Kitchen design has become much more complex in recent years, according to many modern kitchen designers. Whereas, in years past, the kitchen was simply the room in which food preparation took place, with the dishes being washed at the kitchen sink afterwards, now the kitchen is often the main hub of the home. Kitchens are larger as a result, with more thought needing to be put into their design than the traditional work triangle concept of sink, refrigerator and oven. Modern kitchen layout often includes a kitchen island around which friends and family can congregate, drink coffee and work in the kitchen as a group. The triangle is still there, but it is bigger now, said Gini Panzera, of Allstate Kitchens. You still need everything within a working vicinity. Your sink is still by the windows, usually with the dishwasher to the left or right, depending on whether you are left-handed or right-handed, so you can easily rinse the dishes and put them in the washer. The range top then goes on an adjacent wall and the microwave can fit above the stove, if it is vented. The refrigerator can be located within reaching distance of the island, so you can take items out of the refrigerator and put them on the island work space, he added. The refrigerator should be located about two cabinets away from the range top or sink for convenience. Paul Tracy, of Tracys Kitchens/ Kitchens by Design, agreed that a great deal of thought must be put into the design of the modern kitchen if all its functions are to be accommodated. Everybody knows what they want something to look like, but I have to remind them that function matters the most, he said. In larger kitchens, it becomes an issue to get the appliances and sink close enough so that it is handy to work. I always want to know how many cooks there will be in the kitchen, so we can design preparation space for each one, he added. The typical triangle does not always work any more.