Kitchen Layout Ideas: Galley, L-Shaped, U-Shaped and Island
Kitchen layout ideas: galley, single wall, L-shaped, U-shaped, island and peninsula, with the space each needs and which Glasgow homes suit them.
Tenement Kitchen Ideas for Glasgow Flats
The best tenement kitchen ideas make use of what these flats have plenty of: height, a bed recess and solid walls. Take wall units higher, turn the recess into a pantry, appliance wall or breakfast nook, choose a galley or L-shaped layout that suits the room, and keep original features where you can. Check the stair access, the walls and any shared parts before you plan anything structural.
What makes a tenement kitchen different?
A tenement kitchen is usually tall, narrow and full of features a modern kitchen doesn't have. Ceilings are high, walls are rarely straight, windows are often sash and sit at a fixed height, and many kitchens have a chimney breast or a bed recess. Everything also has to come up a shared stair. These things aren't problems if you plan for them; they're what gives a tenement kitchen its character.
How can you make a small tenement kitchen feel bigger?
Use the height, keep the floor clear and let light reach every corner. Small tenement kitchens feel bigger when storage goes up rather than out.
Go tall with storage
- Taller wall units, or two rows stacked, using space that's often wasted above standard units
- Tall larder units from floor to ceiling, which hold more than a row of base units
- Open shelving above the units for things you use less often
- A matching cornice or a filler to the ceiling, so tall units look built in rather than stuck on
Keep it light
- Pale doors and worktops, especially in a north-facing kitchen
- Handleless or slim handles, so narrow walkways feel less cluttered
- Under-cabinet lighting, because tall wall units can shade the worktop
- A clear window, with the sink or a worktop run below it rather than tall units beside it
What can you do with a bed recess in a tenement kitchen?
A bed recess is one of the most useful spaces in a tenement kitchen. Many older Glasgow kitchens have one, a deep alcove that once held a bed. Here are the most popular ways to use it:
| Use | What it involves | Works best when |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in pantry | Shelving inside, with a door or curtain across the front | You want lots of storage out of sight |
| Appliance wall | Tall housings for a fridge-freezer, oven and microwave | The recess is deep enough for tall units |
| Breakfast nook | A built-in bench with a small table | You want somewhere to sit without losing floor space |
| Utility space | A washing machine, dryer and storage | There's no other place for laundry |
| Extended run | The worktop and units carried into the recess | You need more worktop for cooking |
Recesses vary a lot in depth and shape, so measure it carefully. Water and waste can often be brought into the recess for a washing machine, but check with your plumber how the pipes will reach it.
Which kitchen layouts work in a tenement?
Galley, L-shaped and single-wall layouts suit most tenement kitchens, because the rooms are often long and narrow. The best layout depends on where the window, door and chimney breast sit.
| Layout | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Galley | Long, narrow kitchens with a window at one end | Keep the walkway wide enough for doors and two people |
| L-shaped | Squarer kitchens, or a galley with a bed recess | Corner units need clever storage to be useful |
| Single wall | Very narrow kitchens, or kitchens with a dining table | Limited worktop, so plan tall storage too |
| U-shaped | Larger tenement kitchens | Can feel enclosed in a small room |
Our kitchen layout ideas guide covers each layout in more detail, with the space each one needs.
How do you keep original features in a tenement kitchen?
Work round original features rather than removing them. They add character and value, and many can't be easily replaced.
- Cornicing. Set tall units back from the cornice, or finish just below it, so the cornice stays visible.
- Sash windows. Keep worktops and taps clear of the sash's movement, so it can still open for air.
- Chimney breasts. Use the alcoves either side for shelving or units, or put a range cooker in the chimney opening if the flue has been checked.
- Panelled doors and shutters. Make sure new units don't stop a shutter folding back or a door opening fully.
- Old floors. Check timber floors are level and sound before fitting; we pack and level every unit to suit.
If your tenement is in a conservation area or listed, check with the council before changing windows or anything that affects the outside of the building.
Can you open up an internal tenement kitchen?
Often you can, but it needs planning. Many Glasgow tenement flats have kitchens off the hall or connected to a living room, and opening the wall between them is a popular way to create a kitchen diner. Before you start, you'll need to know:
- Whether the wall is load-bearing. A structural engineer can tell you, and a load-bearing wall needs a steel or timber beam designed for it.
- Whether you need a building warrant. Structural work usually needs one from the council before work starts.
- How it affects the fire escape route. Opening a kitchen into a hall or living room can change how you escape in a fire, which building control will check.
- Whether your title deeds or neighbours are affected. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 stops owners doing anything that would impair the support or shelter of the building.
Our building warrant for kitchen wall removal guide explains the process step by step.
What should you check before planning a tenement kitchen?
Check a few things before you choose units, because they can change the whole plan.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The stair and close | Rigid tall units and long worktops must get round every turn |
| The walls | Old plaster and uneven walls affect fixings and scribing |
| The floor | Timber floors may need levelling, and some slope noticeably |
| The gas meter | Often in a kitchen cupboard, and must stay accessible |
| The boiler and flue | Units must leave space round them for servicing |
| The electrics | Older flats may need new circuits or more sockets |
| Any shared parts | Common walls, the close and the stair are shared with neighbours |
We check all of these at a free survey, including measuring your stair for rigid units.
What styles suit a tenement kitchen?
Most styles work, as long as they suit the room's proportions. These are the most popular choices we fit in Glasgow tenements:
- Shaker doors in a soft colour, which suit the period feel of most tenements
- Handleless doors in a pale finish, for a modern look in a narrow room
- Solid wood worktops, which pair well with original features and timber floors
- Pale quartz worktops, which bounce light round a north-facing kitchen
- Tall, painted units to the ceiling, which look like built-in joinery
Our laminate vs quartz vs solid wood worktops guide compares the materials, including how long quartz slabs get up a tenement stair.
Planning a tenement kitchen?
We fit kitchens in tenements across Glasgow every week. Book a free survey and we'll measure the room, the stair and the recess, then give you a fixed price.
Tenement kitchen questions
How much should I budget to fit a tenement kitchen?
With us, fitting a tenement kitchen costs from £795 for up to 8 units and £1,250 to £2,200 for 9 to 15 units, with no VAT added. Removing the old kitchen adds from £195. Supply and fit tenement kitchens start at £4,495. Opening up a wall, moving the sink or adding circuits is priced separately at the survey. A fixed written price follows a free survey.
Can rigid units get up a tenement stair?
Most can, but tall larders, corner units and long worktops are the ones to check. Measure the close entrance, every turn of the stair, the landings and your flat's front door and hall. If a tall unit won't make the turn, choose a smaller size or flat-pack for that part. We measure the stair at every survey before you order.
Can I move the sink in a tenement kitchen?
Usually, yes, but it depends on where the waste pipe can run. The waste needs enough fall to reach the soil stack, and in a tenement that stack is often on an outside or shared wall. A plumber can tell you how far the sink can move. Moving it further usually means more work under the floor or along the walls.
Do I need permission to change a tenement kitchen?
Replacing a kitchen like for like doesn't usually need permission. Removing or altering a structural wall usually needs a building warrant, and changes that affect the outside of a listed building or one in a conservation area may need consent. Your title deeds may also have rules about alterations, so check them before structural work. Ask us at the survey and we'll tell you what your plans are likely to need.
Why are tenement kitchens so small?
Many tenement kitchens weren't designed around modern appliances, so the space can feel tight once a fridge-freezer, dishwasher and washing machine are added. The good news is the height. Going taller with storage, using the bed recess and choosing slim appliances can make a small tenement kitchen work much harder than it first looks. Taking in a bed recess or opening up to the living room can also add space.
How long does it take to fit a tenement kitchen?
Most tenement kitchens take 3 to 5 days to fit, the same as a similar-sized kitchen anywhere else. Allow extra time if everything has to be carried up several floors, if the walls need a lot of scribing, or if the kitchen is flat-pack. Opening up a wall turns it into a renovation, which usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.
Can a range cooker go in the chimney breast?
Often it can, and it's a striking look in a tenement. The opening must be large enough for the cooker and its clearances, and the chimney must be checked. A gas range must be connected by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and the cooker's instructions will say what ventilation and clearances it needs, so check those first. We'll check the size of the opening at the survey.
Will a new kitchen disturb my neighbours?
There will be some noise and some trips up and down the stair, but a well-run fit keeps it short. We work during normal hours, protect the close and the stair as we carry things in, and take the old kitchen away as we go. It's worth letting your neighbours know the dates before work starts. Most neighbours are fine when they know what to expect.
Sources
Checked 11 November 2026.
- Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, section 9, which stops owners impairing the support or shelter of the building
- mygov.scot: building warrants, on when structural work needs a warrant
- Historic Environment Scotland, on listed buildings and conservation areas
- Gas Safe Register, to check an engineer before any gas work
Related: Tenement kitchens in Glasgow, Kitchen layout ideas and Building warrant for kitchen wall removal.
Related guides
Keep planning with these, or see every kitchen fitting guide.
Do You Need a Building Warrant to Remove a Kitchen Wall in Scotland?
Do you need a building warrant to knock through a kitchen wall in Glasgow? When you need one, how to apply, inspections, costs and tenement rules.
Flat-Pack vs Rigid Kitchen Units: Which Is Better?
Flat-pack or rigid kitchen units? Compare strength, cost, fitting time and access up a Glasgow stair, plus which brands sell which. Assembly £25 a cabinet.