Are you starting a kitchen renovation project this year? There are many things to think about, style and colour and functionality and storage.
The key kitchen dimensions are the worktop height, breakfast bar/island height and the appliance width. It will help you to start thinking about the space available for the units and the layout that will fit. The design and layout must work for you and your family.
Are you going to go for a custom-built or ready-made off the shelf kitchen? The decision will be dependant on finances, time and the available space you have.
Widths
Draw out a rough kitchen plan to consider the appliances. Many kitchen appliances are a standard size of 600 x 600mm. Start at this size to start testing your options and even if you have a large kitchen you can consider increasing the size of the appliances at a later date.
Range cookers and American fridge freezers are around 900+ wide which are great for a larger scale kitchen, but if you have a smaller kitchen you might need to think about scaling back your options to 450mm width appliances.
The worktop height
With us being a leading kitchen worktop supplier, we have a great deal of knowledge and experience in how to best design the worktops into your kitchen. You need to specify the perfect worktop height that is comfortable for your stature. Standard worktops are around 900mm high, that being said if you are tall you may need them a little taller and with a 30mm worktop there won’t necessarily be the need to customise the kitchen.
Height of the island or breakfast bar
The general rule of thumb in the kitchen is to have all units at the same height. The island or breakfast bar in most kitchens are the same as the rest of the kitchen to keep the design flowing. Sometimes you can get away with having the island a little bit higher but only around 200mm so it isn’t noticeable.
A dual height worktop can also work, where you have the main island piece at the same height as the main kitchen and then an additional piece of worktop material in a Granite, Quartz or Wood set at a taller height.
Breakfast bars and stools work very well at 1100mm.
Depth of the kitchen island or breakfast bar
A standard worktop is around 600mm deep with a 620mm overhang. If you were planning on using the island as a breakfast bar you want to add at least 300mm depth to enable you to incorporate bar stools or shallow storage.
The depth of the island will be determined by the space available in your kitchen. Depths of 600mm, 900mm or 1200mm can be chosen or anywhere in-between to fit your requirements.
Depth and height of the wall cabinet
The wall kitchen cabinets are normally 300mm deep with some being 335mm deep, still making it easy to reach the contents at the back of the top shelf in the cupboard. When planning the kitchen you need to work out where you will be working on the worktop, as a deep cabinet may obstruct you or make it too easy to bang your head.
If you keep to the 400mm between the top of the worktops and the base of the wall unit you will be fine. It is then up to you whether you decide to go for full height cabinets to create storage for kitchen items that aren’t often used, or to have standard height wall cabinets.
Clearances between the worktop and wall cabinets
Keep a minimum gap of 400m between the top of your worktops and the wall cabinets or shelving. You need to make sure that the space is comfortable to work in and not feel restricted. Wall cabinet depths are less than the base cabinets to give you easier access and use of the worktops.
If you are planning on having a gas hob you will need to ensure you have a gap of around 760mm from the hob to the base of the wall cabinets.
Cawdor Stone Gallery are a division of the Cawdor Group, one of the UK’s leading natural stone providers. With over 30 years of experience, our highly qualified team have undertaken international projects of all sizes, providing high-quality materials and a comprehensive range of stone-related services to a range of projects. Contact us today for more info on our quartz and granite worktops.
