trouble. A new kitchen is a major investment, and not something you are going to want to do over because the first design was not quite right. So, invest in a good design. It’s money well spent.

Other Guidelines

These are not the only kitchen design “rules”. Designers and carpenters have worked out some rules of thumb over many years that do not arise to the level of “standards”, but represent accepted industry practice. We have included these in notes and comments where applicable.

Methodology & Overview

The NKBA Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards is a collection of illustrations and planning suggestions to aid professionals in the safe and effective planning of kitchens and bathrooms. These guidelines are excerpted from the National Kitchen & Bath Association Professional Resource Library Kitchen Planning and Bath Planning volumes. Designers and those interested in becoming kitchen and bath design professionals benefit by studying the complete body of knowledge found in the NKBA Professional Resource Library.

These flexible and easy-to-understand guidelines were developed under the guidance of the NKBA by a committee of professionals. The committee completed in-depth historical reviews of planning guidelines dating back to 1920. The guidelines published in this booklet reflect a composite of the historical review, current industry environment, future trends, consumer lifestyles, new research, new building codes, and current industry practices; as well as a Kitchen Storage Research Project conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute.