Island Seating Clearances

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Q.
I want to seat three at my new island. It is at the same height as the rest of the countertops. It will be a plain rectangular island without a sink or cooktop. I'd like a few cabinets underneath for storage. How large should the island be in our medium sized kitchen?
- Kathy

A.
The size and layout of your kitchen will determine the size and shape of your island based on the minimum requirements for clearances. There are a few different ways you can configure seating for three but you must pay attention to the clearances for the work aisle, walkway, and traffic in addition to the seating clearance. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) has established guidelines to provide planning access standards. These guidelines reflect current kitchen and bath industry practices as well as building codes and future trends. They are suggestions to help create a safe, effective environment.

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The NKBA recommends the following for seating clearances:

• 30" high counters - allow at least a 24" wide by 18" deep knee space per diner
• 36" high counters - allow at least a 24" wide by 15" deep knee space per diner
• 42" high counters - allow at least a 24" wide by 12" deep knee space per diner

The NKBA also suggests the following clearance for walkways, work aisles, and traffic:

• the width of a walkway should be at least 36"
• the width of a work aisle should be at least 42" for one cook and at least 48" for multiple cooks
• the width of a clearance behind a seated diner varies on the amount of traffic that passes behind
• If there is none, allow 32" from the counter to the wall or other obstruction
• If there is traffic, allow 36" from the counter to the wall or other obstruction to edge past
• If there is traffic, allow 44" from the counter to the wall or other obstruction to walk past

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This means that if you would like to seat everyone along the same edge, your island should be 72" wide (or 6') by at least 40" deep (assuming the base cabinets are a standard 24" deep). If your kitchen is smaller and does not allow for proper walkway or traffic clearances, you could group two diners along one edge and one diner on an adjacent edge. The minimum width should then be approximately 63" wide (24"+ 24"+ 15" for leg clearance). You can also modify the depth of the base cabinets to 21" deep for a 36" deep island. Again, these are merely recommendations. The measurements are slightly flexible so adjust them to your own level of comfort.

Good luck! - Danielle

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