Your Kitchen Design will function best when it is designed to Australian Standards. Kitchen Shack Designer, Nita Thomas, who has over 20 years kitchen design experience, shares the key design guidelines that will help you get the most out of your space.
Benchtops
• Standard benchtop height ranges from 850mm to 950mm. This is the most comfortable ergonomic height for most homeowners and best for resale value.
• Depth: standard depth is 600mm.
• Thickness: The most popular benchtops in Australia are made of engineered stones (e.g. AC Stone, YDL, Caesarstone) or have a laminate finish. When it comes to Laminate they are 39mm, whereas stone benchtops are typically 20mm and up to 40mm.
While custom heights are possible stick to standard heights as they hold their value better when it comes to resale value.
Kitchen Island
Distance: For Galley kitchens with an island bench allow 1200mm between benches. Any less then the space and flow becomes impacted. Similarly, if the space is too wide the kitchen becomes less functional to work in.
Width and depth: The size of your kitchen island bench can be as large as your space allows. The only restriction is the width of the slab if you opt for an engineered stone benchtop. Standard slab size is 3060mm by 1660mm, but some suppliers offer oversized jumbo slabs which eliminate the need for an unsightly joint between two slabs. A typical island width to work with is 900mm, especially if you plan to place some barstools on the other side. In this case, you wish to accommodate for the necessary legroom.
Legroom: An island bench is a great place to sit on barstools while having your breakfast or a snack before you go. Allow for 300mm of legroom underneath the benchtop to sit comfortably. You need to check with your kitchen manufacturer how big an unsupported benchtop overhang can be based on your chosen material.
Walkway: Plan for 1000mm walkway either side of the island bench. This will allow enough space for people to move around without having to turn sideways.
Appliances
Fridges: vary in sizes. It’s important to check the required ventilation space to incorporate into the design and best not to place next to a side wall wherever possible.
Ovens: the standard width for an oven is 600mm whilst for pizza ovens standards range from 700mm to 900mm. Once again the ventilation space is key for the design of the kitchen.
Cooktops: will depend on gas or electric. When it comes to gas cooktops the minimum clearance from the top of the trivet (cooktop) to the lowest part of the rangehood is 650mm clearance. For existing homes if the original building permit is older then 600mm rule may apply. For further detail see our pros and cons of ducted vs recirculating rangehoods .
For electric or induction cooktops the minimum clearance from the top of the cooktop to underside of the rangehood is 600mm. For all clearances it is recommended to check with an electrician or plumber.
Dishwashers: are predominantly 600mm wide, but they can also come in 450mm which is more applicable to an apartment or unit.
Sinks: range in shapes and sizes. For a double sink allow 800mm wide, and up to a depth of 480mm and additional for drainage if applicable on the benchtop. The bowl depth is approximately 200mm. Single bowls usually around 550mm.
Kitchen Cupboard Clearance
Clearance between benchtops and overhead cupboards is required to be a minimum of 600mm.
Kickboards
Whilst there is no mandatory height in Australia for kickboards the most common used in Australian kitchens is 150mm. This may of course vary according to benchtop depth and kitchen cabinetry.
The Australian Standards are guidelines but it’s always important to work with an experienced Designer who can design your kitchen with the best functionality in mind. Work with an experienced designer today by booking your free in-store design and quote today.
