Kitchen design has evolved from the basic triangle to more sophisticated layouts. The reasoning is that we aren’t a single cook family and many kitchens are the heart of the home.

Design ideas range now from:

1. dry – wet – cold – hot.

2. Prep – storage – cooking – cleanup.

I’ve seen the new ideas described in both the above ways and they make sense. Most of the design ideas still recommend the triangle kitchen but I’ve thought of something different.

Think of your kitchen on one wall with an island in front of it. Your kitchen could be smaller but the addition of the island would make it more usable.

How do we cook? First – storage. We gather foodstuffs from a pantry or cupboard and the fridge. Next, we prep. A small vegatable sink in the island would help with this and also make it more convenient for more than one cook.

After prep comes the stove or rangetop. Think of actually working in this kitchen – preparing a salad in the island sink while the food is cooking.

Next is serving so the table shouldn’t be too far unless you are serving a formal meal.

Cleanup is next with the major sink and dishwasher near the table.

Straight counters without right angles are also more inexpensive in comparison to U or L shaped kitchens. Less cupboard space is wasted because you don’t have those dreadful wasted corner cupboards. Hate those without a lazy susan and even then, the efficiency is questionable.

Some links for you:

Ikea Kitchen Design – An interactive site with helpful tips.