In designing any space or any product the dimensions play a very important role in it. As far as considering the kitchen design, the spatial relationships, dimensions and work zones can make up an ideal kitchen.
Whether it is a design of new kitchen or renovating the existing one or constructing an entire new kitchen understanding a few key dimensions and executive guidelines can make the way of your gastronomic skills smoother.
Kitchens are the power houses for the every family and it is the only storage for your food and cookware. It is the place where you prepare and cleanup and a place where you cook and bake.
When such an important space is designed by applying exact measures, the above tasks become easier making your kitchen a place to work in. here we go …
The ideal space for refrigerator and goods storage is the place close to kitchen entrance. The cooking range should be close to dining place and the sink should be placed comfortably between these two (fridge and cooking range) places and that forms a work triangle.
The ideal work triangle should be less than 6.4 meters. If it exceeds 7.9 meters then it becomes inefficient to work in. The overall functioning of the kitchen is based on mainly three areas.
Storage – Preparation – cooking
The preferences change according to the space and personal interests. So use this guide accordingly. Remember there is no strict rule in designing.
Storage – experts say that the fridge and dry goods storage should be at the kitchen entrance and keeping the pantry on one side and a countertop which is 38 to 61 centimeters (15 – 24 inches) on the other side makes it easy to take out and set the items from fridge.
Preparation – Prep and cleaning space is ideal around the sink. At this place only most of the daily cleaning work goes accommodated with trash bins and the dishwasher. Ensure 40 – 90 centimeters of free countertop space on either side of the sink.
For smaller kitchens allow minimum 93 centimeters of neat and clear countertop space for preparation. For larger kitchens the space is not a prob. You can freely take up as much as available. The kitchen islands are gaining popularity because of well organized space with good lighting and functionality.
Cooking – Experts say that we should allow 53 to 92 centimeters of countertop area on either side of your cooking range and ovens. It is advised that you place a wall oven with free countertop space just next to it. This way it is easy to take down the hot food and set them on the counter. Use the nearby drawers and cupboards to store the potholders, seasonings and breadboards and put the serve-ware close to dining area.
Arranging cooking centers around the ovens, cook-tops or cooking ranges will be a convenient way and time saver too. Putting pots, pans and baking sheets in the surrounding areas of your burners and wall ovens make them easy to access. It’s not a bad idea to keep small appliances like toasters and coffeemakers in these environs to keep the prep areas uncluttered.
Measurements for Kitchen Elements
To make it an ideal kitchen it is important to have kitchen elements with exact dimensions. For instance, an ordinary refrigerator’s width is slightly less than 92 cm and depth greater than 61cm base cabinet.
There is a possibility that you can take deeper freestanding refrigerators, prior to that you need to check the specs of it to be specific. Have a look at built-in configurations if your budget allows.
Choose a refrigerator with a depth of 76cm or low (do not consider the handles) if, your kitchen is smaller for deeper unit. You should also consider the door swing direction of the refrigerator; check whether it is getting any hindrance.
The height of the cabinets plays a major role in the configuration. In general the upper cabinets are positioned at 46cm above the countertop and are 76 to 106cms (approx. 42inches) in height.
Calculate your maximum reach over and into the upper cabinet and it should be 177 – 203cms from the floor. If the height of the cabinets goes to 7 – 8 feet (not so practical) then you need the assistance of a step stool or a ladder.
61cms deep and 92cms high is the standard dimension for the base cabinets. For taller people it’s not matter to have the height at 97cms.
One more important dimension is to check the distance between cabinets. Leave a distance of 107cms from the face of a cabinet to the one on the other side. To be better it could be 122cms.
It is not so acceptable to go beyond 152cms. But yes, if it is a U-shaped kitchen, you can make it up to 244cms.