A kitchen peninsula is a beautiful addition to any kitchen regardless of style, whether it is a U-shape kitchen, L-shaped, a small kitchen, or another kitchen layout. Kitchen peninsula dimensions will matter for your ideal space and the size of your kitchen.
Adding a large or small peninsula to your kitchen can give you enough room, extra counter space, and storage. I have friends who live in a smaller space where smaller kitchens are more the norm. and it also improves your kitchen’s usability while offering more exciting preparing and cooking food possibilities. You can also get away with a small island that is mainly portable and mobile for a work space and food prep area if a peninsula is not the better option.
However, there has been a seat tide change with more homeowners preferring peninsulas over islands which are perfect for small and large kitchens alike. However, the peninsula requires careful planning to ensure that it doesn’t compromise your kitchen space. If you can do it yourself (DIY), saving money is a great option! (grin)
That said, I think it’s a good idea to consider a kitchen designer for any kitchen remodel as it will usually create a well-planned that strategy considers your kitchen peninsula and other modifications in the future.
Read on below to know more about kitchen peninsulas, their recommended kitchen dimensions, and advantages to determine whether they will work for you and your specific needs.
Table of Contents
- What is a Kitchen Peninsula
- Standard Dimensions of Kitchen Peninsulas
- Difference between Kitchen Islands and Kitchen Peninsulas
- Peninsula Kitchen Classifications
- Is a Peninsula the Best Choice for Your Kitchen
- Benefits of Kitchen Peninsulas
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Kitchen Peninsula
An actual peninsula is defined as a land area surrounded by water on three sides, with the remaining side staying connected to the mainland. Kitchen peninsulas have a similar concept as the peninsulas in geography, but this time, the term refers to the countertops and cabinetry rather than pieces of land. Peninsulas contain countertops and cabinetry with an open floor space surrounding its three sides while still connected to the wall on one end of the adjacent countertop.
Your kitchen peninsula layout will act as a focal point to the rest of your kitchen and provide easy access to casual dining. I have seen many examples, like an overhanging granite countertop, adding inches of space which is a great idea when you’re looking for a spot for dirty dishes and prep and cooking space while family members sit around the edges to chat with you.
Standard Dimensions of Kitchen Peninsulas
After you have decided to add a peninsula to your kitchen, your next step is to be familiar with the correct measurements or dimensions.
Since your kitchen is a utility room, optimizing it for ideal and convenient working conditions is essential to create enough space. You can easily ruin the overall workflow of the kitchen if the features have awkward spacing.
The following are the recommended standard distances between a peninsula and surrounding or nearby elements.
- Approximately 4 feet for simultaneous opening of the doors of both cupboards
- About 4 feet to have much space to accommodate two people working in the kitchen
- Around 3 feet if the dishwasher is at the front of a wall
Dimensions of Countertops
Your peninsula often has the exact dimensions as the rest of your countertops. You must be familiar with the recommended measurements for kitchen countertops to plan for any space concerns.
The standard cabinet or countertop height is 30 to 42 inches, while the average depth should be 24 to 36 inches. In terms of peninsula design, the amount of space creates enough comfortable knee space when bar stools are added on three sides.
A kitchen peninsula can also follow the average measurements of a bar. I do not recommend this because it cuts off significant surface space; however, it’s still an option to consider.
If you want to create a breakfast bar-like countertop, the standard dimensions include a standard depth of 12 inches and a standard height of 40 to 42 inches.
Entryway
There should be adequate space that will let you enter your kitchen. The entryway and walking space are some of the critical elements of kitchen peninsulas, and this entryway space must be enough to accommodate a person walking into the kitchen work area quickly. For entryways, I recommend you aim for 36 inches of clearance.
Kitchen Work Triangle
The kitchen work triangle is another critical design tenet of kitchens. The kitchen triangle places the three most commonly used items in the kitchen in the shape of a triangle.
These three kitchen items are the sink, the stove, and the fridge. When planning your kitchen design, you must ensure good traffic flow between these three spaces.
The area between the three elements must always stay clear. Avoid blocking any of these elements with another. For instance, your fridge must never open so that it will block the work surface on the kitchen sink.
The following are the typical dimensions to remember when planning your kitchen triangle:
The total sum of the three sides must be anywhere around 13 feet to 26 feet.
No leg of the triangle must be more than 9 feet or less than 4 feet.
You have to consider all this regardless of the style of your kitchen. For kitchens with peninsulas, this is important because when misused, these features may block off your kitchen in an awkward way.
Difference between Kitchen Islands and Kitchen Peninsulas
Islands and peninsulas may sound confusing, but these two terms are both named after the geographical features, making it easier and simpler to distinguish one over the other.
A kitchen island is a freestanding space often located in the middle of the kitchen. Islands can serve as an extra workspace or a kitchen space where family and friends can sit on bar stools and chat without disrupting the person in charge of food prep and cooking.
Keep in mind that your island layout will depend on the rest of the space in your kitchen. The kitchen island still is the perfect place for using every side of the island compared to the peninsula. Kukun, a home investment intelligence property data firm, states that the average size of a kitchen island is 80×40 inches, requiring 36-42 inches of clearance on all sides of the island.
Peninsula kitchens may serve a similar purpose, but to create enough space in the dining area, these are often fixed to at least one wall while giving access only to the three sides instead of four, as is the case with islands. You would be correct to believe this is the same difference between a peninsula and an island in geographical terms.
Kitchen peninsulas often serve as the extension of other kitchen parts, unlike islands that are distinct units separate from the rest of the worktops and cupboards.
A peninsula can also create more space in kitchens with narrow or small spaces and provide a natural dining room division.
Peninsula Kitchen Classifications
Several options are available if you plan to add a peninsula to your kitchen.
- A peninsula kitchen with sinks and a cooktop, or only a sink or only a cooktop. This design makes the peninsula the heart of your kitchen.
- A peninsula kitchen featuring a worktop and table or snack counter, with the former located behind or right after the work area. There are times when the exact dimensions get used, while other homeowners choose to increase the terms of depth to create a projecting table or snack counter.
- Peninsula kitchens can also have a work surface with additional storage in base cabinets with regular deep drawers, cupboard doors, and open shelving that helps expand the storage space available in a typical kitchen while maximizing the countertop space for food preparation. You also benefit from the ability to store some small appliances.
The peninsula can also function as a table connected to the rest of your cabinetry to form a compact solution that features a dining table.
Is a Peninsula the Best Choice for Your Kitchen
Although kitchen peninsulas are different from the more popular and more common kitchen islands, these additions have their advantages.
A peninsula doesn’t have the exact space requirements as typical kitchen islands. Since accessibility is only allowed on the three sides, this can be a barrier to keeping out the traffic flow from your main work area while still offering extra storage and food prep space. However, this works well with a galley kitchen where the rest of the kitchen opens up square feet access to the rest of the room.
These peninsulas can also be ideal for achieving an open floor plan in a small space. Once you have discovered the following benefits of kitchen peninsulas, these features will surely be on top of your wish list right away.
Benefits of Kitchen Peninsulas
When planning a new kitchen in ample open space, kitchen peninsulas are the best option for those who wish to distinguish their living room from their kitchen in a relaxed, continuous, and elegant style.
This modern kitchen feature offers a few notable advantages, including the following:
It can serve as a snack or breakfast counter near the worktop, ideal for cooking while chatting or for quick meals.
Peninsulas offer all the benefits of islands, even if you don’t have the necessary space for a kitchen island. These are also good options for smaller rooms or when you don’t want to exert too much work to make one.
A kitchen peninsula divides your kitchen from your open living room if the space is a single spacious room or if you want to define these two environments better without necessarily closing them off.
A peninsula counter is a great way to add a kitchen table since the peninsula is an elegant alternative for tables if there is no extra space available.
This feature can simplify any necessary changes since you can use a peninsula as an eventual snack counter or workspace, eliminating the need to change the plumbing and electrical systems.
Peninsulas allow you to be engaged since this feature lets you entertain guests or keep an eye on kids in the adjacent living room while you are busy cooking or working in the kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a kitchen peninsula?
Kitchen peninsulas are additional kitchen cabinets and counter sections attached to the wall. A peninsula often connects to any existing counters or cabinets. It sticks out into the room, just like how regular peninsulas stick out in the middle of the ocean or sea.
Are kitchen islands better than kitchen peninsulas?
A kitchen island might be a better option than a peninsula if you have ample space with plenty of floor area. If you have lots of spare floor area, it will be more sensible to fill it with a large island or even a tiny island than adding a peninsula with lots of new floor area.
What is the ideal width for kitchen peninsulas?
According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the width of peninsulas for kitchens can vary from one home to another. However, most kitchen peninsula bases have an approximate width of 3 feet.
Are kitchen peninsulas worth it?
Yes, adding a peninsula to your kitchen is an excellent idea to incorporate additional design elements into the room. It lets you experiment with the countertop material of your choice, lighting options such as pendant light, extra cabinets for storage, and other creative design opportunities when remodeling.
It doesn’t matter if you plan to use your available space for a peninsula that can serve as an extra prep area or for living and eating. You can be sure that there are so many things you can enjoy with more storage and cabinets that you can use to your full advantage.
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John Thompson, Writer and Commentator
Soldier, writer, researcher, consultant, and bon vivant, John Thompson is the author of numerous columns, op-eds, reports, briefs, short stories and books as the “Felicity Files” and “Spirit Over Steel: A Chronology of the Second World War” (version III). Often found hunched over his computer, or in his garden, and now often found doing both. His diverse talent has led him to work in industries and projects such as energy, security and home construction and renovation. To see the entire team at Evolutdesign.com, visit Our Team page.
