Kitchen

Most homeowners want their kitchen to look great, but the primary objective is to have a highly functional workspace.  A professionally designed kitchen will have both.

A very important design rule, broken in many kitchens is the “Work Triangle” –

An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sink, to the center of the cook top, to the center of the refrigerator and finally back to the sink.

The sum of the triangle’s three sides should not exceed 26 feet; each leg should measure 4 to 9 feet.  This will place the kitchen’s major workstations near the cook, but not too close that the kitchen becomes cramped.

So how does your kitchen measure up?

Budget Friendly Design Tip

Built-in refrigerators really give a kitchen an updated look, but that one appliance can throw your budget off track.  Instead, I suggest you purchase a counter-depth refrigerator. Counter depth units are just that, no more than 30” deep, to offer a flush mount look in the kitchen.

Then you can build an enclosure around the fridge that matches the kitchen cabinetry. At the top you can have a cabinet, or open shelves for cookbooks or display or a wine rack.  Your approximate savings – $8000 for a built-in versus about $2,000 for a counter-depth model.

Won’t it be fun spending that money on other home improvement items?

Tami Smight Interiors, a full-service interior design firm, has been gracing southern California homes with warm, accessible designs since 2004.

As a certified professional interior designer, Tami Smight shares expert design tips, tricks and trends in her column. Check out her articles in our SCV Your Home Inside And out section