I don't think buehl suggested anyone with a shoebox sized kitchen is really agitating for an island. She is saying, if I read her right, that you may not want or be able to follow all the rules all the time, but they are still invaluable as an analytical tool. Let's step back a sec. What is the one, fundamental question that everyone who comes to the KF is asking? Whether they are sketching layouts or comparing marble to granite or choosing flooring material or wondering how to put a DW at the end of a cab run? Despite all the different issues discussed here, they all boil down to the same fundamental question: "What consequence?" If I do this, what consequence will it have? If my aisle is too narrow, will we be fine and only rarely collide in my situation, or will I constantly have an uncomfortably close encounter with my MIL's backside? Will I be angry when I cook, and cook less? Will detritus pile up at my back door and make me look like a cat lady? Will I drop boiling pasta water on my Maltese, or constantly scream at my children to take the lemonade off the countertop? What will happen if I buy a Shaw's sink? What consequence am I facing if I make this choice? I find that Americans are increasingly unable to understand one fundamental, basic point about the universe. You get to choose what you do. You do not get to choose what the consequences are. If you plan for only 9" of prep space in your whole kitchen, you do not get to choose to roll out dough for a large pizza every day. If you want to cut lemons on your marble, it will not remain pristine and like new forever. It's not up to you. It's up to reality. You have no say. You just obey. So before you decide, you better find out what the consequences are, because they're automatic and you can't change them. That's where the rules come in handy. They tell you what the consequences are. Obey the aisle rules, and you'll pretty much never bump into anybody. It won't be an issue, or something you ever even think about again. You certainly can, and often must, choose a narrower aisle than the rules decree. But there will be consequences. The consequence can be anything from the occasional, not-a-big-deal step-aside to a pot of boiling bolognese on a ruined cocktail dress. In your kitchen, you may be OK with accepting the consequence of mild traffic jams, because it is the lesser of two evils. You are doing it so you can escape other consequences that are less desirable to you, such as never seeing your dinner guests until dessert, or having no place to put hot pans, or simply walking too far to get what you need. Everyone is free to make their own decisions. But everyone has to accept the consequences. The rules just help us tell them, in advance, what the consequences are.

We have a dead-end galley that is about 12.5' long. In the design phase our draftsperson drew up our plans with the minimum aisle width of 42", but from cabinet to cabinet rather than counter edge to counter edge. This is my biggest regret in our whole-house renovation. 38-40" aisle width is tolerable, but I would not recommend it if one has a choice. If you're planning to stay in this home as long as possible, I wouldn't recommend a galley. It would be near impossible for a person with a walker to prepare a meal in our kitchen. I think the most efficient layout for a minimal, empty nester type of kitchen would be an L shape eat-in kitchen so one can sit and prep at the table near the workspace and so serving food is just a couple steps from the worktop. My second choice would be a U shape with a minimum of 60" diameter of clear floor space to maneuver a walker and the opening toward the dining table so you don't have to walk around cabinets to serve.

Yes, I have seen it. But those are guidelines, not codes, and sometimes compromises have to be made. My question is : Should I compromise and go with a narrower passing aisle on one side to get a wider work aisle?

Workspace, Landing Space, Other Items . Work Zones…There are three primary work zones: Prep Zone (70% or more of kitchen work/time) Cooking Zone (10% of kitchen work/time), and Cleanup Zone (20% or less of kitchen work/time) Of these, the Prep & Cooking Zones work best when either next to each other or across from each other. The Cleanup Zone usually works best if it's separated from the Prep & Cooking Zones. Sometimes that means different parts of the kitchen (usually with a prep sink in the Pep Zone); other times it means the only sink in the kitchen separates them...Prep & Cooking Zones on one side of the sink and Cleanup Zone with DW on the other side of the sink. [See the FAQ thread "Kitchen Work Zones, What Are They?" for more information about work zones.] . Trash & recycle pullout...works best in the Prep Zone, near the Cooking Zone, and, if only one is possible, near the Cleanup Zone. Far more trash & recyclables are generated while prepping and cooking than while cleaning up. So, if you have to choose, put the trash & recycle in the Prep Zone instead of the Cleanup Zone. [That's the biggest mistake I made, I put it in the Cleanup Zone across a 6' aisle from the Prep Zone...it's my biggest regret by far in my kitchen.] Prep sinks...should have an interior size of no smaller than 12" x 12"...and bigger is better - I recommend no less than 15" in each direction, 18" would be better, IMHO. Anything smaller is not very useful for prepping. Those smaller sinks are often called "bar sinks" because they're really only big enough for filling a glass with water or dumping a glass. They're not big enough to clean veggies/fruit or draining pasta in a colander. Zone protection...strive to protect the Cooking Zone from traffic - both through-traffic as well as in-kitchen traffic. While cooking, you are dealing with very hot pots/pans/food and you don't want to be tripping over or dodging traffic, open DW doors, etc. This usually means putting the Cooking Zone in the most "secluded" area...but not always, it depends on the workflow in your design – but keep it in mind when designing. After the Cooking Zone, the Prep Zone should be protected. In general, no major traffic patterns should cross through the primary work zones. If you must put the Prep Zone or Cooking Zone on a major thoroughfare, then consider extra wide aisles so people can give the zone(s) a wide berth when someone is preparing a meal . Work/Landing Space...Be sure you have adequate work and landing space near/around appliances and in zones. Note that sometimes combining work & landing spaces is required when it's a small kitchen. [The following items are from the "NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines With Access Standards"] Prep Zone...36" continuous counterspace at least 24" deep for the prep zone workspace and be immediately adjacent to a water source. [We recommend at least 42" of continuous counterspace.] Cooking Zone...See Cooktop/Range Cleanup Zone...See "Sink (Only or Cleanup Sink)" Sink (Only or Cleanup Sink)...At least 24" of counter frontage to one side of the primary sink, and 18" on the other side (including corner sink applications) with the 24" counter frontage at the same counter height as the sink. The minimum allowable space from corner to the edge of the primary sink is 3". Sink (Prep)...At least 3" of countertop frontage on one side of secondary sinks, and 18" on the other side (including corner sink applications) with the 18" counter frontage at the same counter height as the sink. [We generally recommend at least 12" on one side and 42" on the other side. This minimizes splashing on the floor and accidentally knocking things off the counter.] Refrigerator...At least 15" counter space on the latch side of the refrigerator or on either side of a side-by-side, or at least 15" of landing space no more than 48" across from the refrigerator. If an oven is next to [the] refrigerator, [the] refrigerator should be the one placed next to available countertop. Ovens (Wall)...At least 15" of landing space, at least 16" deep, next to or above oven if it opens into a primary traffic pattern. If it does not open into a traffic area, at least 15" x 16" of landing space needed [(i.e., it can be across or next to it). We do not recommend putting an oven where it's in a major traffic path.] MW...At least 15" of landing space, a minimum of 16" deep, above, below, or adjacent to a microwave oven Cooktop/Range... Open-ended kitchen: at least 9" of counter space on one side of the cooking surface and 15" on the other, at the same counter height as the appliance. [We recommend at least 18" on the open end for safety reasons.] Enclosed kitchen: at least 3" of clearance at an end wall protected by flame retardant material; 15" on the other side of the appliance, at the same counter height as the appliance. [Be sure there is sufficient space for elbow room and pot/pan handles on both sides – we recommend at least 9".] Island or peninsula: Countertop should extend a minimum of 9" behind the cooking surface, at the same counter height as the appliance, in any instance where there is not an abutting wall/backsplash. [We recommend 18" to 24" behind the cooktop/range for safety and aesthetic reasons] Combined countertop for 2 adjacent locations...For two adjacent work centers or landing spaces, determine the longest of the two required lengths and add 12". NOTES on cooktop/range spacing: Experiences here have shown some of us that the above is actually too little for an island or peninsula setup or when the cooktop/range is at the end of a cabinet run. For safety reasons, you need at least 18" on each side. This does not include workspace -- 18" is far too little for workspace. For behind the cooktop/range in an island or peninsula, there should be a minimum of 18" behind if there is no seating behind the cooktop/range and 24" behind if there is seating. For functionality, at least 24" on each side is better, regardless of location of cooktop/range. This space can be shared with the Prep Zone on one side; if it is, then there should be at least 48" on the side shared with the Prep Zone. [36" + 12" = 48"; 36" for the Prep Zone + 12" for the overlap with the Cooking Zone. See above about "combined countertop for 2 adjacent locations".] In the case of a range/cooktop next to a door or wall, check your local Codes, they may dictate more space b/w the door or wall and cooktop/range.