DEAR TIM: I am designing my new kitchen. A friend told me about some mystical triangle that needs to exist between the sink, cooktop and refrigerator. Is this true? My kitchen measures 10 feet 6 inches by 14 feet. Are there minimum planning standards that will maximize the utility of the kitchen space? Do you think I can include a small sit down eating area in one corner of the space? David K., Santa Cruz CA

DEAR DAVID: The mystical "work" triangle is a reality - make no mistake about it. This concept of linking the major components of a kitchen was developed nearly 50 years ago by the University of Illinois Small Homes Council. Although kitchens in some of today's largest homes would dwarf your kitchen and those in 1950's homes, the basic principal of the work triangle is still valid.

The thinking behind this most basic concept of kitchen design is simple. The sink, refrigerator and the cooktop represent the most used centers of activity in the average kitchen. The efficiency of a worker in the kitchen is drastically reduced if these activity centers are spread far apart. Ideally the distance in a straight line from the front center point of one of these three centers of activity to another should be between 4 and 9 feet. The sum of the three triangle legs should be equal to or less than 26 feet.

All kitchens contain invisible throughways. These are the connecting routes between other rooms and doorways. A collision on these high-speed highways involving a kitchen worker walking with a hot pot of water and an express child or teenager can be disastrous. For this reason, no single leg of the work triangle should cross these invisible pathways.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association would consider your kitchen a small one as it contains less than 150 square feet. Detailed studies and design competitions they sponsored allowed them to develop minimum standards regarding cabinetry, drawer space and countertop requirements.

For you to gain the maximum utility from your space, it is suggested that you have a minimum of 13 linear feet of base cabinets. The total length of your wall cabinets should not be less than 12 linear feet. Drawer space is very crucial in kitchens. The total combined width of all drawer fronts should be a minimum of 120 inches. A small kitchen like yours might have an average of 8 drawers. Your final design should contain a minimum of 11 linear feet of open countertop space.

Including a small sit down eating area in your kitchen may be impossible. You will most likely find this out when you draw a simple plan that incorporates all of the before mentioned planning criteria. After you draw the kitchen plan I want you to pencil in the invisible high speed routes. Now draw a 6 foot diameter circle to the same scale as your kitchen plan. If you are using 1/4 inch equals one foot scale, this disc will be 1.5 inches in diameter. This disc represents a 4 foot diameter circular table and the space needed for the chairs around the table.

Place the disc on the plan. It should not cover any of the high speed routes, walls, or be near any of the kitchen cabinet or work areas. The only hope you may have is to include a very small cafe style table that will seat two people. If you want to get the best return on your investment dollars that you are about to spend, I urge you to consult with a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD). These individuals will help you maximize the function, form and appearance of your new kitchen.