If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, you’ve undoubtedly discovered that there are a myriad of layout options, which can make things seem quite daunting. Likely, you’ve already created a mood board or vision board with elements you love, but you’re not quite sure which layout is best.
We’re here to help. Below, we’ll share some kitchen layout ideas that share the best of style and efficiency.
Key Takeaways
- The best kitchen layout for you suits your habits and needs, rather than conforming to the most popular current design.
- Most popular kitchen layouts can be highly efficient if you incorporate the kitchen work triangle, a concept that minimizes the distance between the sink, stove, and fridge.
- Galley layouts are great for small kitchens, while U-shaped and L-shaped layouts are great for larger kitchens.
- The open-plan kitchen is one of the most popular design choices in Chicago, typically combined with an island or peninsula layout.
How to Layout a Kitchen
There are many benefits to remodeling your kitchen, but there’s also a nearly bewildering array of options, potential layouts, and other factors to consider. When planning your layout, you should focus on a few main aspects, namely:
- Reducing traffic by providing designated areas close to the kitchen where people can socialize or leave items like coats and boots when they come home.
- Minimizing the space between commonly used kitchen elements.
- Designing the layout around sink placement.
- Ensuring that the stove is placed on an outward-facing wall, not an interior wall.
- Utilizing vertical space efficiently.
Are you considering a kitchen remodel in Chicago but still have questions like which kitchen elements are essential or what a kitchen remodel costs?
Have a look at our guide to remodeling a kitchen in Chicago, which covers many of the essential elements in greater detail.
What to Consider When Choosing a Kitchen Layout
Before making a final decision about your desired kitchen layout, you need to consider several aspects. These include the following:
Considerations in a Nutshell
When planning your kitchen layout, you want to ask the following questions to help you narrow down the options:
- What is my available budget?
- Where am I willing to sacrifice to make my budget work? Consider making a list of items and desires, ranking them from highest priority (give them a 1 rating) to lowest priority (give them a 5 rating).
- How much space do I have?
- Do I have any unique needs or considerations? Make a list of considerations for your remodel in Chicago.
- Which colors and design elements do I like? Consider creating a concept board or mood board with pictures that demonstrate what you like.
By considering all these elements, you can work with your remodeler to develop a solid plan for your kitchen remodel. We’ll discuss these elements in more detail below.
Budget
Your budget can have a significant impact on your final kitchen layout. While your dream kitchen may be highly complex, with hidden storage and maplewood counters, that’s not a practical aspiration on a small budget.
Considering your budget is an excellent way to narrow down your layout option. Financial considerations may affect all the following:
- The complexity of your layout design.
- Materials used in your kitchen layout.
- Appliance and hardware choices.
As an example, lower-budget layouts may feature a lot of plywood, particle board, or other highly affordable materials. They may also incorporate less complex elements, like simple cupboards and counters.
A higher-budget layout may include costly materials like solid oak or maplewood. It may also work with more complex design elements, like hide-away spice racks or islands with built-in storage.
Space Constraints
Naturally, the amount of available space also plays a significant role when choosing a kitchen layout. Tiny home owners have shown that it’s possible to capitalize heavily on the available space. However, that involves using space wisely, rather than implementing impractical ideals.
For example, if you have a tiny kitchen then an island is going to make the space appear smaller without adding the kind of value you want. However, a galley layout often works well for small kitchens and allows you to capitalize on the available space.
Here’s a basic layout of kitchen sizes:
- Small kitchens: 70 square feet or less
- Medium kitchens: Up to 199 square feet
- Large kitchens: Over 200 square feet
Unique Considerations
Most households and businesses have unique requirements to consider before making their final decision.
A farmhouse kitchen, for instance, will require more work areas and a larger sink than most apartments ever will. Kosher kitchens, and other belief-centred kitchens, generally have unique needs as well. In a kosher kitchen, specifically, the items and appliances used for meat need to be kept separate from those used for dairy.
A kitchen layout for a kitchen where groups of people work together will look different from one for a single person or couple cooking on their own. It’s a great idea to jot down all your unique requirements so you can discuss them with your contractor remodel expert before making a final decision.
Design Aspirations
The whole point of a remodel is to make your kitchen look the way you want it to. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to make a concept board with the designs and ideas you like best.
The reality is, not every idea will be viable, but having a general concept will help you narrow it down later. Sometimes, your remodeling team will even be able to accomplish surprising things to get you the design elements you like.
Some things to pay specific attention to include:
- Colors and color themes
- Workspace and storage ideas
- Ways to fit more in the same space
- Concepts that will work well for your unique needs
- Appliance options that meet multiple needs so you don’t need to buy two different appliances
When you work with the right remodeling team, they can take your limitations and requirements and help you create an actionable plan for your remodel.
Types of Kitchen Layouts
While not every layout works well for each kitchen space, there are many options to choose from. Some of the most popular options include the following:
Island Layout
The island layout is currently the most popular layout in Chicago.There’s something highly attractive about this design, which features a standalone counter (typically towards the center of the room).
It’s an ideal layout option for medium and large kitchens, as well as larger open-plan kitchens. One appealing aspect of this kitchen layout is that the island doesn’t have a fixed position. Depending on the size and shape of the kitchen, you can choose to place the island either vertically or horizontally.
Kitchen islands are incredibly versatile and may include counter space, storage, sinks, or stoves. When combined with under-counter storage, they can be highly space efficient while still providing sufficient workspace. A well-positioned island can also turn a single wall or L-shaped layout into something more like a Galley or U-shaped layout.
Peninsula Layout
While it is technically a type of island layout, the peninsula layout doesn’t feature a stand-alone island. Instead, this space-efficient alternative to a true island connects to existing cabinetry. In many cases, this can lead to an almost L-shaped layout.
It offers many of the same benefits as an island layout, but is better suited to smaller spaces where a full-fledged layout is impractical or may take up too much space.
L-Shaped Layout
A fairly popular approach for small and smaller medium-sized kitchens, the L-shaped layout consists of two perpendicular walls forming an “L” shape. Because it doesn’t allow easy movement through the kitchen, it helps to minimize unnecessary traffic flow.
It also maximizes the workspace, and helps to bring the points of the kitchen triangle closer together. This is an excellent design for those wanting maximum efficiency but who lack the space for an island or horseshoe layout.
U-Shaped (Horseshoe) Layout
As the name suggests, this kitchen layout consists of three walls or two walls with an island, forming a “U” shape. It’s an excellent choice for medium-sized kitchens where space isn’t at a premium, but you still want the best possible space optimization.
This design accommodates excellent workflow and multiple cooks, and may be considered one of the most efficient designs, since it can minimize the distance between the three points of the kitchen triangle.
If space is more of a concern, this design may sometimes be combined with the galley layout. Instead of having a permanent third wall, the third wall consists of a movable island, or counter space that can fold away when not in use.
This hybrid approach allows you to have both the space efficiency of a galley layout, and the practicality of a horseshoe layout, but only when you need it.
Galley Layout
Galley layouts are an ideal choice for smaller kitchens that act as a natural thoroughfare within your home. They essentially have a passage-shaped design with all the work areas and appliances positioned along two opposing walls.
The design allows you to make the most of smaller spaces, thanks to its unique focus on functional simplicity and efficient space use. Two people can easily work together in this kind of layout since there’s counter space against each wall.
One-Wall Layout
A popular choice for bachelor flats and other small open-space designs, the one-wall layout fits all the necessary elements along a single wall. It’s even more compact than the galley layout and serves well when space is at a premium.
This option is likely best for individuals who don’t have large-scale cooking aspirations, but can be quite versatile when designed practically.
In an open-space dining room kitchen design, you can consider installing an additional island, or even a dining table, to serve as additional counter space as well as a place to eat the meals you’ve prepared.
Elements to Consider When Planning a Layout
When planning your kitchen layout, there are a few critical elements you need to include in your layout plan. The following sections will provide a brief overview.
The Sink
Sink placement is essential because you want minimal distance between your stove or work areas and your washing area. However, it also needs to be far enough distant from appliances that there’s no risk of electrical malfunction.
The Stove
The stove is essentially the hearth of the modern home. It is where you’re going to cook most of your food. The best layouts typically place the stove centrally between the sink and the refrigerator. This approach allows you easy access to the ingredients you need while making it easy to wash utensils and cookware after use.
The Fridge
Refrigerators are food storage, and need to be within easy reach of the stove. On the other hand, they don’t need to be as close to the sink.
Storage
Insufficient storage is the bane of any kitchen owner. Try to take a practical approach to storage when planning your kitchen layout, ensuring you have enough storage space for both existing kitchenware and new acquisitions.
Be sure to consider nuanced elements like cutlery drawers and drying racks as well as more obvious things like crockery drawers and food storage.
Additional Appliances
A fully functional kitchen may feature additional appliances like microwaves, blenders, food processors, and mixers. When planning your kitchen layout, it’s best to plan a space for all your existing appliances, as well as those you plan on acquiring in the next five years.
Final Thoughts
While kitchen layouts seem daunting at first, the reality is that they’re as diverse and versatile as the people who request them. The key is to consider the available space and make it work with the things that are important to you.
In the end, you’ll be the one using the kitchen, so it needs to meet your needs and no one else’s.
Are you ready to make your dream kitchen a reality? Do you still have questions or uncertainties about the process or your ideal layout? Contact us, we’d love to help you take your new kitchen from concept to completion.
