A U-shaped kitchen wraps around the cook on three sides, giving more worktop and storage than any other layout and keeping everything within a turn. It is one of the most practical layouts for anyone who loves to cook, and it can be built along three walls or as three runs of units in a larger room, with space left for dining or an island.
U-Shaped Kitchens at a Glance
A U-shaped kitchen has runs of units on three connected sides, forming a U around a central working space. It gives the most continuous worktop and storage of any layout, and the working triangle falls naturally into it, with the sink, hob and fridge on different sides. The two corners need planning so their storage is usable. Allow at least a metre, ideally around 1.2 metres, between the facing runs; in a small room that means a width of roughly 2.4 metres or more. In a larger room, the U can occupy one part of the space, leaving room for a dining table or island. Handmade Kitchen Company design and hand-build U-shaped kitchens at our workshop in Essex and hand-paint them on site.
Planning a U-shaped kitchen
- Put one work zone on each side. Cooking on one leg, cold storage on the other and the sink at the base of the U forms a compact working triangle. See our guide to kitchen appliance layout.
- Make the corners work. Uninterrupted worktop around the three sides lets you plan corner storage, or a corner larder unit.
- Keep enough space between the legs. At least a metre, and more if two people cook or appliance doors open into the middle.
- Consider a peninsula. One leg can be left open on one side as a peninsula, opening the U to the rest of the room.
For other layouts, see our L-shaped, galley and single wall kitchens, or how to plan a kitchen layout.
Our U-shaped kitchens
Classic shaker with an AGA, Matching Tye
In this 18th-century home in Matching Tye, we created our client’s dream kitchen in our classic shaker. One side of the U is a large working area, the other holds the appliances and the sink, and at the base of the U sits the crisp white AGA our client had always wanted. Carrara quartz runs around all three sides, and the in-frame, beaded cabinetry is hand-painted in Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball. See more in our Victorian style kitchens.
Classic shaker for a professional chef, Epping
Our client in Epping is a professional chef, so Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances were designed into the U to form a working triangle. A 36-inch Sub-Zero fridge freezer stands on one side, with the Wolf dual fuel range opposite and a Shaws sink with Perrin & Rowe taps at the base. Silestone Yukon Blanco quartz worktops set off the Cornforth White classic shaker with its Victorian-style bead.
A U with an island, Stansted Mountfitchet
This Stansted Mountfitchet kitchen uses all the available space in a U-shaped layout, with quartz running uninterrupted around the sides and room for corner storage. There was even space in the middle for a slim island with bar stools. Cooking appliances are on one side, cold storage on the other, and a Franke sink with a Quooker boiling water tap sits between them.
Traditional shaker with a dog bed, Chelmsford
This Chelmsford kitchen is our traditional shaker, blending a traditional look with modern touches: tongue and groove doors with forged hinges and handles. The light-filled U-shaped layout gives plenty of storage, with a central island, and one leg of the U makes a sleeping spot for the family dog. See our bespoke dog beds and pet-friendly kitchens.
U-Shaped Kitchen FAQs
What is a U-shaped kitchen?
A kitchen with runs of units on three connected sides, forming a U around the cook.
Is a U-shaped kitchen good for a small room?
Yes, if the room is wide enough to leave at least a metre between the facing runs, roughly 2.4 metres wide or more. It gives the most storage and worktop for the space.
Can a U-shaped kitchen have an island?
In a larger room, yes, as long as there is a clear walkway of around a metre on every side of the island.
How do you use the corners of a U-shaped kitchen?
With corner carousels or pull-outs, or by building a full-height corner larder so the space is easy to reach.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company design U-shaped kitchens?
We design and hand-build bespoke kitchens of every layout at our workshop in Essex and hand-paint them on site, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London.
If a U-shaped layout could suit your room, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.
