Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen: 16 Smart Layout Hacks From the Woman Who Created the Work Triangle

Lillian Gilbreth kitchen ideas are hiding in almost every home today, even if most of us have never heard her name. Lillian was an engineer and psychologist who studied how people move while they work, and she is credited with creating the kitchen work triangle between the sink, the stove and the fridge. In the late 1920s she helped design the Kitchen Practical, built around the right working height and a smooth circle of steps. She also raised a famous big family of twelve children, the one behind the book Cheaper by the Dozen. Her own children joked that her home kitchen was a model of inefficiency, which makes her advice even more fun. Here are 16 easy, budget friendly projects that bring her step saving ideas into your kitchen before the holiday cooking starts..

Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen Basics: The Work Triangle

Every Lillian Gilbreth kitchen starts with three points: the sink, the stove and the fridge. When those three spots sit in a neat triangle with nothing big in the way, you take fewer steps and bump into fewer people. You do not need a remodel to use the idea. Moving a trash can, a cart or a chair out of the path is often enough. Read more about her life and work on the Lillian Moller Gilbreth page. Where are your three points right now..

You will need: a notebook, a pencil, a measuring tape, a cup of coffee and ten quiet minutes.

How to make it: 1. Stand in the middle of your kitchen and note where the sink, stove and fridge are. 2. Walk the path between them and write down anything you have to step around. 3. Move the smallest blocker first and walk the path again to feel the difference.

Map Your Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen Triangle With Painter’s Tape

Here is a fun weekend test that makes the Lillian Gilbreth kitchen idea easy to see. Run painter’s tape on the floor from the sink to the stove to the fridge. Most designers like each side to be a few steps long, not a long hike. If one side looks huge, that is where you waste time. The tape peels off clean, so you can try a new spot for a cart or bin and test again. Would your triangle pass the tape test?

You will need: a roll of painter’s tape, a measuring tape, a pencil and paper.

How to make it: 1. Tape a line from the front of the sink to the front of the stove. 2. Tape from the stove to the fridge handle, then back to the sink. 3. Measure each side, write it down, then peel the tape off when you are done.

A Yarn and Pushpin Step Map

Lillian and her husband Frank filmed workers to study every motion and find easier ways to do a job. You can do a cozy craft version at the kitchen table. Draw your kitchen on paper, pin it to a cork board and use yarn to trace the path you walk while making one meal. Lots of crossing lines means lots of extra steps. Kids love helping with this one, and it often shows a quick fix nobody noticed. How tangled do you think your map will look?

You will need: a cork board, white paper, a pencil, a ruler, colorful pushpins, red yarn, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Draw a simple floor plan of your kitchen and pin it to the cork board. 2. Put a pushpin at the sink, stove, fridge and anywhere else you stop. 3. While you cook one meal, wind the yarn from pin to pin in the order you walk.

Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen Rule: Store It Where You First Use It

A simple Lillian Gilbreth kitchen rule is to keep things where you first reach for them. Mugs, coffee and sugar belong together beside the coffee maker, not across the room. Set up a little zone with a wooden tray and a small shelf above it so the whole morning routine happens in one spot. It looks neat and it saves dozens of steps every week. Once you try one zone, you will want one for tea, lunch boxes and baking too. Which zone would help your mornings most?

You will need: a wooden tray, a small wall shelf, glass jars with lids, mugs, a sugar bowl, spoons, a drill and wall anchors used by an adult.

How to make it: 1. Pick the spot where you make coffee or tea every morning. 2. Hang a small shelf above it at an easy height for mugs. 3. Fill jars with coffee and tea and set everything on the tray right below.

A Left to Right Cookie Assembly Line

The Kitchen Practical was planned around a circle of steps that flowed from one task to the next. Holiday baking works the same way. Line up the dough, the rolling pin and cutters, the baking sheets and the cooling racks in order from left to right. Nothing has to cross back over the counter, and helpers can each take one station. Christmas cookie day becomes calmer, faster and a lot more fun for the whole family. Who would you put in charge of the frosting?

You will need: a mixing bowl, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, two baking sheets, parchment paper, cooling racks, small bowls of sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Clear one long stretch of counter and wipe it clean. 2. Set the dough on the far left, then the rolling area, then the baking sheets. 3. Put the cooling racks and decorating bowls on the far right, close to where cookies come out.

Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen Height: A Padded Sit Down Prep Stool

Correct working height was one of the big ideas behind the Lillian Gilbreth kitchen. While working with General Electric she interviewed over 4,000 women to find the best height for stoves and sinks. You can borrow the idea with a padded stool for long jobs like peeling potatoes or shelling beans. A gingham cushion makes a plain wooden stool look charming. Sitting for the slow jobs saves your back and your energy for the fun parts. What prep job would you do sitting down?

You will need: a plain wooden stool, a foam seat pad, red gingham fabric, a staple gun used by an adult, a piece of plywood cut to the seat size.

How to make it: 1. Wrap the foam pad and plywood in gingham, pulling it tight underneath. 2. Have an adult staple the fabric to the back of the plywood. 3. Screw or glue the padded board to the stool seat and test the height at your counter.

A Plate Drawer With Wooden Pegs Beside the Sink

Why carry plates across the room when you can put them right next to the sink and dish rack? A deep drawer with a pegboard bottom and wooden pegs holds stacks of dishes in place, so they never slide around. You can move the pegs as your dishes change. It is also easier on your back than lifting heavy stacks into a high cabinet. This is a simple way to shorten the path from washing to putting away. Is there a drawer near your sink you could use?

You will need: a sheet of pegboard cut to fit the drawer, wooden dowels, a small saw used by an adult, sandpaper, wood glue, mineral oil.

How to make it: 1. Measure the drawer and have an adult cut the pegboard to fit the bottom. 2. Cut dowels about 4 inches long, sand the ends and rub them with a little oil. 3. Set the pegboard in the drawer and push pegs around each stack of plates.

A Pocket Apron That Saves Steps

Every trip to grab a towel, a spoon or the shopping list adds up. A canvas apron with deep front pockets keeps the small things you reach for right on you. Sew a few pockets in different sizes so a notepad, a tea towel and a wooden spoon each have a home. Hang it on a peg by the stove so it is always ready. It also makes a lovely handmade gift for the baker in your family. What would you keep in your pockets?

You will need: a plain canvas apron, extra canvas or denim for pockets, a sewing machine or needle and thread, pins, a ruler, fabric scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut three pocket pieces in different sizes, adding half an inch for hems. 2. Fold and press the edges, then pin the pockets across the front of the apron. 3. Sew around three sides of each pocket, leaving the tops open.

A One Trip Table Setting Caddy

Setting the table for a big family can mean five or six trips back and forth. A wooden caddy with a center handle holds forks, spoons, napkins, salt and pepper, so you set the table in one trip. It is a simple beginner woodworking project, and it doubles as a pretty centerpiece for family dinners. Keep it filled and ready in a cabinet near the dining area. On busy holiday nights, the kids can grab it and set the table by themselves. Who sets the table at your house?

You will need: pine boards, a wooden dowel for the handle, wood glue, small nails, a hammer, sandpaper, wood stain or paint, a saw used by an adult.

How to make it: 1. Have an adult cut two end pieces, two sides, a base and a center divider. 2. Glue and nail the box together and add the divider down the middle. 3. Drill a hole in each end piece for the dowel handle, then sand and stain the caddy.

A Cleaning Caddy You Carry From Room to Room

Instead of hunting under the sink for each bottle, keep every cleaning tool together in one carry caddy. Paint a wooden tote in a soft color and fill it with refillable spray bottles, sponges, brushes and cloths. Grab it once and wipe the whole kitchen without walking back and forth. Plain glass or plastic spray bottles look neater than mismatched packaging, and you can mix your own simple vinegar cleaner for the counters. What color would you paint yours?

You will need: a wooden tote or small crate with a handle, chalk paint in soft blue, a paintbrush, refillable spray bottles, sponges, scrub brushes, microfiber cloths.

How to make it: 1. Sand the tote lightly and paint two coats, letting each dry. 2. Fill the spray bottles and set them in one side. 3. Tuck sponges, brushes and cloths into the other side and store it near the sink.

A Low Snack Shelf Kids Can Reach

With twelve children in the house, the Gilbreths were famous for turning chores into simple systems that kids could follow. A low open shelf filled with jars of snacks, cups and plates lets children help themselves without climbing on counters. Wicker baskets keep the shelf tidy, and clear jars show when something needs a refill. A small sturdy step stool nearby helps with the top shelf only. It gives kids a little independence and gives parents a few minutes of peace. What would go on your snack shelf?

You will need: a short open bookcase or shelf unit, wicker baskets, clear jars with lids, small cups and plates, a sturdy step stool.

How to make it: 1. Place the shelf away from the stove and anchor it to the wall. 2. Fill baskets with snacks and set cups and plates on the lowest shelf. 3. Show the kids the shelf and agree on simple rules for snack time.

Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen Chore Chart for a Busy Family

The family in Cheaper by the Dozen ran on charts, and a Lillian Gilbreth kitchen would not be complete without one. Paint a board, screw in rows of small hooks and hang a colorful wooden tag for each person. Simple pictures of a plate, a broom and a watering can show the job, so even little ones can read it. Move the tags each week to share the work. It turns kitchen chores into a game instead of a fight. Which job would you hand out first?

You will need: a wooden board, white and pastel paint, small cup hooks, wooden circle tags, a small drill used by an adult, paint pens, twine for hanging.

How to make it: 1. Paint the board and draw a simple job picture at the start of each row. 2. Screw cup hooks in neat rows across the board. 3. Paint a tag in a different color for each family member and hang them on the hooks.

A Weekly Menu Board From a Picture Frame

Planning meals ahead is one of the easiest ways to save time in the kitchen. A large picture frame with glass makes a pretty dry erase menu board. Slip a piece of linen look paper behind the glass, draw a simple grid and write the week’s dinners on the glass with a dry erase marker. It wipes clean every Sunday. Hang it where everyone passes, so nobody has to ask what is for dinner. Would your family follow a weekly menu?

You will need: a large frame with glass, linen look scrapbook paper, a ruler, a fine marker, a dry erase marker, a small cup for the marker.

How to make it: 1. Remove the frame backing and cut the paper to fit. 2. Draw a simple seven box grid on the paper with a fine marker. 3. Put the paper and glass back in the frame, hang it and write on the glass with a dry erase marker.

A Painted Crate Recycling Station

Sorting recycling is quicker when each kind has its own spot. Three wooden crates painted in soft colors make a cheerful station for glass, paper and cans. Line them up in a corner close to where you rinse jars and open boxes, so the walk is short. The crates stack, slide and move easily if you change your layout. They also look much nicer than plastic bins. Which corner of your kitchen could fit three crates?

You will need: three wooden crates, chalk paint in sage, blue and peach, a paintbrush, sandpaper, felt pads for the bottoms.

How to make it: 1. Sand the crates to smooth any rough edges. 2. Paint each crate a different color and let them dry. 3. Stick felt pads under each crate and set them side by side near the sink.

A Decoupage Pedal Bin by the Prep Zone

Lillian Gilbreth is credited with the foot pedal trash can, so a pedal bin is a perfect nod to her. Put it right where you peel and chop, and you can toss scraps without touching a lid. A plain metal bin gets a pretty makeover with blue and white floral napkins and a decoupage glue. Seal it with a clear coat so it wipes clean. It looks like a pricey designer piece but costs very little. What pattern would you choose?

You will need: a plain metal pedal bin, floral paper napkins, decoupage glue, a soft brush, a clear protective sealer, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Wipe the bin clean and separate the top layer of each napkin. 2. Brush glue on a small area, lay the napkin on top and smooth it gently. 3. Cover the whole bin, let it dry and finish with two coats of clear sealer.

Lillian Gilbreth Kitchen Thanksgiving Prep Tray System

Finish with the biggest cooking day of the year. A Lillian Gilbreth kitchen plan for Thanksgiving is one tray per dish, with every ingredient measured and ready the night before. Add a kraft tag to each tray with the dish name and the oven time. On the big day you simply grab a tray and cook, without digging through the pantry. For more clever storage, see these Julia Child kitchen storage ideas from another famous kitchen. Which dish would get the first tray?

You will need: wooden or metal trays, small prep bowls, kraft paper tags, twine, a pen, plastic wrap.

How to make it: 1. Write each dish on a kraft tag and tie one to every tray. 2. Measure the dry ingredients into small bowls and set them on the trays. 3. Cover the trays and keep cold items in the fridge until cooking time.