The Kitchen Work Triangle, by Clyde Brown, Fremont, Pleasanton, San Jose Real Estate Expert

Good kitchen design begins with an understanding of what is known as "the work triangle."  Four of the five basic kitchen design styles incorporate this concept.

A well designed kitchen is an efficient kitchen.  The work triangle minimizes the distance a homeowner needs to walk to get to each of the three major appliances.  It also maximizes the amount of counter space available in the layout.  By placing key appliances in an imaginary triangle, maximum efficiency is achieved.  The three items are the sink, range, and refrigerator.  It's important to note that if the triangle becomes too large it loses efficiency.  A quick way to determine if a kitchen's work triangle is efficient is to measure each of the three sides of the triangle.  In other words, measure the distance between the sink and the refrigerator, the sink and the range, and between the range and the refrigerator.  Add up the three lengths; Experts consider a total of 12 to 26 feet to be a good size. 

One wall kitchen
The one wall kitchen doesn't have a work triangle, since the entire kitchen is alongside one wall of the home.  Therefore the sink, range, and refrigerator are located in a straight line.  Experts suggest putting the sink in between the range and the refrigerator in these situations.  This will maximize the accessibility and functionality of the kitchen.

Galley Kitchen
Galley kitchens (also called corridor kitchens) make use of parallel wall space.  The work triangle works well with this style of kitchen.  Usually with a galley kitchen the sink is placed on one wall and the refrigerator and range are placed on the opposite wall.  This design can have some negative results when it is placed between two adjoining rooms.  The reason for this is because the galley kitchen becomes a walk-through, with traffic interrupting the flow of the work triangle. 

L-shaped Kitchen
A benefit to the L-shaped kitchen is that the work triangle is quite efficient.  The sink should be in the middle of the work triangle and is often placed under a window.

U-Shaped Kitchen
The work triangle usually puts the sink at the bottom of the "U" and the range and refrigerator are on either side of the other two walls.  The U-Shaped kitchen builds upon the style of the galley kitchen, and makes use of the connecting perpendicular wall.  Often there is a window on this third wall.

G-Shaped Kitchen
G-shaped kitchen incorporates two separate work triangles, although the refrigerator is often shared between the two.  This type of kitchen design style is best suited for multiple cooks.  G-Shaped kitchens are generally larger than the other kitchen design styles.  It is common to have a second (smaller) sink and another cook top to make up the second work triangle.

When looking for a home in the Fremont, Pleasanton, San Jose area consider the kitchen design styles and choose one that fits your lifestyle.
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