I have to confess that up until a few months ago I did not know the answer to the question posed in this title because I had never heard the term fitted kitchen before. Once the term was explained to me it made perfect sense but until then I wasn’t sure what my friend was talking about. Fitted kitchen is a British term which means a kitchen that is designed as a unit instead of being an eclectic grouping of appliances, storage units, and plumbing.
Up until about the 1950’s kitchens were built with one thought in mind, cooking food. They were not a design statement and they were never considered somewhere guests would visit. Usually at a dinner party the food would miraculously appear out of the kitchen door and then the dirty dishes would vanish the same way. After the war, when the suburban expansion started, there were many new houses built and the kitchen became a selling point. Suddenly it really mattered how a kitchen looked as well as how functional it was.
A fitted kitchen is just one that has been constructed and outfitted with a main theme. The appliances all match in color and make. The worktops are all of the same or complimentary materials and all of the storage is done inside cabinets and cupboards with faces and door to match. It looks like everything fits together which is where the name derives from.
It goes without saying now that if you are going to do any renovating or remodeling you will choose a fitted kitchen design over a more traditional one based on individual pieces. This has particularly become true as the kitchen has moved into being the focal point of entertaining. It is now quite common for the preparation phase of the meal be as important to the socializing as the eating is. With this is mind, your kitchen needs to be accommodating to guests as well as cooking.