Sky - YOU'RE not the one who's missing something!

Yes, the 'work triangle' has fallen out of vogue, and 'work zones' are the new thing. But the core concept still holds true, and IMO, the best kitchens still have a good functional work triangle -- or often, two or three.

The new work zone ideas would include a:
- 'prep zone' with a fridge, sink and good work counter,
- 'cooking zone' from prep counter to range or cooktop, and
- 'clean-up zone' with sink and dishwasher.
In larger kitchens, designers sometimes also include storage zones, beverage zones, baking zones, staging areas, etc.

The type of islands you're describing - "sink on east wall and fridge on west while blocking access between them is a huge island that you have to walk around" - are what I call "barrier islands" - islands that act as a barrier to efficient work flow. And you see them all the time in homes designed to look good! Having had one once in a beautiful but frustrating kitchen, they've become a real pet peeve of mine.

LOL Sweeby, barrier islands - that is funny. I did plan my kitchen with work zones in conjunction with the work triangle. I'm sorry to see the emphasize seems to have shifted away from the work triangle, it seems such a functional concept and works well with the idea of zones. Thanks for replying.

Sky

Sky,

I'm not defending the ads, but they're designed to show off the product, so the sets (those aren't real kitchens usually) are made so that all the BIGNAME appliances can be seen from camera front. Or so that the BIGNAME2 quartz composite countertop can be seen on the huge barrier island, etc.

What's really egregious is when you look at the ones in the articles, which are supposed to be inspiring and helping you, and realize that they're also poorly designed as kitchens.

Zones are a great idea, especially as more people are in the kitchen at once and more time is spent in the kitchen, but my current lousy kitchen is proof that the work triangle is of primary importance. I have more than 16' between the stove and fridge and it's not fun. While my attempts to squish it into more or less a galley were nixed, the focus of my new kitchen design is as tight an L as I can get for the work triangle, with zones inserted all over.

plllog, you're right, those ads are designed to show their product. But often in home decorating magazines I see articles where they show kitchens and highlight all the "neat" things the homeowners did. When I see nutty things like barrier islands all I can do is bang my head against a wall - what were they thinking? I guess it looks good in the photograph and they don't cook in the kitchen? With your 16' you must get a nice workout when you cook. LOL

Sky

This thread is giving me serious doubt about our remodel. We are adding a 7 1/2' island with the range off the end and the sink around the front of the island with frig in back. What have I gotten myself into?

I think you need to bring the concepts of "work triangle" and "work zones" together. I really like the idea of "work zones" b/c it shows you where to store tools, etc. But, the work zones have to be arranged in a logical way...i.e., they should follow the natural flow of work in a kitchen.

Food comes in from the outside (garage, front door, wherever) and is staged for putting away
...to...
Food is put away in either the refrigerator/freezer or pantry storage (the "storage zone")
...to...
Food comes out of the refrigerator/freezer/pantry
...to...
Food goes to Prep Zone for prep. The Prep Zone should include easy access to a sink for rinsing/washing food
...to...
Prepped food goes to range/cooktop/oven/MW for cooking
...to...
Food generally goes to eating area (DR/eat-in kitchen/island/peninsula seating)
...to...
Leftover food goes to refrigerator/freezer/pantry
Dirty dishes go to sink for cleanup

If work zones are arranged properly, the food flows from one zone to the other w/out crossing other zones. Ideally, you will create a "circle" so you go from refrigerator to sink & prep to cooking (range/cooktop/MW and usually ovens) to cleanup. If you have a large island (or really, any island at all!), you have to be very careful how you arrange your kitchen around it. Islands can easily become barriers for both a work triangle and work flow via zones.

[In many kitchens, btw, the "work triangle" has become the "work rectangle". This happens when you add a prep sink into the mix, you now have 4 legs (the two sinks do not have to have a "connecting" leg).]

The NKBA guidelines state:
No work triangle leg intersects an island/peninsula or other obstacle by more than 12".

See the link below. Like you, I have seen so many kitchens in magazines and online--even those that are touting "great design" that break that rule!

Here is a link that might be useful: 3: Distance Between Work Centers

Lisapico...if it's not too late, start a new thread and post your design in it...let us look at it and help you make it work for you.

My view was that I needed to look at the placement of the fridge in context to how it would be used all day long. I chose to place it closer to the dining table and family room than my work/prep area. The entire family uses the fridge all day long. I'm usually seriously prepping food once a day. I try to plan ahead while I cook and take out as many items as I think I'll need for the entire prep during my trips to the fridge. Yes, it requires more steps while cooking but decreases the steps needed to grab milk/oj in the morning or to load or unload cold items onto/off the table for dinner. Also, it keeps people out of my cooking zone. Well worth a few extra steps.

Also, I chose to maximize our window space in the kitchen. Putting a fridge in the work zone would have meant giving up window space.

Our set up might not work for anybody else, but I believe it's the best set up for us.