When you are embarking on a kitchen design layout for easy cooking there are a few important things to consider. The first being appliance placement. Most designers will tell you that you want to achieve a cooking triangle. With the stove, sink and refrigerator being placed to form a triangle in your kitchen. In fact they will go as far to say that if you achieve that you will cut down on your cooking time drastically. By placing your appliances in strategic locations it will reduce the amount of time you spend walking back and forth between major appliances and allow you to have the most important things at your finger tips at all times. Placing your appliances in a triangle pattern can be done in even small kitchen layouts.

The second thing to consider when redesigning your kitchen for the ease of cooking is who will will be in the kitchen with you. If you are one that often cooks with children, friends or family close by then you will want to ensure that you design your kitchen in a manner that allows them to be around as you cook. Kitchen island designs can be very good for this – have an island with your stove or sink built into it. If you like to entertain as you cook it may be better suited to have your stove on the island as you will be able to talk and visit as you cook. In addition to considering placing the stove and or sink on the island you will want to have an area opposite you that is suitable for friends and family sitting at bar stools. Consider a large enough island to accommodate at least three people to sit at. This would allow your children to have breakfast at the island and to visit when company is present.

Third in your kitchen design layout would be to consider your cabinet placement and size. Many homes are going toward taller cabinets with pull out shelves and even deep drawers to hold pots and pans instead of placing them in cabinets. Remember when you are designing your cabinets to consider how you will be using them and to for example take into consideration that if you use a lot of spices you will need a spice drawer or cabinet designed especially for spices.

Not only can your new kitchen be a functional kitchen, one in which that you are allowed to cook, entertain and do so with ease, it can also be a work of art. With the new finishes provided to select from there is no reason that you should not be allowed to express yourself with your selections. Today’s most popular counter top is granite, granite is a hard surface that is designed to last a lifetime. It also comes in so many different color choices and grades that you should be able to find something to suit your needs with ease.

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When you are thinking about how to get the most out of your kitchen cabinet layout, consider your family and living arrangements. Also consider what is in the short term future for yourself, as you will not be undertaking such a major renovation in the near term. Some things to consider are do you have or plan to have children. If you do have children are they younger and you will help them access the cupboards most often, or are they older and self sufficient? Do you need to keep breakable items away from small children? Are you getting older and it is becoming more difficult to reach high places or bend over to reach lower storage? Do children not factor in to your life and instead you are looking for a kitchen cabinet layout that fits your lifestyle? All of these are important in determining functionality.

Additionally, how is the kitchen used in your house. Are you interested in cooking or do you mostly prepare quick meals? Is it the center for family gatherings and discussions or only used at meal times? Do you entertain frequently and have many guests in the kitchen? The type of use you are designing for will also determine the functionality you require.

Once you have thought about your family situation and how you use the kitchen, you are ready to begin the your design. Try several different kitchen floor plans as you look at different possibilities. Share this information with the company you are purchasing your cabinets from. They have many design suggestions to get you started, but will provide you with the ability to change the layout.

When you are locating the cabinets, think about their placement as it relates to major work areas. What items would you like to store closest to the sink, stove, microwave or refrigerator? Kitchen island designs contain a lot of storage room under the island, so take advantage of it. You should also determine if you are going to build a pantry for staples or instead store them in the cabinets.

Another consideration is what other storage exists for kitchen related items. Do you have a formal dining room set that offers a curio for china, silver and glassware? If not you can design some glamor spaces in your  kitchen to highlight these items. But you will want to put them off to the side away from key work areas as they will not be accessed as often.

One of the biggest challenge is finding the right storage space for large pots and pans. These require a lot of storage space and may not be used that frequently. Once again the under island space may be perfect for these items. Another option is to take them out of the cabinets entirely and hang them over the island.

Proper planning of your kitchen cabinet layout will provide a highly functional and enjoyable kitchen for many years.

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Whether it is new construction or a remodeling project, when considering kitchen layout ideas there are some key concepts that you should consider.  Many people will start with details like cabinets or countertops, but you need to start looking at the key functions of the kitchen which are cooking and food preparation.

You want to consider a kitchen design these functions first and foremost.  In most kitchens, the traffic pattern or workflow usually works in a triangle with the focus being on the cooking area, the preparation area (including the sink), and the refrigerator.  You’ll want to design your kitchen to reduce distances between these keys areas without making your space seemed cramped.

Space will be your biggest consideration when pondering kitchen plans.  If you have an expansive area, you will have more options, but even with small space, you have options along with challenges.  With the small spaces, you have to examine kitchen plans that work well with small layouts and find ways to maximize the space you have to work with.

With kitchen planning, you’ll want to answer some basic questions like:

• How large a food preparation area do I need?
• What is the longest distance I want to move hot items from the stove to the table or the sink?
• Will I have enough space to store common cooking items like pots, pans, and cooking ingredients?
• How important is it to have eat-in space in the kitchen?
• How much counter space do I need?
• How many people might be in the kitchen at one time?

After looking at the key functions of your kitchen plans and answering a few primer questions about the new kitchen layout, then you can start looking at specifics such as electric, cabinets and countertops.  With a remodeling project, you need to take into account how many out outlets you have and how much power you will need in your new space?  With a new space, you will want to make sure that outlets are placed in convenient and easy to access places.

When factoring cabinets into your kitchen planning, you should pick a design that is both functional and consistent with your aesthetic sense and style.  Functionally, cabinets should be placed at a height somewhere between 15″ and 48″ for access by people of different heights.  To make the cabinets easy to open, you should limit the cabinet doors size to 18 inches and also consider touch latch cabinets.  Having an ample assortment of drawers is also a good idea.

When it comes to the counter top, you will want to make sure that you not only get something that compliments that cabinets and fits your sense of style, but also get something that is easy to clean and maintain along with being easily repaired.  Some of the most attractive surfaces are difficult to clean and maintain and can be very expensive to repair.  Take the long view when it comes to countertops.

Successful kitchen plans start with balancing out many factors including space, function, practicality, and, of course, budget.  Finding the right balance takes some planning, but a well planned kitchen helps the heart of the home function smoothly and also provides an attractive place for your family to gather and enjoy for years to come.

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A 3D kitchen design makes it easier for you to conceptualize what your kitchen will be like when it’s finished.  After all, a kitchen is a 3 dimensional space, so it makes perfect sense to have kitchen designed using computer software!  Kitchen design tools give you the convenience of “trying on” different cabinets or tiles and seeing the overall effect on the computer screen.

There are a lot of different kitchen design software programs to choose from.  A Google search will provide a start, and you can find the program that’s right for you!

SmartDraw is a great beginners program which allows you to begin with a template and fill in kitchen features with simple commands.  You can download a basic version of it from the Internet.  Also, you can access online tutorials to learn how to use the features.

3D Kitchen provides software for cabinet makers.  Their program is available for purchase, or a free trial download is available at their website.  For homeowners getting their feet wet with 3D kitchen design, a free trial of one of these programs is a good starting point.

Plan 3D is subscription software (you pay only for the time you need to use it, as low as $2.95 a month) which gives you easy layout of single rooms like kitchens, or entire houses, a huge library of furniture and textures (including kitchen cabinets and appliances), and many ways to view your 3D model.

Professional cabinetmakers can purchase professional 3D kitchen software programs such as Pro100 can do “photo realistic” renderings of 3D kitchen designs.  This program is an investment.  It can be purchased for $2000!  AutoCAD is another professional software that allows professionals to manipulate the 3D space of a kitchen or other room.  If you are a homeowner working with a contractor, ask them if they have access to professional software programs such as these.  It takes a lot of the guess work out of the process, and also gives you a realistic picture of what your finished kitchen will look like.

Another benefit of 3D kitchen design software is that it makes it very easy to get measurements.  The program will give very accurate dimensions, which can be used to get accurate measurements of materials.

If you’re a homeowner who is not technically inclined, there are other options for achieving a 3D kitchen model.  The first place to start is in the kitchen itself.  If you’re standing in the kitchen, what overall impression do you want to achieve?  For example, if you want a kitchen that feels open, you may want to avoid cabinets hung from the ceiling.  Color is an extremely important part of remodeling.  You could try different paint swatches from hardware stores on a small section of wall to see the effect a certain color of paint will have.  By constructing small-scale cardboard models, you can try rearranging kitchen components.  Keep in mind that water supply lines make sinks fairly stationary.  If space is limited in your kitchen, consider options like a rolling island counter top which can be moved to different parts of the kitchen.

By using 3D software, homeowners can get an idea of what their kitchen remodeling project will look like.  They can also use small models to see how different kitchen components can be arranged.  A 3Dmodel provides the benefit of a finished picture before any counter tops are changed.

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A small kitchen remodel can often be handled by the homeowner, so it’s important to plan carefully.  Things like standard size (or smaller) appliances and sinks instead of oversized “professional style” can increase cabinet room (and therefore storage areas), and additions like pullout shelving or a lazy susan can:

• maximize space that’s often wasted in deep corners or on high shelves
• increase efficiency by letting you store similar items together, solving the hunt for misplaced items when you’re ready to use them.

If you’re considering a major remodel (where you essentially start with a bare room), kitchen layout is an essential consideration for efficiency.  Where you place appliances and sinks will vary in a single walled kitchen versus a U-shaped or L-shaped space.  As one-wall kitchens are so small, there isn’t much play in layout; placement of appliances won’t matter much since everything is close together anyway.  However, in other layouts, efficiency will be affected.

In U-shaped kitchens, the “classic kitchen triangle” matters; the three points include the stove, refrigerator, and sink.  If you’re a big cook, these small kitchen designs allow you to move easily between points.  The closed end of the U allows you to put one point there, providing extra cabinet or storage space elsewhere.

In L-shaped kitchens you should also follow the triangle, and you’ll also enjoy more open space as you’re not crowded between two sides, although the distance between points may be further.  Here’s where pullout shelving may help in the deep corner cabinets.  For efficiency sake when you furnish the kitchen, use this space for items you don’t frequently use like the fondue pot or the ice cream makers.

L-shaped kitchens can also provide a place for small table, especially if a dining room isn’t available.  If possible, increase the size of the open area by stealing a bit from an adjoining room when remodeling.  Kitchens typically recover their remodeling costs when sold, so it won’t be a wasted effort.

For other shaped kitchens (like the galley or corridor) and in remodels where changing the room’s shape isn’t part of the budget, consider additional space-saving, storage-providing options.

Where possible, install taller kitchen cabinets.  Often, older kitchens have cabinets that are hung lower, whether left open above or with walls that further impede storage space.  Consider replacing old cabinets with extra tall cabinets which provide extra shelf space and take advantage of otherwise wasted space (other than a few decorations).

Where possible, build-in smaller appliances instead of setting them on the countertop.  Many microwaves today mount above the range and act as a range hood with fans and lighting, and providing extra efficiency when cooking.  When used frequently, you can also mount toaster ovens, can openers, televisions and coffee makers under the cabinets, keeping counters free.

Other small kitchen ideas for improving efficiency are:

• Adjust cabinet shelving.  Look in your cabinets; how much space is wasted where shelving is too far apart and additional shelves could be added or your arrangements could better utilize space?
• Add items like hooks or drying racks to under sink cabinet doors for storing wet towels, dish rags, and cleaning brushes or sponges.
• Racks for wine glasses and other stemware can often be hung below upper shelves, allowing usage on both side of the shelf.
• Place the dishwasher near the sink for easy loading of dirty dishes after meals.
• Consider placing dishes in cabinets and silverware in drawers near the dishwasher for easy unloading.  You’ll save time and steps not walking to other cabinets, even in smaller kitchens.

With some simple planning, both small and large undertakings will make your small kitchen remodel a success.  Remember storage spaces as you plan cabinet types and choose large appliances, and efficiency as place them both and later stock them with your kitchen belongings.

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Here’s a selection of pictures with some commentary to get you started…

A variety of lighting in this picture: tradition ceiling-mounted light for looks, recessed can lighting for good general coverage (though personally I don’t like these), natural light from the window over the sink, counter lighting under the upper cabinets. The tiled counter and backsplash are a great color but I would never have a tiled counter because I hate keeping grout clean, and I don’t like the uneven surface. The center island is very narrow because of the size limitation of the kitchen itself. Not such a bad thing, as it’s still big enough to eat at or to use as prep surface. However, it looks quite long and it might turn out to be a “barrier island”, blocking movement from one side of the kitchen to the other. The main range and sink are protected by the island from through traffic to and from that far door, but it looks like the microwave door may stick out into the traffic flow, which may be a problem.

Here’s a floor plan for a fairly small L-shaped kitchen with an island. The fridge and range are on the two legs of the L, with a double-bowl sink and a dishwasher on the island. The island also has room for some seating.

Good things about this kitchen floor plan:

The triangle formed by the fridge, range and sink is compact (to save steps) but not too cramped, and there’s nothing blocking the paths between the three points.

There are two good-sized stretches of counter, neither of which are likely to be encumbered by piles of dirty dishes.

The range is in a protected area where passing family won’t bother the cook, and its oven door can open without interference

Not so good things:

Sink has work space on only one side, making washing up by hand and other cleanup work more difficult

Having the island eating area by the sink is not pleasant if the sink area has dirty dishes

Dishwasher and fridge doors will block the aisle if they are both open at once

Aisle at the end of the island near the stove is quite narrow

Countertop left of the fridge is isolated and so not as useful as it could be

I’m sure you can think of more pros and cons – how could they be applied to your own current or projected kitchen layout?

This tiny kitchen is less than 8ft square, with the sink and two counter sections on one side (shown here) with the range and fridge on the other side, with a small section of counter between them. Given the small space available, the counters here are relatively uncluttered. Knives live on a magnetic rack on the wall, away from small fingers; sink necessities have their own wire basket shelf so they can air-dry; spices are at the far end (rather a long way from their most-frequent-use point at the range, but in a kitchen this small nothing is ever really far away); and at the right hand end, on the very edge of the picture, tall glass canisters hold pasta and other dry ingredients. The bright red doors with fruit and veggie handles make for a cheerful space, though they might be rather overwhelming when the space is so small. The downside of this kitchen is across the aisle, where the range is butted up to the wall on one side, making for banged elbows when stirring pots, and there’s very little counter between it and the fridge. I had a previous kitchen this size where the fridge and sink shared one side and the range was on the middle of the other side, with counters on left and right. I found that worked better, with more space for actual cooking.

Here are some more kitchen design pictures for you to compare with your own needs and wants…

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No one knows more about what you do in your kitchen than you do. Do you host dinner parties? Does your current kitchen lack storage? Do you not like the current kitchen layout? Or maybe you just want a fresh look.

Whatever it is, you can design your own kitchen more easily now than ever. The first step you need to do when you design a kitchen is to acquire all of the resources you can. There are loads of resources available on the Internet. A simple search of Google or another search engine for kitchen remodel ideas will return millions of results. Also you can visit your local bookstore and find many magazines on the subject. You can even visit some of the bigger home improvement stores, many have several different kitchens on display. When you use as many sources as you can, you tend to find kitchen remodeling ideas you did not even know existed and you also can learn of different style cabinets you did not know existed.

Once you have gathered your sources you should figure out what is practical for your kitchen and your budget. When you start moving electrical outlets and water pipes the cost to design your own kitchen rises dramatically. So if at possible it is best to leave them where they currently are and design around them.

Once you have an idea of what you are wanting and what your budget is there are many programs that you can use to design your kitchen in 3d – see the Kitchen Design Online page for more details. IKEA has a free program that you can use to design your kitchen with their line of cabinets. Smart Draw is another program that allows you to design your own kitchen. Many programs are available that are free or low cost, some even allow for decorating kitchens with furniture and light fixtures.

One thing you could also do is take your design to a professional cabinet maker and have them draw it in their program. Often they will give you free advice and let you know of any problems with your kitchen. Also most of the larger home improvement stores will draw up your kitchen designs free of charge.

As a recap the Internet is one of your best resources for kitchen design ideas. It is full of pictures and free or low cost software that will aid you in designing your kitchen. You can even go to professional wood working forums such as WoodWeb and read design tips from professionals. Still to some of us nothing is like having a hard copy to refer to. With the numerous books dedicated to kitchen design this is an easy task. Any way you look at it, the resources are out there for you to aid in the design of your kitchen.

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In a small space the most important thing that you can possibly consider is storage.  There are a certain number of things a kitchen needs and that number doesn’t change when you’ve got a small kitchen.  As you embark on your small kitchen remodel ask yourself if you’re including enough cabinetry.  Don’t even consider skimping here.  Well designed cabinets can multiply your storage space by several times.  Slide out drawers and cupboards can store all your stuff very densely while still letting you get to all of it easily.

That brings us to the next most important thing, efficiency.  If you design your kitchen and later find that you always have to walk all the way across it  every time you need to do something you’ll quickly find that you never cook in there again.  Plan out where to put the major appliances to minimize walking. Also make sure that you organize the cabinets to make sure that things you use together are stored together.  There’s nothing more annoying then having to open every cabinet in your kitchen to do a simple task.

So if you’ve throught through your design and planned to have enough storage and planned to use your kitchen efficiently then you’re most of the way there.  The finishing things that most people spend inordinate amounts of time and money on are really very secondary.   As you use your kitchen you’re unlikely to think, “Man, that granite counter top really makes it easy and quick to cook my dinner and clean up afterwards.”.  A super premium fridge may look nice, but if you blew your budget on that and had to get poorly laid out cabinetry then you will curse that fridge every time you can’t find that pot you needed.

The other thing to remember is that fashions change.  There was a time that a tile counter top and avocado appliances were all the rage.  Be careful about following the latest trends, what hip’s this year might be declasse in a few years.  Nothing looks as dated as those orange refrigerators and it seems likely that some of the stranger trends we see today will turn out to be the shag carpets of this generation.  It’s best to design things as well as you can, make sure your choices are simple and as much as possible timeless and leave the trend chasing to the people with unlimited budgets and people to impress.

Finally I’d say that the most important thing about small kitchen design is that you love it.  This is a room that you’re going to live in, probably for years.  Ask yourself what you like about other small kitchen designs.  For your small kitchen design pick out all the pieces that made you happy about every other kitchen you’ve been in, then make sure it’s laid out as efficiently as possible and that you’ve got room for all the tools you might need.   If you get it right you’ll have a little gem that will bring you happiness for years, not to mention something that will support the value of your home.  If you get it wrong you’ll be itching to try again right away and crying about all the money you spent chasing that latest trend in kitchens.

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When dealing with small kitchen designs, it is critical to remember that, although you may only have eight linear feet of counter top, it is vital to place it where it can be most useful.  An eight foot long island may look great, but if you have no counter space next to your sink or your stove, you will have to do a lot more work.  Having counter space to prep your food between your sink and stove allows for minimal mess and maximum accessibility.  Even if your stove is on one wall and your sink is on an adjacent wall, four feet of corner counter top can be just as efficient as eight.   The cornering of the counter also allows you to place items such as a bread maker or toaster out of your “everyday” space and into an area that is still easy to reach.  This still allows for additional counter space on the outsides of your stove and sink, which can be used to cover the dishwasher or additional under-counter cabinets.

Using appliances that mount under your top cabinets, such as coffee makers and toaster ovens, can free up what little counter space you have for better use.

Whether you are designing a small kitchen from scratch or simply doing a small kitchen remodel, cabinet space is the other major factor in your kitchen’s functionality.  If you can not reach a shelf in the cabinet, what good does it do?  If you have to pull out six things to get to the one thing you need at the back of a cabinet, you are wasting your time.  Cabinets that are designed for specific use are the best.  If every shelf is at the same level, but you only stack dishes on three of them, the shelf you put your canned goods on wastes the top eight to ten inches of your space.

If you do not have the money for custom designed cabinets, a simple solution is stackable pull-out wire baskets or drawers from The Container Store or even Wal-Mart.  This can be especially important when dealing with your under-counter cabinets.  Being able to pull a drawer out to access the items at the back of the cabinet saves time and effort, and these cabinets will be deeper than your top cabinets, often without any shelves in them at all.

Often, cabinets that meet each other at a corner simply have blank space between them.  Make use of that space by building a corner cabinet instead.  A corner cabinet can be fitted with a lazy susan so that you don’t have to take everything out to get to the items at the back of the cabinet.  These can also be the best cabinets in your kitchen for your “storage items,” such as the china or crystal.  If you rarely use something, but don’t want to search through a box to find it, a corner cabinet gives you extra depth and space that would otherwise be wasted.

In small kitchen design, the most important thing is function.  No matter how good it looks, if you can’t use it, it’s wasted.  If you can’t reach it, it’s pointless.  If you have to spend more time and effort getting to it or doing it, you’ve probably just let your chicken burn.

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First, a short series of videos discussing what the owner wants to do to the kitchen and how he goes about planning it. First the wishlist:

Then, how to get from the wishlist to a design, including how to find design help:

Now, Sarah Susanka on planning a kitchen that works for you. The first few minutes is from the real estate person who posted the video, so don’t get confused!

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