How to Design a Kitchen - The 6 Typical Layouts

No two kitchens are the same, but that’s not to say they don’t share characteristics. The type of space you have will influence how you design your kitchen.

1. The one-wall kitchen
The one-wall kitchen is exactly as it sounds, a kitchen that takes up one wall. The way to design a one-wall kitchen is to think about how to use the vertical space effectively.

2. The galley kitchen
The galley-type kitchen is similar to the one-wall kitchen but uses two walls facing each other. The benefit is mainly the added storage that can be added. One of the most important things to remember when designing a galley kitchen is to make sure the preparation areas are only on one side of the galley. This avoids creating an impassible kitchen with one person on each side.

3. The L-shaped kitchen
An L-shaped kitchen offers many different layout choices but where the two perpendicular walls join required some special thought to avoid dead space. There’s potential for incorporating a pantry area or even using pull-out
drawers for example to make sure every inch is put to good use.

4. The U-shaped kitchen
A U-shaped kitchen is ideal for larger kitchen spaces. It’s tempting to add storage space above head height on all
sides of a U-shaped kitchen but this can make the whole space feel quite enclosed os it pays to have one wall
without overhead cabinets to preserve the overall aesthetic.

5. The Island kitchen
The island kitchen is great for adding additional storage and working space, alongside creating a pleasant space to socialise or gather as a family.
The island can also create a natural flow of traffic through the kitchen space and also become a prominent feature
alongside some carefully chosen task lighting.

6. The peninsular kitchen
A peninsular kitchen is similar to the island kitchen but the ‘island’ is effectively an extension of the working surface around which people can stand, sit etc.

Peninsular kitchens can often be born from a wall being removed between the kitchen and an adjacent room.