The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
How To Build Modern Kitchen Cabinets
An ideal kitchen with these three centers is shown in Fig. 2. Here is found the storage center consisting of the refrigerator for perishable food, a floor cabinet unit for the storage of such items as home-canned food or other foods that require storage in a cool location; wall cabinets above the refrigerator and a floor unit for the storage of dry groceries that are not affected by heat normally found above a refrigerator or near the ceiling of a kitchen. At the preparation and cleaning center is located the sink cabinet. The doors of this cabinet can be equipped with towel bars for drying dish towels. The cabinet containing the four drawers can be used for the storage of hand and dish towels, dish cloths and various kitchen gadgets used in the preparation of food. The cabinet with the large square drawer and two smaller ones can be used for the storage of breads and cutlery, while below is cabinet space for pots and pans. The wall cabinets above this unit will be found useful for the storage of bowls and dishes used in preparing of food. The corner cabinets, both upper and lower, are provided for the storage of such electrical equipment as a toaster, mixer, waffle iron, percolator and the like. The cabinets in the cooking and serving center are for the storage of pots, pans and dishes for the cooking and serving of food.
The size and number of cabinets will depend on the area available and the need. An urban home located with stores readily accessible will not need the storage space required in a home remotely located from a shopping center, nor would a small family that does little entertaining need the same storage, preparation or cooking space as a larger family.
Although it is impracticable to present floor plans for all kitchen areas, it is possible to work the basic arrangement into any situation. A kitchen can be just as efficient if the various centers are laid out along a straight wall as shown in Fig. 3, arranged in the form of an "L" as shown in Fig. 4, provided they are planned to work from left to right or from right to left as in Figs. 3 and 4, or if they are planned in a broken "U" or individual center as shown in Fig. 5. By leaving out a cabinet, or choosing one of a different width, the overall area covered by such an installation can be reduced or increased. It should be kept in mind that the stove and refrigerator should be far apart.
