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Making Difficult Spaces Work
Every Nottingham property seems to have its own special challenge when it comes to kitchen layout. Victorian terraces with 2-metre wide galley kitchens. 1930s semis with awkward L-shapes that waste corner space. Modern apartments where everything's open plan but there's nowhere to hide the mess.
Over 15 years, we've tackled hundreds of these problem spaces. The truth is, there's usually a solution - you just need to think differently about how kitchens work.
The families who end up happiest are often those who started with the most challenging spaces. When you can't just buy a standard kitchen and plonk it in, you end up with something that's designed specifically for how you actually live.
Common Nottingham Property Challenges
Galley Kitchens in Terraced Houses
Most Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Nottingham have kitchens that are basically corridors with cupboards. Usually about 2 metres wide and 4-5 metres long, with doors at both ends.
The classic mistake is trying to cram units down both sides. You end up with 80cm between the worktops, which means two people can't pass each other and opening the dishwasher blocks the whole kitchen.
The Henderson family in Carlton had exactly this problem. Their kitchen was 1.8 metres wide - barely enough for units on both sides. We put all the tall storage and appliances down one wall, with a narrow breakfast bar down the other. Still got all the storage they needed, but the space feels twice as big.
L-Shaped Layouts in 1930s Semis
These houses usually have a decent-sized kitchen space, but it's L-shaped with the back door in an awkward position. The corner always becomes a dead zone where you can't reach anything.
Standard corner units with carousels sound like a good idea but they're usually disappointing. You lose tons of space to the mechanism, and everything falls off the shelves when you try to get it out.
We've got much better results with diagonal corner units that you can actually see into. Or sometimes we ignore the corner completely and use it for appliances like washing machines that don't need to be accessed from above.
Victorian Back Additions with Step-Downs
Loads of Nottingham terraces have been extended backwards over the years. The problem is that the extensions were usually built with lower floor levels, so you get a step down from the main house.
The step breaks up the kitchen space and creates awkward proportions. Plus there's usually a beam across the ceiling where the two parts of the house meet.
The Williams family on Forest Road had a 300mm step down into their back addition. Instead of fighting it, we used the step to create different zones. Cooking area in the higher section, dining area in the lower part. The step became a design feature rather than a problem.
Modern Apartment Kitchens
Open plan sounds great until you realise that everyone in the living room can see your washing up. Most apartment kitchens are basically one wall with limited storage and nowhere to hide anything messy.
The challenge is creating enough storage and workspace while keeping everything looking tidy from the living area. Everything has to work harder because there's no separate utility room or pantry.
We did a brilliant apartment near Victoria Centre where storage went right up to the ceiling, but the upper cupboards had no handles so they looked like part of the wall. Dishwasher and bin storage hidden behind matching doors. From the sofa, it looked like a piece of furniture, not a kitchen.
Cottage Kitchens with Low Ceilings
Village properties around Nottingham often have lovely character but challenging proportions. Ceilings around 2.2 metres, thick walls that eat into the space, and doorways that weren't designed for tall fridges.
Standard wall units look completely wrong in these spaces - they make the ceiling feel even lower. We use shorter units with deeper worktops, or sometimes open shelving that doesn't visually cut up the wall space.
The cottage in Ruddington had 2.1-metre ceilings and walls that were 400mm thick. We used base units only, with a dresser-style tall unit in one corner for storage. Felt much more spacious than if we'd tried to squeeze in wall units.
The Work Triangle Still Matters (Sometimes)
Making the Triangle Work in Small Spaces
The old rule about positioning the sink, hob, and fridge in a triangle still makes sense, but you need to adapt it to reality. In a 2-metre wide galley kitchen, everything's going to be in a line anyway.
What matters more is that you can move efficiently between the key work areas without constantly bumping into doors, drawers, or other people.
When to Break the Rules
Sometimes the triangle doesn't work for how a family actually lives. If you do loads of baking, you need the mixer and scales near the main work area, not hidden away in a corner.
The family in West Bridgford are serious cooks - they make everything from scratch and often cook together. We gave them two separate work zones instead of one triangle. Much better for their lifestyle than following textbook rules.
Real Measurements That Actually Work
The standard recommendation is 1200mm between facing worktops, but that's often not possible in smaller kitchens. We've made galleys work with as little as 900mm, as long as you're clever about which doors open where.
Dishwasher doors need about 600mm to open fully. Oven doors need similar space. But cupboard doors only need about 400mm. Plan carefully and you can make tighter spaces work.
Our Proven Space-Maximising Solutions
For Narrow Galley Kitchens
Single Run with Peninsula: Instead of units on both sides, put everything down one wall with a narrow peninsula for breakfast and additional storage. The Patel family in Sherwood got 40% more floor space this way.
Pocket Doors: Where space is really tight, pocket doors that slide into the wall rather than opening outwards save loads of room. Works especially well for pantry cupboards.
Vertical Storage to the Ceiling: In a galley kitchen, every centimetre of wall space matters. Taking storage right to the ceiling gives you space for things you don't need every day.
Sliding Worktop Extensions: A section of worktop that slides out when you need extra prep space, then tucks away when you don't. Perfect for narrow kitchens where permanent islands won't fit.
For Awkward Corners
Magic Corner vs Carousel Systems: Magic corners work much better than carousels in our experience. Everything stays visible and accessible, and you don't lose as much storage space to the mechanism.
Avoiding Corners Completely: Sometimes the best corner solution is no corner solution. Use the space for appliances, or leave it open and put storage elsewhere.
Creating Usable Workspace in L-Shapes: Position the corner where two work areas meet naturally. Sink in one arm, hob in the other, corner becomes the prep area between them.
Peninsula Solutions Instead of Islands: In L-shaped kitchens, a peninsula often works better than an island. Still gives you extra storage and eating space, but doesn't block circulation routes.
For Low Ceiling Spaces
Cabinet Proportions That Don't Overwhelm: Shorter wall units with deeper worktops keep the proportions right. Standard 720mm wall units look massive under a 2.2-metre ceiling.
Lighting Solutions for 2.2m Ceilings: Recessed spotlights make low ceilings feel even lower. We use under-cabinet LED strips for task lighting and table lamps for ambient light.
Creating Height with Vertical Lines: Tall, narrow cupboards draw the eye upward and make ceilings feel higher. Wide, squat units make everything feel compressed.
Storage Solutions at Eye Level: If you can't go up, make sure everything you use regularly is easily accessible. Deep drawers work better than cupboards for base unit storage.
For Open Plan Challenges
Defining Kitchen Zones Without Walls: Use different floor materials, ceiling details, or lighting to mark out the kitchen area without building physical barriers.
Storage That Looks Like Furniture: Kitchen units that look like dressers or sideboards from the living room side. Still functional kitchen storage, but doesn't scream "kitchen" from other areas.
Hiding Kitchen Mess from Living Areas: Tall units or peninsulas positioned to screen the working area from seating areas. You can cook and clean without the whole family seeing the chaos.
Breakfast Bar Solutions That Actually Work: Most breakfast bars are too narrow to be comfortable for eating. Make them at least 400mm deep and ensure there's proper leg room underneath.
Clever Storage Ideas We Install
Pull-Out Larders in 300mm Spaces
These narrow pull-out units look tiny from outside but hold an amazing amount. Perfect for spices, tins, cleaning products - all the small stuff that clutters up wider cupboards.
We installed one in a Carlton terrace where the only space was a 300mm gap beside the cooker. Now holds all their herbs, spices, oils, and vinegars in perfect organisation.
Two-Tier Drawers for Maximum Capacity
Drawers with internal drawer systems give you twice the storage in the same space. Bottom drawer for heavy items like pans, top drawer for lighter things like utensils.
Much better than cupboards with shelves where you have to move everything in front to reach things at the back.
Appliance Garages for Counter Clarity
Built-in cupboards for toasters, coffee machines, and other small appliances. Keeps the worktops clear but everything's still easily accessible.
The Williams family in Arnold have a complete breakfast station hidden behind bi-fold doors - toaster, coffee machine, mugs, cereals, everything for the morning rush.
Ceiling-Height Storage with Step Stools
If you're going to have things up high, make them properly accessible. We often install pull-out step stools hidden in the kick board under base units.
Much safer than balancing on chairs, and you can actually use that high-level storage for things you need occasionally.
Under-Stair Pantries
In through-terraces, the space under the stairs often connects to the kitchen. Perfect for a proper walk-in pantry with floor-to-ceiling storage.
The family in Beeston gained a 2-metre square pantry this way. Enough storage for a month's shopping, and much more useful than the under-stair cupboard they had before.
When to Sacrifice Function for Flow
Sometimes Less Storage Means Better Living
In really tight spaces, it's sometimes better to have less storage but a kitchen that's pleasant to use. No point having loads of cupboards if you can't move around comfortably.
The young couple in a city centre apartment chose a galley kitchen with storage on one side only. Less cupboard space, but they can actually cook together without constantly bumping into each other.
Which Appliances You Can Live Without
Do you really need a dishwasher if it means you can't open the oven properly? Would a combination microwave/oven give you more flexibility than separate appliances?
These decisions depend on how you actually live. Big families usually need the dishwasher. Empty nesters might prefer the extra cupboard space.
Making Entertaining Possible in Small Spaces
Breakfast bars, pull-out worktop extensions, and mobile islands can all create extra space when you need it for parties, then tuck away for normal daily use.
The family on Derby Road have a island on wheels that lives in the utility room most of the time. When they're entertaining, it moves into the kitchen for extra prep space and serving.
Technology That Helps Small Kitchens
Combination Appliances That Save Space
Microwave/ovens, washer/dryers, induction hobs with built-in extractors - modern appliances often combine multiple functions in single units.
Quality matters with combination appliances. Cheap ones often don't do any of their jobs particularly well. Better to buy fewer, better appliances than loads of mediocre ones.
Integrated Solutions That Disappear
Dishwashers, fridges, even washing machines can be hidden behind kitchen doors. Makes small spaces feel less cluttered when everything matches.
The key is buying appliances designed for integration from the start. Trying to hide appliances that weren't designed for it often looks obvious and awkward.
Smart Storage with Internal Lighting
LED strips inside deep cupboards make everything visible. No more hunting around in dark corners for things you know are there somewhere.
Particularly useful in base units where the worktop above blocks natural light.
Apps That Help Meal Planning
This might sound daft, but meal planning apps can help small kitchens work more efficiently. Less food waste, less storage needed for random ingredients, more systematic shopping.
When storage is tight, organisation becomes much more important than in kitchens where you can just stuff things anywhere.
Real Success Stories from Challenging Spaces
The 1.8m Wide Carlton Terrace
This kitchen was basically a corridor with a cooker in it. Family of four, teenagers who all wanted breakfast at the same time, and nowhere to sit down.
We put all the tall storage and appliances down one 4-metre wall. Opposite wall became a 300mm deep breakfast bar with storage underneath. Same storage capacity, but the kitchen felt twice as big.
The L-Shaped West Bridgford Challenge
Typical 1930s semi with an awkward L-shape and a back door in the worst possible position. Dead corner, wasted space, and no room for a table.
Solution was to ignore the L-shape and create a galley kitchen in the longer arm, with a utility area in the shorter arm. Much better use of space and a natural division between cooking and cleaning.
The Step-Down Sherwood Extension
Victorian terrace with a 1960s extension that was 300mm lower than the main house. Step in the middle of the kitchen, beam across the ceiling, and proportions that felt all wrong.
We used the step to create zones - cooking area in the higher part with the gas supply, dining area in the lower part with garden access. The step became a design feature with LED lighting that actually enhanced the space.
The Tiny City Centre Apartment
One-bedroom apartment with a 3-metre kitchen wall and open plan living. Needed to store everything a couple required but look tidy from the sofa.
Storage went floor to ceiling but with no handles on the upper units so they looked like wall panelling. Dishwasher and bin storage hidden behind matching doors. Induction hob with downdraft extractor so no wall-mounted cooker hood to break up the clean lines.
Making It Work for Your Space
Every awkward kitchen layout is different, but there are usually solutions if you're willing to think creatively. The key is understanding how you actually live rather than following standard kitchen design rules.
We've learnt that the families who end up happiest with their kitchens are often those who started with the most challenging spaces. When everything has to be planned carefully, you end up with solutions that are perfectly tailored to your needs.
Sometimes the answer is working with the awkward layout rather than fighting it. Other times it's about being brave enough to do something completely different from what everyone else has done.
What matters is ending up with a kitchen that works for your family's real daily life, even if it doesn't look like the pictures in the magazines.
Struggling with an awkward kitchen layout? Call us on 0115-824-4201 for a free space assessment. We'll find solutions you haven't considered.
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