Kitchen extension ideas for the perfect culinary space
From large to small, modern to traditional we've got kitchen extension ideas and expert advice to help you get your project underway
One of the most popular reasons for building a kitchen extension is to curate a new hub for your family home. Whether this is a small side return on a terraced house, a full-width rear extension or an open plan orangery, kitchen extensions are one of the most popular ways of extending a home.
But, with so many decisions to make, ranging from appliances to cabinets, flooring to windows, how do you decide what will add the most value - both to your life and the monetary worth of your home?
The good news is, if you're after food for thought you're in the right place. Whether you're looking for design inspiration, layout options or simply searching for ways to update your current space, our menu of kitchen extension ideas has something for everyone.
Have your kitchen extension ideas ready early on
Whether you're working with an architect, designer or doing the planning on a DIY basis, the first step is to hunt around to find kitchen ideas, designs and styles that inspire you.
Analysing how your existing home isn't fulfilling expectations or requirements is also a fantastic starting point to work out a priority list and design brief, as well as focusing your inspiration.
"The first thing we find out from our customers is if they are designing for a new build/new extension," says Molly Chandler, designer at Willis & Stone. "The reason for this is that it's a good idea to finalise your kitchen design before approaching professional tradesmen, as if you are having structural work done then having a kitchen plan will help decide where windows and doors need to be placed.
"Knowing the kitchen lead time will also help you plan in other trades such as electricians, plumbers and tilers, to complete the work necessary before the kitchen can be fitted," adds Molly.
"All walls must be plastered and painted before the kitchen is installed and any new flooring should be laid beforehand too."
Molly's top tip for timing?
"If possible, it’s always best to plan for fitting in the summer. At this time of year not only are their longer daylight hours for the fitting team but there are also more opportunities for dining outside with BBQs while the kitchen is out of action."
Try to also consider what the new kitchen space will be used for. Kitchens are rarely used simply to cook in anymore, so considering family seating, a small home office space or a children's play area will help kick start the layout.
Molly Chandler is a designer for Willis & Stone, where she creates beautiful and functional kitchens in both classic and contemporary styles.
Kitchen extension ideas
1. Don't assume bigger is better
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Kitchen extensions don't have to be huge, sprawling designs to transform an existing house. "Don't always assume that the only way to get what you want for your home is the widest, longest extension you can achieve under planning permission or Permitted Development," advises Laura Jane Clark, director of Lamp Architects.
"Often a big square extension can result in a dark cavernous home that will need extensive rooflights, windows and additional lighting. As cost-saving alternative, think about clever ways to use your design that will minimise the need for a huge extension."
By utilising large glazing panels and other small kitchen extension ideas, a greater connection with the garden can be established and the sense of space will be increased.
Bifold doors or sliding patio doors are other fantastic options that offer views out all year round, while installing a large roof lantern can bring in plenty of natural light to the new space.
2. Decide which kitchen layout you prefer
When starting from scratch in a kitchen extension it can be difficult to create a new layout with a blank canvas. We're so used to making do with awkward or idiosyncratic spaces in our homes that when faced with a blank space, it's easy to get overwhelmed.
Research the different types of kitchen layout ideas and try to remember times when you have interacted with each of them. Perhaps your childhood home has a large central island where the family gathered and you'd like to recreate it. Or, is there a galley kitchen in a friend's house that you love and would like to emulate the convenience? Likewise, do you hate the single line kitchens of holiday lets and know that's not for you?
Use these real-life examples to help inform your choices and also consider how you use your current kitchen.
"A good first step is to assess whether your current kitchen layout works for you or if it needs adjustments to better suit your lifestyle," says Molly Chandler. "Determine what you want and need in terms of specific appliances and cabinetry features, such as a pantry cupboard for storage or a designated coffee/breakfast station for convenience.
"Consider your cooking habits – if you cook frequently, you may require more space for appliances and ample storage for ingredients."
3. Budget wisely to avoid unexpected costs
One of the biggest pitfalls of a project is not being being prepared for the answer to the question 'how much does a kitchen extension cost?'
On the whole, a kitchen extension will cost around £1,500 - £2,250m2. Naturally this will depend on the quality of construction and the level of detailing. For instance, using off-the-shelf sizes for patio doors and designing a kitchen that comes from IKEA will massively reduce costs compared with bespoke glazing and made-to-measure units.
"In order to work out an initial budget for the kitchen items" says Molly Chandler, "I advise my customers to start by listing everything down so that nothing is forgotten. Making sure you have allocated costs for every single item should mean you are less likely to spend more further down the line.
"Start with your ideal design and then gather quotes based on this. It also pays to do your research and gather different quotes to ensure you are getting the best offer. Of course, anything you can do yourself such as ripping out the existing kitchen, painting walls, tiling or laying flooring will all help to keep costs from spiralling.
"It's also a good idea to add in an extra 5 -10% contingency to the overall anticipated kitchen extension budget to allow for unexpected costs or changes."
That said, a kitchen is an investment. Not just in terms of how much use it will get in return for the money spent, but most experts agree when asked does a kitchen extension add value, that the answer is categorically yes.
4. Think carefully about space use with open plan
Open plan kitchen extensions have long dominated kitchen extension layout designs, and for good reason, but be sure to take the time to organise the space early on.
Think about how these spaces will interact with each other and, importantly, how you can encourage flow through the room. Map out how you will travel from the kitchen area to the sofa, or the dining area, through the back door and into the garden.
From this, aim to balance furniture placement with through-routes to save an awkward layout that is cumbersome to navigate.
Careful consideration will also need to be given to ensure the space isn't dominated by cooking - smells, sights and sounds all need to be dealt with in an effective way.
if you're keen to avoid any element of broken plan design in the end result, consider colour as way of creating zones.
"Deep, jewel tones such as sapphire, ruby and emerald absorb light, creating a cosier, more intimate space. This can be a great trick if you have a large kitchen you want to make feel intimate," says Emily Harnasz, lead colour consultant at YesColours.
5. Decide where you want the most light
When designing a kitchen extension, spend time and effort on making sure plenty natural light infiltrates the space - but don't make the rest of the house feel dark. This is a delicate balance, but one that is important to get right.
Find inspiration from glazed kitchen extension ideas and kitchen extensions with skylights to think of ways to ensure your space feels light and airy, but is also practical.
It's also important to remember that adding extra glazing to your extension may also impact building regulations approval under approved document Part L which states that the area of windows, roof windows and glazed doors mustn't account for more than 25% of the extension's floor area.
This is to ensure thermal efficiency, but being able to demonstrate the new extension won't create any more CO2 emissions than one with less glazing should help to ensure approval.
6. Choose your flooring to create cohesion
You might choose to completely separate the new kitchen extension from the rest of the house, but one stylish trick is to install the same kitchen flooring ideas in the spaces that lead to the new extension.
Subtly linking together the rooms will result in a greater feeling of cohesion throughout your home, without making the old rooms feel tired or underloved.
“As a natural material, wood flooring is the perfect pairing for all manner of kitchen styles," says Natalie Mudd, creative director at The Wood Flooring Company. "It can be the perfect finishing touch for classic shaker-style kitchens, but can also add warmth and longevity to more modern, streamlined designs.
"Parquet engineered wood flooring designs including herringbone and chevron are also hugely popular in kitchens since they add contrast and interest to otherwise straight sight lines.
"Or, if you prefer to keep your flooring more streamlined, straight planks work equally as well," says Natalie, "and can have the effect of making a space seem larger than it actually is."
Co-founder of The Wood Flooring Company, Natalie's role as creative director means she is perfectly placed to advise on the latest flooring trends to help customers to find their ideal flooring solutions.
7. Transform a galley kitchen with an L-shaped wrap-around extension
Transform your galley kitchen ideas with a wrap around extension. Extending out to the rear and side will not only increase a home's value, but rearranging the existing rooms to suit an open plan lifestyle will also make the layout flow more easily.
The new steel beams of this extension not only reveal the previous layout of the existing home, but also serve to act as a subtle way of defining the different cooking, dining and relaxation zones in the new, larger space.
8. Extend across the rear of a semi-detached house
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Creating much-needed space with a rear kitchen extension can help transform a semi detached home. It's not often this style of home is organised to make the most of garden views or to house a large, open-plan cooking area, so extending to the back can unlock its potential.
Be sure to consider the roof line when looking at rear extension ideas. A flat roof, like the one above, might allow you to maximise ceiling height without blocking out first floor windows.
Alternatively, create a vaulted ceiling extension with a pitched roof for a truly special addition to an existing house.
9. Transform a bungalow with a vaulted extension
While bungalows are often considered dated and perceived as unsuitable for families, they usually have a large garden plot which gives plenty of scope for kitchen extension ideas that can help reinvigorate the layout.
Play with different scales in ceiling heights and pitches, emphasise an asymmetrical form or create a whole new character through a complete remodel. These properties can act as the perfect blank canvas for your kitchen extension ideas.
Here, the mid-century aesthetics of the bungalow have been embraced in the kitchen diner idea, while the vaulted ceiling adds a new sense of drama.
10. Bring new materials into a kitchen extension
Bring a new material into a kitchen extension by considering different kitchen splashback ideas, adding an unusual worktop or opting for kitchen decor ideas that help add a wow factor to your interior.
Previously suffering from low ceilings and a lack of natural light, the kitchen and dining space of this terrace has been reconfigured by Yard Architects, thanks to a single storey extension.
Strip rooflights bring light into the new space while oak batten cladding lines the dining space and back wall of the kitchen, concealing the larder cupboard and fridge.
11. Add a roof canopy for extra outdoor dining space
"The homeowners behind this extension project are Mediterranean and they wanted an outdoor covered are to sit and enjoy the garden," explains Allie Mckinnon, project runner for nimtim Architects who designed this kitchen extension idea.
"The house is west facing at the rear and we designed the roof canopy to give shelter as well as reduce solar gain from the largely glazed extension.
"We also added in opening rooflights to bring in additional light and to create air movement and ventilation through the space. For those extending, the aspect of your design is important to consider and we would suggest plotting the proposed scheme in-situ and noting how sunlight affects the area throughout the day."
12. Extend to the side if rear space is limited
If you're unwilling or simply don't have the garden space to sacrifice for your new kitchen extension, build to the side of the house instead.
Side extension ideas can come in all shapes and sizes, but when installing a kitchen into the addition, be sure the flow from one end of the house to the other is seamless so that it doesn't feel like a temporary addition to your home.
13. Install bi-fold doors for an outdoor connection
When installing bifold or sliding patio doors in a new kitchen extension, the devil is in the detail. The difference by high and low quality materials will be noticeable after years of use - make sure your choice is the right one.
"A priority in this project was the threshold. The homeowners wanted to minimise the step from the inside to outside environments, while ensuring it remained watertight," explains Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin.
"After getting in touch with Origin, they were put into contact with their local partner whose installer sunk the threshold into the floor which left a minimal step of just 14mm."
14. Combine old and new in a small cottage kitchen extension
A lovely way to introduce a new kitchen when planning for cottage extensions is to let both the new ad the old really shine in their own right. Let interesting oak beams or stone walls contrast with large swathes of glazing and the contemporary textures of your new addition.
This granite stone cottage was beautifully extended using a small conservatory. The original inglenook stands proud (left of shot) against the new cast concrete island and is perfectly contrasted with more modern fixture and fittings.
15. Create drama with dual height kitchen extension ideas
Going up two stories, rather than just the one gives opportunity for a sense of architectural drama and the ability to create and connect other spaces.
Double storey extensions won't cost much more per square metre than single storey and can (in some cases) still fall under permitted development.
In this extension to an old storage barn, the homeowners used their two storey extension to create a reading nook above their living space on the mezzanine while a bridge landing leads to the bedrooms.
16. Give kitchen extension lighting extra time to shine
The joy of a kitchen extension is that you get to plan and tailor every specific element of your new space. And this should definitely include the lighting scheme.
While a grid of downlights is cheap and somewhat easy to fall back on, this will not fulfil all of the lighting requirements for a kitchen. Play with kitchen lighting ideas like wall lights near open shelving, pendant lights over an island, LED strips under cupboards and so on.
The effect of a good lighting scheme in a new kitchen is undeniable. Make sure you use the best kitchen lighting you can afford - it will make all the difference.
17. Consider a second-hand solution for your kitchen extension idea
While a brand new kitchen bespoke to the space and your lifestyle is extremely tempting during a project, considering a second hand kitchen is an amazing way to cut-costs or get a higher-quality finish for less.
This beautiful walnut kitchen in an orangery-inspired extension was originally priced at £60,000 and designed for another family home. The new owner bought it from the Used Kitchen Exchange for just £9,000 complete with Miele appliances.
18. Use exterior cladding for a stand-out external design
A new extension is not just an opportunity to transform interior spaces, but also to give the exterior of a tired or dated home a refresh and regeneration.
Opting for interesting house cladding choices can take an extension from being a square box to a stunning new space with wow-factor.
This terrace kitchen extension used corten steel to complement the shades within the original Victorian brickwork.
19. Add a modern extension to a terrace house
Utilising the wasted space to the side of a terrace house is one of the most popular extension designs. Essentially doubling the size of the kitchen, it can also give scope for adding extra dining and living space.
This home's terrace house extension which is located to the side of the previous galley kitchen has opened up the space to add a dining area with roof lights above.
FAQS
What permissions do I need for a kitchen extension?
When planning your kitchen extension, you will need to ensure various permission or approvals processes are included within your timeline.
Planning permission for extensions is often required, or at the very least, permitted development approval. Your extension will also need to comply with the Building Regulations and will be inspected at different stages of the build.
If your extension involves a boundary wall, you will be required to arrange for party wall agreements to comply with the Party Wall Act. This will involve serving a Party Wall Notice to adjoining neighbours.
Wondering how long a bespoke kitchen design will take if you've allocated enough budget? Molly Chandler explains the process.
"In terms of time scales, you can expect to have your completed design finalised and the kitchen ready for installation within 3-4 months after the initial contact with your kitchen designer.
"This gives everyone time to make sure all decisions are made and all elements are ordered and received," explains Molly. "Subject to the different trades involved, delivery and kitchen fitting is usually done within 2-3 weeks, with kitchen cabinetry completely fitted in 2-3 days.
"Once all base cabinetry has been fitted, worktops are templated, meaning installation of these can be up to 10 days later. Following the worktops, any countertop cabinetry and finishings are completed, before the final hand painting is done."
For more inspiration for your kitchen extension ideas, make sure to look at kitchen diner ideas for suggestions on how to make your kitchen a multi-functional space.
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Amy is an interiors and renovation journalist. She is the former Assistant Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating, where she worked between 2018 and 2023. She has also been an editor for Independent Advisor, where she looked after homes content, including topics such as solar panels.
She has an interest in sustainable building methods and always has her eye on the latest design ideas. Amy has also interviewed countless self builders, renovators and extenders about their experiences.
She has renovated a mid-century home, together with her partner, on a DIY basis, undertaking tasks from fitting a kitchen to laying flooring. She is currently embarking on an energy-efficient overhaul of a 1800s cottage in Somerset.
- Sarah HarleyAssistant Editor
