Nothing is as disturbing as when you come into someone else’s kitchen. The utensils are never where you expect, the glasses are in a completely different cupboard, and where is the trash can? But if you’ve ever noticed that the sink, refrigerator, and oven are always fairly predictably located, there’s a reason for that. Get acquainted with the rule of the kitchen triangle.
What is a kitchen triangle?
Dating back to the 1920s, it basically just describes the imaginary lines between the sink, stove or oven and refrigerator, the three primary workstations in any kitchen. So the kitchen work triangle is all about creating the ideal layout to enhance efficiency, regardless of the size or shape of your space.
The triangle rule says that they should form a triangle in your space for maximum ease of use, with minimal barriers between each device.
The size of your triangle is important
“Each side of the triangle should be no smaller than 120 cm and no larger than 270, and ideally the sum of the sides should not be less than 390 cm and no larger than 790 cm,” says Myers. “Not too small and not too big! This will ensure that your workspace is practical, comfortable and large enough – but not big enough to spend a lot of time walking from one point to another. ”
Rob Cash, designer and owner of Kutchenhaus Bristol and Bath, agrees. “The reason the work triangle is so valued is that it is the most passable path inside the kitchen and therefore it is important to make it as compact as possible,” he says. “You don’t have to worry too much that it’s an exact triangle, but you don’t want these three devices to be too far apart.”
If you’re still not sure if a kitchen triangle rule is for you, we’ve found some thoughts from experts and their reasons why they love this rule.
Good for beginners
As Nancy Charbonneau of Charbonneau Interiors notes, the triangle rule is great for novice designers who may not have decorated the kitchen yet: “Everything is in proportion and scale. The triangle rule takes these basic design principles and makes them accessible to those outside the design industry. ”
It combines style with function
Myers warns that when designing your kitchen, you need to consider both aesthetics and functionality: “If you focus on just one of these, your kitchen may not work.”
Instead, consider your personal kitchen needs as well as the design of your home. Then “key areas of kitchen triangles and zoning will simply happen, instead of being the main focus,” he says. “Your three points are often directly connected, so you’ll want this triangle to be compact but spaced apart without any obstacles to make food preparation as easy as possible.”
It also works with a kitchen island
“Every good kitchen designer will look at how to arrange the kitchen to make this triangle of appliances close to each other because we want to make your life as easy as possible,” says Cash. “This is even more important in larger kitchens, where this should be the main focus because the triangle is very important to avoid large distances between key appliances.”
But often in larger kitchens, there is a physical barrier that could break your triangle, and that is the kitchen island. “In this case, it’s important that the work triangle is on one side of the island, not both because you could find yourself constantly walking to switch between the most commonly used devices,” says Cash.
Perfect for small spaces
You can have more than one
According to Bob Bakes, co-founder and head of design at Bakes & Kropp, modern kitchens now have more complex needs – needs that may not fit into just one triangle.
“The work triangle still exists and is still a conceptual starting point, but its elements are now far more advanced in their complexity,” he says. “To build on this starting point, we consider additional client needs and integrate activity centres accordingly. Whether they want a community gathering space, secondary preparation or cleaning spaces, a wine or coffee centre or an additional pantry, we start with the same framework triangles to ensure functionality and expansion. ”
Need more help choosing grout for your new tile installation? Give us a call at 0224584524 or fill out a form below and one of our experienced tilers will get back to you shortly.
Nothing is as disturbing as when you come into someone else’s kitchen. The utensils are never where you expect, the glasses are in a completely different cupboard, and where is the trash can? But if you’ve ever noticed that the sink, refrigerator, and oven are always fairly predictably located, there’s a reason for that. Get acquainted with the rule of the kitchen triangle.
What is a kitchen triangle?
Dating back to the 1920s, it basically just describes the imaginary lines between the sink, stove or oven and refrigerator, the three primary workstations in any kitchen. So the kitchen work triangle is all about creating the ideal layout to enhance efficiency, regardless of the size or shape of your space.
The triangle rule says that they should form a triangle in your space for maximum ease of use, with minimal barriers between each device.
The size of your triangle is important
“Each side of the triangle should be no smaller than 120 cm and no larger than 270, and ideally the sum of the sides should not be less than 390 cm and no larger than 790 cm,” says Myers. “Not too small and not too big! This will ensure that your workspace is practical, comfortable and large enough – but not big enough to spend a lot of time walking from one point to another. ”
Rob Cash, designer and owner of Kutchenhaus Bristol and Bath, agrees. “The reason the work triangle is so valued is that it is the most passable path inside the kitchen and therefore it is important to make it as compact as possible,” he says. “You don’t have to worry too much that it’s an exact triangle, but you don’t want these three devices to be too far apart.”
If you’re still not sure if a kitchen triangle rule is for you, we’ve found some thoughts from experts and their reasons why they love this rule.
Good for beginners
As Nancy Charbonneau of Charbonneau Interiors notes, the triangle rule is great for novice designers who may not have decorated the kitchen yet: “Everything is in proportion and scale. The triangle rule takes these basic design principles and makes them accessible to those outside the design industry. ”
It combines style with function
Myers warns that when designing your kitchen, you need to consider both aesthetics and functionality: “If you focus on just one of these, your kitchen may not work.”
Instead, consider your personal kitchen needs as well as the design of your home. Then “key areas of kitchen triangles and zoning will simply happen, instead of being the main focus,” he says. “Your three points are often directly connected, so you’ll want this triangle to be compact but spaced apart without any obstacles to make food preparation as easy as possible.”
It also works with a kitchen island
“Every good kitchen designer will look at how to arrange the kitchen to make this triangle of appliances close to each other because we want to make your life as easy as possible,” says Cash. “This is even more important in larger kitchens, where this should be the main focus because the triangle is very important to avoid large distances between key appliances.”
But often in larger kitchens, there is a physical barrier that could break your triangle, and that is the kitchen island. “In this case, it’s important that the work triangle is on one side of the island, not both because you could find yourself constantly walking to switch between the most commonly used devices,” says Cash.
Perfect for small spaces
You can have more than one
According to Bob Bakes, co-founder and head of design at Bakes & Kropp, modern kitchens now have more complex needs – needs that may not fit into just one triangle.
“The work triangle still exists and is still a conceptual starting point, but its elements are now far more advanced in their complexity,” he says. “To build on this starting point, we consider additional client needs and integrate activity centres accordingly. Whether they want a community gathering space, secondary preparation or cleaning spaces, a wine or coffee centre or an additional pantry, we start with the same framework triangles to ensure functionality and expansion. ”
Need more help choosing grout for your new tile installation? Give us a call at 0224584524 or fill out a form below and one of our experienced tilers will get back to you shortly.