Organised kitchen cabinets make meal planning and grocery shopping easier because everything has a place and you can see at a glance what you need to use up, or stock up on.’ You won’t do that if the world can see what you’re up to so it does promote a level of organisation too. It’s sometimes too easy to stack paperwork in the same space as your breakfast bowls. ‘It also deters the clutter that might build if you keep your items closed away behind cupboard doors. As Tom Howley, Design Director of Tom Howley kitchens explains: ‘Having items that you use every day on display is a great time saver. Open shelving in a kitchen is highly effective, in more ways than one. Is open shelving in a kitchen a good idea? Don’t feel compelled to just use them for books, they make the perfect display cabinet too. To create a little more interest on your wall look for asymmetrical designs and for trickier spaces there are many narrower options available, perfect for popping between two windows. It is an invaluable piece of furniture and it can be used in any room of the house.
Transitioning tiles into wood works really well for this effect, or if you want to stick with a clean straight edge, a slim wood panel can be inserted between the two materials for a clean finish.A bookcase or storage unit can now come in an assortment of sizes, materials and colours or even be customised to fit with your own decoration. You have the opportunity to be really playful here instead of a straight edged border between the two materials, consider an undulating or jagged border where your kitchen flooring gradually blends into the living room texture. If you have an open plan L-shaped kitchen, create definition between your kitchen and living areas with different flooring materials.
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What’s more, if you’re worried about having enough space for a full island, adding even a short peninsula can greatly increase the seating capacity of your L-shaped kitchen. This has all the benefits of a U-shaped kitchen, but only requires two of the walls. If you’re not quite ready for a stand-alone island, but like the idea of another unit in your kitchen, then consider the kitchen peninsula.Īttached to your countertops, but jutting out into the room, the peninsula can be a really effective way to add just that little bit of extra countertop space. If you’re short on floor space, it’s a great idea to combine your island with your dining space, and a central island can actually help your small kitchen to feel more ordered and less hectic.Ī kitchen island also adds extra worktop and storage space possibilities.Ī good balance is to leave legroom on the external side of your island for comfortable dining and add drawers or cupboards on the nearest kitchen side. Adding extra features Kitchen islandĪ square dining area that is framed by the L-shaped kitchen running around it is the most standard installation of a kitchen island. LEDs installed underneath top units are also an effective way to create a border around your kitchen area, as well as eradicating the risk of dark corners on your worktops.Ĭonsider blending this lighting with the ‘cutout effect’ colour scheme.
To create more of a definitive look, pick out some statement lighting.Ī single lamp in the middle of the room can be effective, or a set of pendant lights look great hanging in line with a countertop or kitchen island. It's easy to maintain and is right on trend at the moment, with its sleek appearance often looking like it cost more than it actually did.Ĭonsider mixing with white (those old films had it spot on!) and maybe dashing in one more vibrant colour, to really bring the aesthetic together. However, this means the possibilities are almost endless, so here are some of our favourite ideas to make your kitchen pop.īlack works really well for an L-shaped kitchen layout. The open nature of an L-shaped kitchen means that in most instances, you won't have to worry too much about using colour to create the illusion of light or space. If one leg of the L is longer than the other, use the longer side to maximise your worktop counter space and place bigger appliances like a fridge or waist-height oven on the shorter side. Simply space them out a little, so each still has its own space. In an L-shaped kitchen, unless you have room for an island, you'll need to flatten one side of this triangle, but it's still easy to create a convenient layout of your key appliances with two on the same counter. The most common way to approach a kitchen layout is to consider the golden triangle' positioning of your fridge, cooker and sink in a 3-point formation within easy distance of each other.