Designing a house is difficult in all senses; in our field we consider that if you could master the design of a house then you have a strong foundation for designing almost anything.

I’ve been travelling for a couple of weeks to Scandinavia and I’ve seen all different types of houses and their layouts. Let’s look at the kitchen; there are so many different types of kitchens and kitchen layouts. These differences suit the different needs of the individual person using the space. The type of food cooked and how much the end users enjoy cooking should determine the layout. Standards of kitchen design starts with the layout. The shape of the kitchen area greatly determines the functionality of it and with each layout there are always the different aspects to consider.

Four zones require particular attention;
1) Cooking area
2) Cleaning area
3) Preparation area
4) Eating area.

Commonly, the different standard layout types are associated with letter shapes I, C, G, or L. Others are known as Gallery or single walled.

Notice how there is usually a triangle that is created by the placement of the cooker/ stove, the sink and the refrigerator. This triangle is based on the workflow of a person which usually starts from the fridge sink area prep area eating area.

So, what actually determines what kind of kitchen is the one for you? The answer is that unless you are building something from scratch, then usually the space you have will determine the type of kitchen that you could create.

The universal principle of your kitchen design should be simple and functional. Do not overcrowd the space with too many white goods and equipment that you might never use!