Kitchen Design & Remodeling

A well-planned kitchen design depends on the right arrangement of the space. Depending on what you want out of your kitchen, your ideal design may change. At C&K, we work with Portland homeowners to create our designs, so we can give each person something they truly love.

Portland kitchens in the past were planned based on three primary centers: the refrigerator/mix area; a sink/dishwasher area; and a range/cooking area. Kitchen design today involves more appliances and more work centers; so, planning can vary quite a bit. Many kitchens have a second sink, a separate cooktop with a ventilation system, or (in some cases) multiple ovens.

Kitchen Design: Work Centers

The kitchen contains four primary work centers: the sink, the refrigerator, the cooktop/range, and the food preparation or mix center. Secondary work centers might include the microwave, secondary sink, and so on. These centers contain the appliance and the necessary counter space to use it. In kitchen design, it is assumed that for work to be accomplished efficiently, their arrangement should be such that the common food preparation and clean-up activities flow from one to another. If two such centers are located adjacent to each other, the proper counter frontage requirement is to take the longer of the two counters and add 12”.

No two primary work centers should be separated by a full-height, full-depth tall tower, such as an oven cabinet, pantry cabinet, or refrigerator, and this creates friction for the individuals using it.

Kitchen Design: Safety

In addition to space planning for appliances and activities, there are several considerations regarding safety and convenience that we must take into account as kitchen design contractors.

All major appliances used for surface cooking should have a ventilation system, for instance. NKBA recommends a minimum of 150 CFM, and the IRC requires a minimum of 100 CFM. However, with many of the high-performance cooktops and ranges being installed today, fans rated at a minimum of 300 CFM may be required with downdraft systems requiring even larger fans. Ventless fans cannot remove heat or moisture and are to be avoided. Similarly, ground fault circuit interrupters must be specified on all receptacles serving a counter surface, and a fire extinguisher should be located across from the cooktop while smoke alarms should be included near the kitchen.