[Ikea in Utah]

Any one have actual experience with space requirements between facing cabinents? I want an island but need to know the minimum space needed between a drawer unit in the island and base cabs/slide in stove opposite. I have found various requirement in code books ---but?

[DulcineaK]

i don't know that there are actual code issues, but there are NKBA guidelines... for a 2 cook kitchen they suggest 48in, they'll go down as far as 42"... however, in tighter kitchens it's not uncommon to go to 36", especially if you only have one main cook (to be perfectly honest i think 48" is too much, makes it almost cavernous... imo)

the only thing you really might want to think about is the door of the oven swinging out and also that ranges don't tend to line up flush with the cabinets, meaning that a 42" walkway can quickly become 39 in that area...

hth

[Gloria]

It may help to mock up the space with big cardboard boxes and pretend to do kitchen tasks, keeping in mind, not only drawers but like Dulci said, oven doors, and also dishwasher doors which stay open longer. If you have two people working, do you feel comfortable with 42" or do you prefer 48"? Can you stand 36"? Does the island block pathways? Will you always be walking around the island to set the table or throw something in the trash? Just some ideas to think about.

In my current kitchen, I have 36" between the stove and island and only one person can be there. If someone is there and doing something, I tend to go around the other side of the island.

HTH
Gloria

[DulcineaK]

gloria, not just the door while open, but also ranges tend to stick out beyond cabinet depth... my current one protrudes about 3" from the cabinet line...

[Gloria]

You're right, Dulci. I just measured mine and it's about 3" too. There's only 33" between my stove and island. No wonder it feels crowded.

[DulcineaK]