Kitchens today are more than rooms for cooking. They tend to be the heart of a house and the most appealing living space, where family and visitors gather for conversation and snacking. It’s possible that all you need to do to spruce up your kitchen the universal way is make a few simple changes. On the other hand, you might determine that a minor or major remodeling project is in order. For instance, it might be desirable to remove an adjacent room’s wall — perhaps the dining room wall — and expand the kitchen or combine the two rooms. This can create a spacious, more user-friendly and inviting eat-in kitchen.
See also: Make your kitchen cabinets work for you.
Regardless of the size of the room, the number of people you cook for or your personal cooking habits, the general workflow is essentially the same in all kitchens. You remove ingredients from the refrigerator, carry them to the sink for washing, move them to a work surface and then finally place them in a pot on the cooktop or in the oven. Or food is moved from the freezer directly to the microwave or the oven.
Under most circumstances, the ideal design for functionality is either an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen. The five factors listed here are a good prescription to make the kitchen an easy place to work: consolidated design, easy approach, clear floor space, ease of use and convenient dining.
Consolidated Design
Design your kitchen around the so-called work triangle, which is formed by the paths connecting the refrigerator, the sink and the range. Long triangle legs can make meal preparation exhausting, while short ones create a feeling of confinement. A good rule of thumb is that the three legs of the triangle added together shouldn’t exceed 22 feet (6.7 m).
Easy Approach
Locate major appliances so they’re easy for anyone to get to. For example, place the oven, cooktop, and dishwasher so they all can be approached from right, left or front, accommodating the cook’s natural inclination toward left- or righthanded activity or a person’s physically stronger side.
Universal Design Inquiries
Have a question on how to make your home more user-friendly with universal design? E-mail your query to Rosemary Bakker, Certified Interior Designer, at Ask-Rosemary@aarp.org.
Be sure to include your name, state and ZIP code. Your name will not be published.
Rosemary Bakker is the author of the AARP Guide to Revitalizing Your Home, which is available through Barnes & Noble. Bakker holds a master of science degree in gerontology and is a certified interior designer.
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