fbpx

Kitchen spaces can be the most fun to design when building a custom home. You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it’s often a place where families gather and spend time together- cooking, hosting holiday meals, having dinner parties, and even activities like homework. Most clients have a clear vision of what they want their kitchen to look and feel like, and they haven’t considered any other options besides the dream in their head. Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, and there are different pros and cons to each.

 

The Galley Kitchen is a layout that resembles a hallway or a corridor, with straight workspaces running parallel to each other with a walkway between. Galley kitchens are often a room of their own, with an entrance on both sides. Typically, these kitchens are rather narrow and seen in smaller apartments or condos. When built custom, you can widen the space between walls for extra room, and add in cutouts to open the space more. A downside is that they often seem rather dark, but if you live in an area with enough natural light, a window or two easily fixes that issue. On a brighter note, everything you may need to access while cooking meals is close and easily accessible.

The L- Shaped Kitchen is considered the most common layout, as it is very versatile and offers the most counter space. This layout is characterized by two walls of countertop that create an “L” shape. It fits in well with the popular “open concept” design of many modern houses. Islands can be a custom addition to L-shaped kitchens as well, offering extra storage and sitting space. The layout lends itself to hosting and families, as there is plenty of room for multiple people to prepare food and still have space for guests to be included in the conversation. The popularity of these kitchens makes them desirable to potential-buyers, therefore they instantly raise the resale value of any home. However, they do have their downsides. The layout is so wide and spacious that appliances are spaced farther apart, which can be a downside for single cooks in terms of efficiency. Luckily, in a custom home, you can design the space to complement your personal workflow. Additionally, more counter space means having a bigger area to clean, which can be seen as a disadvantage to busy families.

Lastly, is the Work Triangle, with emphasis on the kitchen island. The philosophy behind the idea of a work triangle kitchen is all about the placement of your sink, oven, and refrigerator. These three points are kept in separate areas but organized into a triangle shape for maximum efficiency. This layout is extremely customizable, as you can add an island into almost any kitchen.  In order to make the best use of space while establishing a truly “open concept” home, a kitchen with a straight line of countertops paired with an island is the best way to go. When your workspace is kept on one side of the room, you have the capability to add a large island to act as extra counter space, storage, and a bar area. Depending on the size of the island, this layout offers the same amount of workspace as the L-shaped kitchen, if not more. However, the room itself is not as big, which may be more beneficial to certain custom-home buyers.

 

There are many adaptations of different kitchen layouts, but by being familiar with the basic layout options, you can get a better idea as to what direction would the most efficient for your families’ needs. As a custom builder, we can help you design unique layouts to make your home fit perfectly around your lifestyle. Call us today to begin discussing the possibility of making your dream home come to life!