Why the ‘Golden Triangle’ Is the Secret to Successful Kitchen Design

If you’ve ever wondered why most kitchens share a very similar layout—and your sink, stove, and fridge are placed perfectly together—you can thank kitchen designers and their celebrated “golden triangle.”

The gold triangle is a kitchen layout plan that helps you work most efficiently in your kitchen, so meal prep and baking sessions are easier on you—while still ensuring that your kitchen stays attractive. Learn more about the golden triangle of kitchen design—and how to ensure your kitchen is perfectly arranged for your needs.

What Is the Golden Triangle?

This design concept is all about making sure your kitchen works for you. “The golden triangle in kitchen design is based around the ideal layout for functionality,” says Liz Goldberg, founder of Carolyn Leona Design. Basically, the rule says that the stove, refrigerator, and sink in the your kitchen should be arranged in a triangle; so if you were to draw imaginary lines connecting these three points, it would form a triangle. “This is considered the most efficient way to move in a ‘triangle’ around your kitchen, from the stove to the refrigerator and the sink.”

The golden triangle setup ensures you’re working as efficiently as possible when you’re cooking and cleaning. “Taking fewer steps is always better when dealing with fire, hot water, and sharp knives!”

How to Set Up an Ideal Kitchen Layout

When you’re designing your kitchen, it’s all too easy to become wrapped up in backsplash tile and stylish appliances, but function needs to come before the fun stuff. “A kitchen project is a very large investment, and taking the time to think through each detail is more than worth it,” Goldberg says. “Start with the floor plan and think through all the details. We ask our clients how many pots and pans they have, how often they use their spices, if they do the dishes right away or wait a while after eating, as well as many other questions. That way, we can make the space effortless and functional for their family, while including as much storage as possible to tuck items away within easy reach.”

Generally, the imaginary “sides” of the golden triangle should be between four and nine feet apart—but there’s room for some flexibility in that design, especially as you consider things like your height. “The reach span for someone five foot two versus someone six foot two is very different.”

As part of the golden triangle layout, Goldberg also likes to ensure that other kitchen essentials are close at hand. “We always place the trash pull-out and recycling to the left of the sink and the dishwasher to the right. Being able to do prep meals and do the dishes with ease is a must.”

What to Do if the Golden Triangle Doesn’t Work for Your Kitchen

While the golden triangle kitchen layout makes sense in most spaces, there are exceptions. If your kitchen is super small or a narrow, galley-style kitchen, you may have to resort to putting the three elements on the same wall or in another configuration.

Large kitchens can also sometimes require moving beyond the golden triangle. In some big, splashy kitchens, features may be arranged for aesthetic effect, rather than functional reasons. “In a large kitchen, I tend to like the range wall to create a statement in the kitchen, where many times we want the large refrigerators to blend into the cabinetry, so they tend to be apart from each other,” Goldberg says. The sink may also be placed to take advantage of beautiful views while you’re doing dishes. In larger kitchens, the sink may be placed on a kitchen island in the center, to give you that golden triangle layout. “An island is also a great space to place a sink that looks out into a room, rather than facing a wall.”

If the golden triangle doesn’t work for your space, at least try to keep the key elements of your kitchen as close together as possible to make cooking and meal prep easier.