Decorating Kitchens
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Planning and decorating kitchens hints and advice.
Discover the ideal design and layout for your kitchen. The kitchen work triangle is uncovered and explained.
Working in your kitchen will be a real chore - unless you get the layout right.
The Kitchen Work Triangle
You may have heard about the work triangle, for planning and decorating kitchens. This is a design idea, which originally came from a study by Cornell University in the 1950's. Interior Designers still recognise the work triangle as the ideal basis for your kitchen plan.- Each of the 3 tips of the triangle refers to one of the important appliances or functions in your kitchen - the sink, the fridge, and the oven and hob.
- Experts recommend that the 3 sides of the triangle should all add up to less than 6 or 7 metres (20 - 22ft) in length.
- Some people now think the work triangle is a bit old-fashioned - but I still find it a really good design basis for decorating kitchens.
- In the modern world, kitchens have lots more appliances and gadgets, including microwaves and dishwashers. Maybe you use these more than the sink and oven? If so, re-evaluate your work triangle designs, and make them work for you
- Make sure the items you use most (whatever they are) are all in easy reach, and allow you plenty of space to work efficiently.
- The way that you position the work triangle in your kitchen will have a lot to do with the shape of your room.
Take a look below, where I will walk you through some ideal layouts for different shaped kitchens. I have even discovered some great video clips to help you plan your kitchen better.
You will be able to get a better understanding of the kitchen work triangle, and some great ideas for planning and decorating kitchens, to use in your own home.
Square Kitchen (Large or small) (U-shaped or Horseshoe design)
Long Narrow Kitchen (Galley kitchen design)
Large Room or Open Plan Living (Island units)
Kitchen/Diners (including small kitchens) (L-shaped design)
- A U-shaped or Horseshoe shaped kitchen is ideal for large or small, square rooms.
- There is plenty of space here, for storage, and lots of free work surface.
- Work in lots of additional features such as shelving, wine racks, etc.
- If you have room, consider adding a table and chairs in the centre space. But make sure that this does not interfere with moving around the room, and the work triangle.
- Additional storage, a food preparation area or a breakfast bar, could be added with a 'peninsular unit' - jutting out from one end of the horseshoe.
or
A U-shaped or Horseshoe shaped kitchen.
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Long Narrow Kitchen
Narrow Galley Kitchen
- For decorating kitchens which are a long narrow room, a narrow galley kitchen is the ideal choice.
- All units and appliances are placed along one wall.
- Try using the 'store, prepare, cook, wash' rule. Place the appliances you use in a line, according to the order you use them as you prepare and cook a meal, then wash-up and put-away.
- Or, put the sink in the middle, with plenty of work surface between the sink and the hob, to chop and prepare food easily.
- Choose shallow units, to give your kitchen plenty of space, and make your room look wider.
- Or, if you have the space, choose extra deep base units, but very narrow wall units, or open shelves on the walls.
- Choose integrated appliances for a streamlined look.
A galley kitchen is ideal for decorating a long narrow room.
Wide Galley Kitchen
- This is ideal if your kitchen is long and narrow, but still wide enough to take a double row of units.
- This is a good layout for decorating kitchens with doors or access at both ends.
- If you have enough room, opt for extra deep base units. Combine with shallow wall units, or open shelving.
- Allow 125cm (or 4ft 2 inches) between the two rows of units, to make sure you can move around the kitchen and use it safely.
- Consider integrated appliances.
- Try going handle free. Fit push-click magnetic catches on doors, for a streamlined look.
- Keep your choice of colors, units and flooring pale. Choose lots of light reflective finishes, such as gloss white and stainless steel, to keep the room from feeling oppressive.
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Large Room or Open Plan Living
- Island units are a really modern statement for decorating kitchens, and give a luxury look to any kitchen.
- Your kitchen has to be big to get away with it though.
- Make sure your island unit has a real function. Otherwise, it just steals your space, and makes you walk further. Add a hob or sink, or just use it for food preparation.
- Island units are ideal for storage. You can fit loads of shelves, drawers, wine racks and other useful storage.
- Island units are a really good idea for incorporating some seating into your decorating kitchens design.
- Try using a different color for the units or work surface of the island unit. It will give it a real 'stand-alone' feel.
- If you are worried that space might be an issue, try a mobile island unit on wheels, that you can push to one side, when it is in the way.
or
A practical island unit gives a touch of luxury to any kitchen.
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Kitchen/Diners
- For the ideal kitchen/diner layout for any size or shape kitchen use an L-shaped kitchen layout.
- Put a table inside the 'L'.
- Or, use one 'leg' of the 'L' to separate kitchen and dining areas.
- Use glass fronted wall units, or open shelving on walls above base units, to create a pleasant atmosphere for dining.
- Make sure appliances are evenly spaced around your kitchen, so that you always have enough work surface area.
- If your room is large enough, try adding a 'peninsular unit' - jutting out from one of the ends, to create a breakfast bar.
- Try to decorate the 'dining' side of your kitchen in more relaxing tones and colors. You might want to use more soft furnishings, or softer 'mood' lighting to get a different 'mood' from the busy food-preparation area of the kitchen.
Careful planning means you can even fit a dining area into a tiny kitchen.
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I hope these work-triangle based layout plans will be helpful for planning and decorating kitchens in your home.
Take a look at this very useful video clip which explain more kitchen ideas for small kitchens for you.
Just click on the picture to start the video player - I hope you find it useful...!
Check out this decorating kitchens interactive planner online from B & Q. You can use it to plan and design your kitchen for free, and then create a shopping list of required items that you can purchase from B & Q. Use it to shop with them, or just take advantage of the free, online, design tool.
Now look at more decorating ideas for kitchens, designing your kitchen, and positioning appliances.
Have you chosen your kitchen style yet?
Look at an ultra-modern kitchen decorating theme.
Consider a kitchen with timeless and universal appeal - a country kitchen decorating style.
Bring the beauty of Tuscany into your home, by decorating a Tuscany style kitchen.
Return to the main kitchen decorating tips page.
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