While every home is a castle, the UK has many common house designs that occur in different areas of the country. While there are as many differences as there are similarities, some common themes do crop up, especially when it comes to kitchen design.
Galley Kitchen
Sharing a name with the galley on a boat, this design features a counter on opposite walls with a walkway in the middle. A common sight in British kitchens, this makes the most of a modest space while still providing space to move around. They feature in all types of houses and apartments, though it is generally as a separate room. Because of the design, unless your kitchen has an extra space at either end, this is not a dining kitchen. It’s perhaps the perfect size for a person cooking, with everything you need in easy reach without being cramped. That being said, two people can easily get in each other’s way in the walkway!
U-shaped Kitchen
As the name suggests, this is a kitchen on three sides. Perfect for a square-ish room, this is again a common sight in British homes. It strikes a great balance between workspace and efficiency, having neither the restriction of a galley kitchen or the opulent use of space of island designs.
Again, this is a design that doesn’t allow for a dining table (unless the room is very large), but other than that it’s a very balanced design, offering plenty of space for a family home.
Single Kitchen
A common sight in apartments or compact cottages, a single kitchen puts everything you need on one wall. This can range from a kitchenette with very sparse appliances to full kitchens with double ovens, dishwashers and more. An elegant and modern way of pursuing interior design, this slims the kitchen down to its essentials and makes use of limited space in an efficient way.
Conversely, it is understandably a small space to work in, and unfortunately some architects put cooking way down their priority list! However, a well designed single kitchen offers all the amenities that a larger one does, with clever use of space and an integrated design logic.
L-Shaped Kitchen
Another apartment favourite, the L shaped kitchen is a corner layout, designed to make the corner of a living space into an equipped kitchen. Offering some of the advantages of a single kitchen, an L-shaped design creates a corner to work in, helping separation between living and cooking.
Again, this is a design that uses space efficiently, so is perfect for city apartments or smaller houses. What it doesn’t do is occupy its own room in the house, or make sense if you’re cooking for a number of people. However, a lot of people find these extremely appealing owing to their low-maintenance feel and easy accessibility.
Peninsula Kitchen
A peninsula kitchen creates a separate kitchen in an open-plan living space. This uses a wall-mounted “island” to create something of a “wall” between the kitchen and the living room. This has plenty of advantages, creating a feeling of separation between spaces and giving a new logic to single rooms. This style is very common in flats and apartments, giving the illusion and function of a separate kitchen.
Of course, the downside is that it’s not really its own room, and that the “island” takes space out of the living room. However, it creates more work and storage space from a small footprint, and can even provide a breakfast bar to eat and work at. A very efficient use of space.
Island Kitchen
If you have the space, an island kitchen is a beautiful way to use it. Making use of a freestanding island unit, this provides valuable workspace and storage, and makes an elegant feature of the kitchen area. As well as providing more surfaces, an island unit can house hob burners, an oven, or both, giving you flexible options and the opportunity to create a better flow to the room. Double island kitchens also exist, giving even more space to play with.
Drawbacks of this style include the amount of space it takes up and the expense of installing one. An island design requires lots of floor space and more units, which increases cost. However, if you live in a large house and can accommodate one, it’s a great option.
Whatever you have, or aspire to have, at home, we believe that the kitchen is the most important room in the house. We provide the highest quality, bespoke kitchen handles and fittings that you won’t find anywhere else, with a UK supply chain and family ownership.
If you’re putting together your dream kitchen or sprucing up your existing one, our range of carefully curated kitchen handles and knobs can be the perfect finishing touch, or the inspiration for a new design.