Before and after: reorganising the layout of this kitchen gained storage and space

‘We painted the existing units soon after moving in, but it wasn’t a long-term solution,' says the owner of this semi-detached 1880s farm worker's cottage in Wiltshire. 'Everything was falling apart and one unit jutted out, so you had to walk around it. It looked horrible and made the space disjointed. There was so little storage, I had to buy a dresser to put in the room next door.

Get your kitchen re-do off to a flying start with our myriad kitchen ideas

'I really wanted an island with a breakfast bar, even though the floor space was limited. We hired a kitchen designer, who designed a better layout. An island wasn’t possible, but building the partition wall meant we could have a peninsula unit. We began the extension in the August and it was finished by Christmas.'

‘Units had been crammed into the room, which resulted in a mishmash,’ says the owner. The couple put up a wall between the kitchen and adjoining utility so they could put a long peninsula against it, adding tons 
of cupboard space. Spray painted Shaker-style kitchen with honed Carrara marble worktops by Lacy-Hulbert Interiors.

Larder cupboards use the full height of your space, so you can pack a lot of dry goods into a relatively small footprint.

A contemporary wood burner heats the space and gives it a modern rustic feeling.

Get the look
Buy now: Similar stove, Westfire Uniq 36 woodburner, £1,452, Direct Stoves. Similar bucket, Wildon 
Home steel log carrier 
in cream, £10.99, Wayfair

Related: Before and after – from dated 1930s kitchen to quirky family space

‘There’s no window at the end of the kitchen, so it was important to boost light,’ says the owner, who kept the scheme pale, with touches of oak for warmth, tying in with the original beams. Traditional-style units with marble worktops give a classic but modern look. A built-in wine rack above the fridge freezer is a clever way to fill in unused height or width.

Get the look
Buy now: Walls painted in Wood Ash intelligent matt emulsion, £50 for 2.5L, Little Greene

Not just for halls – peg rails are handy for your kitchen utensils, too.

Get the look
Buy now: Bumble stools, £280 a pair, Loaf.

Considered and careful positioning of the units has created a feeling of space and balance in the previously awkward-shaped kitchen. A pivoting interior shelving system makes every inch of the corner cabinet accessible, for plenty of pan storage.

Get the look
Buy now: Villeroy & Boch Ceramic Cisterna C60 
ceramic sink, £329.99, Taps UK. Perrin & Rowe Phoenix three-in-one hot water tap, £829.99, Tap Warehouse

'I love our kitchen’s unusual nooks and crannies, but they made refitting it a real challenge,' says the owner.

What would have been wasted inches at the end of the run of units has been turned into slim, clever storage for tall bottles with handy slide-out shelves.

Before and after: this kitchen went from skinny galley to classy cook’s dream

'We worked to a £30,000 budget, spending most of that on the cabinets but saved on fixtures and fittings,' says the owner. 'The quality is great and it’s such a joy to use.’