Indigo & Grey Shaker Kitchen Renovation in Lucan, Dublin

This kitchen renovation in Lucan, Dublin transformed Aoife and Mark’s dated L-shaped kitchen into a brighter, more practical U-shaped Shaker kitchen with a peninsula. Kitchens4U designed, supplied and installed a two-tone Indigo and Grey fitted kitchen, adding tall storage units, extra worktop space, integrated appliances and a more social family layout — all completed in 4 weeks with a project budget of €22,000–€25,000.

Project Overview

The Starting Point: A Kitchen That Had Run Out of Steam

The original kitchen was what you’d expect from a house that hadn’t been touched since the early 2000s. Cream-coloured cabinets — once probably quite nice — had faded and yellowed over the years. The layout was a simple L-shape, with cabinets clustered along the left wall and the back wall, and a big stretch of empty space on the right that never really earned its keep.

Storage was the biggest headache. With only a handful of wall cabinets and base units, everything overflowed onto the worktops. Kettle, toaster, microwave, rice cooker, washing-up bits — they all fought for space on a work surface that was never generous to begin with. There was a freestanding electric cooker that had been there long enough to qualify as part of the family, and a double-basin sink surrounded by dishes that never seemed to find a proper home.

Structurally, the room itself was fine. Decent size, good bones, no damp or awkward pillars to work around. It was really just a case of a kitchen that had been installed when the house was built, lived in hard, and never updated. The potential was there — it just needed someone to pull it out.

Before and After: What Actually Changed

What We Did: Turning an L-Shape Into a U-Shaped Kitchen with a Peninsula

The big move here was changing the layout entirely. Instead of the old L-shape that left one whole wall doing nothing useful, we designed a U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula — three sides of workspace wrapping around the cook, with the front peninsula extending out into the room.

Why a peninsula instead of an island? In this room, it came down to flow. A freestanding island would have eaten into the walking space and made the kitchen feel pinched. The peninsula gives you all the same benefits — extra worktop, a spot for casual meals, somewhere to park a laptop or chat while cooking — without chopping the room in half. It’s attached to the main cabinetry on one side, so it anchors the kitchen without blocking movement. For family homes where the kitchen opens into the living area, that’s often the smarter call.

A Two-Tone Cabinet Combination That Actually Works

Colour-wise, we didn’t want to go all-dark and make the room feel smaller, but we also didn’t want an all-white kitchen that would feel a bit sterile. The compromise was a split approach:

• Base cabinets and tall units in Indigo — a deep, navy-leaning blue with a subtle woodgrain texture. The cabinets are from the Bastille Indigo Natural Woodgrain Shaker range: five-piece Shaker doors with proper frame-and-panel construction rather than flat pressed boards. Up close, you can see the grain running through the finish, which keeps it from looking flat or plasticky.
• Wall cabinets in light Grey — a soft, warm-toned grey that sits well above eye level without looming over the room. Keeping the uppers in a lighter colour stops the kitchen from feeling top-heavy and helps bounce natural light around.

Both are Shaker-style doors — clean framed edges, no fussy detailing, the sort of look that’s been around for over a century and isn’t going anywhere. The cabinets themselves are 18mm MFC (melamine-faced chipboard) with solid backs. Not the flashiest material on paper, but for a family kitchen that’s going to take a daily beating, it’s practical, stable, and easy to keep clean.

White Laminate Worktops: Bright, Clean, and Budget-Friendly

Across the whole run — back wall, side walls, and peninsula — we used a Snow White laminate worktop at 38mm thickness. Laminate sometimes gets a bad rap compared to quartz or granite, but honestly, if your budget has limits (and whose doesn’t), a good-quality laminate worktop is hard to beat. It’s easy to wipe down, doesn’t need sealing, doesn’t stain easily, and the bright white surface keeps the whole room feeling open.

Against the Indigo base cabinets, the contrast is sharp in a good way — the dark units ground the kitchen, and the white top lifts it.

Explore more kitchen worktop options →

Tall Indigo Storage on the Right-Hand Side

The right-hand wall, which was completely empty in the old kitchen, now includes tall deep Indigo Shaker storage units. This is the real workhorse of the kitchen. It’s where pantry goods, small appliances, cleaning kit, and anything else that doesn’t need to live on the worktop can disappear behind closed doors. For a family kitchen, having tall storage units like this is a bit of a game changer — it means the main cooking zone stays clear, and you’re not excavating through cupboards to find the pasta.

The tall cabinets match the base units in Indigo, so visually the wall feels like one continuous piece rather than a block of storage tacked on as an afterthought.

Sink, Tap, Handles and Everyday Details

For this kitchen, we used the Sicilia Lydia Undermount 1.0 Bowl Large sink, paired with a Darver Single Lever Pull Out Mixer Tap in Chrome. It keeps the sink area clean and simple, while still being practical for rinsing larger pots, washing vegetables, and everyday clean-up.

To the right of the sink, there’s a white dishwasher fitted neatly into the run of deep Indigo base units. It’s a small thing, but switching from a freestanding to an built-in dishwasher makes the whole kitchen feel more considered — one less appliance breaking up the cabinet frontage.

Across the cabinetry, we used Roma Strap Handles. They suit the Shaker doors well: simple, easy to grip, and understated enough to let the Indigo and Grey cabinet colours do the talking.

On the left-hand wall, the hob is a black ceramic electric unit set flush into the worktop, with an extractor hood mounted above between the wall cabinets. Not gas, not induction — ceramic — which for a lot of Irish homes is the sensible middle ground: responsive enough, easy to clean, and works with whatever pots and pans you already own.

The peninsula has a pop-up socket built into the worktop, which is the sort of detail that’s easy to overlook until you actually use it. It means the peninsula doubles as a spot for charging phones, plugging in a mixer, or setting up a laptop while someone’s keeping an eye on dinner.

Want to see more real kitchen transformations? Explore our recent kitchen projects →

The Numbers: Budget and Timeline

This project came in at €22,000 to €25,000, including all cabinetry, worktops, appliances, fitting, and finishing work. The timeline was 4 weeks from rip-out to handover — pretty standard for a full kitchen renovation where the room’s footprint isn’t changing and there are no structural surprises.

For context, that puts this at the more accessible end of a full kitchen renovation in Dublin. You’re not cutting into walls, moving plumbing across the room, or spec’ing solid stone. What you are getting is a well-built, thoughtfully designed kitchen in proper Shaker cabinets with a custom peninsula layout, and enough storage to actually keep the worktops clear.

Who This Kind of Kitchen Suits

If you’ve got a medium-to-large open-plan kitchen space that’s currently underusing one wall or corner, a U-shaped layout with a peninsula is one of the most practical configurations going. It gives you the workflow of a proper working kitchen —hob, sink and storage all within easy reach— plus the useful extra counter space of a peninsula without the space commitment of a standalone island

The two-tone Shaker look makes sense if you like the idea of a kitchen with some personality but don’t want to commit to anything too bold or trendy. Indigo and grey aren’t going to look dated in three years. And the white worktop is about as safe a bet as you can make — it’ll go with anything if you decide to repaint the walls or change the floor later.

The Result

The finished kitchen gives this Lucan home a much calmer and more practical centre point. By moving from an underused L-shaped layout to a U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula, the room now has better worktop space, clearer storage zones and a more natural flow for everyday cooking.

The two-tone Indigo and Grey Shaker finish keeps the design balanced: dark enough to feel grounded, but still bright thanks to the light wall cabinets and white worktops. Tall storage on the right-hand side also helps keep the main kitchen area tidier, with pantry items and small appliances kept behind closed doors.

For Aoife and Mark, the biggest difference was not just how the kitchen looked, but how much easier it became to use day to day. Kitchens4U delivered a fitted kitchen that feels organised, durable and suited to a busy family home in Lucan.

Planning a Shaker kitchen renovation in Dublin? Kitchens4U can help with kitchen design, supply and installation, from cabinet colours and worktop selection to sinks, taps, handles, appliance areas and the final fitted finish. Explore our recent kitchen projects or Book a Free Consultation to start planning a fitted kitchen for your home.

FAQ

How much does a kitchen renovation in Lucan, Dublin cost?

A kitchen renovation in Lucan, Dublin can vary depending on the layout, cabinet range, worktop choice, appliances and fitting work required. This Indigo and Grey Shaker kitchen project came in at around €22,000–€25,000, including cabinetry, worktops, appliances, fitting and finishing work.

How long does a fitted kitchen installation take in Dublin?

A fitted kitchen installation in Dublin usually takes a few weeks, depending on the size of the project and whether plumbing, electrics or structural changes are needed. This Lucan kitchen renovation was completed in 4 weeks from rip-out to handover.

Is a U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula a good layout?

Yes. A U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula can be a very practical layout, especially when you want more worktop space without adding a freestanding island. In this Lucan kitchen, the peninsula helped create a better working layout while keeping the room easy to move through.

Are Shaker kitchens popular in Dublin homes?

Shaker kitchens are a popular choice in Dublin homes because they feel classic, practical and easy to adapt to different styles. This project used a two-tone Indigo and Grey Shaker design, combining darker base and tall cabinets with lighter wall cabinets for a balanced finish.

Can Kitchens4U design and install a similar kitchen in Lucan?

Yes. Kitchens4U can help with kitchen design, supply and installation in Lucan, West Dublin and surrounding areas. A similar fitted kitchen can be adapted to your home, including the layout, cabinet colours, worktop material, handles, sink, tap and appliance setup.

Is an Indigo and Grey kitchen a good colour choice?

An Indigo and Grey kitchen can work well if you want a design with more character than an all-white kitchen but still want the room to feel balanced. The deeper Indigo units add depth, while the light Grey wall cabinets help keep the kitchen feeling brighter.

What is the best layout for a family kitchen renovation?

The best layout for a family kitchen renovation depends on the room size and how the space is used day to day. In this Lucan project, changing from an L-shaped kitchen to a U-shaped layout with a peninsula created more storage, better worktop space and a more practical cooking area.