The Important 'Rule Of Thirds' To Follow When It Comes To Kitchen Renovations

Renovations of any kind can be stressful, but revamping the kitchen is a particularly daunting task. It's a space that needs to be functional, yet aesthetically pleasing; comfortable, yet hardy enough to deal with the heat, spills, and general wear-and-tear of a cooking environment. It also needs to be well-organized and fit a variety of elements, from large cookware and appliances to the smallest cutlery and cooking tools. Most of these are usually kept out of sight until they're needed, making kitchen drawers and cabinets one of the most important aspects to focus on during a renovation. Adding hooks is one of the simplest ways to upgrade kitchen cabinets, and you can divide shelves into cubbies to maximize kitchen storage and keep everything organized. To ensure these storage and work spaces tie together for a seamless aesthetic that makes cooking in your kitchen a pleasure, use the simple rule of thirds.

From the smallest element, such as drawer pulls, to the broader layout of your kitchen counter — including where your fridge and dishwasher are positioned — the rule of thirds can elevate the look and functionality of almost every aspect of your kitchen. To see the rule at work, consider kitchen drawers. The size of the pull handles on the drawer should be ⅓ of the length of the drawer. Similarly, for vertical cabinets, the handles should be ⅓ of the cabinet height. This ensures the fixtures look proportional to the compartments they open. Even with larger surfaces around the kitchen, try and divide each of them into three equal sections to give your kitchen a well-proportioned look.

For kitchen storage, such as drawers and cabinets, the general rule is that handles should be ⅓ the length of the edge they are parallel to. If the length of the drawer is 12 inches, for example, the ideal length of the pull you should use is 4 inches. For vertical cabinets, say the height is 24 inches — the handle should be 8 inches and positioned vertically. Since you likely have cabinets below as well as above your kitchen counter, remember to align the door pulls on both to maintain uniformity.

When dividing a storage area into drawers and cabinets, continue to use the rule of thirds by dividing the space you have into three equal sections; you can have three vertical cabinets or two vertical cabinets with a stack of drawers in between (or vice versa). Even if your drawers have different depths, keep the pull handles the same length to keep the overall aesthetic consistent. Cubbies can also be arranged in sections of three, and you can further divide the inside of each (depending on what you use it for).

The rule of thirds is a great reminder that, sometimes, simplicity is the most effective way to balance aesthetics and functionality. Very often, something as simple as giving your cabinets a deep clean or performing easy kitchen cabinet upgrades, such as fixing squeaky hinges, can make a space feel fresh. However, when you're doing a major renovation, you can embed the rule of thirds into the layout of your entire kitchen to make the space more visually appealing.

Your countertop or kitchen island is one of the most prominent parts of your kitchen, so start by visually dividing the surface into three equal sections. You can use each section for specific functions such as cooking, washing up, and prepping. Placing tall elements, such as a vase or rack, can help demarcate these separate sections in your kitchen, creating a subtle but powerful sense of proportion. Similarly, if you have sliding windows in your kitchen, divide them into three-panel segments so they match the ⅓ aesthetic of the rest of the kitchen. 

While the rule of thirds should be taken more as a guide than a hard-and-fast principle, it's quite easy to use in most places. To help visualize how you can divide your kitchen spaces into three sections, use the grid setting on your phone camera. This lays a three-by-three grid over whatever is seen through the camera, making it easy to decide the positioning of various elements in your kitchen.