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Planning The Perfect Kitchen

Far and away, kitchen renovations are the most popular form of home improvement. And there's a very good reason why. Experts say that no other improvement adds as much value to the price of a home.

When embarking on a renovation project, most people have a pretty good idea of what they want. More space, better lighting, bigger cabinets and new appliances are common goals. But the planning process can be complicated, and it's easy to make major mistakes when designing a kitchen. To make sure you get the most for your home improvement dollar, we've assembled some guidelines for laying out your kitchen upgrade.

The Work Triangle: Kitchen designers use something called "the work triangle" when drawing up kitchen plans. This is the shortest walking distance from the refrigerator to the primary cooking surface to the primary food preparation sink and back to the refrigerator, measured from the center front of each area. The rule of thumb is that all three sides of the triangle should total no more than 26 feet. No single side of the triangle should be shorter than four feet or longer than nine feet. If you're planning to include a central island in the kitchen, avoid having the island protrude into the work triangle by more than 12 inches. If possible, the triangle should be outside of traffic areas.

Work Spaces: For a residential kitchen, it is generally recommended all work spaces be at least 42 inches wide. If you anticipate having multiple people work in the kitchen, the work space should be expanded accordingly.

Cabinets: Many kitchen renovation projects include new or re-faced cabinets. Most experts recommend a minimum of 12 feet of cabinet "frontage." This means that your kitchen cabinets should span a width of at least 144 inches. Of course, you can install as many cabinets as your kitchen will comfortably hold and you can afford. Cabinets over the countertops should be at least 12 inches deep and 30 inches high. Cabinets under countertops should be at least 21 inches deep.

Countertops: Kitchen designers generally figure 11 feet (132 inches) as the minimum overall "frontage" for countertops. When laying out the kitchen, bear in mind that that there should be at least 24 inches of countertop on one side of the main sink, and 18 inches on the other. Leave at least 24 inches of open countertop to one side of the main sink, 18 inches to the other. Minimum clearance between countertops and the bottom of wall cabinets is 15 to 18 inches.

Doorways: When planning entrances into the kitchen area, bear in mind that doorways should be at least 32 inches wide. If two countertops meet at the entryway, there should be 32 inches between their front corners.

Table/Counter Eating Space: If you include a bar or eating space in your design, make sure you include at least 12 x 24 inches for each seated diner. If the eating area is in a high traffic area , there should be at least 36 inches of clearance between the back of a diner and a wall or obstacle behind the eating area. If there won't be any appreciable traffic, allow at least 24 inches.

Electricity: Plan on having ground fault circuit interrupters installed on all receptacles within six feet of kitchen water source. With a GFCI, the outlet will trip itself off automatically if there is a short circuit due to water coming in contact with wiring. These relatively inexpensive circuits can prevent an electrocution. This is a particularly important consideration in small kitchens, where appliances may be used close to a water source.

Windows/Skylights: One of the things many people seek in a kitchen renovation is better lighting, and natural lighting is definitely more popular than artificial. Most contemporary kitchen designers make sure that windows and skylights cover an area equivalent to at least 10 percent of the room's overall square footage. A 200 square foot kitchen should contain at least 20 square feet of window or skylight.

Storage Space: Increased storage space is one of the commonly given reasons for seeking a kitchen upgrade. Designers now like to include specialty storage aids in any kitchen layout. Depending on individual needs, these aids can take the form of drawers with vertical dividers, silverware drawers, spice racks (either in drawers or cabinets), slide-out shelves or swing-out pantries. If the design includes corner cabinets, you may want to think about maximizing the storage space by having built-in lazy susans installed.

Trash: Include space for at least two waste bins, to allow at least one bin for garbage and one for recyclables.

Fire Prevention: Make sure you include a place for a fire extinguisher near the cooking area. It's also wise to include a smoke detector powered by house current in the kitchen plans.

Range/Oven: Experts recommend at least nine inches of counter space on one side of a range and 15 inches on the other. If the range is not part of an island or other open area, plan for at least three inches of clearance between the back of the range and a flame-retardant wall. It is generally a bad idea to put a cooking surface below a window that opens. If you have no choice, make sure the window is at least three inches behind the range 24 inches above it. Likewise, cabinets shouldn't be placed over the range. If you include a range hood in your plans, make sure it includes a fan rated at 150 cubic feet per minute or more.

Refrigerator: The usual design consideration is to include at least 15 inches of counter space on the latch side, or on either side of a side-by-side model. If this isn't possible, an alternative is to allow for a "land space" of at least 15 inches no more than 48 inches from the refrigerator.

Dishwasher: The dishwasher should be placed within three feet (36 inches) of a sink, with at least 21 inches between the side of the dishwasher and any cabinets or appliances placed at a right angle to that dishwasher.

Microwave Oven: The usual height for built-in microwave oven is between the countertop and eye level, from 36 to 54 inches off floor. Many designers recommend a "landing space" at least 15 inches wide immediately above, below or adjacent to the microwave. This space gives the busy cook somewhere to easily place hot dishes coming out of the microwave.

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