Small U-shaped kitchen layouts provide their fair share of challenges to homeowners and tradesman, not least because of the potential for dead corners at the head of the U.
Read on to learn our top tips for limited space small u shape kitchen designs, how to deal with dead corners and how to avoid breaching important minimum clearance tolerances.
Narrow U-shaped Kitchen Solution
If the room is narrow you may struggle to fit standard base units on both ends of the U and maintain a suitable size walkway. The minimum space we would recommend between worktops is 1200mm, this measurement is also recommended in the Architects Pocket Book.
Appliances such as ovens and dishwashers have drop down doors that open to occupy the space between counters restricting where you can stand. Using these appliances comfortably requires around 1100mm of space and hence why we would recommend 1200mm between worksurfaces. This measurement includes a tolerance plus provides comfortable general circulation space.
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For kitchens under 2.4m wide such as those in converted garages this can pose a problem because standard cupboards and counters occupy 600mm on each side, 1200mm in total. Allocating 1200mm to base units in a 2.3m wide room would result in a 1100mm gap which is below our recommendation.
So, what do we do? Bespoke made to measure cabinets will of course solve the problem, however, this can be expensive. In our experience using smaller depth wall units provides the same benefits at a fraction of the cost of custom units.
Wall units are a great idea for base units in narrow kitchens.
The reason for this is wall units are produced at a depth of around 350mm which provides around 250mm extra space for the walkway when compared to standard base units which are around 600mm deep. Plus, being mass produced they are more economical than custom fit units.
Once fitted the wall units offer the same appearance as base units, they have the same size doors etc and sit on the same legs with the plinth running underneath. Take a look of this example of a completed modern U-shaped kitchen makeover in Low Fell and pay attention to the size of the units on the left-hand side. The only real difference is the depth which as you can see is reflected in depth of the worktop.
Before
After
Top Tip
Wall units can be installed with a void behind them to maximise the space available on the worksurface above. For example, in a room measuring 2.3m wide the arrangement would be 600mm standard base units to one side with a 1200mm walkway and 350mm wall units with a 150mm void behind them and a 500mm deep work surface covering the floor mounted wall units and void. See the kitchen layout drawing above for further info.
Corners in U-Shaped Kitchen Designs
The corners at the top of U-shaped kitchen layouts can often be difficult to access as they will likely only have one door which provides access to half of the space. Reaching in to the cupboard is both annoying and impractical.
If you have plenty of storage space this may not be an issue, but if you are planning a compact u-shaped kitchen and need every inch of space you should invest in a corner storage system such as Nuvola’s
The clever shape and high-quality mechanism glides in and out of the far end of the cupboard with ease. These clever systems can even be installed into existing units as part of a kitchen makeover.
Improving the feeling of space.
Full height larder units and wall mounted cupboards can cause narrow u-shaped kitchens to feel claustrophobic, especially if the ceiling height is 2.4m or below.
Think about ways you can reduce the number of wall units by adding open shelving or wall mounted racks which have a slimmer profile than cupboards.
Check out this small u-shaped kitchen makeover we completed in Lobley Hill. The wall space looks great and will also make the worksurfaces feel more useable.
Top Tip
Swap the tall fridge freezer for two separates under counter units to increase both work surface and wall space.
Final thoughts
Small U-shaped kitchens can be challenging, remember to maintain a circulation gap of 1200mm and use wall units for base units as described earlier if necessary. Invest in clever storage solutions to provide access to the dead corners. Finally, reduce the number of wall units in favour of open space, shelves and racking.
If you live in the North East and want help designing your kitchen layout book a free design appointment with me.