Have you ever been frustrated by the limited space and less-than-optimal design of your kitchen? The struggle to finish Christmas dinner with a lack of counter space is an experience many have faced. Luckily, it’s possible to maximize the efficiency of your kitchen with a few design choices. Today, the team at Ellecor Interior Design will share a few ways to turn your cramped cooking area into a model of efficiency.
Designing for Efficiency
One of the first questions we ask our clients is how they use their existing kitchen space, and how would they like to use it? Are you hosting dinner parties? How do you serve your meals? Do you use a family style dinner table or do you spend most of your meals in front of the TV? These choices can have a major impact on the ideal kitchen design for you.
For instance, if you like to serve buffet style from your kitchen island, it would make a lot of sense to create storage room for your plates and silverware in the island rather than across the room.
Related Blog: Maximizing Your Kitchen Space
Remember the Golden Triangle
The age-old concept of the “Golden Triangle” of kitchen design is famous for a reason. Creating adjacent zones to maximize your space and avoid overlap is the ideal way to design a kitchen. For the uninitiated, the golden triangle, or working triangle, refers to a kitchen design goal that places the sink, oven, and fridge connected in a three-point triangle. This creates a corner of your kitchen in which you can prepare, cook and clean, all in a convenient space designed to make life in the kitchen easy. The more counter space you can fit within this area the better.
Create Zones Around Specific Areas
Designing work zones with specific jobs in mind will allow you to place the right tools and design goals in these areas to maximize efficiency. Consider the following zones when designing:
- Prep Area – This is where your kitchen workflow starts. This area will be where you gather your cooking ingredients, prep your tools, and cut and measure your ingredients. This is usually best placed directly beside your cooking area/oven to avoid having to move too far when it’s time to cook.
- Cook Area – The cooking zone is where your oven, stovetop, and microwave should be. Store your tools in this space, like spoons, spatulas, pots and pans. It is also a great idea to have a seasoning pantry here for ease of access.
- Clean-Up – Your sink, dishwasher, and trash should be in this zone. Ideally, you want it near your cooking zone to make clean-up a cinch.
- Storage – The storage zone is where you will put everything away. You want your refrigerator and pantry in this zone. Keep your Tupperware, plastics, and foils in this area.
Kitchen design with mindful use of storage, movement and workflow can transform your kitchen into the efficient heart of your home.
Contact Ellecor Interior Design Today
If you are looking to get the most out of your kitchen space with an efficient, stylish design — visit the experts at Ellecor Interior Design today. You can call our team directly at 417-720-2602 or come visit our storefront in Farmer’s Park on East Republic Road in Springfield.
Related Blog: 2019 Interior Design Trends for Kitchens