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CCooking area, provisions zone, washing up area, preparation area, storage… Good management of the different kitchen areas is probably the most important element in kitchen space planning.
As an interior designer, I can tell you that I saw a large amount of kitchens which were dreamy and beautiful from an aesthetic point of view. The owners often minimize the practical aspects of the kitchen, thinking that they will not spend a lot of time cooking. But few months or years later, our habits can change because of a lifestyle evolution, and the kitchen doesn’t suit to a more intensive cooking need. This is why it is important to know some basics about the different kitchen functions. This post is an introduction of a series about kitchen planning and organization.
The Five Areas in the Kitchen
Thoughtful amenities will substantially reduce our comings and goings around the room,so we will save time and enjoy our equipment in a more efficient way.
A simple and effective method for making an ergonomic and efficient kitchen is to divide it into five different areas:
1 – The cooking zone,
2 – The provisions zone,
3 – The washing area,
4 – The preparation area
5 – The storage area.
Each zone defines an area of activity and movement in the kitchen, which sees itself as an autonomous bubble, connected to others in the logical order of meal preparation. It is like Lego’s building blocks
Distribution of Spaces in the Kitchen
The first three spaces of the kitchen are considered major. They are: the cooking area, the washing area, and storage area for supplies. These are the areas of the kitchen that create the three sides of the activity triangle. (I will talk more about the activity triangle in a future post).
The food preparation area is central to all activities of the kitchen. The last area of the kitchen is the storage of the utensils and crockery.
Each area corresponds to a particular activity. Each should be isolated at a specific time of preparing a meal: for the gathering of ingredients to the table service.
Items Grouping
Within each area of the kitchen, all the elements of the activity should be grouped to simplify each task. The larger the area of the kitchen space will be, the more compact the grouped items should be to economize effort in unnecessary travels, and the less you will lose from time-consuming utensil searches.
This principle defines a logical type of furniture and preferred features to be implemented in every kitchen space. This is what we’ll be talking about in the next post from this series.
Until then, how do you tend to describe your kitchen different area? Do you have any addition to share?
