what is the smallest I can make the kitchen?

[erw]

I am looking at splitting a room into a kitchen and a hall.
I know it will be long enough, but not sure if it will be wide enough.
what's the minimum distance I can have between cupboards facing each other? or whets the minimum sizing for a kitchen?
any advice would be wonderful.

[stevoh741]

I personally wouldn't have less than 900 between benches but good luck getting 2 people into that area.....

[Overkill]

A design book I have found reliable suggests 1.1m as the distance you need to easily bend down and access a low kitchen cupboard. Also think about opening oven doors and corner cupboards

[erw]

thanks for the replies.
I might have to move things around a bit, but I think I can make it fit. yay!

[Overkill]

I recently tried to fit a U shaped kitchen into a very small space; I had real doubts about the look and ergonomics with just a 900mm wide walking space so I mocked up a skeleton of the full hight cabinets and countertop with very light wood strips and cardboard. The difference between the paper plan and the real thing was amazing and convinced everyone that a more modest L shaped kitchen would be more usable, so for $50 of wood and an afternoon with a screwdriver its a good investment.

[Master Splinter]

Well, you can make it as small as you like...but too small, and you've just knocked $50k off what people will pay for your house if you sell it....

[Jim Carroll]

Well, you can make it as small as you like...but too small, and you've just knocked $50k off what people will pay for your house if you sell it....

The kitchen and bathroom are the two main points of interest for anyone buying a house.
Either too small and they are a turn off.

[Bloss]

:wts: generally, but good design can make a very usable kitchen from a small space. If space is a priority then think of nominal 450mm cupboard depth with 500mm benches for example, (I have had 450mm depth and 450mm benches that work well). Few items going into cupboards need 600mm depth, in fact most will fit in 400mm. That often means you can't use flat pack or 'standard 600mm' modular carcasses (580mm depth including door), but any decent cabinet maker will be set up top do bespoke measurements anyway. European kitchens especially are well designed and very usable and much more compact than most of ours. When space is at a premium then a 'one person' kitchen is the go - allows two when needs demand it, but best for one.

[Pitto]

:wts: generally, but good design can make a very usable kitchen from a small space. If space is a priority then think of nominal 450mm cupboard depth with 500mm benches for example, (I have had 450mm depth and 450mm benches that work well). Few items going into cupboards need 600mm depth, in fact most will fit in 400mm. That often means you can't use flat pack or 'standard 600mm' modular carcasses (580mm depth including door), but any decent cabinet maker will be set up top do bespoke measurements anyway. European kitchens especially are well designed and very usable and much more compact than most of ours. When space is at a premium then a 'one person' kitchen is the go - allows two when needs demand it, but best for one.

i would check your appliances first. most ovens and dishwashers will not fit this depth. most oven brands require a certain amount of airgap behind them.

sink bowls are another one to keep in mind, otherwise there is no limit on depth when you go custom made by a local cabinet maker.

i would keep it to 1100mm and no less. alot of the projects i have been working on are specifying around 1250mm as a minimum.

G