Eating In

Islands can serve as tables for informal meals. If it’s the height of conventional counters—36 inches—you’ll need stools and an ample overhang of about 12 inches to comfortably accommodate sitters’ knees.

If you’re thinking about placing a table in your kitchen, here are some basic parameters: A rectangular table with a seating capacity of four to six should measure 2½ feet by 5 to 5½ feet. You’ll need 2½ to 3 feet of clearance all around for chairs and adequate circulation. A round table takes up less space but can accommodate more people if need be. Remember that a small increase in radius makes for a big increase in the circumference of the table and therefore the floor space it will take up.

starting in 1944 the University of Illinois conducted a number of studies of kitchen design and developed the fundamental design principles that are still very much in use. These days the National Kitchen & Bath Association updates and publishes these basic design standards.

A kitchen that follows all of these rules is almost gua­ran­teed to be both functional and safe. See how many rules your existing kitchen violates for a better understanding of why it may seem awkward and hard to use.

While these guidelines are a good start, they do not substitute for competent kitchen design. Design encompases these rules and much more. It’s the “much more” part that gets novice designers in