Kitchen worksurface - clearance to be practical? Help Please!

[Leapoffaith123]

Morning Folks,
Planning a new kitchen. I'll have tall wall units (90cm) which come out 40cm deep as one needs to fit a boiler inside. My work surface will be 62cm deep, so the clearance between where the wall units finish and the worksurface ends is 22cm. My question - is that enough space to make the worksurface practical and easy to use? Anyone able to measure theirs - have you got this amount of space and find it ok? Just to add, the space between where the wall units finish and the top of the worktop is 47cm (although I might be able to reduce the legs (and plinth) of base unit to get another 2cm). I don't want to reduce the thickness of the worksurface (4cm) as I don't think that will look good and the ceilings are low - 231cm - so no scope to move wall units up. If 22cm isn't a big enough clearance from the wall units to make the worksurface useabe, I could buy an breakfast bar worksurface (95cm) and cut it down - to say maybe 65cm to gain a couple more cms? This would mean an overhang of the worksurface - which I guess may be ok? Many thanks for all your help and advice - much appreciated!!!

Couple of options off the top of my head -

Could you fit the boiler into a 76cm high wall unit instead of 90cm? We're looking at doing shorter higher wall units to get a clean line with the integrated extractor fan... If you're shorter than 5ft 5 then reaching up might be an issue though.

Look at Ikea worktops - most of them are 65cm deep so there's room for pipes behind the units (or some other Scandi reason!) So that would give you an extra 3cm without the waste of cutting down a breakfast bar :) Your fitter should be able to position the base units where you want for the amount of overhang you like - they don't have to be snug to the wall.

I personally wouldn't just crack ahead with a layout that feels cramped to you - it will likely feel more not less cramped when it's installed! Best of luck.

I think we need a diagram. Your description sounds like you have gap of 22cm between the overhanging cupboards and the worktop - you couldn't even get a mixing bowl in there, so I'm guessing I've misunderstood!

Gap from top of worktop to bottom of wall unit is 47cm? That’s probably OK.
But the floor to the bottom of your wall unit is 231cm less 90cm, so 140cm, is that right? My extractor hood is about that height, and I find it a total PITA, but the front of it is flush with the hob.
This sounds insane, but can you get some cardboard and mock up how it would be to use the worktop with wal units at that height?

Thanks for the fab advice Ladies. I've attached a picture to help. The main question is: Cabinets are 40cm deep and the worktop is 62cm deep - so that leaves 22cm for you to step in and work on the worktop before you hit up against the wall cabinets. Is 22cm enough? Does anyone have this gap and it's ok? I'm trying to maximise storage (small kitchen) hence the 90cm wall units. I've chosen everything and just having a last minute concern about the 22cm. The cardboard mock up is a good idea to test this! The extractor will be at 172.cm so while not super high, hopefully workable. Thanks again folks - really appreciate your help and expertise!

moderv ceilings are typically about 2400mm high. A 900 cabinet will reach down to about 1500mm

Worktops are usually about 900mm hight.

So the space between the bottom of a wall cabinet, and the worktop, is about 600mm, which is adequate.

your face will usually not project beyond the plane of the worktop, unless you are leaning forward, and you will be able to see to the back of the worktop, and the switches and sockets on the wall.

btw I recommend putting the extractor hood heigh enough that you can't hit it with your head.

Some people fit them at the "minimum" height above the hob, but it is a minimum and nothing to stop them going higher. You will not be able to reach past the hood into the top box above.

Also, a hood 900mm or wider will be better, with the wall cabinets spaced apart. A hood only 600mm wide is quite restrictive.

I have 27cm from front of cabinets to edge of worktop.

I've mocked up 22cm - the cabinets will be quite close to your head but not unusable.

The height gab in my kitchen is just over 60cm and is good.

My old kitchen had an eye level extractor and I used to bang my head on it constantly it was a major driver for the kitchen upgrade.

Unfortunately lots of kitchens don’t have the standard modern ceiling height! Our ceiling is low enough for us to’ve decided to do without overhead cupboards....

Thanks again everyone - really appreciate all your assistance!

Why not put a tall cabinet next to the fridge freezer to house the boiler and mover the cooking left on cupboard, the the wall cabinets only need to be 300 deep and you won't feel encumbered by them.

Only the boiler cupboard needs to be extra depth. I can't see an issue tbh ; you have full use of the worktop although with 400 deep units it will certainly be in your face! If at all possible I'd switch the non-boiler cabinets for standard height and depth to maximise working space