Kitchen planning and layout ideas

The kitchen is one of the hardest-working rooms in the house, so it needs to be as functional as it is stylish. 

Carefully planning your kitchen layout is the key to creating a space where you can cook, socialise and keep things clean and organised without too much effort. 

This guide will explain some of the key kitchen planning and layout considerations. 

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How to plan your new kitchen

The planning process is the key time to consider big changes to your kitchen's design, so think carefully about how you use your current space and how you would like to use the new one. 

Ask yourself these questions before you start:

• How do you move around your kitchen? Elements that you often use at the same time, such as the fridge and work surface, should be close together. 
• Where do you prepare food? Put your worktop space where you like to prepare food – possibly next to the hob. 
• How much storage do you need? Do you need more than you currently have? Open shelving or big, deep cupboards?
• Who will you be entertaining in your kitchen? You may want space for a table or a breakfast bar where people can sit and talk to you while you cook.
• Do you have a lot of gadgets? If you want them on display you'll need lots of worktop space; if they'll be tucked away, you'll need deep cupboards.

Remember to consider your kitchen's constraints, such as its size and the positions of doors, windows and plug sockets. If you're not planning any structural work, you'll need to be realistic about what your space can accommodate.

Read our guide to the best and worst kitchens to find out which brands performed best in our lab tests and consumer surveys. 

Bespoke, fitted and freestanding kitchens

Before you start planning your kitchen layout, you will need to choose the type of kitchen that you want to install. 

The most common type of kitchen is a fitted kitchen. Kitchen companies have ranges of pre-designed kitchen cabinets that can be configured for your space and fitted to your kitchen. 

This type of kitchen allows you a degree of customisability while still keeping costs down. 

Bespoke kitchens are tailored to your space, your needs, and fully customisable, which also makes them very expensive. 

Finally, a freestanding kitchen is made up of lots of different pieces of furniture, which are not fitted into the space. 

This is generally cheaper if you have a lot of existing pieces you wish to reuse, and gives you the freedom to rearrange things if your needs change. 

Freestanding kitchens generally have a lot of character, but they can also be difficult to keep clean. Plus, installing water, gas or electricity can be costly. 

Kitchen layout ideas

There are five main types of kitchen layouts: 

• Single-wall kitchens: These are often found in new builds and apartments designed for fully open-plan living. Creating a working triangle is difficult with this type of layout, unless you install a kitchen island
• Galley kitchens: These are generally the best way to maximise worktop and storage space in a small kitchen. They keep all the necessary appliances (ie the hob, refrigerator and sink) within arms reach. 
• L-shaped kitchens: This type of kitchen is great if you want space for an island or dining table. With this layout, you can accommodate a working triangle and create a sociable space. 
• U-shaped kitchens: These provide a huge amount of storage and worktop space. You can also make one side of a U-shaped kitchen into a peninsula, creating a seating area for dining or working from home. 
• G-shaped kitchens: This type of kitchen has four sides, where the fourth is slightly shorter than the rest, creating an ideal spot for a peninsula. It's a great option if a U-shaped kitchen wouldn't provide enough storage, worktop or seating space. 

Kitchen islands

A centralised kitchen island works well with most kitchen layouts.

They are a great way to add extra storage and worktop space, zone your kitchen, and create a working triangle if your layout doesn’t naturally lend itself to one.

In addition, they can make your kitchen feel more sociable, as the person cooking does not have to stand facing a wall while preparing the food. 

Islands can be as big as you want, but if you're tight on space there are also slimline versions. You can also get kitchen islands on wheels so that it can be moved out of the way when needed.

A kitchen peninsula is another option for smaller spaces. This is essentially an island attached to one wall.

For kitchen island design ideas, visit our kitchen design guide.

The working triangle

The working triangle, or the kitchen triangle, refers to the optimal layout of your refrigerator, hob and sink.

Ideally, they should be roughly laid out in a triangle, since these are the three areas of your kitchen that you will use the most, and often use in tandem. 

To make your kitchen as easy to use as possible, each side of the triangle should be no longer than around 1.2m.  

Shopping for new appliances? Our large appliance survey reveals the most - and least - reliable appliance brands.

Kitchen design tools

Most of the national kitchen companies have online design tools that allow you to visualise different kitchen layouts and designs. 

Many of these companies also offer a kitchen planning service, where you will be able to discuss your requirements with a designer who will create a digital plan of your kitchen.

Online kitchen planner

These companies have both a design service and an online planner:

• Benchmarx Kitchens
• DIY Kitchens
• Homebase kitchens 
• Howdens kitchens
• Ikea kitchens
• Symphony kitchens
• Wren kitchen

Appointment-only design service

You can only use a design service with one of these companies if you book ahead. All of them offer a free first appointment, with the exception of John Lewis.

• B&Q kitchens
• John Lewis Kitchens
• Magnet kitchens 
• Wickes kitchens

It's worth noting that, while independent kitchen companies might not have an online planning tool, their designers are more likely to offer specialist expertise than general DIY stores.

How do I measure my kitchen?

Map out your current kitchen layout (or empty kitchen if you plan to start from scratch) on graph paper. Use metric measurements, as this is what kitchen manufacturers use. 

Take a look at these images for an example of how to measure your kitchen. 

The first shows an overhead plan of the whole room.

This image shows how to measure your walls and plot the location of windows, cupboards and appliances.

Ceiling and floor

Take measurements from the ceiling to the floor and across each wall. It's worth taking the measurements of the same wall or floor at a few different points, as rooms can be slightly asymmetrical and not completely square at every point.

For the width across the walls, measure along the floor, half way up the wall and near the ceiling. For the ceiling, measure at three points across the wall from the floor to the ceiling. It's a good idea to note down the measurements for each wall individually and name them, for example 'wall one, wall two' etc. Make a note of any architectural features, such as cornices.

Windows and doors

Note the location and size of windows and doors. Add in the distance between them and the floor, as well as between each other. When measuring windows and doors, you should include the door or window frame (sometimes called the trim) in the measurement, so measure out from these.

Also make a note of which way they open and how much room they need to open fully. Name all the windows and doors too, for example 'window one' and 'window two'.

Existing kitchen units

If there are any kitchen units you want to keep, add these to your plan with their measurements – width, height and depth – and distances between them and the walls and floor where it makes sense to add this.

For example, if a unit is on the floor in a corner, you would only measure the distance to the other wall. If it's a unit fixed to the wall, you would want to include measurements to the floor and other walls.

Electric sockets and waste pipes

Highlight where the electric sockets are, the cable routes from them to the relevant appliance, and where the plumbing and waste pipes are. Moving these will add to the costs, so keep them where they are if possible. 

If you can, measure the height, width and depth of these too, and ideally how far they are from other walls, the floor and ceiling. Make sure you note anything else that is a fixed feature, such as radiators.

Boiler 

If you have a boiler in the kitchen, highlight where and what type of boiler it is. 

If you're upgrading your boiler, read our boiler advice guides. 

Walls

Mark which kitchen walls are external or internal.

Kitchen unit and appliance dimensions

Using the dimensions of your kitchen you’ve mapped out, take a look at the typical kitchen unit dimensions in the table below to see how much you can fit into your kitchen and where things will need to go.

A lot of the big-name kitchen brands sell kitchens pre-assembled, to the standard measurements below. If you have the budget, you could consider getting storage made to your home's exact specifications.

Kitchen unit measurements

Appliance dimensions

Even if you don’t opt for bespoke design, many kitchen companies have design services to help you come up with the best design for you and your lifestyle, including which types of storage could work best. 

Visit our kitchen costs guide to learn more about how much you can expect to spend on a new kitchen or kitchen repairs. Our kitchen cabinets advice offers tips on replacing or painting kitchen doors.

Kitchen planning checklist

If you want to add detail to your measurement plan, or use an online planning tool, it's worth keeping these factors in mind:

• Keep the work triangle distance (see the image above) between the sink, fridge and cooker at seven metres or less. This makes cooking easier, as you’ll have shorter distances to travel.
• Allow for a 40cm clearance between an open kitchen door and the nearest opposite unit. Aim for at least 120cm clearance between parallel runs of kitchen units, so that two people can move around at once.
• Most unit doors open up to a maximum of 60cm. Dishwasher doors usually open by 60cm and oven doors by 50cm. A typical worktop height is 90cm, although this will not be ideal for everybody. Ensure that elbow height is a few centimetres above kitchen worktops.
• Standard 60cm-deep units will be a tight squeeze if your kitchen is less than 180cm wide from one wall to the other. Solve this by looking for slimmer 50cm-deep units.
• Leave at least 40cm clearance between the worktop and wall-mounted cupboards. 
• Make sure you include space for end panels (where necessary) when calculating the dimensions of your units.
• Check the height of wall units to ensure you'll be able to fit the cornice (the section of wood fitted along the top of wall units to give them a finished appearance).
• Work out the number of door handles and the amount of cornice and plinth (the section that runs along the bottom of base units) that you'll need. You may want to order extra to save time and hassle if any are damaged during delivery or installation.

Ready to get started? Discover the best kitchen fitters, plus everything you need to know about kitchen installation.

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