Kitchen shapes and work triangles

What you need to bear in mind

When planning your dream kitchen, there’s a lot to think about: fronts, colours, materials and lighting are all significant choices when you’re creating your very own Schüller kitchen.

However, it’s even more fundamental to opt for the right shape of kitchen and arrangement of the three most important features: the fridge, the hob and the sink. How they are set out, also referred to as the work triangle, determines how quickly and intuitively you can cook and work in the kitchen. The key here is to make the distances between them as short as possible.

What you need to bear in mind

When planning your dream kitchen, there’s a lot to think about: fronts, colours, materials and lighting are all significant choices when you’re creating your very own Schüller kitchen.

However, it’s even more fundamental to opt for the right shape of kitchen and arrangement of the three most important features: the fridge, the hob and the sink. How they are set out, also referred to as the work triangle, determines how quickly and intuitively you can cook and work in the kitchen. The key here is to make the distances between them as short as possible.

Work triangles – short distances are the goal

As a rule, the three points of the work triangle should not be more than 1.50 m apart. This means that you won’t have to carry food from the fridge all the way across the kitchen to be washed. The hob and worktop won’t be far away either.

When planning your kitchen, little tricks like these will increase efficiency, save time and make workflows run like clockwork.

Work triangles and flows are closely interlocked with the shape of the kitchen. Simple with one or two rows of units, a kitchen island, a U or G-shaped kitchen around the edges of the room or the classic L-shaped kitchen – creativity and planning options are merely limited by the size of the room and utility connection points.

From a single line to a kitchen island: the kitchen that has it all

The best option for smaller spaces is the scaled-back one-wall kitchen.

To optimally use the limited available space, attention should be turned to tall and wall units.

Small kitchen-cum-living room in the style of student digs or with a luxurious finish: one-wall kitchens provide plenty of planning options.

Although the single line can be made longer to provide more storage space, given the longer distances, other kitchen shapes are preferable.

The classic: L-shaped kitchen

For instance, the L-shaped kitchen, which is universal and flexible and consists of two rows of kitchen units joined at one corner. Suitable for both open-plan and closed rooms, the corner design provides for short distances and a large work surface. It’s also important to make the most of the corner: here, Schüller offers clever solutions like the Le Mans pull-out or the raised corner shelf for technically-minded cooking enthusiasts.

Make the most of your storage space with the raised corner shelf or the Le Mans pull-out.

Designed to be sustainable – Kitchen model MATERA

A family kitchen designed to be sustainable: Seventy-one percent of the fully recycable front material comes from the circular economy and contributes to climate protection. The fronts feature a matt UV-lacquer coating, anti-fingerprint technology and a high resistance to both dry and humid heat and many cleaning products. The matt, easy-care surface convinces in six colors.

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Ultra-short distances: the U-shaped kitchen

With their additional row of units, U-shaped kitchens can score points by allowing you to perfectly arrange your fridge, hob and sink in a U or horseshoe shape. This makes distances even shorter and provides for stacks of storage space. This kitchen shape requires more room than a one-wall or L-shaped kitchen, but enables you to work efficiently and cook in a relaxed atmosphere.

Practical, ergonomic and within reach

For sociable hosts: the kitchen island

For sociable hosts: the kitchen island

A solution with a kitchen island enables work to be divided up smartly and efficiently and gives you plenty of storage space.

Perfect for large, open-plan living areas and sociable amateur chefs who like to chat with guests and family while they prepare and cook meals. Installing the hob in the island has the added bonus of allowing the chef to keep an eye on the room.

Inspiration for kitchens with kitchen islands

Storage space and organisation succeed with Schüller

Storage space and organisation succeed with Schüller

Schüller also offers cooking islands with innovative open storage solutions: To give everything its right place and provide easy access to exactly what you need, when you need it, we offer customised inserts and individual fitting elements for our drawers, pull-outs and cupboards.

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Appreciation is growing for the consideration of work triangles and short, efficient ways to go about your everyday tasks. Especially as the kitchen is constantly evolving to become the heart of family life, ergonomic and well-thought-out designs are becoming increasingly important. Whatever the kitchen shape, the foundations can be laid for this and for clever storage solutions. The more available space there is for kitchen planning, the more easily work triangles can be arranged according to personal requirements.

To achieve your perfect kitchen, tailored to your tastes and room specifications, look for a specialist retailer near you today using our retailer search function