Kitchen Layout Ideas: Galley, L-Shape & Island

The layout of a kitchen determines how well it functions for the next 15–25 years, yet it is often treated as an afterthought to worktop materials and cabinet finishes. Get the layout wrong and no amount of quartz or soft-close hinges will fix the daily frustration of a poorly flowing kitchen. This guide covers the four practical layout types, the kitchen work triangle and its modern adaptations, island configuration, and how sizing decisions translate into real costs.

The Kitchen Work Triangle

The work triangle, connecting the hob, sink, and fridge, is the foundational principle of kitchen design. As a rule of thumb, the three legs should total no more than about 7,500 mm, with no leg shorter than about 1,200 mm or longer than about 2,700 mm, and no major traffic route should cut through the triangle.

This rule was developed in the 1940s and remains a useful starting point, but it is not absolute for modern kitchens, which often have two cooks, multiple prep areas, and appliances the original model didn’t anticipate (dishwashers, wine fridges, microwaves, steam ovens). The more useful modern update is the work zone model: defined areas for prep, cooking, cleaning, and storage, each with clear counter run and access to relevant appliances.

Both models lead to the same practical conclusion: the layout type that fits your room shape and household habits matters more than any surface finish.

Galley Kitchen Layout

A galley kitchen runs two parallel runs of units facing each other, typically along the two long walls of a narrow room. It is the most space-efficient layout for cooking: everything is within two or three steps, the work triangle is tight, and it suits one primary cook extremely well.

Ideal room dimensions:

• Minimum aisle width between facing units: 1,000 mm (tight); 1,200 mm preferred; 1,400 mm if two people cook together
• Minimum total room width: 2,400 mm for a 600 mm-deep run on each side with a 1,200 mm aisle (2,200 mm with the tight 1,000 mm aisle)
• Room length: typically 3,000–5,000 mm for a functional galley

Advantages:

• Highly efficient workflow for a single cook
• Maximum storage and counter run per metre of floor area
• Well-suited to through-rooms (e.g. kitchen-diner where one end opens to dining) in Victorian and Edwardian terraces

Disadvantages:

• Poor for two cooks working simultaneously
• Tight aisle widths feel cramped with visitors or children
• Often lacks a natural zone for socialising or informal dining

A galley kitchen refit in a 3,000 × 2,400 mm room with mid-range cabinets (e.g. IKEA METOD, Wren, or similar) typically costs £7,000–£14,000 fully installed. High-specification joinery (bespoke or semi-bespoke) in the same room runs £18,000–£35,000+.

L-Shaped Kitchen Layout

The L-shape places units on two adjacent walls, usually with the sink on one leg and the hob on the other. It is the most versatile layout and works in a wide range of room shapes.

Ideal room dimensions:

• Minimum room size: 2,400 × 2,400 mm (square rooms work well)
• Both legs should be at least 2,000 mm long for the layout to function comfortably
• Allows a dining table or island in the open floor area

Advantages:

• Good workflow for two cooks, each can have a zone
• Accommodates open-plan kitchen-diner naturally (units stay out of the way of the social space)
• Corner units maximise storage, though corner cabinet mechanisms (Le Mans, carousel, pull-out) add £200–£500 per corner¹

Disadvantages:

• Corners can be awkward if not properly specified, dead corners are the enemy of an L-shape kitchen
• Longer worktop runs are broken by the corner junction, which affects continuous food prep

Corner cabinet options and costs (supply only):

U-Shaped Kitchen Layout

Three runs of units form a U shape, enclosing the kitchen on three sides. This gives the highest counter run and storage of any layout but requires a larger room.

Ideal room dimensions:

• Minimum aisle width inside the U: 1,000 mm (1,200 mm strongly preferred)
• With 600 mm deep units on three sides and 1,200 mm aisle: minimum room footprint approximately 2,400 × 3,000 mm
• Larger U-shapes suit rooms 3,000 × 4,000 mm and above

Advantages:

• Maximum storage and worktop run
• Excellent work triangle
• Naturally segregates cooking zone from circulation

Disadvantages:

• Only one entry/exit to the kitchen, poor for open-plan
• Can feel enclosed or cave-like without good lighting and window placement
• More expensive than L-shape (more units, more corner solutions, longer worktop runs)

A U-shape in a mid-size kitchen (2,800 × 3,200 mm) with mid-range cabinets and quartz worktops runs approximately £12,000–£22,000 installed.

Kitchen Island: When It Works and When It Doesn’t

Islands are aspirational for many homeowners, but they require significantly more room than most people initially appreciate. An undersized island creates an obstacle course rather than a functional cooking and social hub.

Hard minimums (not recommended, but sometimes done):

• Island size: 900 × 600 mm (barely functional; more like a butcher’s block on legs)
• Clear aisle around all sides: 900 mm absolute minimum; 1,050 mm preferred; 1,200 mm if the island includes a hob or sink

Practical minimums for a useful island:

• Island size: 1,200 × 800 mm
• Room size: at least 3,600 mm across the island (600 mm units, a 1,200 mm aisle, an 800 mm island and 900 mm clear on the far side add up to 3,500 mm), and about 4,400 mm where units line both sides
• A 1,200 mm aisle on the cooking/prep side of the island; 900 mm on the seating side is acceptable

Island with seating (breakfast bar):

A seating overhang of 250–300 mm gives knee room for stools; much less than 200 mm is awkward. Allow about 600 mm of counter length per stool, and choose stools whose seat sits roughly 250–300 mm below the worktop: about 600–650 mm for a standard 900 mm counter and about 750 mm for a 1,050 mm bar.

Cost of adding an island:

Note: plumbing and electrical work to a central island adds significantly to cost if no services are currently run to that floor area. Island extractors (ceiling-mounted or rise-and-fall) require ducting to outside or a recirculation unit; ceiling-mounted motor-in-housing extractors typically cost £300–£1,200 supply only.

Work Triangle and Zone Sizing in Practice

One frequently overlooked constraint is the hob-to-extractor clearance. The minimum height is set by the hob and extractor makers’ installation instructions rather than by the Building Regulations: commonly at least 650 mm above a gas hob, and sometimes less above an electric or induction hob. This directly affects the position of upper cabinets above the hob, in a room with a ceiling height below 2,400 mm, this can restrict what you can store above the cooking zone.

Layout and Building Regulations

Most kitchen refits in England do not require planning permission or Building Regulations approval if you are replacing like-for-like (same appliances, same drainage, same electrical load).² However:

• New electrical circuits (e.g. adding an induction hob on a dedicated 32A circuit, a new consumer unit) are notifiable under Part P: they must either be installed by a registered competent person who self-certifies them, or be notified to Building Control before work starts³
• Structural changes (removing walls to open-plan, adding a structural beam) require a structural engineer’s calculation and Building Regulations approval (Part A)⁴
• Gas appliances must be installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer: anyone fitting gas appliances for a living must be a member of the class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive, which is the Gas Safe Register⁵
• Drainage changes inside the house need no planning permission, but the Building Regulations only exempt a like-for-like sink replacement from notification where the work does not include any work to underground drainage, so ask Building Control before relocating the sink or adding new waste runs⁶

Choosing the Right Layout

The layout decision should be made before any units are specified or purchased. Changing the layout after installation, relocating drainage, re-routing gas or electrical feeds, typically costs £800–£3,000 in additional plumbing and building work on top of refit costs. Making the decision correctly at the planning stage is by far the most cost-effective approach.