Kitchen Measurements |

Not many people instantly consider kitchen measurements and heights when renovating or installing a new one. A lot of time is spent in our kitchens preparing, cooking and cleaning up meals and snacks. So, of course we want this room to be practical and functional as well as comfortable and easy to work in. Nobody wants to have to grab a step ladder each time they need to get into the high cabinets. Or constantly bending over to use the kitchen bench top.

Getting the correct heights and measurements for everything is key to having a well-designed and efficient space.

In Australia there are preferred standard dimensions for kitchens. However, they’re not mandatory and can be customised in order to work best for you. The following steps will put you on the right track to getting the correct sized kitchen design:

Measure your space and areas, then measure it again.
Check to see if standard sizes and widths will fit into your kitchen design
Consider increasing depths and/or heights or cupboards and/or benches in order to create more storage and/or working space if needed

Quite a lot of our frequently asked questions are on kitchen measurements. So we thought we would give a helping hand by providing some of the standard sizes. Use the following Australian Standard Measurements as a guide and always check with manufacturers and designers to confirm before proceeding with building or modifying.

Benchtop Height

The standard and most common benchtop height measured from the floor to the top of the benchtop is 900mm, but measurements can range from 850mm to 1000mm. Using the more uncommon heights can result in having to modify standard sized cabinetry and will be more costly.

Benchtop Depth

Older kitchens usually have a depth of 450mm, but these days the standard and most common depth is 600mm. This includes the standard overhang from the floor cabinet of 20mm.

Kitchen islands and breakfast bars have slightly different standard depths and they are as follows:

Breakfast bar standard depths; 300mm, 450mm and 600mm

Kitchen island standard depths; 600m, 750mm, 900mm and 1200mm

Benchtop thickness

Obviously, there are a few different materials for kitchen bench tops so the measurements are dependent on which material is used.

As a guide, Laminate is generally 33mm thick, whereas materials such as granite and engineered stones are usually 20mm (or 40mm with built up edge).

Floor Cabinetry

The industry standard is 580mm deep for cabinets where the doors have handles, otherwise the standard depth is 600mm so that the cabinet sits flush with the benchtop.

The standard height for floor cabinets is 720mm (without the kickboard).

Wall Cabinetry

As well as getting the dimensions right you also need to take into consideration things such as ensuring the cabinets are fixed into the wall and are sturdy enough to withhold its contents.

The inside depth should be 280mm-300mm in order to be able to store large diameter crockery items with ease. The total depth including doors (but not handles) is best not to exceed 350mm.

The standard height for wall cabinetry is 720mm, although this measurement can be altered depending on your ceiling height and/or any bulkheads there may be. Designing your cabinetry to go up to the ceiling not only eliminates dust and gives you extra storage space but will also make your kitchen feel bigger by drawing your eye up.

The width for both floor and wall cabinetry generally starts from 300mm and increases in 150mm increments upto 1200mm.

Kickboard Height

Ideally the measurement for the kickboards beneath the bottom cabinets should be between 100mm and 200mm.

Splashback Measurements

The standard splashback measurements aren’t just for ‘the most commonly used’ or for ‘what works best for you’ but they are very important for safety reasons. In Australia, the minimum industry fire safety requirement for splashback height is 600mm for electric cooktops and 700mm for gas.

You will find that most manufacturers will recommend a minimum height of 700-750mm, but you should also check your cooktop appliance manual for suggested clearance heights. You can adjust the height to suit your requirements as long as they fall in between the required measurements.

Tall Cabinet Height

The preferred height for tall cabinets is 2100mm with a standard depth of 600mm. The height of the cabinet can be altered and determined by adding up the floor cabinet height, benchtop thickness, splashback and wall cabinet heights. This will ensure the tall cabinet sits at the same height as the rest of the cabinetry.

Standard measurements are great to have as a general guide and a good starting point, but it is always best to measure your individual space (twice) and design a kitchen which not only meets both your needs and your budget but also adheres to any industry or government regulations. We hope that you have found our blog on kitchen measurements helpful.