5 Kitchen Layout Ideas For a Small Kitchen
Planning your kitchen is a fun and rewarding activity if you have the freedom to do so. Many people moving in to their very first home might consider this option in order to make things uniquely theirs right off. Kitchens usually come complete with sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, and oven-stove combos. Most have counter space as well. And while all of these things are great, and essential to the kitchen’s functionality, they can pose some interesting challenges if you have limited space. For small kitchens, the following simple design plans are the most common and rewarding:
The corridor. With the corridor plan, you have all of your essential appliances divided between two of the kitchen’s four walls. On one side, you may choose to keep your oven and refrigerator, while on the other, you place the rest. One of the key factors in determining what goes where is the placement of pipes for water functionality. Make sure you have the sink and the refrigerator on the side that best serves their purposes.
The L-Shape. With this option, you make use of two walls, both adjacent to one another, in determining the placement of all appliances. This literally forms a capital “L” with the two lines of appliances meeting at a corner. The advantage of this option is that you have all of your necessary locations in one place, so you can avoid all the moving around.
The one wall. For very small kitchens, this may be the best choice because it keeps your appliances down to the bare necessities and allows you, in much the same manner as the L-Shape to have everything you need in one spot, so to cut down mobility. A distinct advantage of this style is that you leave yourself room to move and add other appliances as need be. The disadvantage is that if you start adding too much, then you must veer away from this design and go with a choice such as the corridor or the L-Shape.
The classic triangle. Shape is everything in determining the layout of the room, and in order to fulfill that shape, you must first know which must have appliances will be populating your kitchen. Once you have determined this, you may set your refrigerator up in one location, your sink at another, and your oven at another. Perhaps two are connected by a counter; perhaps they’re not. Either way, the three core fixtures form the shape of a triangle, thus earning this choice its name.
The U-Shape. With this option, most people usually go with the range against a short wall with the sink and dishwasher on another and the fridge facing.
No matter what option you choose, it’s your kitchen, and you have to live with it. Choose what you envision, and it will feel like a home within a home.