L-Shaped Kitchen Redesign
Two walls and a corner. Win back the corner, place the sink and hob right, and see when an island fits.
Free, no obligation. One local fitter prices it, not five.
Short answerUse the corner with a pull-out or drawer stacks, keep 400 mm of worktop between hob and sink, and only add an island if there's 1200 mm round it.
What an L-shaped kitchen is
Units along two walls that meet in a corner. It's the layout in most Irish semis built since the 1970s, usually with the sink under the window. It uses a corner well and leaves room for a small table or an island.
The corner
The corner is where an L loses storage: a deep base unit with a blind back that nobody reaches into. A redesign fits a corner carousel or pull-out, or closes the corner and puts a drawer stack either side of it. Drawer stacks are usually the better use of the money.
Where things go
- Sink and hob on different legs of the L, with the corner between them, gives the longest run of worktop where you prepare.
- At least 400 mm of worktop between hob and sink, and 200 mm between the hob and a wall.
- Tall units at the ends of the L, never in the middle of a run.
- A short peninsula off one leg makes a U with a seating side and an overhang to sit at.
Adding an island to an L
The most common redesign of an L. It only works with 1200 mm between the island and the units on every side you walk. An island adds €2,000 to €5,000 to the kitchen, more with a sink or hob on it. Island redesign has the full check.
What it costs
Keep both legs where they are and change the doors and worktop: €1,350 to €5,000. Moving the sink away from the window adds plumbing. Moving the sink or dishwasher means new water and waste runs: €500 to €1,500. New circuits for a hob or an island are €500 to €2,000, done by a registered electrician who gives you a completion certificate. Gas work is for a Registered Gas Installer only.
Redesign your kitchen in the Studio
Free. About two minutes. Your redesign is drawn on your own photo, and when you like it, one kitchen fitter near you can price it.
- Photo your kitchenAny phone photo of the room.
- Rethink itLayout first, then the doors, colour, worktop and finishing touches.
- See it, then tweak itYour redesign on your own photo, then ask the AI designer for changes.
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Start with the shape of the room
Kitchens come in a handful of shapes. Each one has its own fixes.
Galley kitchens
Two runs facing each other. The gap between them decides everything.
More on galley kitchens →
U-shaped kitchens
Three walls of storage. Open one arm into a peninsula with stools.
More on U-shaped kitchens →
Kitchen islands
Needs 1200 mm clear all round. What to put on it and what it adds.
More on kitchen islands →
Open plan kitchens
Taking a wall out: the engineer, the steel, the planning and the cost.
More on open plan kitchens →
Small kitchens
Shallow units, drawers, one tall unit and more light out of the same few metres.
More on small kitchens →Redesign without a new kitchen
If the units are sound, change what you see: the doors, the colour, the worktop.
Kitchen respray
From €700
New colour on the doors you have, in one to three days.
More on kitchen respray →
Replacement kitchen doors
From €48 a door
New fronts on the units you have.
More on replacement kitchen doors →
Kitchen worktop replacement
From €800 fitted
Laminate, wood or stone on the units you have.
More on kitchen worktop replacement →Get your redesign priced
Three taps about the kitchen, then your number. It goes to one kitchen fitter who covers your area, and they ring you to talk it through, measure up and price it.
Kitchen Redesign guides & price breakdowns
Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.
More guides & resources: Kitchen Redesign Studio: see yours redesigned , free · All guides & calculator hub · Technical & trade glossary · Frequently asked questions · About this site
Questions people ask
How do I use the corner of an L-shaped kitchen?
A pull-out or carousel in the corner base unit, or drawer stacks either side of a closed corner. Drawers are usually the better use of the money.
Can I add an island to an L-shaped kitchen?
If there's 1200 mm all round it. An island adds €2,000 to €5,000 on top of the kitchen.
Should the sink stay under the window?
It doesn't have to, but moving it means new water and waste pipes. If the window is where you like to stand, leave it.
Who will ring me?
One kitchen fitter who covers your area. Your number isn't sent to a list. They ring you within one working day, ask about the room and what you want to change, and arrange to measure it before giving you a written price. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Kitchen Redesign across all 26 counties
Requests from all 26 counties go to one vetted local specialist who covers your county — from Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick to Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Waterford and Donegal. Pick your county below for local prices, specifications and advice.