L kitchen
An L kitchen gives tremendous opportunities to make it cozy in a modern home. The kitchen has traditionally been the place where the inhabitants of a house come together. You can still see this very clearly in poorer countries, especially in places where the climate is on the cold side. No matter if you go to see Tibetan, Indian, Nepali or Kashmiri families in the Himalayas, they all have wonderful kitchens. This includes all the (often copper) pots and pans, carpets to sit on and a central low stove fired with wood or - in the higher elevations - with dried cow dung.
The trend toward western kitchen setups
In other cool areas - like Patagonia in southern Chile and Argentina - people have just a little more money and don't like to sit on the floor. In most houses there, there is a giant cast-iron cooking stove. This is on one side of the kitchen against the middle of a wall. Usually one of the corners next to it is furnished with cabinets and a countertop. The dining table with surrounding bench is usually in the corner opposite the kitchen. In this arrangement, you can already see the common L kitchen (with dining table) appearing.
The coziness of a live-in kitchen
The central heating we know in Europe is not normal in many of the cold regions of the earth. People gather there in the kitchen because it is often the only heated room in the house. Children do their homework there in the kitchen, while adults cook, do crafts or sit together talking. A teapot is always simmering on the stove, and while meals are being prepared, the whole family gathers around the fireplace. They spend afternoons and evenings together in the pleasant warmth. This togetherness in one space ensures that many everyday things are shared, which grows friendship between residents.
An L-shaped kitchen makes many things possible
In the Netherlands, there was a time when the kitchen was usually built in a separate room of the house. Larger houses in the countryside often had a kitchen with a dining table, while in cities the dining table was more often in the living room. Since the early 20th century, the living kitchen has become increasingly popular. People open the wall between the living room and the kitchen so that the two spaces are connected. An L kitchen comes into its own perfectly in this arrangement, as well as in a smaller kitchen space where you want to make room for eating.
The benefits of an L-shaped kitchen
An L kitchen is a variation of the corner kitchen where one of the sides is longer than the other. This is one of the most purchased kitchen layouts because it can look good in almost any space. An L kitchen works well in small spaces because it only takes up wall space and does not require much width. Even in large (residential) kitchens, an L kitchen offers immense possibilities because you can divide the rest of the space as needed. Because of the L shape, you automatically have a lot of storage space and you can work easily because everything is relatively close together.
L-shaped kitchen ideas
If you choose a kitchen with an L shape, you usually automatically have an ergonomically sound work triangle. The refrigerator, stove and sink/faucet are used the most while cooking. Therefore, you want to keep the space between those three aspects as small as possible. In an L kitchen, you can easily place the refrigerator at the end of one leg. Next to the refrigerator, you then place the cooktop with some splash/work space around it. If the sink is on the inside of the other leg then you automatically have all the major components relatively close together.
Making the most of your L kitchen
An L kitchen usually includes a carousel in the corner. This gives you plenty of storage space in total in the cabinets and drawers located under the kitchen worktop. If you need more storage space, you can choose a design with an extra-long wall cabinet at the end of one of the sides. You may also want to consider placing the microwave/oven in a cabinet at working height so you don't have to bend over as much. It is always important to keep the things you use a lot in places you can easily access. Appliances and other things that come up only rarely can stay in the back of low cabinets or on top of high storage areas.
L kitchen with window
A kitchen space instantly becomes much more pleasant when natural light comes in. An L kitchen can work just fine with a window. For example, you can place the refrigerator on the closed wall. If you have enough space there for the long L leg, then a tall wall cabinet can be next to it. This gives a lot of storage space so you can leave out the overhead cabinets on the other side. There you then have room for a window above the sink. This allows you to look outside while washing and/or cooking any children to keep an eye on you.
L-shaped kitchen with an island
A cooking, sink or work island is the perfect way to connect the living area of a kitchen with the kitchen itself. An island stands completely free and gives a lot of free movement space. As a result, it can easily change functions. During cooking, the island can be part of the kitchen, suddenly doubling its size and allowing several cooks to work together. However, the island can also function as a dining table with the help of some stools. If you need more storage space you can fill (part of) the space under the island with cabinets or drawers.
Peninsula or bar
If you have less space in your (living) kitchen then a peninsula or bar is probably a better option. This is connected to one side of a leg of the L kitchen and therefore takes up much less space. This also makes it immediately easier to lay water, electricity and possibly gas pipes to the peninsula. This extra surface serves as a work surface while cooking but it can also be used for eating. For example, you can bake pancakes while talking to your kids or roommates. They can cut ingredients while sitting at the bar and not get in the way. This is how you use an L kitchen to bring people together.
