You can't just go in willy nilly and design a kitchen. We got rules, y'know.

Actually, these rules/guidelines were established after careful research by professionals and academics, who apparently favor odd words and difficult-to-understand concepts. We'll do our best to de-mystify some of these terms here. You could also check out our Primer, here in the Sweat Equity section.

Why all the rules? Research has shown that the kitchen works best when the user (that's you) doesn't have to reach too high or too low for common objects or run around the house screaming for a landing spot for that fresh-from-the-oven pot roast.

What happens if you break a couple rules when you design your kitchen? Will you be arrested by the kitchen police? No, there's some leeway. But much of what you'll see below are minimum guidelines for a safe, convenient, efficient kitchen.

Cabinets:

• For a smaller kitchen (150 square feet or less), at least 144" of frontage. For larger kitchens (over 150 square feet), 186".

[Ack! What's frontage? Isn't that where they play jai alai? No, frontage is a kitchen-nerd term for the width of the front of something. What this means is the fronts of your cabinets should total at least 144" in width.]

• Cabinets over the countertops (wall cabinets) should be at least 12" deep and 30" high, with at least 60" of frontage [there's that word again] within about 6 feet of the sink, or the main sink if you have more than one. (Thirty inches is standard wall cabinet height, cabinets over a refrigerator, microwave or range tend to be shorter.)

• Base cabinets (the ones under the countertop) should be at least 21" deep, totalling 156" for smaller kitchens and 192" for larger rooms.

Countertop frontage:

• Plan 132" for smaller kitchens, 198" for larger. The countertop must be at least 16" deep, or else you can't count that part in your frontage measurement.

• Allow at least 24" of open countertop to one side of the main sink, 18" to the other. For a second sink, you need at least 3" on one side, 18" on the other.

• Allow 15" to 18" of clearance between countertop and bottom of wall cabinets.

Dishwasher:

• Put that dishwasher within 36" of a sink, with at least 21" of standing room between the side of the dishwasher and any cabinets or appliances placed at a right angle to that dishwasher. This 21" is not etched in stone, but you want to have a comfortable standing space to use stuff on that right-angle wall when the dishwasher is open.

Electricity:

• Specify ground fault circuit interrupters on all receptacles within 6' of kitchen water source. With a GFCI, the outlet will shut itself off automatically when it gets wet, which means you and yours don't get electrocuted.

Fire prevention:

• Place an extinguisher near the cooking area and a smoke alarm near the kitchen. This is just common sense, really.

Microwave:

• At least 15" landing space above, below or adjacent to the microwave is a good move. You need someplace within easy reach to put those hot, hot, hot dishes.

• The bottom of the microwave oven should be between the countertop and eye level, from 36" to 54" off floor.

Preparation center:

• You should try to have at least 36" of continuous countertop close to a sink for preparing food.

Range/Oven:

• Don't put a cooking surface below a window that opens unless the window sits back from the cooking area 3" or more and is 24" above it.

• For an open-ended kitchen, you should try for at least 9" of counter space on one side of range top and 15" on the other. For an enclosed kitchen, shoot for at least 3" clearance to a flame-retardant wall and 15" on the other side of the appliance.

• Allow 15" landing space next to or above an oven if it opens into a traffic pattern.

• You'll need at least 24" clearance between the cooking surface and a protected surface above and 30" if the surface above is unprotected.

• You also need to vent cooking steam, smoke, grease, etc., which means you need a fan rated at 150 cubic feet per minute (CFM).

Refrigerator:

• Have at least 15" of counter space on the latch side, or on either side of a side-by-side model. Or have at least 15" of landing space no more than 48" across from the refrigerator.

Storage:

• Include at least five specialty storage aids, such as drawers with vertical dividers, silverware drawers, spice racks (either in drawers or cabinets), slide-out shelves and swing-out pantries.

• If you're planning to have usable corner areas, have at least one lazy susan in the kitchen.

Table/Counter eating space:

• You need a space at least 12" x 24" for each seated diner. There should also be at least 36" from the eating area to a wall or obstacle behind the diner if there will be traffic behind the diner, or at least 24" if there won't be any traffic.

Walkways:

• All entrances should be at least 32" wide. If two countertops meet at the entryway, there should be 32" between their front corners.

Waste:

• Include more than one waste bin. Use one for everyday trash and one or more for recyclables.

Windows/skylights:

• Natural light is a wonderful thing in the kitchen. A good rule of thumb is windows and skylights should cover an area at least 10% of the room's square footage. Example: If your kitchen covers 150 sq. ft., you should have at least 15 sq. ft. of windows and skylight.

Work aisles:

• For a one-person kitchen, work aisles should be at least 42" wide and passageways at least 36" wide.

Work triangle:

• The work triangle is the shortest walking distance from the refrigerator to the primary cooking surface to the primary food preparation sink and back to the refrigerator, measured from the center front of each area.

• This distance should total no more than 26'. No leg of the triangle should be shorter than 4' nor longer than 9'.

• Also, don't intersect an island or peninsula cabinet by more than 12".

• No major traffic should cross through triangle.



Credit where credit is due:
The information in this article is derived largely from the National Kitchen & Bath Association's Kitchen Industry Technical Manuals, compiled by the NKBA and The University of Illinois Small Homes Council. The Rules of Kitchen Design were the result of research conducted by the NKBA in conjunction with the University of Minnesota.
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