Today's kitchen remains the heart of the home, the social hub where family and friends gather to

eat, meet, relax and celebrate.

A traditional kitchen kithcen layout should have three basic work centres or "stations":

• Food preparation area
• Cooking area
• Clean-up area

• When planning kitchen layout it is important to observe the natural "flow" in the kitchen.
• In what order are tasks done?
• How many people cook or prepare food at the same time?
• When you come home from shopping, you put the food away in the fridge and the pantry.
• Later, you take it out to rinse it, chop it and prepare it, then you cook it on the stovetop or in the oven.
• Finally, you serve it at the table.
• If the work stations are arranged to follow this order, your kitchen tasks are made easier.
• If more than one person is cooking or preparing food at the same time, a double sink will prove very useful. 

The triangle and other functional shapes 

• For many years, kitchen designers used the triangle principle as the ideal layout.
• Three most important elements in a kitchen – the refrigerator, cooktop and sink
• Thess elements should be laid out so that each represents one of the points of a triangle.
• Ideally the total perimeter of the triangle, should be between 15 and 26 feet.
• No distance should be longer than 9 feet
• The shortest distance between the sink and the cooktop – should be between 4 and 6 feet.
• Traffic flow through the kitchen should not pass through the work-triangle area.

Open Plan Kitchens

• Popularity of open-plan kitchens has led designers to rethink the idea.
• Current trend is to merge the kitchen with the adjoining dining room
• Many new homes are built on this model
• Traffic flows more freely
• Easier to manage tasks
• Open space lets in plenty of natural light.
• People can circulate freely and are not confined by four walls.
• Open-plan kitchens are often laid out in an "L" or "C" shape, occasionally an "F" shape. 

Choosing the right appliances

• Choose carefully to meet your family's varied real needs.
• Kitchen appliances should be arranged in a logical layout
• The oven should ideally be near the pots and pans,
• The refrigerator close to the pantry
• Space permitting, a popular choice is to have a separate cooktop and a wall oven
• Choice of range hood must be suitable for the type of cooking, whether electric, gas or induction.
• The location of your hood will depend on whether or not it is vented to the outside.
• The style of hood has an impact on the overall look of the kitchen
• Consider microwave placement depending on frequency of use, cooking style and physical attributes
• Dishwashers raised by about a foot for easier access. 
• Wine fridges are another lifestyle trend that is strongly influencing kitchen design 

Lighting

• Pot lights are popular because they are always in style and can be dimmed to change the mood.
• They are perfect for the ceiling and above the sink, as well as under cabinets.
• Dimmable pendant lamps are a good idea over an island or peninsula
• Above the table, a striking chandelier will add 'wow' factor and echo the style of the dining room. 

Finishing touches: designers’ trade secrets

• An efficient kitchen is a well-organized kitchen.
• Pull-out spice racks
• Wall-mount utensil racks
• Slide-out shelves for pots and pans drawers
• Soft-close dampers for cabinet doors
• Be mindful of the move toward universal design
• Kitchen designers are increasingly incorporating a walk-in pantry. 
• A small countertop may be included to keep the coffee machine and toaster out of sight. 

Materials and colour

• Have fun choosing your decor style.
• Large floor tiles lend a contemporary feel
• Mouldings around the ceiling create a more classic look
• Pale colours will make the room appear larger.
• Durable, noble materials like wood and natural stone make sensational countertops. 
• Renovating the kitchen is an investment.
• A well-designed kitchen that is both chic and functional will increase your home's resale value.

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