A kitchen layout in which all storage systems, work surfaces and household appliances are located along three walls of the room is called U-shaped. This arrangement is suitable for medium to large sized kitchens, square or rectangular. If the kitchen space is less than 10 square meters, then such a layout may create an inconvenient arrangement of important kitchen segments, especially the tops. «working triangle» – stove, sink and refrigerator. It is necessary that there is a distance of at least 1 meter between these three most important items of the kitchen interior.
If your kitchen does not have a through arrangement, is square or rectangular in shape and is of sufficient size, and you need to place a large number of storage systems and various kitchen appliances, then the U-shaped layout is for you.
U-shaped layout for kitchens of different sizes – options for the location of the dining area
Even in fairly spacious kitchens with a U-shaped layout, as a rule, there is no room left to place a dining area, especially if there are several people in a family and an impressive table is needed. In this case, a separate room is needed to accommodate the dining group. Or, such a layout will be relevant for a studio room, in which the living room, kitchen and dining room are located immediately with very conditional divisions of zones.
The white color of kitchen cabinets with a U-shaped layout is the most popular design option for modern kitchen spaces, especially those that cannot boast of impressive dimensions. Stone countertops and shine of stainless steel will perfectly complement the snow-white composition.
Another option for a light-colored kitchen set with a U-shaped arrangement of storage systems, work surfaces and household appliances is the use of snow-white surfaces of the lower tier of cabinets and light gray for the upper cabinets. Applying similar colors to decorate the room, it is possible to create a calm and neutral atmosphere of the room, and several bright decor items or serving can bring a note of positive and high spirits into the kitchen design.
Smooth white kitchen cabinets without fittings create a very impressive and even monolithic feeling in a spacious kitchen area. For a modern style seeking a practical use of minimalism, this layout and execution may be ideal..
In modern kitchens located in city apartments, it is rarely possible to implement a U-shaped layout of a kitchen set with the installation of a dining group – this requires a really spacious room. In private city houses or country houses, such a design and constructive technique is easier to implement. The result is a cozy and comfortable kitchen with incredibly high functionality, manufacturability and storage capacity. But for all its rationality and fullness of resources, the kitchen space can look in the country style, bringing in the motives of rural life that fit so organically into suburban housing.
You can add brightness to a kitchen set with a U-shaped layout by performing one of the tiers of kitchen cabinets with a rich shade. In combination with a light tone of wood, the furniture alliance will not look too pretentious. But at the same time, it incredibly diversifies the color palette of the kitchen and brings an element of positive and even celebration..
Manufacturing kitchen facades with smooth lines will cost more than standard design, and not every material is suitable for such structures, but, obviously, such expenses will pay off with the original appearance of the kitchen unit and the uniqueness of the entire interior.
Play of contrasts in a small kitchen
Even a modest kitchen can be equipped with a U-shaped layout. Of course, in this case we are not talking about installing a dining area or a kitchen island. To add dynamism to the kitchen, you can use contrasting color combinations. The most common combinatorial is a combination of white and black. Dark cabinet fronts and light marble countertops will add nobility to even a modest kitchen..
The white color of the kitchen set and the black shade of household appliances will not only create a contrast in your interior, but will also add uniqueness to the atmosphere. If you use bright, rich colors to decorate the kitchen, then you can get a truly non-trivial approach to decorating the most practical room in a house or apartment..
Another option for contrast in the kitchen is the use of crisp white kitchen cabinet surfaces and glossy black worktops. Combined with the black and metallic appearance of kitchen appliances, the whole ensemble looks very organic and balanced..
By adding a little woody color to the black and white design of the kitchen set, you can get not only an original alliance of color solutions, but also a unique interior of the kitchen space. Wooden surfaces, tone-in-tone matching the floor covering, allow you to create a truly harmonious and balanced kitchen design with a U-shaped layout.
U-shaped kitchen with an island
The U-shaped layout of the kitchen unit with an island is suitable for kitchen spaces with an area above average. To fulfill all the canons of ergonomics and place work areas, household appliances and storage systems with the greatest rationality and practicality, you need a really large kitchen area. Obviously, the kitchen island in this case can be used as a dining area for a small number of households..
Classic cabinet fronts in a snow-white design, a spacious island with a marble top and a luxurious chandelier – an all-time classic for spacious kitchens. Practical and rational, yet incredibly elegant, traditional cuisine will fall in love with many homeowners.
An alternative to a white kitchen can be a pastel shade of maple, for example. The light beige surfaces of the kitchen set perfectly match the shine of stainless steel, even massive kitchen appliances seem lighter against the background of such a delicate color.
The gray-blue facades of kitchen cabinets and glossy snow-white countertops look very elegant, but at the same time not «cut» eye with catchy combinations, colorists argue that such color schemes help reduce appetite – for housewives who are always on a diet, such methods of influencing their own psyche can be useful.
U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula – color options
The U-shaped layout, in which the island is attached to one side of the kitchen unit, is most often called peninsular. As a rule, storage systems are located on the inside of such an extension, and the outside has a protruding tabletop for organizing a breakfast area or other short meals. This layout is very convenient for dwellings that have a separate room for arranging a dining room, or the dining area is located in the same spacious room as the kitchen, but outside the working kitchen segments..
Spacious floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets create a pleasant, warm atmosphere thanks to the color «under the tree». Even the cool surface of stone countertops evokes warmth due to the sandy brown hues. With the help of illumination, it was possible to illuminate not only the work surfaces, but also the lower tier of the peninsula near the floor, creating the feeling of the furniture being suspended in the kitchen space.
Even in a small kitchen room, you can place a kitchen set with a U-shaped layout with a small peninsula extension with the possibility of organizing a place for breakfast. In a room with a modest size, it was easy to fulfill the rule of the working triangle – the sink is placed between the refrigerator and the stove, while it has a very advantageous location for the hostesses, by the window. The neutral gray color of kitchen fronts is in perfect harmony with marble countertops.
White for small spaces
For a small kitchen, a U-shaped layout with a peninsula in light colors is ideal. The snow-white glossy surfaces of the facades of kitchen cabinets not only visually expand the space, but also are the most practical option in terms of care for the surfaces. Against the backdrop of white storage systems, the shine of stainless steel and chrome surfaces is especially impressive.
As an accent in a snow-white kitchen, you can use the surface of a kitchen apron. There are many ways to design a plane above work surfaces – from ceramic tiles or mosaics to glass wall panels with photo prints.
White kitchen cabinets and marble countertops are aesthetically pleasing and practical alliance to maintain and maintain. Add a bright accent to this snow-white idyll, for example, bar stools or a colorful apron and a modern kitchen with a versatile interior that will last for many years..
Snow-white glossy surfaces in combination with bright wood, smooth lines of the kitchen set, mirror shine of fittings and lighting fixtures, as well as mosaic design of vertical surfaces – all work to create a pleasant look and practical to use and maintain modern kitchen.
Add brightness to your kitchen
The contrasting combination of a bright saturated shade with white is a trend in the design of kitchen spaces in recent years. Snow-white countertops and bright crimson facades of kitchen cabinets look spectacular, colorful and rich. The extraordinary image of the kitchen is completed by the shine of chrome-plated interior details, household appliances and furniture fittings..
You can add brightness and dynamism to the kitchen space with the help of contrasting combinations – black and white surfaces in a campaign with wooden planes will create a non-trivial kitchen design. For such small spaces, it is better to abandon part of the upper tier of cabinets so as not to clutter up a room with a modest size. In addition, storage systems will be sufficient with a U-shaped layout with a peninsula.
A contrasting combination of white with dark wood can also look bright. If you add to the wood-white design of the kitchen set and a similar combinatorial design of the ceiling, you can get an original and memorable interior of the kitchen.
