The size and shape of your kitchen will, to some extent,
dictate the layout – no point in hankering after
a vast island unit when your kitchen is long and narrow.
Whatever its size, the most important thing is to make
your kitchen as efficient as possible and maximise the
storage space – you can never have too much!
Unless you are blessed with an enormous room, kitchens
generally come in one of four main shapes – galley,
two-way galley, L-shaped and U-shaped.
Galley kitchens
With space at a premium, it is likely that your choice
of layout will be quite restricted and storage space
beneath worktops will be limited. Make the most of
the available wall space and perhaps have a large storage
cupboard or a high refrigerator at the end of the galley.
Two-way galley kitchens
Two-way galley kitchens provide significantly more
storage space below the worktop and lend themselves
to a more efficient layout than a single galley.
It is important, though, to ensure you have enough
space between the two galleys – you need to
be able to look into your oven without bumping into
the galley behind you. Also consider potential space
constraints if more than one person is working in
the kitchen.
L-shaped kitchens
The L-shaped kitchen usually provides plenty of
working surfaces plus storage space below the worktops.
Distance between the main zones of the kitchen will
be minimised. Depending on its size, an additional
advantage of the L-shaped kitchen is that one of
the corners can often be used as a dining area. Clever
storage solutions ensure that even seemingly awkward
spaces in corners can been utilised.
U-shaped kitchens
A U-shaped kitchen offers plenty of work surfaces
and storage space. Resist the tendency to fill every
inch of wall space with cupboards, though, as this
can be somewhat overpowering. A large U-shaped kitchen
can accommodate a breakfast bar on one end of the ‘U’,
if required.
