Kitchen Layouts
Kitchen Layouts
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U layouts support efficient work triangles, but if space is tight, these tricks will keep you from feeling hemmed in
Lucy SearleMay 15, 2019
Houzz Contributor. Editor in Chief of RealHomes.com. I am an editor, journalist, web and copywriter. I was Editor of the hugely successful www.channel4.com/4homes, taking it from a small site to a leading brand. I was also founding Editor of Channel 4’s 4Homes magazine, was Associate Editor at Ideal Home and have written for MSN, Huffington Post, Homes & Gardens, Country Homes & Interiors, Beautiful Kitchens, House Beautiful, Good Homes, and many women’s titles. I founded www.tailoredcontent.co.uk with a fellow journalist and together we blog, write web content and run social media accounts for (mostly) interiors companies. As a general rule, I write about everything from buying and selling property, self build, DIY, design and consumer issues to gardening but have tackled travel and family issues, too.
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If you’re planning a U-shaped kitchen, you’re probably looking forward to having an efficient work triangle. But what if the room is a bit short on square footage? These smart solutions will help you get a kitchen that feels as spacious as it is functional.
Martins Camisuli Architects
1. Open Up With Shelves
Depending on the proportions of your U-shaped kitchen, if you fill out all three sides, you could end up with a crowded room. Create a more spacious feeling by replacing cabinets on one wall with open shelving.
Martins Camisuli Architects put slim shelves in the shallow space beside the window. A low cabinet beneath the window also adds storage and a spot to perch.
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2. Accentuate Light and Width
Pick pale cabinets, instead of dark ones, to bounce light around and maximize the feeling of space in your kitchen. You can supplement this with pale flooring too.
Want to go a step further? Put a wide drawer unit at the far end of the kitchen, as did here, to exaggerate the room’s width.
Browse photos of compact U-shaped kitchens
Paul Craig Photography
3. Choose Shiny Surfaces
Don’t fancy white cabinets? Increase the effect of natural and artificial lighting in a small U-shaped kitchen with reflective finishes. This could be in the form of stainless steel appliances or glossy cabinets — both will work.
Picking long, horizontal handles for drawers again visually stretches out the room.
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Daruma Design Studio
4. Define the Cooking Zone
A U-shaped kitchen needn’t be confined by three walls — you can use this layout cleverly within an open-plan space to divide cooking, dining and living areas.
Make the most of an open U-shaped design like this one from Matteo Bianchi Studio by including a breakfast bar on the peninsula. A slight overhang of the countertop at the back of the cabinetry is all it takes.
Camilla Molders Design
5. Contrast the Cabinetry
If your compact U-shaped kitchen is crying out for wall cabinets on at least two sides, here’s a clever color trick from Camilla Molders Design that you can use to help keep the space from feeling too enclosed.
Simply choose a darker finish for the base cabinets and a paler shade for the wall cabinets. Paint the walls and ceiling white, and the cabinetry will simply blend away, making even a tiny space feel bigger.
A Two-Tone Cabinet Scheme Gives Your Kitchen the Best of Both Worlds
TLA Studio
6. Max Out One Wall
If you want to load your U-shaped kitchen with storage but don’t want wall cabinets on all three sides, this design from TLA Studio offers an alternative. Leave one of the longest walls free and fill the one opposite with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry.
On the third, narrowest wall in this design, a half-and-half approach comfortably bridges the gap between the two cabinetry layouts. The result? A kitchen with tons of storage that still feels spacious.
Moon Design
7. Go Up and Over
You can make your U-shaped kitchen feel as wide as possible by removing the upper cabinets on the two longest walls. However, you may need to compensate for this with plenty of storage on the rear wall.
Since the far wall is likely to be well-suited to housing a large refrigerator, maximize the space by framing it with shelving that goes all the way to the ceiling.
In this kitchen from Moon Architect + Builder, the open shelves are an attractive focal point and display space.
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