Kitchen Design Guidelines are the suggestions of how to layout a function-able kitchen. The critical placement of cabinets, appliances, and sinks that allow for the best usage of a working space. See the Kitchen designs style page for help with finding your kitchen style. See the Cabinet design layout page for help with the specifics of cabinet layout.

If you need kitchen remodeling ideas, or have a complex design layout, it is not a bad idea to hire an experienced designer to handle the whole interior design. If there are structural changes then make sure the general contractor, or designer has a licensed engineer sign off on the changes. As an example if you want to remove a bearing wall, see what size beam is needed to hold up the floor under your next 50 person dinner party.

In a kitchen design get the function aspects out of the way before style. Some key guidelines to think about in a large, or small kitchen layout are:  Ease of the cooking and cleaning process, storage, task lighting, traffic flow/maneuverability, appliance door swings, window location/cabinet location, hood exhaust path, gas pipe path, large wire path, and  water and drain paths. In small kitchen designs only so much can be done with the space, and the layout can often only go one way.

Ease of the cooking and cleaning process  relates to the positions of the appliances and usable counter top sections. Most everybody has heard of the work triangle which is the relation between the refrigerator, the sink, and the cooking appliances. If the refrigerator is 20' from the stove it would not be an efficient work triangle. There can be two work triangles by adding a prep sink, or putting the oven and cook tops in different locations, if two people usually cook together.

Storage  refers to what type of things are stored in what locations, as to determining what type of cabinets are in what location.

Task Lighting  is just what the name infers which is making sure there is ample lighting where there is work being done. There is a good kitchen lighting ideas guide at www.kitchenlightingideas.info.

Traffic flow/Maneuverability  means make sure there is room to walk between cabinets (3' +),  and also plan for traffic flow through the kitchen by non cookers.

Appliance door swing guidelines are something to be sure of because your heart will sink if the refrigerator door smacks into the island after everything is installed. Most appliances need room on either side for good workability, (if possible). For individual appliance information visit The Appliance Page.

Window location/Cabinet location  has to do with the placement of the cabinets, say the sink cabinet centered on the sink window, or similarly the range hood and appliance placements and relation to cabinet placement.

Hood exhaust path, gas pipe path, large wire path. water and drain paths  relates to accurately planning the placements of the fixtures and appliances so you know where to run the rough electrical, plumbing, and heating. You must have your appliances chosen and the specs on hand for the electrician, plumber, or self if DIY.   See the Before Cabinets Page for rough plumbing and electrical,  see the Appliance Page for choosing appliances, and see the Recommended Kitchen design Books page for design ideas.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association has a kitchen design guideline web site that is very helpful.
Kitchen planning guidelines 

Down loadable kitchen planner