In the emerging scenario of high real estate prices small houses and apartments, and small kitchen are inevitable. Therefore you must be able make the best of small kitchen where the small space throws up many challenges. With a little imagination you can have a small smart kitchen that can be as efficient and comfortable to work in as a big kitchen.
The work triangle
You may have to consult designers or read up some books and magazines that tell you a lot about how to scientifically design a small kitchen. The first thing you have to do is to choose a proper lay out that makes movement easy and keeps the kitchen free of clutter. All good kitchen lay outs are based on the concept of the work triangle. The work triangle is the triangle formed by the three important work areas of the kitchen; the refrigerator, the cooking area and the sink.
Ideally, the three sides of this work triangle should add up to no more than 26 feet. It may be less for smaller kitchens. The reasoning behind such a work triangle is to allow unhindered movement and make enough space available to various parts of the kitchen. Also the person cooking should not have to travel long distances while getting things from various places in the kitchen.
The layouts
So far as layouts are concerned most kitchens have one of the four basic layouts normally used while designing a kitchen. These are the one wall kitchen, the corridor type kitchen where all work is done within the aisle, the L shaped and the U shaped lay out.
The simplest and the most commonly used lay out is the one wall layout where all work in the kitchen is done on one side of the kitchen space. Even all appliances and furniture are also kept on that side. The countertop is also on that side. This is not the best design for a small kitchen. The corridor lay out is the one which is perhaps the next most popular. Here the kitchen is laid out on two opposite walls. You have counters on both sides. This type of lay out can give you a the classic work triangle. Also it is easy to move from one wall to the other. You merely have to turn around. However, the lay out does not provide space for a second person to move freely.
In the L shaped lay out, the kitchen is laid along two adjacent sides of a room. Even here the work triangle is efficient. The additional advantage of this type of layout over the corridor layout is that it provides enough space for a second person in the kitchen without disturbing the work triangle. In a U shaped layout the kitchen is built on three walls. This provides enough space for the work triangle as well for others to work. Depending on the shape of the kitchen, the L or U shaped layouts are the best for a small kitchen.