Raise your hand if you hate linear kitchens. They are also referred to as “modern single wall kitchens” or “efficient European-style kitchens” in pretty much every apartment ad on Craigslist. We have this style in our current apartment and I will admit, you can wash the dishes very efficiently… while sitting on your sofa. We have realized in our ongoing apartment search that linear kitchens are very popular here. (Popular with developers, that is.) Even heritage buildings have all been “updated” with these kitchens. Is it just Vancouver? Or has anyone else run into this problem?
Strange floorplans, right? However, I do think I could possibly make peace with this kitchen layout in our next apartment, in one of two ways.
One: If the kitchen is very modern and all-white, I could keep the counters bare all the time and let it sort of blend in with the wall.
Two: If there is room, add a island or table to add counter space and make it more of a designated kitchen area.
I have been digging up some inspiration and thought I should share it in case some of you are facing a similar problem. They make me think that maybe this style is not so bad… (Click the images for sources.)
About
Britt McMaster is addicted to cucumbers. She and her husband, Ryan, live and work in a tiny apartment in downtown Vancouver, BC. Both Ryan and Britt love to write lists of all their ideas on action sheets, and they have pages and pages. They write especially quickly after they've each had a dry cappuccino or two. Most of those fanciful ideas will stay on paper, but Cucumbersome is Britt's platform to try some out.
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Love your blog! Am glad you’re posting again!
Thanks for the warm welcome back, Samantha!
Yay, I am so glad you are posting again! Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your site. Thanks!
i love kitchens. everyone ends up in them so why not bring them out in the open? the tiny bachelor i’ve been staying in has the kitchen walled in and it would make the space feel much bigger if they’d gone with this ‘linear’ concept. as it is, the kitchen feels as though it is in the closet. i particularly like the idea of putting an island of sorts between the kitchen wall and the rest of the space, though. counter space is so important. can’t wait to see what you do with your new place!
Those are lovely, but I don’t know how on earth I would ever keep some of those sparse kitchens (with little storage) so clean and uncluttered looking. If you can manage that, then I say, “Go for it!”