Plan your kitchen in 3D – online and free
Last updated: 26 October 2026
To plan your kitchen online, you draw the room in RoomPlanning with its windows, doors and connections, then place base units, sink, cooker, fridge and wall units from the catalog along the walls. In 3D you see straight away whether the routes are short and there is enough room to work. You then take the finished plan to the kitchen showroom as a starting point.
How to plan your kitchen in RoomPlanning
- Measure the room accurately. Draw the kitchen with its real wall lengths (Rooms and areas) and add doors and windows with their sill heights (Doors and windows). The sill height decides whether the worktop can run beneath the window.
- Mark the connections. Water supply, drain and the cooker connection decide where sink and hob make sense. Record them in the plan with the Note tool (key N).
- Choose a kitchen layout. Which layout fits depends mainly on the room width and the doors. The table below helps.
- Place the units. In the catalog under Kitchen you’ll find 60 and 80 cm base units, a drawer unit, corner unit, sink unit, cooker or hob with oven, built-in fridge, wall units, cooker hood, kitchen island and bar end (Furnishing). Pieces line up against walls by themselves. Hold Shift to place several of the same in a row.
- Adjust sizes and materials. On the right you change the width, depth and height of each piece and choose materials, for example for wood.
- Plan sockets and lighting. The catalog has a socket above the worktop, plus lights. In the electrical plan you join everything into circuits (Garden and electrical plan).
- Check it in 3D. In the 3D view at eye level you see whether wall units get in the way and how the kitchen looks in the evening. Then export a scaled PDF (Drawings and export).
You’ll find an open-plan kitchen with an island in the City apartment and the Factory loft. Open either in the editor with one click and experiment there.
Kitchen layouts at a glance
| Layout | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Single run | small apartments, kitchenettes | On long runs the distances get long. |
| Galley (two runs) | narrow, long rooms | About 120 cm between the runs, so the room needs around 2.40 m width. |
| L-shape | kitchen-diners with a dining area | Use the corner with a corner unit. |
| U-shape | lots of worktop and storage | Leave about 120 cm free in the middle. |
| With island | large, open rooms | About 100 to 120 cm of walkway around the island. |
An island needs more space than many people think: a 60 cm run, a 120 cm aisle, a 90 cm deep island and a walkway behind it quickly add up to almost 4 m of room width.
Work triangle and rules of thumb
Sink, hob and fridge form the work triangle. If the three are too far apart, you walk a lot. If they are too close, they get in each other’s way. A common rule of thumb is about 1.2 to 2.7 m per side of the triangle. No through route should cross the triangle, for example to the terrace door.
| What | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|
| Worktop height | elbow height minus about 10 to 15 cm; 85 to 95 cm is usual |
| Worktop depth | usually 60 cm |
| Gap between facing runs | about 120 cm |
| Worktop between sink and hob | at least about 60 cm, better 90 cm or more |
| Set-down space beside the hob | at least about 30 cm to a wall or tall unit |
| Underside of wall units above the worktop | about 50 to 60 cm |
| Hob to cooker hood | as specified by the manufacturer |
You’ll find more on clearances in the guide Furniture clearances. Work out the amount of tiles for the splashback with the tiles and paint calculator.
Common mistakes
- Fridge right next to the cooker or oven. The heat costs energy. A unit or a little distance in between helps.
- No worktop between sink and hob. This is where you chop and prepare, so this is where the largest free surface belongs.
- Hob right against a wall or door. Without set-down space beside it, pans are in the way and handles stick out into the walkway.
- Doors and drawers that collide. In corners and opposite the dishwasher, fronts like to block each other. Check it in the plan and in 3D.
- Overlooking windows and radiators. A window sash that hits the tap, or a radiator behind a base unit, otherwise only shows up during installation.
- Too few sockets. Coffee machine, kettle and blender all want power at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I plan my kitchen in 3D for free?
Yes. RoomPlanning is free and runs in the browser, with no account and nothing to install. Press 3 to see your kitchen in 3D.
Does this replace planning at the kitchen showroom?
No. Kitchen makers work with their own unit grids, appliances and details. But with your plan you know which layout and arrangement you want, and you can compare quotes more easily.
Which kitchen layout suits my room?
Measure the room width and note where doors and windows are. Below about 2.40 m width, usually only a single run or an L fits. From about 4 m width, an island becomes an option.
How do I plan a kitchen island?
Take the kitchen island from the catalog and set its width and depth to the size you want. Add the bar end to extend it into a breakfast bar; you’ll find bar stools under Chairs & stools. Keep enough walkway free all round.
