Working triangles are out, dynamic spaces are in

by Amanda Hughes

6th March 2025

Blum is the brand known for its innovative furnishing solutions, designed to maximise efficiency and convenience around the home. Here, Amanda shares her considerations to create a room that not only satisfies aesthetic desires but also delivers functionality, accessibility, visibility and most importantly, longevity.  

Looking back can help shape a new way forward 

Sometimes looking back can help us define a new way forward, and the kitchens we are so familiar with today have a long history of pioneering women at their very heart who we can learn greatly from.

For example, Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky’s Frankfurt Kitchen was designed as a "compact domestic laboratory" to rationalise daily life, improve efficiency, hygiene and reduce time spent on kitchen work. Lillian Moller Gilbreth’s ‘circular routing’ aimed to reduce the number of steps required to complete tasks, and Christine Frederick’s string study used a piece of string to map out the movement patterns of homemakers in the kitchen to identify inefficiencies and propose a rearranged kitchen layout.

These were all people who were advocates for efficient, practical, and optimised spaces. Less time in the kitchen meant more time to pursue other interests and there are lessons to be learned from their work and the importance of moving with the times.

Reviewing the working triangle

Fast forward to today and the ‘working triangle’, a phrase coined by the University of Illinois School of Architecture, is a common term amongst kitchen designers.

However, does it still live up to the ideals that our kitchen pioneers were trying to advocate for today? My opinion is… probably not.

More recent research by Blum suggests that three zones are now five: consumables, non-consumables, cleaning, prepping and cooking.

Advances in modern appliances, cooking methods and open plan layouts should be reflected in the approach to functional, practical, visible and organised schemes. Essentially, what we’re talking about is dynamic spaces.    

Creating dynamic spaces

Both small and large layouts can benefit from the more efficient ‘dynamic space’ mantra. Thinking about the five zones and the relationship between them can prove fruitful when creating a kitchen that is designed to stand the test of time.

For your next project, set up task-based zones, not triangles, and design areas of equal importance.

For maximum efficiency, consider drawers over doors, vertical lifts over horizontal flaps and, of course, the visibility and accessibility of storage. Plan for enough storage space and avoid using shelves in the base cabinet, instead use full extensions with inner dividing systems.

Think about efficiency of movement and workflow, as having the right items at the right stage of the cooking process is important.

Tableware such as crockery and cutlery (non-consumables) should, in my opinion, live near the sink and dishwasher, not near the cooking zone or under the hob. An optimised workflow, laying out a kitchen in logical steps (and in order of tasks), will mean not only is the prepping and cooking is less stressful, but the clearing away and washing up is also considered.

Hot, warm and cool

One thing to think about is grouping items by task, then further categorising those items into hot, warm and cool.

Hot items are your everyday things that are in constant use and need to be reached quickly, the cooler the item the more the client can store lower than their hip or higher than their neck.

Try to give the client the best outcome not only for now but for any future eventualities. You will always be balancing space and budget with client need, but don’t set out with ‘the more cabinets the better’ mindset, think challenge = solution.

Building in more functionality, accessibility and visibility will by default increase the longevity of the space. Not only for the current occupants of the home but any future buyers.      

If you’re planning to reimagine a kitchen as part of a new project and need help making it both forward-thinking and efficient, let’s talk: amanda.hughes@blum.com / 07483 964564 / https://tinyurl.com/yourworldmadebetter