Galley and L-shape
Galley: two parallel runs 1,100–1,400mm apart, suits flats and narrow terraces below 2.8m kitchen width. Efficient for one cook; bottlenecks when two. Minimum 2.4m external width to deliver useful 600mm depth on both sides plus 1,200mm walkway. L-shape: dominant London layout — sits against two perpendicular walls leaving open corner for table or peninsula. Works in side-return extensions 3.0–3.6m wide. Corner cabinet utilisation (carousel, magic-corner pull-out) £450–£950 extra per corner. L-shape with peninsula returning into the room creates U-effect without dead-end circulation.
U-shape and island
U-shape: three runs of cabinets, suits 3.6m+ width and rear extensions. 32 linear feet of worktop typical; excellent for storage-heavy households. Two-cook friendly. Minimum internal U-width 2,600mm (1,200mm clear walkway + 700mm on each side). Island: requires 4.0m+ kitchen width to deliver 900mm island depth + 1,000mm clearance both sides. Island length 1,800–3,500mm typical; service positions (sink, hob, prep-only) drive plumbing/electrical first-fix and extraction. Island hob requires downdraft or ceiling extract; island sink requires under-floor drainage routing.
Peninsula and broken-plan
Peninsula: island-style return attached to a wall run; eliminates one clearance zone allowing kitchen at 3.3–3.8m width. Hosts seating on one side, prep on other. No service crossing required if peninsula is dry (no sink/hob). Broken-plan: deliberate separation of kitchen, dining, living zones via half-walls, Crittall screens, or level changes. Counter-trend to fully open-plan — manages cooking smells, noise, visual clutter. Adds £8,500–£28,000 over open-plan equivalent for the framing and glazing. Particularly relevant for compact London plans where 'one big room' actually feels worse than three rational zones.
