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Kitchen Work Station Inspiration!
Certified Kitchen Designer, author of http://www.thekitchendesigner.org blog and http://www.scandinaviankitchens.com
Certified Kitchen Designer, author of http://www.thekitchendesigner.org... More »
Kitchen Work Stations come in all shapes, sizes and most of all, functions!
It's all about that word, function! Now, that said, function can be expressed in a kitchen design as a general task area or a specific task area, and this is the crux of designing a kitchen with work stations. Here are a few ways to plan work stations in your kitchen ...
Work Stations for General Functions:
For Multiple Chefs - It does not matter whether the household consists of two people or 12, if the cooking process is inefficient when more than one person is working in the kitchen (such as the kitchen I just inherited in my recent move) work stations (preferably well separated) are the answer to a sense of productivity and control by those who work in the kitchen. The farther separated by distance, within the perimeters of the kitchen, the better two people will be able to cook for extended periods.
For Family/Friends Cooking Sessions - When family and friends gather to cook together as a social activity, beware of bottle necks in the design. Work stations can come in the form of small pieces of countertop in the outer perimeters of the kitchen where multiple cooks can find their own spot to prep at. Another tip is to clean the countertops of clutter in advance of the coming invasion of cooks!
In both cases, offset appliances, particularly in a galley situation, so that cooks are not perfectly back to back.
Work Stations for Specific Function:
There are a myriad of specific cooking/entertaining functions which might drive the design and placement of work stations. Frequency of use is the number one consideration for both the size and location of a work station. Beware of kitchen dreams, however - the dream of a coffee station, where there is one coffee drinker in the family designed into a small to medium size kitchen may not be the best use of precious countertop space. Be realistic about your available space! Be realistic about the many functions your kitchen will need to serve and the context and logic of the "dream" work station will be revealed. The wine refrigerator near a main prep area? Perhaps, it's better placed elsewhere, beyond the busy kitchen traffic ways. Yes, go ahead, you can call me a buzzkill!
Work stations, as noted, above, come in a wonderful and fabulous variety of configurations. Multiple levels and different surfaces to define work areas, an island with a shelf serves as a clearly defined work space and often serves as a place to sit while prepping, a double width island serving many cooks and assistants, are just some ideas for creating the work station that "works" for you. Work stations can have multiple purposes, as seen in some of these accompanying images.
The best piece of advice I can give is to visualize a number of lifestyle scenarios and try to think in terms of frequency of use, particularly if a work station is for a specific use. Selecting work stations for general and specific uses will define the correct sizes and locations for you and will result in a cooking process that flows!
It's all about that word, function! Now, that said, function can be expressed in a kitchen design as a general task area or a specific task area, and this is the crux of designing a kitchen with work stations. Here are a few ways to plan work stations in your kitchen ...
Work Stations for General Functions:
For Multiple Chefs - It does not matter whether the household consists of two people or 12, if the cooking process is inefficient when more than one person is working in the kitchen (such as the kitchen I just inherited in my recent move) work stations (preferably well separated) are the answer to a sense of productivity and control by those who work in the kitchen. The farther separated by distance, within the perimeters of the kitchen, the better two people will be able to cook for extended periods.
For Family/Friends Cooking Sessions - When family and friends gather to cook together as a social activity, beware of bottle necks in the design. Work stations can come in the form of small pieces of countertop in the outer perimeters of the kitchen where multiple cooks can find their own spot to prep at. Another tip is to clean the countertops of clutter in advance of the coming invasion of cooks!
In both cases, offset appliances, particularly in a galley situation, so that cooks are not perfectly back to back.
Work Stations for Specific Function:
There are a myriad of specific cooking/entertaining functions which might drive the design and placement of work stations. Frequency of use is the number one consideration for both the size and location of a work station. Beware of kitchen dreams, however - the dream of a coffee station, where there is one coffee drinker in the family designed into a small to medium size kitchen may not be the best use of precious countertop space. Be realistic about your available space! Be realistic about the many functions your kitchen will need to serve and the context and logic of the "dream" work station will be revealed. The wine refrigerator near a main prep area? Perhaps, it's better placed elsewhere, beyond the busy kitchen traffic ways. Yes, go ahead, you can call me a buzzkill!
Work stations, as noted, above, come in a wonderful and fabulous variety of configurations. Multiple levels and different surfaces to define work areas, an island with a shelf serves as a clearly defined work space and often serves as a place to sit while prepping, a double width island serving many cooks and assistants, are just some ideas for creating the work station that "works" for you. Work stations can have multiple purposes, as seen in some of these accompanying images.
The best piece of advice I can give is to visualize a number of lifestyle scenarios and try to think in terms of frequency of use, particularly if a work station is for a specific use. Selecting work stations for general and specific uses will define the correct sizes and locations for you and will result in a cooking process that flows!
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Interesting multi level countertop sections help define work surfaces in the kitchen
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Work stations abound in this kitchen, not clearly defined for specific use, but adaptable to any!
by Fiorella Design
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A super large island serves multiple people doing multiple tasks with ample room to spare
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Refrigerator drawers on an island may define a station for baking, beverage storage, or fresh food prep.
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| A large, wide, circular, and same height countertop allows for expansive and flexible work stations. A corner refrigerator defines work stations as well. |
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Two islands, two ovens, two sinks, two pantries contribute to a flexible way to prep, clean, and cook.
by Ilija Mirceski
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An extremely versatile way to cook and prep via three work stations including the wood surface in between on both ends
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Multiple islands can be accessed from any position and can serve any purpose as is shown here
by Michael A. Menn
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Work stations may be tall built in areas which open wide to reveal counter space, while concealing items to maintain a neat appearance
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Continuous yet separated countertops in a triangular configuration create workstations which accommodate multiple chefs and cleanly separated tasks.
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Work stations can be as simple as a wire cart which holds items related to a single purpose and whose top can house a wood or marble insert
by Faiella Design
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Sometimes a work station can serve multiple purposes as this one does - a microwave center and a wine serving center.
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Flexible work stations relate to closed door areas and in front and behind the peninsula for maximum food prep expansion
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a table as work surface and with lower shelf adds comfort, storage, and style to this kitchen. An interesting work station concept.
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| A double width island allows space for quite a few cooks. Ample prep space means happy chefs and a great setting for social interaction. |
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| Different countertop materials and colors well define separate work stations and their purposes. |
Ideabook updated on July 6, 2010.
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