How to Plan a Kitchen Workflow That Works

Expert House Buyer Wow, these are all beautiful kitchens! And I really like that they're all kitchen that look well-used and much-loved

Nicole White Designs Inc Great, great tips! So true that an island isn't for everyone - especially when space is at a premium.

Mueller Nicholls Cabinets and Construction Very good point about limiting entrances and exits - many of the kitchens we remodel were designed or built by people who did NOT keep that in mind! Wouldn't it be interesting to see an article about the same topic from a century ago?

brasilpaint Maybe it is "out of the picture" but the kitchen in the second example seems to have no counter space next to the fridge. Leaves no room to set anything down.

Akilova Nigora I love in Shuffle interiors and it would be so great to have like kitchen.

Studio 3 kitchens In my experience in the UK void Architects and use kitchen design specialists, of the numerous times an architect has been involved problems always arise.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Excellent tips, and I appreciate the designer's recognition that an open kitchen is a fad, and isn't the only desirable option. I love cooking, but once I serve the meal, I don't want to see the place.

Pamela Foster & Associates, Inc. The second photo with the refrigerators all in a row looks good, but would not be a design I would use. It does not provide countertop space beside any of these hard-working appliances. That means the cook/s have to carry food and baked goods from this location to a countertop space across a walk area.

Howard Wiggins Interior Design Were are the colors ?

astraea I have a real problem with “clean walls” of closed cabinets, where there’s no counter space to put something down. While one designer recommends counter space, another doesn’t have it conveniently located. How inconvenient when you grocery shop, and have to put everything on the counter opposite the refrigerator, and keep turning around to pick things up to put them into the fridge!

And that 2nd photo, with a wall of what look like multiple ovens .. how high is that microwave? How save is it- unless the residents are 7’ tall – to take a boiling cup of water or other hot food out, above shoulder height or eye level?!

Love some of the other kitchens, but wonder where they’re located .. open windows without screens?! My house would be full of flies & God knows what else, if I did that even for a few minutes!

M_C Meinert Gorgeous kitchens. For safety concerns, I prefer the cook top to be against an inside wall, and never in an island. Too stressful keeping small children and pets out of the thick of things. And i absolutely MUST have some counter space on at least one side of the refridgerator and on at least one side of the double oven. True, not as aesthetically pleasing, but far more functional.

Marrokal Design and Remodeling Thanks for providing great tips and guidelines! Because design is subjective kitchens should be tailored to each individual clients needs and desires, It's important to understand how one will use the space, then appropriate recommendations can be made.

rsylvestri Some very nice kitchens, as a builder with the new casement type windows the screens are on the inside..so no flies ;)

astraea @RSylvestri - My house is full of casement windows, with the screens on the inside .. but that kitchen photo doesn't show screens .. probably because it "looks nicer" without!

jtrbug I agree that not all kitchens are made for islands. However, I love the long prep space. I chose to cheat in my narrowish kitchen by using 12" open shelving on one wall to gain space for an island that is parallel to sink and cooktop. I opted not to have eat in space in the kitchen proper, but opened up an adjacent room (annexed from former living room) to act as casual dining space and additional kitchen storage. Every kitchen is a battle ground for efficiency and budget. I had to give up a cozy relationship between cooktop and double ovens because on one wall was all the electric wires going down to the basement junction box and the other wall was part of the cold air return system. For someone else, this plan might seem off, but it works for me and truly, that is the best you can hope for!

prospera Maybe it is the angle, but from the photo 2nd from the bottom, it appears the refrigerator opens right into the counter top. Even if it doesn't, it seems too close to it to even stand near it to load and unload. My cabinet designer was very careful about this and moved our island over so there would be adequate space for just this problem.

enzawannabee I love the fourth kitchen. It's warm and inviting and lots of space to walk around and work in. It's also not uncluttered....kitchens that are used have things on the counter (but no crumbs!)

Mona I love these layouts. We stood in our kitchen when it was gutted and ensured that two to three people could fit in it at one time. We lengthened the countertop for 4 seats, slanted the entry for easy flow into the dining room. We were concerned that it may be too open design, so we lengthened a wall which has the fireplace on the opposite side to provide just enough privacy in the dining room/living room areas. It takes a long thought process to plan the space to how your family will use it. We have grandchildren, so it was imperative that the flow be conducive to running babies everywhere. It works fabulous!

PamDesigns 3D I agree that workflow and lifestyle go hand in hand. Making choices that work for the user is key, but sometimes space and budget create limitations that dictate compromises. It's really important that these constraints do not lead to choices that lead to safety or functional issues. I'm looking at kitchen #2 with the microwave on a shelf perched high above a double oven on a wall of appliances that don't appear to have any counter top landing area anywhere near. While it's great to have all of those appliances (and in fact the owner may have need of them all), it seems that function and safety have been sacrificed. It isn't clear how these diverse-use appliance have any connection to one another in terms of workflow scenarios I can think of except that they needed to find a home in a limited space and they look cool.

frenchdecor Excellent article. One essential thing I'd like to add regarding closed off kitchens. Keeping in noise and smell for me far more important than anything. I had before closed kitchen where food would burn to ashes before I could smell it in the rest of the house, now I wake up with first kitchen "user". My family members complain watching TV and increasing volume. I don't know how people can socialize while cooking in open concept. Our "socializing" sounds like conversation between stupid and half deaf. Plus I battle the smell with everything I can use and very seldom cook something fry and smelly. Can't close off the kitchen because in one side 1 opening (stairs/living room) and 2 doors (out and basement) and 2nd opening on the other side to dining room (darn architect) in 11x12' kitchen!!! and actually leaves me with 8x12' useful space.

Cindy I like to keep my sink and stove top in the same counter run. This prevents dripping water when washing vegetables or moving pots of water. It also prevents spillage on the floor that may cause slipping when you are busy in the kitchen.

astraea When I was house-hunting, I was pretty sure I wanted a separate/closed off kitchen, so the noise, smells & mess wouldn't be seen by company. But I found a house that had been opened up, and decided I really liked it. The kitchen isn't totally open, and a dinette is between it & the great room, so there is a separation. Since I usually prepare as much ahead as I can, and then reheat when company arrives, there's never that much "mess" to worry about! If the walls look a different color, it's because the photo on the left is "before", and the one on the right is "after" I painted.

Clare White - Clockwise Design Great article because every word is how kitchens should be designed.

Elisabeth Clark Better check how the refrigerator opens before presenting finished photo

ajnz833 the best functioning and thought out kitchen is the one by Kenny Grono - BRAVO. My personal preference -I would add a 4door refrigerator, much easier to use when situated with an island/worktop in front of it (better clearance for fridge door and you).

Pamela Foster & Associates, Inc. The Grono kitchen lacks proper work space by the sink. Unless there is a second sink with at least 24" counter space on each side, this kitchen would be hard to work in.

frenchdecor In Grono kitchen 24" deep counter better to be about 1' farther from the door for easy access. We had that problem before.

jamma33 also, remember if you have "double" ovens, they don't have to be right next to each other. I have one in the wall with a microwave above it, and the other in my island and love it. The one in my island is lower so I like to use it for things like cookies, etc. so I'm not lugging out the huge turkey.

prospera The Grono kitchen also has the fridge door opening in the wrong direction. For me, this would be the most difficult kitchen to work in. It may be the constraints of space involved, but isn't the door reversible? I would have made the island shorter for clearance.

It helps to have had what I considered the most poorly designed kitchen on the planet to be able to design the best one. I had the refrigerator opening into the dishwasher, a whole bank of cabinets that I had to put on kneepads and climb a tile counter to get into, one cabinet I couldn't even get into, and wasted space (because of box cabinets) everywhere.

The kitchen LOOKED beautiful, but was a nightmare to work in. It did help me design the one I wanted, though, that is a dream to work in, so it served it's purpose.

I eliminated the double oven that came with this house and put a Miele speed oven where the microwave would have been. I have a warming drawer between that and the regular convection oven. It works really well. I do like the suggestion of splitting the ovens, but had to choose between that and a space for a pop-up mixer and pull out recycle and trash bins. The trash pull out is about my favorite thing in a kitchen full of wonders. My last kitchen had NO place for trash can except blocking the little cabinet space I had.

astraea @Jamma33 - Often double ovens come with "integrated" controls, and to get 2 physically separate ovens may be more expensive, because each has totally separate controls.

@Prospera - My new home also has a pull-out for trash & recycling .. something I didn't think I'd like, but got used to & find very convenient! In my previous house, the garbage can was out-of-sight inside a broom closet.

prospera One reason I separated the ovens ( even though more costly) was that in my previous house, one of the ovens double oven gave out right after the warranty did. Because it was a built in, I had to replace both. This way, only one has to be replaced when it breaks. I always use one more than the other. If you can budget it in, go with two separate ones.

As for the pull out trash can, one unexpected advantage of it was that I do all of my prep above it, standing on the side of the island. I pull out the cans half way (one is behind the other) and just whisk the remains into it. Very easy clean up!

Ljiljana Pejic Before we built our house I spent hours planing my kitchen which was allocated space 4.1 x 4.1m (my husbad said Ispent so much time on this issue, I could complete masters..) and apart from tons of magazines and books I took most of the advice from "unfitted kitchen creator" Johnny Grey. As a result, my kitchen is furnished more than fitted and it has separate work zones - for cooking, washing, prep, baking, storage, beverage acces (for my husband while I'm busy with whatever), my various collections, as well as breakfast nook; I wrote the list of all items I had & planned to get, and than 'placed' them in my new kitchen's bueprint ...tweeking the layout and sizes of elements...I have installed variety of smaller workops - hight and meterial wise; I agree with JG satement that every worktop bigger than the strech of your arms becomes storage space - and mostly ugly one!
It has been 10 years and it still works perfectly for me - and I am a passionate cook and baker!

Joanne Cannell Designs I'm really surprised that only architects were consulted for this article, & not certified kitchen designers. The National Kitchen & Bath Association both certifies designers & publishes guidelines for kitchen & bath planning. While much of the advice in this piece was valid, some of the above points & examples conflict with the guidelines.

rosebud3 Enzawannabee - I agree with you. Love, love, love the fourth kitchen, especially those windows!!!!