3 Popular Layouts for Small Kitchens

Back when I was a kid, kitchens didn't come with service yards so homeowners had more space to play with. These days, however, service yards are part and parcel of the HDB flat design; which results in a somewhat claustrophobic (and dark in some cases) kitchen. There are ways to make full use of the limited space though, and one of them is through creating the optimal layout that matches your work flow. In fact, think of your kitchen with three primary work zones—cooking, washing and storage. This will form the work triangle that can be effectively achieved via 3 popular layouts for small kitchens.   But do remember a few key things when you're planning your kitchen layout:

• the sink should ideally be located next to the fridge to make food preparation easier
• avoid the dangers of carrying hot pots and pans across the kitchen by locating your hob near your sink or counter-top
• storage comprises of both dry storage and the refrigerator

 

PARALLEL/GALLERY

A hot favourite with HDB homeowners, the parallel or gallery design is commonly found in restaurant kitchens due to its functional layout. Everything is near at hand as the cook and wash zones are side by side. The only drawback is that such a design will not have space for a dining table or allow much interaction with the rest of the house. If you can afford the space or are planning to do an open concept, you can even incorporate a bar counter design into your storage cabinets for an interesting variation on the design. Great for: people who aspire to be the next Julia Child or are already master chefs in their own right  

L-SHAPE

In a small kitchen, this layout will typically include important components such as the cook hob, sink and cabinets in an adjoining pattern. With more space than the gallery layout, the L-shape kitchen encourages people to mingle during cook-outs and you can even have a small dining table in the corner to savour your culinary results. Great for: families who bond over a cooking storm  

SINGLE LINE

This layout works well in really small kitchens where space is an issue. Here all your work zones are reduced to a single line, which can be rather pleasant to look at. Due to the space that the sink, cook hob and fridge will take up, however, there may be limited counter space to work on. But you can always counter this by buying compact appliances such as a 2-burner cook hob. If possible, you can even fit in a small dining table for your family to have their mealtimes in the kitchen. Great for: home designs with limited space or shoebox apartments So after reading about the 3 popular layouts for small kitchens, which is your favourite? Tell us all about it on our Facebook page!