Kitchen layouts (straight, L, U, galley, island): space and clearances
The five common kitchen layouts, and the distances that make each one work: aisles, walkways, worktop beside the sink, cooktop and fridge, the work triangle and seating.
Last changed October 20, 2026
The five layouts
- Straight: everything along one wall. Simple and cheap, and it fits a narrow room; with a long wall, the walking adds up.
- L-shaped: two walls meeting in a corner. It leaves the room open, and needs a corner solution (see corner cabinet solutions).
- U-shaped: three walls. The most worktop and storage, and two corners.
- Galley: two runs facing each other. Efficient to cook in, as long as the aisle between them is wide enough.
- Island: any of the above with a free-standing run in the room, often with seating. It needs the most floor space.
The space between
| Where | At least |
|---|---|
| A work aisle, one cook | 107 |
| A work aisle, two or more cooks | 122 |
| Between the arms of a U-shape | 152 |
| A walkway past the kitchen | 91 |
The aisle is measured between the fronts of the worktops, or of a worktop and an island, not between the walls. A dishwasher also needs about 53 cm of standing room in front of it when it's open.
Worktop beside the work places
Each place you work needs worktop beside it, to put things down. The guidelines ask for:
| Beside | One side | The other side |
|---|---|---|
| The sink | 61 | 46 |
| The cooktop | 38 | 30.5 |
| The fridge, on its handle side | 38 | — |
| The oven or the microwave | 38 | — |
Distances to the sink are measured from the edge of the bowl, and to the cooktop from its edge, as far as the worktop runs on without a tall cabinet or a wall in the way.
The work triangle
The sink, the cooktop and the fridge form a triangle. Each side should be 1.2 to 2.7 m, and all three together no more than 7.9 m: close enough not to walk too much, far enough not to be in each other's way. An island may cut into one side by at most 30 cm.
Seating at an island or a peninsula
| Worktop height | Knee space deep |
|---|---|
| 76 (table height) | 46 |
| 91 (worktop height) | 38 |
| 107 (bar height) | 30.5 |
- 61 cm of width for each seat.
- 81 cm behind the seats when nobody needs to pass; 112 cm to walk past someone sitting.
TruePlinth checks the aisle and the worktop beside the sink, cooktop and fridge as you design, and notes the work triangle when it falls outside these ranges.
Plan it with TruePlinth
Draw your room, drag in cabinets in standard sizes, and the checks in this guide run as you design.