How to Fall In Love With Your Peninsula Kitchen

Kitchens come in all shapes, sizes, and, most importantly, layouts, and one of the most popular ones is the peninsula kitchen. The name of this layout pretty much speaks for itself; it almost always comes with an L-shaped table attached to the kitchen counter and a flexible design that can fit many homes and spaces. This is why it is a great in-between option for those looking to have a little separate kitchen space.

Yes, island kitchens are amazing as they create this separate space for some extra prepping, cooking, or washing up. Unfortunately, not every home has enough room for an island kitchen as this layout requires a lot of space. The peninsula kitchen is the perfect alternative for a smaller kitchen and can be equally fabulous.

What Is a Peninsula Kitchen?

Extend Your Kitchen Beyond Only Cabinets With a Peninsula Kitchen

Also known as the U-shaped kitchen, the peninsula kitchen layout features a counter that extends beyond the walls of the kitchen and cuts into the adjacent room, acting as a divider. It is partially detached from the wall-mounted counters, which also allows it to double up as a table.

The peninsula kitchen floor plan comes with a variety of uses and advantages which you can utilize in your daily kitchen tasks.

Extra prepping room is a big benefit for those with slightly less countertop space. When you are cooking for a lot of people you can use all the countertop surface area you can get. Unfortunately, some kitchens do not allow for this. The peninsula layout is a great workaround as it gives you that little bit of extra space for food prep without having to move certain kitchen appliances around and accidentally knock some things over.

A Peninsula Kitchen Gives Way to More Storage Space

More storage is another great feature of peninsula kitchens. But the countertop is more than a work surface, as it comes with cabinets and drawers for you to use as extra storage. It is very easy to make a mess of things when you do not have enough space for pots and pans. But with the few extra drawers that the peninsula kitchen offers, you can greatly declutter the kitchen storage and leave more room for other appliances and equipment. 

Increase the Efficiency of Your Kitchen Maintenance

Washing up is a regular part of any kitchen routine. Unfortunately, the cleaning and the cooking tend to get in each others’ way when the sink and stove are too close together. To increase the efficiency with which you get things done in the kitchen, you can turn the peninsula’s L-counter into a washing-up station. This will help you separate the cooking from the cleaning and give you more breathing room. 

Design Tips for a U-Shaped Kitchen

While everyone’s kitchen is different in its own way there are some kitchen peninsula ideas that anyone can use to create something unique for their own home. Knowing about them can help you find the perfect peninsula kitchen design to match all your interior preferences.

Establish a Color Palette

The Right Color Scheme In Your Kitchen Can Go A Long Way In How You Feel In It

Color is a huge part of the design of kitchen interiors. Interior designers put a lot of emphasis on getting the colors of a kitchen just right since after long hours of cooking and prep work, you want to be in a setting that helps you relax. This means it is crucial to use the kind of hues that you will enjoy seeing as you cook, eat, or sit in the kitchen relaxing. Match the colors of your peninsula with the rest of the kitchen and everything will come together. 

Create an Accent

Don’t Be Scared to Experiment With Different Colors in Your Kitchen

On the other hand, if you do not want the L-counter to match the rest of the kitchen, you can use it to accentuate the room instead. This does not necessarily mean picking out completely random colors and bringing them all together. Instead, use a tone that goes nicely with the palette of the rest of the room and instead of being an eyesore, the peninsula will accentuate the interior beautifully. Use lighter tones on the L-counter so that it does not take away from the rest of the interior and allows the colors in the back to come through as well.

A Modern Minimal Aesthetic

A Minimalist Approach to Your Kitchen Could Always Be a Good Idea

While cabinets and drawers are great to have in a peninsula counter, you can always try a more minimalist approach if you have no problem with storage in the kitchen. The L-counter does not need to be anything too complicated. Using wood for the countertop and integrating it into the rest of the interior can help create a more wholesome atmosphere in the kitchen with few to no details. If you can spare a less utilitarian L-counter, then the minimalist design can be a very attractive addition to your kitchen. 

How to Make It Bigger 

A peninsula kitchen gives you more room to work with, whether you are cooking, washing up, or eating. Unfortunately, this space is not infinite and you may need to open up certain areas of the kitchen to keep it spacious. There are several tips you can use to increase space in your peninsula design kitchen.

Space for Stools

Make Sure to Save Room for Kitchen Barstools

Peninsula L-counters are used for a lot more than just extra space for cooking. They are also great for gathering and using the L-counter as a table. As with any other table, the L counter will need seating and you will need some tall stools for a surface of that height. 

Unfortunately, barstools often end up getting in the way as a result of their size and take up more space in the kitchen than seating should. This is why many peninsula counters come with space under them that you can push the stools into and optimize the room flow.

Installing Cabinets and Drawers

Installing Cabinets Can Help Clear Counter Space and Make Your Peninsula Kitchen Bigger

Storage can be a big problem in kitchens, especially ones that are not particularly organized. 

The peninsula counter provides the perfect opportunity to increase storage space without having appliances or other kitchen equipment get in the way. There is plenty of room to install cabinets and drawers into the peninsula counter to declutter the kitchen.  

Overhead Lighting

Overhead Lighting Ensures Easy Cooking and Baking

While it doesn’t necessarily make the room physically bigger, lighting can make a room feel larger. There is more to overhead lighting than meets the eye, as having it above the L-counter will make the peninsula feel more spacious than it actually is. 

Pendant lights are a popular choice among homeowners with L-counters or island kitchens. They are not only very effective at lighting up that particular area of the room, but they can also be a very stylish addition to the kitchen. Get a light that brightens up the area all around the L-counter as this will give you enough visibility to have all the working space you need – even at night. For your peninsula kitchen remodel, put a little extra thought into the overhead lighting and you will see how much it would pay off.