Kitchen Layouts

Kitchen Layouts Guide For UK Homes

Clear, practical advice to help you choose the right kitchen layout and see where a German kitchen system fits that plan.

Why Your Kitchen Layout Matters

The layout decides how far you walk, how tidy the room feels and how safe the space stays when more than one person uses it. It affects storage, cost and comfort every day.

What This Guide Covers

  • Core layout rules for UK kitchens.
  • The main layout types, with simple pros and cons.
  • How German kitchen systems support each layout.
  • How to choose between a German and a more traditional style.

Where German Kitchens Fit In

  • Grid based cabinets and clear size steps.
  • Taller carcasses with lower plinths for more storage.
  • Strong carcase construction and full pull-out drawers.

These features improve every layout, from a compact galley to a large island kitchen.

Start with the room shape and the way you live. Then choose a layout. Then decide if a German system suits that plan. That order keeps decisions clear and avoids expensive changes later.

Room Shape And First Decisions

Small Rooms

  • Single wall or compact galley layouts work well.
  • German tall units and deep drawers lift storage without crowding the floor.

Medium Rooms

  • L shape and small U shape layouts suit many UK semis and terraces.
  • Peninsula layouts help when island space falls short.

Large And Open Plan Rooms

  • Islands and G shaped layouts support zones and social use.
  • German systems suit long runs, tall banks and handleless designs that link well to living areas.

Layout choice comes before door style. Pick a layout that fits the room and your habits. Then decide if a modern German look or a more traditional style suits you better.

The Working Triangle

The classic working triangle links fridge, sink and hob. It suits most single cook kitchens and still works well in many UK homes.

Simple Triangle Rules

  • Each leg between about 1.2 m and 2.7 m.
  • Total distance for all three legs between roughly 4 m and 8 m.
  • No main walkway through the triangle if you can avoid it.

How This Helps You

  • Shorter journeys with heavy pans and hot trays.
  • Less risk of knocks when someone passes behind you.
  • A clear focus area for the main cook in the house.

In very small rooms, the triangle often compresses into a straight run. In larger rooms, zones expand the idea.

Work Zones For Modern Living

Modern UK kitchens often support cooking, homework, home working and entertaining in one space. Zone planning suits that mix.

Core Zones

  • Preparation zone near fridge and pantry storage.
  • Cooking zone around hob and ovens.
  • Cleaning zone around sink and dishwasher.

Support Zones

  • Breakfast or coffee run near fridge and toaster.
  • Small appliance zone that keeps worktops clear.
  • Snack or bar zone for guests near seating, not next to the hob.

German Systems And Zones

  • Deep drawers line up with each zone for pans, plates or dry goods.
  • Standard carcass grids support tall storage near prep zones.
  • Handleless runs suit long, low storage in open plan rooms.

Key UK Clearances And Measurements

Good layouts respect safe distances. These figures give you a realistic starting point for most UK projects.

  • Walkway between two runs of units: around 900 mm minimum. Around 1000 mm to 1200 mm feels more comfortable.
  • Space around an island: aim for about 1 m to 1.2 m clear on working sides for most homes.
  • Standard worktop depth: around 600 mm from wall to front edge.
  • Wall unit height above worktop: at least about 450 mm. Often 500 mm to 550 mm feels better under sloping extractors.
  • Dishwasher and oven doors need clear floor space in front. Avoid full depth units opposite to block them.
  • Islands with seating need extra depth for knee space and safe circulation behind stools.

These figures still need checks against your appliance manuals and local building rules, yet they keep designers within a safe and practical range for most homes.

German Carcass Heights And Why They Matter

Many UK kitchens still use around 720 mm high base units with a 150 mm plinth. German ranges often move storage into the plinth space instead.

Taller Carcasses

  • German systems often use carcasses around 780 mm or more, with plinths around 70 mm to 100 mm.
  • This raises the internal volume for drawers and cupboards by roughly 10 to 20 percent depending on the range.

Benefits For Layouts

  • Single wall and galley kitchens gain extra storage without extra length.
  • L and U shapes feel more efficient, because each run stores more.
  • Islands and peninsulas look more balanced with lower plinths and strong horizontal lines.
A German system does not force you into a specific layout. It lifts the performance of whichever layout you choose.

Single Wall And Galley Layouts

These layouts suit compact UK homes and apartments where every millimetre counts.

Single Wall Kitchen

A single wall kitchen keeps all units, appliances and services on one run. This often sits in narrow rooms, studios or open plan spaces where the kitchen forms part of one wall.

Strengths

  • Lowest furniture and worktop cost for a given width.
  • Ideal for small rooms and secondary kitchens.
  • Easy to combine with a dining table or small island opposite.

Limitations

  • No natural triangle. Movement runs along a line.
  • Storage depends heavily on tall units and wall units.
  • Two cooks in the same line feel cramped.

A German system with taller carcasses and deep drawers helps this layout work harder. Extra internal volume offsets the lack of a second run.

Galley Kitchen

A galley layout uses two runs facing each other. In UK housing this layout often appears in older terraces and narrow extensions.

Strengths

  • Very efficient for one main cook.
  • Supports a compact working triangle between the two runs.
  • Plenty of worktop for the footprint.

Limitations

  • Walkway needs around 900 mm to 1200 mm to work well.
  • Through traffic weakens safety if doors opposite the kitchen feed other rooms.
  • Two cooks side by side feel tight unless the room is generous.

German planning grids support galley layouts with clean alignment between both runs and tall banks at one end for ovens, fridge and pantry storage.

If your room looks narrow on plan, check widths first. If the walkway drops below about 900 mm after you add doors and handles, a single wall layout with a shallow peninsula might suit you more.

L Shaped Layout

The L shape fits many UK semis, detached homes and flats. It works well against two walls or one wall plus a short return.

How It Works

Units run along one main wall and turn the corner to a second wall. The hob often sits on the longer run with the sink on the shorter run or vice versa.

Strengths

  • Open feel with space for a small table or island opposite.
  • Supports both classic triangle and zone planning.
  • Works in many extensions and knock throughs.

Limitations

  • Corner storage needs thought or space goes to waste.
  • Fridge at the far end sometimes sits away from pantry space.
  • Return leg that stops short of full height limits tall storage on that side.

A German system often uses proper corner mechanisms, tray pull-outs and tall larders on the main wall. That lifts storage and keeps the layout clean.

U Shaped Layout

A U shape uses three sides of the room. It suits medium and larger kitchens and gives strong worktop and storage levels.

Strengths And Limits

Strengths

  • Excellent worktop area on three sides.
  • Triangle sits easily between fridge, sink and hob.
  • Multiple short routes for the main cook.

Limitations

  • Two corners that need good solutions.
  • Narrow U shapes feel enclosed if clear space drops too low.
  • Full height tall units on all three sides risk a boxed in look.

German tall larders often sit best on one wall, with lower runs opposite to keep the room open. Handleless fronts and lower plinths reduce visual bulk as well.

Island Layout

An island suits open plan extensions and larger rooms where the kitchen links to dining and living areas.

Island Role In The Room

The island often holds preparation space, seating, storage or a hob and vented hob system. It also frames views between kitchen and living zones.

Strengths

  • Social hub that faces into the room.
  • Ideal base for work zones on different sides.
  • Strong focal point for German handleless designs and thin worktops.

Limits And Clearances

  • Needs roughly 1 m to 1.2 m clear walkway on working sides.
  • Smaller gaps slow movement and make door clashes more likely.
  • Services for sinks or hobs in the island raise plumbing and electrical work.

German tall carcasses on the back wall plus a lower island in front create a strong composition. Lower plinths and aligned drawer lines help the island read as a piece of modern furniture rather than a block of boxes.

Peninsula And G Shaped Layouts

These layouts work where you want the feel of an island without full circulation space around all four sides.

Peninsula Layout

A peninsula runs out from a wall or tall bank on one side and stays attached at the back. It suits L and U shaped kitchens that need more prep space or seating without a separate island.

Strengths

  • Strong division between kitchen and dining areas.
  • Good breakfast bar position for family homes.
  • Extra storage with fewer clearance demands than a full island.

Limitations

  • Creates one main entry into the working area.
  • Return that is too long restricts movement.
  • Needs thought if the fridge sits behind the peninsula leg.

G Shaped Layout

A G shape takes a U shape and adds a short extra return. It works in larger rooms where you want more worktop and storage but still value enclosure around the cook.

Strengths

  • High storage and worktop levels without an island.
  • Strong support for multiple zones around the perimeter.
  • Good for serious home cooks who prefer a defined working area.

Limitations

  • Risk of heavy look if every wall uses tall units.
  • Movement for other family members feels restricted if openings sit in awkward places.
  • Lighting and extraction need careful planning so the room does not feel closed in.

Does Your Layout Suit A German Kitchen System

Any layout works with a German or non-German range. The system behind the doors changes how much you gain from the space and how the room feels in daily use.

Layouts That Play To German Strengths

  • Single wall and galley kitchens that need the most storage from short runs.
  • L, U and G shapes where strong lines and aligned grids matter.
  • Island and peninsula layouts in open plan spaces where modern, handleless furniture links to the living area.

When A Different Style Might Suit Better

  • Period cottages and listed homes where in-frame or very traditional doors suit the architecture better.
  • Projects that rely on bespoke freestanding pieces rather than fully fitted runs.
  • Very tight budgets where a simple UK flat panel range keeps more funds for structural work and appliances.

If you prefer clean lines, deep drawers and tall storage that follows a grid, a German system usually lifts performance in almost every layout in this guide.

Quick Layout Comparison

Use this table to narrow your options before you go deep into drawings and quotes.

Layout Best Room Type Main Strengths Main Limits
Single Wall Very small or open plan spaces Simple. Lower cost. Easy to fit furniture opposite. Linear movement. Heavy reliance on tall units.
Galley Narrow rooms Efficient for one cook. Strong triangle potential. Tight walkway. Through traffic weakens safety.
L Shape Small to medium rooms Open feel. Flexible zones. Easy to extend with a table or island. Corner solutions vital. Poor planning wastes the return leg.
U Shape Medium to large rooms Excellent worktop space. Short routes for the main cook. Risk of enclosed feel. Two corners to resolve well.
Island Larger or open plan spaces Social hub. Great prep and serving space. Strong zones. Demands generous clearances. Services in the floor raise cost.
Peninsula Medium rooms Island feel with less space. Good room divider. One main entry into the working area. Return length needs care.
G Shape Larger enclosed kitchens Very high storage and worktop levels. Strong focus on cooking. Risk of visual weight. Openings and lighting need careful planning.

Simple Decision Checklist

Questions About Your Room

  • What is the tightest distance between walls once standard units sit in place.
  • Where do doors and windows sit and which ones stay.
  • Do you want direct access to the garden or dining space from the kitchen side.

Questions About Your Lifestyle

  • How many people cook at the same time most weeks.
  • Do you host often and want guests near the island or peninsula.
  • Do you value strong storage more than open floor area or the other way round.
  • Would a modern, grid based German look suit the rest of the house.

Next Steps For Your Layout And Kitchen Style

Measure the room, mark doors and windows, then sketch one or two realistic layouts from this guide. Check clearances and triangle or zone logic. Once a layout feels right, look at German and non-German options and decide which construction, height system and style fit your plans.

A German kitchen will suit you if you want modern lines, strong storage and a system that supports precise planning. A different route will suit you if the house calls for a more traditional look or budget pushes you towards a simpler range. The best layout and style are the ones you enjoy using every day in your own home.