If you’ve got enough space, you’ll love the U-shaped layout! You’ll have three adjoining walls to work with when designing your kitchen, so you’re sure to fit in everything you want, and everything will be within easy reach. Let’s look at a few examples – you might just find yourself taking a fancy to it!
Simple, light-coloured kitchen units
This kitchen features simple, white, closed kitchen cupboards. The U-shaped layout is completed by a built-in peninsula. This perfectly separates the kitchen from the other rooms, whilst also providing extra worktop space and a dining area. The whole composition is very clean and minimalist; not even handles adorn the units. It could almost be sterile, but the beautiful wooden floor and the huge window opening onto the garden lend the overall look a warm, welcoming feel.
U-shaped kitchen in an open-plan space
Who said that a U-shaped kitchen requires three adjoining walls? As the example shows, it can also be designed in an open-plan space. So, on this side, there are no wall units, but who really misses them? This side is like a kitchen island, yet it closes off the space more effectively and separates the room.
A well-composed design
What’s interesting about this kitchen is that the smooth-surfaced kitchen units have been complemented by carved cupboard doors on one wall. The overall effect could easily have been chaotic, but the interior has been designed with great taste. Abundant natural light floods into the room through the large window, complemented by tasteful light fittings.
Enclosed kitchenette
This is a perfect example of how a U-shaped layout is possible even in a small kitchen. The combination of white and wood makes the room feel very welcoming; it’s the sort of space we can most easily imagine in a young couple’s first shared flat. Although they haven’t completely omitted closed wall units from the design, they’ve been careful not to overdo it, as this would create a very cluttered effect in such a small space. They’ve solved the problem with an open shelf, though we do have just one minor criticism to raise. It’s perhaps not the best idea to install a shelving unit above the hob, as items stored there are much more likely to get dirty. But if, for example, we were to store spices there, that would make perfect sense. It’s amazing that even a small dining area has been fitted into such a tiny kitchen, although it’s best to time its use for when your partner doesn’t want to use the kitchen. When designing such narrow kitchens, we must pay particular attention to ensuring there is sufficient space to move around, and that the doors of all cupboards and kitchen appliances can be opened comfortably; so it’s a good idea to plan every square centimetre.
Classic kitchen with a U-shaped layout
Although this open-plan kitchen follows a traditional style, it is by no means old-fashioned. The beautiful, grey-stained kitchen units are complemented by a marble worktop. Marble isn’t cheap, and it also requires regular maintenance, but if you’re looking for a simpler and more cost-effective solution, you can achieve the same effect with HPL materials. It perfectly mimics the pattern of marble and is more likely to fit within your budget.
