Whatever shape or size your kitchen is, it is the heart of the home. It’s important to make your kitchen into a space you enjoy spending time in. These small kitchen ideas are perfect for making the most of a small kitchen, particularly in apartments. Finding solutions for your small kitchen can be really satisfying. By making the most of every scrap of space and reorganizing areas that don’t work, you can turn a small kitchen into one that does everything you want and need. More and more, kitchen design benefits from minimal clutter and maximum efficiency.
When you are planning the layout of your small kitchen, it is important to think about your overall aesthetic. Some decor will suit smaller kitchens, while some styles can make the make space feel even more enclosed. There are some layouts that just won’t work in a small space, like kitchen islands, as there isn’t enough room. It’s better to stick with options like light-colored wood and natural stone to keep the kitchen feeling bright and airy. Natural textures like wood, rattan, and wicker can work well in small spaces as well.
Use Partitions To Separate Tasks
In a small kitchen, especially in a galley kitchen, it can feel very difficult to properly zone the space. Integrating a partition means that you can separate out functions more effectively and create designated prep areas in the kitchen. Choose a glass half partition, so the room stays feeling open and lets light pass through. Treat one section as a prep kitchen, and keep any large appliances and utensils hidden away from view.
Keep Some Storage Open
Storage is one of the most important things to think about in any kitchen, but especially in a small kitchen.
A one-wall kitchen can work perfectly for those who have a smaller space but who still want a kitchen with impact. A one-wall layout is simple, so you can maximize efficiency without comprising functionality. You need to think vertically and create as much extra storage space as you can by making use of the height of your walls.
Once you have decided where your storage is going to go, start to think about light. In a smaller kitchen, wall-to-wall cabinets can block out some light, which makes your space feel even more small and cramped. You can avoid this problem by including some open shelving and storage. Using open storage on the top half of the wall will make the room look taller as well.
Zone With Flooring
Small kitchens can be used as small kitchen diners if you’re clever with the space you have. You can make the space feel more like two separate rooms without compromising on space by creating zones.
Choose two distinct styles of floor, and use these to fool the eye into thinking there are two spaces. A patterned option works well in the kitchen, as this can be energizing and help to disguise spillages. A calming, more neutral style is better for a more relaxed dining zone.
Break The Plan
Broken plan is a new spin on open plan design, and a small kitchen can really benefit from a layout like this. A broken plan layout works by zoning the room with either full partitions which can be opened or pulled back when needed, or half partitions to give the feeling of separate areas. This will let you differentiate cooking, dining, and living spaces while keeping the overall open plan feel of the space.
If you don’t like the idea of partitions, you could try freestanding furniture or slatted screens to divide zones.
Incorporate A Slim Breakfast Bar
Make the most of the space in your kitchen by creating a breakfast bar area. It might seem like a challenge to get one to fit, but they are a great option if you don’t need much cupboard storage space. A breakfast bar can double as both a preparation and a dining space, giving you a multifunctional approach to your kitchen design. Look for options that are slim-line, which can be built into a peninsula or island to further save on space. You can also use these bars for the small appliances you use most, such as the best cuisinart griddlers.
Pay Attention To Your Flooring
A smaller kitchen requires a lot of careful thought and consideration to give the illusion of a bigger space. Contrary to popular belief about a small space, a larger tile can work well in a small kitchen to achieve this. A smaller tile means you have a lot of grout joints that can enclose the space and distract the eye from the tile itself. A 900×600 tile works well as it is a size that is versatile and works well for both larger and smaller areas.
As an alternative option, wood effect porcelain is becoming more popular in smaller spaces, due to the long, narrow shape. If you chose a grout in a complementary color, it will make the grout less noticeable which helps to open the space out.
Save Space With A Sliding Door
In a small kitchen where space is tight, you might be tempted to remove the door to avoid the room from feeling claustrophobic. However, a door to the kitchen can be handy, as it allows you to contain the smells of cooking from filling the rest of the house. Instead, consider a sliding door, which is a perfect space-saver.
A sliding door takes up no space, but still provides separation between the kitchen and the rest of the house. Choose a glass door, so even when it is pulled close, it doesn’t act as a solid barrier between the two spaces.
Be Mindful Of Dimensions
A kitchen needs to be as functional as it is beautiful. If you take a standard galley kitchen to have a 6ft width and a 12ft length, island and peninsula counters are rarely going to be an option in this sort of space. The importance of walkway space should be a key consideration.
When you design your layout, always leave about a meter of walkway space on either one or two sides of the worktop, island, or peninsula counter. This is the most important dimension for aesthetic and functionality to keep in mind.
Make More Space With Collapsible Furniture
Choose collapsable furniture where you can to allow the space the freedom in the purpose. For example, you could try an extendable table, which provides a sort of island. When you need a table, you can extend the table out to create a good-sized dining table for mealtimes. This table could even provide valuable desk space for working from home. Due to the nature of collapsable furniture, the space isn’t compromised in any way by the need for a table. This is a very efficient way to make small kitchen spaces work to their full potential.
Get Creative With Corners
A small kitchen still has to work for even the most basic of food prep and serving, which can require a lot of stuff. This means it is very important to make use of every last scrap of available space by being smart with your design solutions.
Make sure that all your units are as tall as physically possible to elongate the space as much as you can. Making the most of corners and some clever mechanisms will help you use every inch of space, such as an under-cupboard glass rack.
Hanging glasses below the cupboards is a clever idea for more kitchen storage. It not only uses up space that would otherwise be wasted, but more importantly, it will free up some storage space inside the cabinets that can then be used for something else.
Utilize Wall Space To Create A Compact Design
When you don’t have much space to deal with, clever compact kitchen design can come to the rescue. When you are working with a much smaller space, it is very important that your layout is carefully considered to make sure that every inch of the kitchen has been used well.
Create a bank of cabinetry along one wall to streamline and open up the space in the kitchen. Tall wall units are especially well suited to narrow, galley-style kitchens, as using this space more effectively makes sure that the kitchen feels less cramped than it would if you filled it with larder-style dressers.
Pay Attention To Details
If you are designing a new kitchen to make your small space easier to use, don’t forget about the small details. Small details, such as the materials that you use, are important when you are designing a small kitchen. Lighter wood finishes and paint colors work well to expand the amount of space your kitchen appears to have.
However, whites and creams are less popular for kitchens at the moment, so a good compromise is a grey scheme instead, using smoked oak wood alongside a matte grey paint. Pair these tones with light-colored countertops, so your kitchen looks airy and spacious.
*Collaborative Post