A In the previous instalment of our series, we wrote about, such as what size of kitchen cupboards and worktops to plan for small and large kitchens. But of course, there are many more factors to consider if you’re looking for bespoke kitchen furniture. We’d now like to guide our readers through these.
The height of the wall units in a kitchen – small kitchen
In a small kitchen, you should not plan a row of wall units longer than approximately 1.5 metres. When designing bespoke kitchen furniture, these elements perhaps offer the greatest freedom. In a small kitchen, making the most of the available space is paramount, and a row of wall units provides an excellent opportunity for extra storage space. So the only limits to the possibilities are the room’s ceiling height and our imagination. If, however, we do wish to stick to standard dimensions, we should choose a height of 72 cm and a maximum depth of 32 cm. It’s also worth paying attention to the depth, as it’s not ideal if the cupboards cover too much of the worktop – not only is it unsightly, but it also makes working at the worktop difficult.
The height of the wall units in a kitchen – large kitchen
A large kitchen can easily accommodate a row of wall units up to 2–3 metres high. The depth and height of the cupboards are similar to those in a small kitchen, but if you are taller, you can even opt for a worktop height of 100 centimetres. When it comes to depth, we should again pay attention to the correct proportions; it’s not worth being too unconventional here, as in many respects the dimensions of the built-in appliances already limit our options.
Cupboards in the kitchen
With bespoke kitchen units, we have complete freedom when it comes to width. If, for example, we’ve always dreamt of keeping our spices in a drawer and have already decided on the type of drawer insert we want, we can adjust the dimensions accordingly. Generally speaking, we recommend that the depth of the drawers should be approximately 50 centimetres, and it’s not worth going below 45 cm in width either.
Height of the cooker hood from the worktop
The installation instructions for cooker hoods usually specify the recommended height at which they should be fitted. It is important to bear in mind that manufacturers often err on the side of caution and specify a much smaller distance to prevent any potential complaints. To ensure comfortable cooking, position it approximately 80–90 centimetres from the worktop (although this may mean you need to choose a higher-end model). It could be lower, but do we really want to get annoyed every day because we’re constantly bumping our heads?
Passengers
We know that in smaller kitchens we often have to make compromises, but it’s still worth considering just how much it makes our daily lives more difficult when we barely have any room to move about in the room. We’re thinking, for example, of the distance between the worktop and the opposite wall, or the space between a kitchen island, a peninsula and the other units. Let’s not forget that the oven and dishwasher doors also need to be opened somehow. The width of walkways should be at least 100–120 cm. Wider is great, but only up to a point, because if the kitchen appliances are too far apart, this will also make our daily tasks more difficult.
If you’re looking for bespoke kitchen furniture, it certainly can’t do any harm to seek advice from a professional, as there are so many things to bear in mind that it’s almost impossible to work it all out on your own. Changes made after the fact are always very expensive, so it’s much better to start the project with a comprehensive, well-thought-out plan. If you’ve decided you’d like to ask for help, The Mobilan team are always happy to help.
