Have a Small Kitchen? Here’s the Critical Kitchen Measurements! Don’t Make This Mistake When Planning Your Kitchen Remodel. Allow a Minimum of 36” between your perimeter cabinets and your Island. The optimal space is 42” to comfortably work and if you have a larger area 48” will work especially if there are multiple cooks in your kitchen at the same time. Which dimension would work best in your kitchen? Follow along with me for more important information you can use when planning your kitchen re