Apartment ergonomics: walkways, work zones and the distances that actually work
A practical guide to residential ergonomics: walkway widths, minimum clearances in front of furniture, the kitchen work triangle, and bedroom spacing — with real numbers, not just code minimums.
Ergonomics is the part of interior design that makes a home physically comfortable to use. When it is wrong, people rarely name the problem — the apartment just feels 'cramped', or something is always in the way. Most of the time the issue is not the floor area; it is the distances between things.
This guide covers the numbers that matter: walkway widths for different rooms, minimum clearances in front of furniture, kitchen ergonomics, and bedroom spacing. Every figure here is a working value proven across thousands of projects, not a bare code minimum you then regret.
Walkway widths: the 60–90–120 rule
The absolute minimum walkway in a home is 60 cm. That is a tight gap a person passes through sideways, empty-handed — fine for service zones like behind a sofa to reach a window, or at the far end of a counter.
The standard walkway is 90 cm. At this width one person passes comfortably carrying a bag, and a child can squeeze past alongside. Use it for hallways, the gap between a dining area and kitchen units, and the zone by the front door.
A comfortable walkway is 120 cm or more. Two people can pass face to face, a stroller fits, and large furniture can be carried through. Make the main corridor and the gap between a sofa and coffee table this wide if anyone will lounge there with a laptop.
The kitchen work triangle and counter clearances
The core kitchen rule is the work triangle between the hob, the sink and the fridge. The sum of the three sides should be 4 to 8 metres. Shorter and the cook collides with all three zones; longer and they waste steps. The sweet spot is 5–6 metres total.
The prep surface between sink and hob should be at least 60 cm, ideally 90. This is where chopping happens, so it has to fit a board plus clear space to move ingredients.
Leave at least 100 cm of walkway in front of the kitchen run, and 100 cm on both sides of an island. With more than one cook, push the minimum to 120 cm — otherwise someone is permanently standing where the other one needs to be.
- →Countertop height: 86 cm (for height up to 165 cm) / 91 cm (165–180) / 96 cm (180+)
- →Backsplash height above counter: 55–60 cm
- →Base cabinet depth: 60 cm standard, 50 cm for small kitchens
- →Wall cabinet depth: 30–35 cm
- →Wall cabinets above floor: 145–155 cm to the bottom edge
Bedroom: clearances around the bed
A walk-around side of the bed needs at least 70 cm, or making the bed and getting out at night becomes awkward. If a nightstand sits on that side, measure the same 70 cm from the nightstand to the wall or wardrobe.
The headboard side has no clearance requirement — the bed usually sits against the wall. But leave at least 30 cm between the headboard and a window behind it for the radiator and curtains, or the radiator heats the pillows and the curtains fold over the bed.
At the foot of the bed, 90 cm of clear passage is ideal. If a dresser goes there, keep it to 60 cm deep so bed-dresser-wall never compresses below about 1.5 metres total.
Living room: sofa, table and television
Between a sofa and a coffee table, leave 40–45 cm — close enough to reach a cup, far enough to walk past and stretch your legs. The table itself should sit roughly level with the seat cushion, give or take a few centimetres.
Viewing distance to the television depends on screen size: a rough rule is 1.5 to 2.5 times the diagonal. For a 55-inch screen (about 140 cm diagonal) that is roughly 2 to 3.5 metres. Closer and large screens tire the eyes; much farther and detail is wasted.
In summary
Ergonomics is not about memorising a table — it is about respecting a handful of distances that the body notices even when the eye does not. Get walkways, the kitchen triangle and bed clearances right and the apartment will simply feel easy to live in.
When you plan a layout in Morf Vision, these clearances are checked automatically against the room geometry, so a layout that looks fine on screen is also one you can actually move through.
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