From pendant heights to cabinet depths, kitchen planning involves rather a lot of numbers. Spend any time with a contractor's quote or an architect's drawing and you'll find yourself wading through dimensions that feel, simultaneously, both crucial and utterly opaque.
Ahead, two experienced interior designers share the measurements that actually matter when planning a kitchen renovation.
With these as a guide, you’ll be able to craft a kitchen that not only functions well but looks good while doing it.
1. How high to hang pendant lights above an island
Let's start with something satisfyingly definitive: pendant lights should always have at least 76 cm of clearance between the bottom of the fitting and the top of your island worktop. Designer Monica Stewart of The Misfit House prefers a full 91 cm, which she describes as giving "adequate space and keeping them out of the way of conversation." Tanya Smith-Shifflett of Unique Kitchens & Baths is equally happy with anything in that 76–91 cm range. As rules of thumb go, this one is refreshingly unambiguous.
2. The right worktop thickness
Unless you're after something very contemporary, aim for a worktop thickness of between 32 and 38 mm, which Tanya describes as "the considered standard and works beautifully across most materials."
If you're drawn to something sleeker, Monica favours a more pared-back 19 mm – although she advises paying close attention to the edge profile. Dupont and ogee finishes are her recommendations: both add a touch of substance without the bulk.
3. The gap between your island and surrounding worktops
The ideal distance between an island and the nearest run of worktop is around 1.2 metres – enough for two people to pass comfortably without having to performing a sort of sideways shuffle.
If your kitchen is intended as a social hub, Monica suggests extending this to 1.5 metres to accommodate the "inevitable traffic jam" of guests who gravitate, instinctively, toward wherever you're trying to work.
4. How much space to leave above your cabinets
A minor heresy to some, but your wall cabinets do not have to reach the ceiling. In older homes, they rarely do, and there's no design principle that says otherwise. If you'd like to use the gap for display, Tanya recommends leaving between 30 and 45 cm – enough for tall vases and pottery. "It’s a great place to store those items that are functional, beautiful and not needed every day.” Any less and you've simply created a great place to collect dust.
5. The standard cabinet depth
This one requires little deliberation: 60 cm is the standard depth for base cabinets, and there is very little reason to deviate from it. If you've replaced lower cabinets with drawer units – a popular choice, and a practical one – the same depth applies.
Wall-mounted cabinets are shallower by design advises Tanya, typically running between 30 and 38 cm deep, which is worth remembering before you attempt to store anything of real ambition in them.
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Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
