THE STORAGE CENTER around the refrigerator
needs 15" to 18" on the handle side
of the refrigerator, to set food.
- THE MIXING/PREPARATION CENTER should be
handy to pans, bowls and utensils, and should
consist of at least 42" to 84" of
free counter space.
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| If space permits,
some designers also include a serving centre - another
36" to 84" of free counter space to set
bowls and pans. |
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also want to plan for the following minimum clearances
so you'll have room to work: |
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- There should be at least a 42" clearance
from the front edge of the counter top to
the nearest table or island.
- Leave at least 20" from the front edge
of the dishwasher door (when open) to the
nearest obstruction, so you'll have room to
load and unload.
- Plan for at least 26" between the kitchen
work area and the nearest traffic path.
- Allow 36" between the nearest obstruction
and an eating table, so there is room to pull
a chair away from the table.
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Kitchen
layouts are based on a concept called the
work triangle. The work triangle consists
of imaginary lines that connect the refrigerator,
the range and the sink. For maximum comfort
and efficiency, the three legs of the work
triangle should total between 23 and 26
feet.
There are four basic kitchen layouts. The
one-wall or galley, the corridor, the L-shaped
and the U-shaped. There are, of course,
a nearly infinite variety of layouts, but
most are based on these four.
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Kitchen
cabinets can also be divided into basic types.
Assuming that you're considering modular (pre-manufactured)
kitchen cabinets rather than custom, the widths
will run in 3" increments from 9" up
through 36". The standard height of a base
cabinet is 34 1/2", and the standard depth
is 24".
Wall cabinets are 12" deep (except for specialty
kitchen cabinets designed to be installed over
the refrigerator), and come in the same 3"
increments. Standard heights are 12", 15"
18", 30", and 36". Wall cabinets
are installed so the bottom of the cabinet is
54" above the floor (about 18" above
the countertop). The height you select should
depend on your ceiling height and how tall you
are - there's no point in buying tall kitchen
cabinets that reach to the ceiling if you can't
get up to get items in and out of the top shelves. |
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| There are four basic
types of base cabinets: |
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- A standard base has one drawer, with a door
and shelves below.
- A drawer base has three or four stacked
drawers.
- A sink base is open below, with a door below
a single false drawer front. In some brands,
the drawer front tilts out to provide storage
for sponges and cleaning supplies.
- A corner base fits in a corner. It may have
a lazy susan inside or shelves.
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| Naturally, there
are a wide range of variations on these four basic
styles. |
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| Wall
cabinets generally have doors and shelves inside,
although lazy susan corner kitchen cabinets are
also available, as well as a wide range of specialty
kitchen cabinets that may offer built-in appliance
garages, stemware holders and other features.
Special wall kitchen cabinets are also made for
microwave |
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