Kitchen layout ideas: plans and dimensions that work

Most kitchen layout ideas arrive as photographs, and most photographs show rooms far larger than the one you have. Before choosing a plan, measure four things: the length of every wall, the ceiling height, the position of windows and doors, and where water, gas and power come in today. Those fixed points decide more than any mood board.

Then decide how the kitchen will be used. One cook or two? Is the kitchen open to the living room, so the back of an island is on show? Do children do homework at the counter? The answers usually point to one or two of the six layouts below.

A single run is honest and calm, but it can feel short of countertop. The fix is height: a wall of tall units up to the ceiling holds the refrigerator, ovens and pantry, leaving the lower run for prep. A 12–16 ft run is enough for a complete kitchen if it is planned carefully.

A galley doubles the countertop without doubling the footprint. Put the sink and dishwasher on one side and cooking on the other, so the cook pivots rather than walks. Wide drawer units on both sides keep everything reachable; see galley kitchens.

A U gives the most storage per square foot and keeps through-traffic out of the cooking zone. Its risk is feeling enclosed, so we often run one leg lower or open it up as a peninsula with seating. Two corners mean two corner solutions — budget for them. See U-shaped kitchens.

When a room is 1–2 ft too narrow for an island, a peninsula is a good answer. It offers the same social seating and a finished back panel facing the living space. See peninsula kitchens.

An island works when there is room to walk around it. With 24 in deep runs on the wall and an island at least 36 in deep, the 42–48 in walkways on each side add up quickly — which is why most island kitchens need a room around 13 ft wide or more.

Decide early what the island is for: cooking, a sink, seating, or simply storage and a beautiful slab. Each choice changes plumbing, ventilation and power. Our detailed kitchen island with seating guide covers seat widths and overhangs, and kitchen islands shows the products.

The most frequent is a dishwasher in a corner, where its open door blocks the adjacent drawers. The second is a refrigerator door that opens against a wall and cannot swing past 90 degrees, so the drawers inside cannot come out. The third is an island that is simply too large for the room.

Two more are easy to miss: too little landing space — leave at least 15 in of clear countertop beside the refrigerator and on both sides of the cooktop — and wall cabinets planned over a window, where they cut into the light and the view.

All of these are easy to catch on screen. Try your plan in the 3D kitchen configurator, then bring it to a consultation for a check before anything is ordered. More in our kitchen design guide.