The short answer
Let the room decide. A narrow kitchen takes one straight counter; most kitchens take an L. Counters on two facing walls, parallel or U-shaped, need the room to be at least 7ft 5in wide, so one cook has 3ft 6in to work between them. Whatever the shape, put the prep counter between the sink and the hob.
Everything on one wall; the room stays open
The four shapes
| Shape | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | A narrow kitchen, or one open to the living room | Less counter; the sink and hob share one wall |
| L-shaped | Most kitchens, including small ones | The corner cabinet is hard to reach without a corner fitting |
| Parallel | A long, narrow kitchen with a door at one end | Needs 3ft 6in between the counters |
| U-shaped | A squarer kitchen, and the most storage | The same aisle, and two corners to plan |
How wide does the room need to be?
Our counters are 2ft deep. Two facing counters take 3ft 11in of the room between them, and one cook needs at least 3ft 6in of floor to work, open the lower cabinets and turn round. So a parallel or U-shaped kitchen needs a room at least 7ft 5in wide. Two people cooking together want more.
In the 7ft 10in kitchen drawn above, facing counters leave 3ft 11in: enough for one cook. In a kitchen 6ft 11in wide they would leave only 2ft 11in, and an L-shaped kitchen is the better choice.
Where the sink and hob go
Forget the “work triangle”: it is drawn around a fridge, which in many homes stands in the dining area, and it does not exist at all in a straight kitchen. What matters is the order you work in: wash, then prep, then cook. Put the sink first, a stretch of counter to prepare on, then the hob.
| Size | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Counter between sink and hob | 2ft at least, 2ft 11in is comfortable | Less, and there is nowhere to chop |
| Sink or hob from a corner | 1ft at least | Room for your elbows and a pan handle |
| Clear either side of the hob | 2ft, no tall unit | A flame and a pantry door do not share a corner |
| Sink cabinet | 2ft 11in | A bowl and its pipes fill it |
| Hob | 2ft | A four-burner hob |
| Counter height | 2ft 10in | Where most people work comfortably |
The sink usually follows the drain the builder left, and the hob the gas point or the chimney outlet. Find those before choosing a shape: what to check at handover covers it.
From our designer
I plan a kitchen from the drain and the gas point outwards, not from the shape. Once the sink and the hob have their places, it is usually obvious whether the room wants an L or a U.
— An Ekatan designer
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Common questions
Is a U-shaped kitchen better than an L?
Only if the room is wide enough. A U gives the most storage, but a cramped U is harder to cook in than a roomy L.
Do I buy the sink and hob from you?
No, you buy them yourself. We plan the cabinets around them, and choosing them does not change the price of your kitchen.
Should the sink go under the window?
It often does, for the light, but the drain decides. If the drain is on another wall, the sink goes there.
Related guides
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