3 Popular Classic Kitchen Layouts

In the kitchen, the wall art and decor that you choose helps define personality and style, but the floor plan can determine whether the space is efficient; and that translates directly into how easy it is to cook in the kitchen. The right floor plan not only functions well, but it looks great as well. Taking a little time to work out a functional design that flows easily from one task the next makes a kitchen quite fun to cook in, and even though there are an infinite number of ways to lay out a kitchen here are three that seem to work the best.

“L” is Still Popular

One of the classic favorite floor plans for a kitchen layout is the “L” shape. It is convenient and compact, and it works in any size kitchen. One of the great things about this layout is that it clearly provides an easy work flow with a triangular, central space. Since the kitchen uses two adjacent walls, it is possible to create work areas that are close and cohesive, especially when cooking for a large group. Typically the sink and refrigerator are placed on one side of the kitchen, and the stove is located across from them. This type of room configurations helps to minimize the number of necessary steps in the kitchen when preparing a meal and it leaves an entire wall in the kitchen open to create a small dining area.

“U” Shaped Floor Plan

Just as popular is the “U” shaped kitchen floor plan, and it works in both large and small kitchen spaces. This type of kitchen layout surrounds the cook with countertop surfaces, and the appliances and sink are all close at hand. This style kitchen layout is quite useful when cooking with a family, because there is enough countertop space for several people to be cooking simultaneously. For example, one part of the kitchen can be devoted to baking; that may be the counter area that is close to the oven. Another part of the kitchen near the sink may be devoted to fresh vegetable preparation. An additional advantage to this type of kitchen is that it usually offers a great deal of storage space, which makes it easy to keep the countertops clutter free. This layout also makes good use of the classic work triangle because the stove and refrigerator are generally placed on opposite walls with the sink located on the wall between them.

Classic Galley

The third classic kitchen floor plan is a galley kitchen, which looks essentially like a corridor. It is fashioned after the cook's galley in a ship, and it is especially well suited for smaller kitchens. Everything in the kitchen, countertops, cabinets, appliances, stove and sink are all located on parallel walls. Typically the refrigerator and stove are placed on one wall with a countertop between, and the sink is located across from this countertop work space. Again the work triangle is clearly visible in this kitchen layout, which makes cooking in this kitchen very easy and efficient. Even if the three main components are arranged differently in a galley kitchen, they will still form the handy work triangle.

No matter which layout you choose, once your kitchen works effectively for you, think about adding color and style. Wall colors, fabrics, table linens, door toppers, wine racks and wrought iron wall grilles are just a few opportunities available for creating personal style.