The kitchen is a place we spend time with every day. When decorating the kitchen, we often talk about the kitchen layout and the planning of various functional areas. How to design the kitchen and harmonize the relationship between each location and the moving line? Let Axcellent take you through it.

The common layout of the kitchen is generally divided into five kinds, One-line Type, Two-line Type, L-shaped Type, U-shaped Type and Island Type. The perfect kitchen is the one that is set according to the structure of the house and the needs of the family, which is not the bigger the better, but should be designed according to the living habits.

These 5 layouts should be arranged in accordance with the cooking line to the best, Meal Preparation - Washing - Cutting - Cooking - Plating. In this way, the whole process of cooking is very smooth.

One-line Type

The one-line kitchen can also be called a single-row kitchen. As the name suggests, it’s to arrange the operation area, washing area, cooking area, plate loading area and storage area all on the horizontal level., the dynamic line is the length of the entire kitchen, in order to improve cooking efficiency, the operating table countertop should not be designed too long.

The one-line kitchen layout is mostly designed in small house, because of the limitations of the house itself, its kitchen space operation flow is too long, so the one-line design is also as much as possible to take advantage of its length to increase its operating space.

Advantages:

1. Compact and effective, with a relatively simple moving line and easy operation.

2. One-line type is the most space-saving among other layouts, which is able to make full use of the corner location, suitable for kitchens with narrow and independent space.

Disadvantages:

1. Due to the limited area, the channel can only be applied on one side, so it is recommended to use built-in kitchen appliances to save space.

2. Some one-line kitchen because of the limitations of the house type, resulting in lower flexibility in operation, which is only suitable for a person to operate alone. If more than one person in the kitchen, it is easy to interfere with each other.

Application: 

It’s suitable for kitchens with relatively long and narrow layout. The storage area can be  designed on the walls, such as wall cabinets, shelves, etc.

Tips:

1. If the kitchen area is small, it is recommended to choose a word cabinet.

2. The length should be controlled from 2.4m -3.6m. If the length is too long, it will make the moving line too long to reduce efficiency; if too short, the operation area and storage space will become small.

Two-line Type

The two-line kitchen layout design is an option between the L-shaped and U-shaped layout. Generally, such a layout is more suitable for kitchens with larger use areas, mainly by using the walls on both sides of the kitchen for design, and both sides can provide space for storage and operation, which can store more appliances and kitchen items.

Advantages:

1. When you turn around, you will be able to make the next operation, which is convenient and casual.

2. The conventional design is to separate the stove and sink on both sides, which is still very convenient.

3. Effective space saving and more storage space.

Disadvantages: 

When you cook, you need to turn around repeatedly and cannot operate in a coherent and continuous manner.

Application: 

Short and wide kitchens or kitchens with direct access to the balcony.

Tips:

It is worth noting that the distance between the middle aisle is best not to be less than 1 meter, otherwise it will not be able to accommodate two people to pass through, which also affect the cabinet doors opening.

L-shaped Type

L-shaped kitchen that is the two adjacent walls into cabinets, is a more common layout. L-shaped kitchen space use is relatively reasonable, and it can make good use of the corner space.

Compared to other layouts, L-shape is suitable for all types of kitchens. Kitchens are generally rectangular in shape and generally 1.4 meters to 1.6 meters in width. If there is a window, the sink will be set at the window location, and the cooktop and hood will be designed on the longer side and the refrigerator and group base cabinets on the shorter side.

Advantages:

1. It’s the most space-saving kitchen design.

2. If there are two people operating at the same time, there is plenty of room to move around easily.

3. L-shaped kitchen can be applied to a variety of spaces, and the layout is more flexible. The interaction with the family is also stronger.

Disadvantages:

The corner part is easy to form a visual blind spot, so one side should avoid being too long.

Application: 

L-shaped kitchens are mostly suitable for compact households of about 80-100 square meters and rectangular kitchens.

Tips:

In terms of functional partitioning, the cooking area and cutting area can be designed on the longer side, and the washing area on the shorter side, so that the dynamic line design will be more reasonable.

U-shaped Type

The U-shaped kitchen is designed along three walls, forming a U-shape, so that each operating area can be connected coherently. Two or three sides of cabinets can be designed, which will have more storage capacity and can accommodate more people to cook together. It can also accommodate more people to cook together and increase family interaction.

Advantages:

1. Short operation route, high operation efficiency.

2. In the same area, the U-shaped kitchen has the largest storage space and operating area, which can be used by many people at the same time.

3. U-shaped kitchen is more clearly divided into washing area, cooking area and operation area, which allows more space for appliances to be embedded, and the layout is compact but not constricted.

4. U-shaped kitchens can more reasonably arrange the location of each appliance, and visually the overall sense of space in the kitchen is very strong.

Disadvantages:

1. Take up more space, if not used properly, it is easy to waste it.

2. There are high requirements for kitchen area and shape. First of all, the shape of the space should be square, and the U-shaped layout will not affect the use of the rear balcony doors. Also, the interval between the two columns of cabinets should be greater than 1200mm to meet the needs of many people preparing meals at the same time.

Application:

95-180 square meters. U-shaped kitchen design is mostly suitable for rectangular kitchens or slightly square kitchen. It is suitable for families with more family members, larger kitchen area and higher storage needs.

Tips:

In terms of functional partitioning, the cooking area and cutting area can be designed on the longer side, and the washing area on the shorter side, so that the dynamic line design will be more reasonable.

Island Type

The island kitchen is also called as an open kitchen, which is designed in the center of the kitchen, and the countertop can be used as a preparation area, dining area, and cleaning area, with diversified functions.

This kitchen design is a popular kitchen layout, which not only satisfies the cooking of three meals a day, but also enables the cook to communicate with family members when cooking. It’s suitable for parties and entertaining friends.

Advantages:

1. With operating and resting areas, it is the best kitchen design for parent-child interaction.

2. It has a very wide operarion area and storage space, allowing many people to prepare meals in the kitchen.

3. The open kitchen has no middle partition, so it improves the sense of space to a certain extent, which not only makes the living room look more spacious and bright, but also enhances the sense of style.

4. It is suitable for gathering and making friends, and the social and entertainment atmosphere is more intense.

Disadvantages:

1. Difficult to arrange plumbing and electricity, easy to occupy other space.

2. Island-type kitchen requires high space area.

3. Because of the open design of the island kitchen, it is not suitable for the Chinese cooking mode with more oil and salt.

Application: House types above 120㎡

Height Recommendation

The height of operating table is also a place where many people struggle. The height of 65-85cm, suitable for most people, but for people who are taller or shorter, it is best to develop according to their height, otherwise it will be very hard to cook. In this way, you do not have to bend over to cut and wash, and the burden on the back and shoulder and neck will be relatively reduced.

If it is a case of disparity in height of family members, the height of the operating table is based on the height of the person who cooks most frequently.

After talking about the height of the operating table, and then talk about the height of the wall cabinet. It’s better that the general height of the wall cabinet from the operating table countertop distance is 60cm or more, otherwise easy to touch the head when cooking.

Want to design a beautiful and practical kitchen? Contact Axcellent to provide you with a satisfactory solution.