How to Plan a Kitchen Layout Yourself: Tips from Professionals

What is most important in kitchen renovation? Proper planning and design. Renovation materials won't help if the sizes and contents of the kitchen cabinet are chosen incorrectly. Together with LORENA company experts, we explain how to plan your kitchen without mistakes.

Take Measurements

To plan a kitchen, you need the room dimensions: wall lengths and ceiling height, window and door opening sizes. Also, mark the locations of pipes, heating radiators, pipe outlets, and exhaust vents on the plan. Before finalizing the project, always invite a professional measurer to double-check all details.

Create a Detailed Brief

Think carefully about why you need a kitchen: cooking for the whole family or heating up pizza for dinner, hosting guests, storing family tableware or using just one set of dishes. This will help you calculate the required number of cabinets, appliances, and work surface area. Create a list of items and things you can't do without.

Kitchen Cabinet INTEGO

Find Out What's Trending Now

To decide on the style and color of your kitchen cabinet, familiarize yourself with current design trends in kitchen design. Traditional or subdued classic, modern minimalism, loft, or eclecticism — there is an ideal solution for every kitchen.

Kitchen Cabinet ELEGANT

Plan the Cabinet Layout

Now that you've decided on the number of cabinets, it's time to determine their placement in the room. There are several basic layouts: straight, L-shaped, U-shaped, island, and two-row cabinets. The furniture configuration depends on the kitchen size and the number of items you need to accommodate. Keep in mind that U-shaped cabinets are the most spacious, while kitchens with an island can be quite bulky.

Kitchen Cabinet NOVA

Don't Forget About the Work Triangle

Properly placing kitchen equipment can save up to 30% of time and nearly halve the distance traveled between items. The stove, sink, and refrigerator form the core of a kitchen: access to these should be easy, and passages free:

• The sink and dishwasher should be placed close to utilities.
• Don't try to fit the sink into a corner — it's not always convenient. It's better to use a kitchen corner for a stationary water filter, microwave oven, and storage for kitchen appliances.
• The placement of the stove, cooktop, or oven depends on the gas pipe. In new homes with electric stoves, this is easier.
• Leave a work countertop between the sink and stove — this arrangement has been tested for years and is very convenient. Also, plan a comfortable layout for the 'hot zones' — the most used surfaces should be within arm's reach.
• Place the refrigerator so it doesn't contact the radiator, stove, or sunlight.

Kitchen Cabinet KOVADO

And Consider Ergonomics

LORENA kitchen blocks are already designed according to all ergonomics principles. There are two base heights — 86 and 91 cm: when choosing, consider the height of the homeowner. For heights up to 164 cm, it's more comfortable to use lower cabinets 86 cm high, and above 165 cm — 91 cm.

Kitchen Cabinet ERNIKA

Experiment with Cabinet Sizes

Traditionally, the depth of upper cabinets is 30 cm, and lower ones — 60 cm. But exceptions are possible: for example, if there's a protrusion, make several lower cabinets narrower to maintain a uniform line of the kitchen cabinet. As for standard upper cabinets, designers recommend combining them with deeper ones — this makes the kitchen more spacious.

Kitchen Cabinet INDUSTRIA

Create a 3D Model

It's time for mockups and drawings. The easiest way is to use LORENA’s online space planner — a 3D kitchen constructor. At your convenience and from anywhere in the world, you can choose a preferred model, decide on materials, enter your room data, specify appliance requirements, and get a high-quality 3D kitchen sketch. You can send the completed kitchen sketch to a calculator and continue working with a professional designer in the LORENA store.