Before establishing any designer plans for your kitchen, it is imperative that you draw up the basic layout. The layout not only decides the flow of work from one section to another, it is also important for the arrangement of the cabinets. Therefore the layout of the kitchen cabinet should be planned before you choose your cabinets.
The same as in the kitchen format, the cabinets are arranged in the same order, that is, Single Line, U shape and L shape. The basic layout of the kitchen cabinet would be an arrangement of one line where the cabinets are arranged in one straight order. This arrangement is ideal for small kitchens where space is a constraint and this arrangement provides ease of access and work in the kitchen. However, with this arrangement, storage can be restricted in a small kitchen. For a large kitchen however, this arrangement is good enough as storage and ease of work are both possible. The wall cabinets also line up to the sink area. This layout works well with open kitchens, those that extend into the living room.
The U-shaped kitchen cabinet layout has cabinets arranged in a U-shape along the kitchen area. This arrangement works well for medium and large sized kitchens. The base and wall cabinets are placed in the same way. Larger storage and a triangular work area are the main advantages of this layout. The corner cabinet is a bit difficult to arrange, access and maintain, but it can be used for little used items. An island top in the middle of the U shape can also be designed to have two or three cabinets. This layout provides the largest storage among all layouts.
The L-shaped kitchen cabinet layout is suitable for medium and large kitchens. The wall and base cabinets are arranged along the two legs of the L shape. This layout also provides a good amount of storage and ease of work. The section parallel to the longer leg of the L shape can be utilized by keeping a tall cabinet. This way you can maximize your storage. If you plan to introduce an island in between, you can install one or two cabinets to get that extra storage space. Interestingly, in the L-shaped layout, you will have only one corner cabinet to deal with. The other corner cabinet is relatively free to access.
While all three layouts work well for medium and large sized kitchens, it’s the small kitchens that really need to be planned well. Small kitchen cabinet layouts can be thoughtfully chosen depending on the level of congestion you can comfortably work with.
1. With a U-shaped kitchen cabinet layout, you have two or three base cabinets apart from those in a single line arrangement. In addition, you can arrange the wall cabinets also in the same layout if this does not make your kitchen totally congested and uncomfortable.
2. Do not try to introduce more than one or two cabinets on the parallel sides of the U shape, since in a small kitchen your movement can be restricted.
3. Since one of the parallel legs of the U shape will be the sink area, you can keep one cabinet that will be used sparingly compared to other cabinets because such cabinets are generally used for storing kitchen cleaning liquids, scrubs and detergents. .
4. In the case of an L-shaped kitchen cabinet layout format, although one side of your kitchen will be free of cabinets, but which can be utilized to keep a fridge or other miscellaneous items such as an organizer of vegetables etc.
5. Keep the short leg of the L shape small to accommodate only one or two cabinets. This leg can be comfortably made as the cabinet of the sink area so that it opens slightly during the day and more so it does not have any wall cabinet. So you can have a linear arrangement of the wall cabinet and avoid your kitchen looking congested.
It is important to have a comfortable space for movement and work in your kitchen. Storage can always be expanded in the form of a tall cupboard, wall-mounted shelf or organizer. However, once you decide on the layout of your kitchen, your cabinets will follow suit and cannot be replaced or rearranged as easily. Therefore properly plan your kitchen cabinet layout considering your space constraint and comfort.
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