The purpose of this study was to identify kitchen space needs in regard to the architectural elements and facilities of rural houses. Three rural villages, Kum-Sung Ri, Young-San 1 Ri, and Yu-Bang 2.5 Ri were selected for this study. The present and past condition of the kitchen space was investigated by the field survey method. The major findings were that: 1) The interior floor materials of the kitchen had been changed from mostly mudplastered floor to linoleum, and the former low level of the kitchen floor had been lifted to the same level of the house plane. This change was made possible by the separation of the cooking from the heating system. 2) Western style kitchen, work centers and kitchen cabinets had been installed in the most of the rural houses. 3) On the basis of this study, the rural Korean kitchen space was classified into six types.