Unsure how wide to make your kitchen cabinets? Is there a minimum height for a benchtop, and how high is too high? Wondering if there are standard Australian kitchen dimensions, or what’s the best size for a kitchen island?
The possibilities are limitless for the perfect kitchen dimensions for your home and your family. There are, however, a few standard dimensions that are important to incorporate into your dream kitchen.
A kitchen designed to standard Australian dimensions is not only an excellent choice for optimum functionality and ergonomics, but it’s also great for aesthetics. You want your kitchen to function well, but also look good.
Here at Icon Homes, we pride ourselves on setting the industry benchmark for a standard set of inclusions in all homes. We aim to build the home of your dreams, designed and measured to suit your needs.
To help you understand the different dimensions in your home, here is a breakdown of the standard Australian sizes for every corner of your kitchen:
Kickboards
Kickboards are a discreet way to help keep the space below your cabinets free from crumbs and dust. Although they may vary in height depending on the room, the industry standard is 90-150mm. Most kitchens will have then positioned back from the cabinet’s carcass (the internal framework of your kitchen where doors and drawers are attached) by about 50mm. Some kickboards may be taller or deeper, but often this impedes storage space within the cabinets.
Benchtops and Cabinets
The standard height is 900mm for kitchen cabinets and benchtops, with variations between 850-1000mm, depending on your needs. When it comes to the depth of a benchtop, the standard dimension is 600mm. However, most builders will insist that the depth of your fridge is taken into consideration.
According to RenoSmart, all fridges range in depth, with most boasting a measurement of 700mm plus. The largest, a fridge with a French Door, can protrude out to 924mm. If your fridge pokes out beyond your benchtops, you are interrupting your kitchen’s flow and potentially causing a hazard.
When it comes to the thickness of your benchtops, it depends on the material being used. The material you choose to install will inform you of the optimum thickness of your benchtop.
One of the most popular benchtops choices is engineered stones like caesarstone, or a laminate finish. The thickness of both of these benchtops varies greatly. For example, the average thickness of a laminate finish is around 33mm, and an engineered stone benchtop can vary in multiples of 20mm, with the optimum thickness at 40mm.
Island Bench
Thanks to their practical uses and overall aesthetic, island benches have become one of the Australian kitchens’ most popular design features.
The suggested kitchen dimensions with an island bench vary on the size of your room. If you have room for it, the advised width for your island bench is 120mm, as it provides enough space for dining and food preparation.
Regardless of the size of your island bench, make sure there is a minimum of 1m between your island bench and any other furniture, walls, or benches. This space allows movement and gives room for barstools or other furniture. To account for legroom, allow around 300mm underneath the island benchtop for people to sit comfortably.
For a Galley kitchen, the industry recommendation is to allow 1200mm between the end of the island bench and the kitchen row. The reason is that if the space between the two is too narrow, there’s little room to move through the kitchen. Too wide, and the kitchen loses functionality.
Overhead cupboards
Overhead cupboards are a lifesaver for storage. Standard practice allows for a minimum of 600mm between the benchtop and your overhead cupboard. However, this does not apply to stovetops, as you’ll need a more significant gap between the stovetop and the cabinets above and an exhaust fan to help remove heat and steam.
Oven and/or stove
Appliances like ovens or stoves need a lot of space. For a stove/oven hybrid, you’ll need to allow room for heat dissipation, a vent, and other fire precautions.
The Australian standard for an oven/stove is a width of 600mm. For larger homes, multiple gas burners or large ovens will need custom measurements (Icon Homes can help you assess which size oven or stove your family needs).
Sink
If you’re unsure of the dimensions of a kitchen sink, you’re not alone. Kitchen sinks come in all shapes and sizes, but to allow for proper drainage, you’ll need to allow for some space around the sink. Make sure your bench has adequate room for the depth of the sink, too.
Ready to start building your dream kitchen in your new home? Speak with one of our talented team members to find out how we design for better living. You can see a complete list of inclusions that we have as standard in our builds here.
