The Kitchen Designer

How to complete The Kitchen Designer

The work triangle connects your three main zones (cooktop, sink, and refrigerator) so you move between them without backtracking or crossing traffic. Getting it right turns an awkward kitchen into one where cooking flows, and it's the single layout principle most renovations botch.

1. Measure the distance between sink, stove, and fridge; each leg should fall between 4 and 9 feet, with the perimeter totaling 13 to 26 feet.
2. Clear the triangle's legs of obstructions: no island corner, trash can, or table cutting through the paths.
3. Reposition whichever appliance breaks the rule; often the fridge can shift to an end wall to tighten the loop.
4. Keep major walkways and doorways from running through the triangle so foot traffic doesn't collide with cooking.
5. Sketch the before and after to confirm the three legs form a real triangle, not a straight line.

Tips

• For galley or single-wall kitchens, apply the spirit of the rule: keep the zones close and in logical order rather than forcing a literal triangle.
• Store knives and prep tools near the sink, pots near the stove.
• Don't place the dishwasher where its open door blocks a triangle leg.

What counts as done

Your sink, stove, and fridge form a clear triangle with each side 4-9 feet and nothing blocking the paths between them.