Make the most of a small kitchen with a U-shaped design Having both wall and floor cabinets crowding the corner of your space risks shrinking the space, and blocking light, so instead keep the walls bare or add kitchen shelving to keep the area feeling bright and open. If you have the luxury of space for plenty of floor cabinets, they consider ditching the wall cabinetry in an L-shaped layout. 'The cook has plenty of room to maneuver and can chat with guests at the same time, so it’s a real win-win in a hardworking kitchen that likes to entertain guests.' 'An L-shaped solution will help you make good use of the space available, and you’ll have plenty of room for cabinets on one side, as well as ample space for bar-style meals on the other.' explains Simon Bodsworth, director of Daval (opens in new tab). This layout works really well in more open plan kitchens or large space were's there's room to play with and you can afford to have a lovely sea of floor space for an island or a dining table (or even just a statement kitchen rug to ground the room). Two walls of cabinets join at a corner to create well. For hardworking kitchens choose an open L-shapeĪnother really common kitchen layout idea is the L-shape.
Positioning your sink on the opposite side to your cooker is a good idea as it avoids workspace conflict promoting usability.' 3. Look at placing your fridge freezer away from any windows and near to the main entrance of the kitchen to avoid natural light being stifled or too many people being inside the working triangle. 'It is important the traffic flow is minimized so that the cook is not obstructed as they use the kitchen.
'However, in order for a galley kitchen to operate effectively, it is imperative that there is plenty of room between your appliances so that workspace does not become cramped.' ' Galley kitchens offer a simple, practical, and efficient layout and provide easy access between worktops, storage areas, and appliances.' explains Melissa Klink, Creative Director at Harvey Jones. A galley kitchen is made up of two runs of cabinetry running down each side of the space – it's efficient, really maximizes space and lend themselves well to the whole kitchen triangle concept of having all your main appliances within easy reach of one another. Simple, but tried and tested and definitely a big contender if you are looking for small kitchen layout ideas.
Okay, let's begin with a classic, the galley kitchen.