The kitchen is the most important room of the home and the heart of every holiday celebration. When it comes to hosting Thanksgiving gatherings, open areas and usable space are important elements of an efficient kitchen layout. Our team at Signature Homes understands the importance of custom kitchen design. We’ll build a kitchen to compliment your cooking style, delivering comfortable space to accommodate guests within a functional layout for preparing a home-cooked feast, making the perfect Thanksgiving possible.
Kitchen Layout
The most important rule in kitchen design is the use of the basic triangle. Plan on designating a place for the sink, stove, and refrigerator in each corner of the triangle. They should be positioned at an accessible distance from one another, similar to the image on the right. The total distance for each triangle leg should add up between 10 and 25 feet. This distance allows more than one person to move through the kitchen comfortably without the space being too large to be impractical.
Keeping the basic triangle in mind, move on to the kitchen shape. For a home to accommodate food preparation and multiple Thanksgiving chefs, you’ll want to look at a U-shaped kitchen. Other room shapes that do well with the basic triangle concept include G-shaped, L-shaped, and galley kitchens. We also recommend an island floor plan. Although it does not utilize the basic triangle, it’s elegant and great for creating efficient workspaces in larger kitchens. These graphics by Architizer map out where utilities should be placed within each kitchen shape.
Usable Space
The key to an easy, functional kitchen is accessibility. Without accessible and functional storage, cabinet, and counter space, the best basic kitchen triangle won’t make a difference. Keep heavy objects, like cast iron skillets and baking dishes in low cabinets on shelves to prevent them from falling or damaging countertops or floors. Consider rolling shelves to simplify accessibility to floor-level cabinets. Everyday kitchen utensils, plates, and glasses should be stored at an easy-to-reach chest level. Reserve higher cabinet and storage space for rarely used or special occasion objects, like fine china. For effective countertop areas, include ample space for meal preparation, cooking and clean up.
Appliances
A perfect kitchen layout deserves top-notch appliances. To make your kitchen as effective and Thanksgiving-ready as possible, look for a range with two separate ovens for simultaneous baking of the main course and side dishes at different temperatures. As an additional convenience, look for a range that includes a warming drawer. For ease of reaching ingredients while cooking, invest in a refrigerator with easy-to-grasp handles, and find one with an abundance of versatile space for storing Thanksgiving leftovers. To get those dishes squeaky clean, look for a dishwasher with adjustable tines to fit unusually-shaped holiday dishes. Check out some of the top-rated appliance brands and models on Consumer Reports.
At Signature Homes, we do more than plan, construct and build. Our team is specially trained to help design each room of the home to work with your everyday life, making living space stylish, comfortable and easy to navigate. Contact us today to get started designing and building a home and kitchen fit for perfect holiday celebrations with friends and family.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Signature Homes family!
