The modern kitchen comes in a variety of different designs, sizes, and square footage. When you’re looking to expand your cooking area or just make simple upgrades such as adding custom cabinets you’ll naturally want to do research on the topic before choosing suitable kitchen remodeling services. This is where it's easy to become confused as some figures say the average kitchen is 150 square feet while others will say over 700 square feet.
Let’s take a closer look at what the actual average is, how this relates to home size, and why these confusing figures exist in the first place.
What factors impact the average size of a kitchen
in America?
When comparing average kitchen sizes there are a few factors to keep in mind. First, is the change in average kitchen size when comparing the mid-20th century Modern and Postmodern contemporary to current home design options. Second, what a home’s square footage means to the term average. Third, how the industry affects consumer perception.
Kitchen sizes in the mid-20th century
When you review photography or home layouts from the early to mid-20th century the size of the kitchen definitely stands out. When directly compared to many contemporary or modern cooking spaces their mid-century counterparts certainly appear smaller. In terms of square footage, older kitchens averaged around 80 square feet. The growth of kitchen size can be correlated to a change in general culture and also home sizes. In the cultural sense, kitchens were far more practical and used simply for food preparation and cleanup.
Nowadays people hang out in the kitchen, some people have TVs in their kitchens, some people have radios, and so on as technology expands and progresses year after year. Add to this, larger homes have more room for a large kitchen and it can be hard to pin down what the average size is for a kitchen's floor plan.
Average home sizes shed light on average
kitchen sizes
An important thing to understand is there is no official ruling on what the average kitchen size is. The average is whatever you want it to be and the limits are often only having a big enough house to put a large kitchen into it. If you’ve ever seen a home improvement show, or just about any show on HGTV, kitchens are often the centerpiece of such programs. This is because many different groups have a financial interest in people like yourself spending money on their kitchen options such as islands and tables, remodeling services, and the like. If you’re planning your kitchen overhaul soon, the below figures are just some of the reported averages for kitchen sizes.
- 720 Square Feet: this impressive number comes from The Home Company. It is worth noting this is only for newly built homes that are roughly 4,800 square feet in size. To give you an idea of the size of such a home here are some useful and comparable floor plans. While certainly, a nice 720 sq. foot kitchen is only average in homes that are quite large.
- 180 to 440 Square Feet: is the range of kitchen size options you’ll often see in new home designs.
- 225 Square Feet: a figure from Pi Consulting this is more in line with the overall national average for kitchen size as it relates to the average home size.
- 175 to 200 Square Feet: a lot of homes have their dining areas and kitchens combined into a common room. This increases the overall size of the kitchen and adds functionality. It is, however, stretching the meaning of the term ‘kitchen’ due to the added dining space.
- 100 Square Feet: is the size of a traditional kitchen design style (10 X 10) and is used by the cabinet industry. It's commonly used to help calculate costs for renovation projects.
- 70+ Square Feet: would be the average small kitchen as defined by the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association. Commonly found in smaller homes, apartments, and condos and a great option if you want lower kitchen remodel costs.
The industry affects consumer’s perception
As the above figures show, average is a relative term and what is average for one range of homes won’t necessarily be the average for larger (or smaller) ones. It is also important what the average home size really is. The average home is not 4,800 square feet—it's 2,392 sq. feet. Taking the common size of a kitchen (10% to 15% of total floor space) this means an average kitchen in an average home is 240 to 360 square feet. Also, this doesn’t include condos or apartments which have kitchens that are only 100 to 200 square feet on average.
What company provides dependable kitchen
remodeling services?
When looking for a reliable kitchen remodeling option near you, it’s important to stay away from home improvement media material which is focused on selling you the most expensive and largest projects possible. As noted above, the emphasis here is on gaining money and not necessarily your own wants and needs.
When remodeling your kitchen, it's essential to work with a company that puts your goals first and offers a free in-home consultation to discuss what you want and not necessarily what’s in someone else's interest.
Luckily, Kitchen Magic is a client-centered company that boasts over 40 years of experience in delivering high-quality US kitchen remodeling solutions. Call us at (866) 525-0012 or fill out an online form to get your initial consultation free of charge. We’ll make your kitchen remodel idea a reality while making sure you fall in love with your cooking space once again!
