Kitchen Bench Height In The Australian Kitchen 2022

Want to become a DIY kitchen designer boss and design your kitchen? Excellent, get ready to get your kitchen design on! Designing a kitchen can be fun, but being armed with the relevant info is important. Anyone who wants to renovate their kitchen will need to get their head around kitchen dimensions in general and the standard width and standard height measurements for various bits and pieces such as the kitchen island bench and standard dimensions of above-cupboard and cabinet benchtops etc. This is not to mention the specifics of bench size, bench depth, and cabinet depth, just to name a few. See? There is a bit to it as it turns out, but nothing you can’t get your head around. 

Standard Kitchen Bench Height: All In The Detail

There are standard sizes, but also a lot of variation. The standard kitchen benchtop height is around 900mm from the floor level, but you will find them from 850mm to 1000mm.

Sometimes it is important to go against the standard kitchen design measurements. Some people prefer a lower benchtop so they can reach everything easily, while others like a higher one so they don’t have to stoop down as much. It really comes down to personal preference, but the most important thing is to make sure that the height is comfortable for you and your family. But for resale value and being able to use standardized pre-fabricated elements and appliances such as a dishwasher, it would be best to stay somewhere within the standard specifications generally used for standard depth and height.

However, there are some other relevant measurements that make up that overall measurement of kitchen design other than the height and depth of the benchtops.

Benchtop Length Considerations

You should also factor in the length of the benchtops, as well as how far away they are from other features in the kitchen. For example, if you have a long island bench, you might want to make sure that it’s not too close to the oven or fridge so that you can comfortably move around while cooking. The same goes for sink benches – you’ll want to make sure there’s enough space between the sink and any other nearby surfaces so that you can easily wash your hands or dishes without bumping into anything.

Height Of Cabinets

Finally, another important consideration is the height of your cabinets. This will impact how comfortable it is to reach things while cooking, as well as how much storage space you have. If you have tall ceilings, you might want to consider taller cabinets to take advantage of that extra space. Alternatively, if you have a small kitchen, lower cabinets might be a better option to avoid making the space feel cramped.

Benchtop Depth And Bench top Height Related To Intended Use

For example, the standard benchtop depth can be from 600mm to 1200mm, depending on the circumstance such as is it for an island bench or just the bench above a cupboard. The kickboard height will depend on the height of the benchtop and the height of the appliances you intend to install. Typically, kickboards are 150mm high, but can range from 100mm to 200mm high. If you are talking about an island benchtop that you want to have stools around, you need to have around 300mm from a person’s knees to the bottom of the overhang benchtop.

Benchtop Thickness

In regard to the width of a benchtop, as a guide engineered stone benchtops are generally 20mm thick. However, a thickness of 40mm is also available. This is generally used for commercial applications, rather than domestic ones.

Granite benchtops are usually 20mm or 30mm thick. Marble benchtops are also usually 20mm or 30mm thick.

Splashback And Wall Cabinet Height Considerations

The splashback on your kitchen is a key point and when the kitchen is being designed, we need to consider what height you are going to have it at. The minimum height for a back wall behind the cooktop should be 750mm but experts encourage clients to have them as high as possible. Like 1800mm, which allows you to keep the wall and counter surfaces free of grease splashes and grease spots and also means you do not need to clean the work surface area behind the cooktop with dirty hands all the time.

In regard to wall cabinet height considerations in the kitchen, it is important to note that the heights given are just general guidelines and what works in one kitchen may not work in another.

In general, tall cabinets should have a height of 2100mm and a depth is 600mm at a minimum. In order to determine the overall height of the cabinet, it is necessary to add up the floor cabinet height, the benchtop thickness, the splashback height, and the wall cabinet height. In this way, the tall cabinet will sit level with the rest of the cabinetry as you measure from the floor.

Frequently, homeowners choose to install their cabinets higher than these suggested heights to add an element of design interest or simply because they have high ceilings and enjoy the look of taller cabinets. While 450mm is the standard distance between a cabinet base and the countertop above it, you will occasionally see cabinets installed with a gap of only 300mm or 380mm. Shorter overhangs make it easier to reach items stored in the back of base cabinets, but they also tend to emphasize the cabinetry more than is desirable. On the other hand, if your ceiling height is low, mounting wall cabinets too high may dwarf them and make the room feel cramped.

Conclusion

So you’re well on your way to understanding the important issues when it comes to bench tops and how to integrate them into your kitchen. Of course, there are other issues to get sorted for your new kitchen design. Check out our article on kitchen wall panels and the various options.