This is something to keep in mind when choosing the shape of the kitchen
If you are planning a kitchen, you have to clarify many questions. However, one of the most fundamental decisions is the suitable kitchen shape. Should it be an L-shaped kitchen, a U-shaped kitchen, just a single kitchenette, or even the kitchen with an island? Even in this early phase of planning, a mistake can significantly reduce the joy of the new kitchen in the long term. With a few simple tips, you can easily avoid significant blunders.
Choosing the right shape for your kitchen
Is the kitchen workspace or space for communication and social gatherings? Usually, it has both. And both aspects must be taken into account during planning – they influence which kitchen shape suits best in the end – whether a small kitchenette or a cooking island with seating. Most importantly, the work process should be well planned to be carried out quickly, safely, and conveniently – regardless of whether the kitchen is intended for a single person or a family.
Before you decide on a specific type of kitchen, it helps you figure out something.
The following aspects influence the choice of kitchen design:
- The size of the room
- Shape of the kitchen or kitchen floor plan
- Arrangement of connections, windows, doors, slopes, or pillars
- Available budget
- Required storage space
The planning should also include whether you prefer to cook together with others or alone, whether the kitchen should be open to the living room or separated from it.
How to find the right kitchen shape?
When choosing a kitchen design, a good suggestion is to consider how much you appreciate the kitchen or what you constantly think has potential for improvement. Experience is more important than theoretical discussions, especially when planning a kitchen.
The ergonomic triangle in kitchen planning
Ultimately, the so-called ergonomic working triangle can also provide direction. For each type of kitchen, you can draw a separate working triangle to show how efficiently you organize your work schedule in the kitchen.
The working triangle consists of three points or functional areas:
- cooking (stove)
- rinsing (sink)
- Stocking (fridge)
You can find more information about the working triangle and what needs to be considered in our article on ergonomics in the kitchen.
The kitchen division according to areas
Another system arranges the areas according to color. You can also find sensible divisions of the working areas in this way. Specifically, the rooms are divided into “Consumables” (gray), “Non-consumables” (orange), “Cleaning” (blue), “Preparation” (yellow) , and “Cook/Bake” (red).
Possible variants of the kitchen shapes might look like this:
When buying the kitchen: Pay attention to quality
Regardless of the type of the kitchen, whether it is a kitchenette or a G-shaped kitchen, attention should always be paid to the quality of the kitchen because you will enjoy a quality kitchen for a long time.
How do you judge the quality of a kitchen cabinet? First of all, the kitchen must be adjusted separately according to the situation of the room. A reasonable division of the areas is crucial for the planning quality of all types of kitchens. The layout of the working area should make the kitchen work easy without long distances. What also determines the quality of planning is the right choice of working height, the arrangement of equipment, and the skillful use of L-shaped, U-shaped, or G-shaped kitchen corners. Also, look at the front material and edge processing. Are kitchen sinks, kitchen faucets, and kitchen utensils installed cleanly? How do you feel about the accessories? Is gentle opening and closing possible?
Conclusion: It’s worth seeing the details
Once you clearly understand the points just made, it is worth considering the different variants in detail. Whether it’s a kitchenette, double-wire kitchen, L-shaped kitchen, U-shaped kitchen, G-shaped kitchen, or kitchen with a cooking island-each has advantages and disadvantages. Or, in other words: for every type of chef and room, there is an ideal shape. If you are still unsure, please get in touch with us, and the experienced kitchen designers at Parlun will offer you more customized advice.
Different kitchen types at a glance
Kitchenettes
The single-line kitchen can be found in many households. It can be integrated into the room to save space, as it only requires a partition and often offers price advantages over other types of kitchens. This makes kitchenettes the ideal solution for small single apartments, for example.
Two-line kitchens
A two-line kitchen is also an option for small rooms. Typically, it is placed on two opposite walls, creating much more storage space than a kitchenette and more freedom of movement, for example, if you want to cook in a team.
L-shaped kitchens
L-shaped kitchens, connected to two kitchen units, are among the most popular kitchen designs. They can be planned into almost any room, especially when unique accessories skillfully utilize the corner storage space. The L-shaped kitchen combines the advantages of ample storage space within a short walking distance.
U-shaped kitchens
U-shaped kitchens are considered the ideal family kitchens. Spacious worktops with plenty of storage space make cooking together a pleasure. However, realizing a U-shaped kitchen requires a certain amount of space so that you don’t get in the way of team cooking and doors and drawers can be opened without any problems.
G-shaped kitchens
G-shaped kitchens are U-shaped kitchens with another line, usually smaller than the others, often serving as a counter and a clever transition into the living space. This is why a G-shaped kitchen is often found in the open concept.
Kitchens with cooking island
Communicative cooking – there is probably no other shape of a kitchen that can do this and an island kitchen. When cooking, you face the guests and can participate in the conversations, especially when several chefs are at work; the freedom of movement that an island kitchen offers pays off.