Have you challenged yourself to design a small kitchen? Designing a small space might seem like a challenge, but it’s also a chance to learn some tricks to optimize space: maximize the function of your kitchen and make it look bigger visually. Here are 12 ideas for doing that.
1 – Leave the sides of your island open
You have chosen to have an island: remember to include storage and make sure that these storage spaces can be opened on both sides. Do not condemn one of the faces. Instead, take advantage of all the storage space, so that you have a good number of items within easy reach. Don’t envision a deep, low closet where nothing is easily accessible.
2 – Opt for seats that slide under your table or island
Are you considering a surface that is both a worktop and a dining table? Very good, but think that stools or bulky chairs to go with it can take up more space than necessary. Rather than tripping over your seats, choose backless chairs that can tuck completely under your island or table so they don’t get in the way when not in use.
3 – Consider a hob and a central hood
Positioning your hob on an island rather than against a wall does not necessarily free up space in itself. However, this does mean that you can fit your hood in the middle of your room, leaving room against the walls for uninterrupted rows of cupboards, and therefore more storage space.
4 – Add drawer and closet organizers
Although drawer and cabinet organizers are a practical luxury in any kitchen, they are especially important in a small kitchen. If you store to store without being careful that it is functional, it is inefficient. Think of compartments so that each object has its place. Dividing drawers and cupboards into compartments allows you to store more, more efficiently.
5 – Install open shelves
Another excellent alternative to the open shelves that we are used to installing against the walls is to hang one above your central island. This creates a place where visually it is easy to find the objects. Even your guests could use it easily. You can also put open shelves immediately under your closed cupboards. This makes you gain in functionality since there too the objects are easier to access. This can be ideal for glasses, for example, which are used every day and which are always easier to grip. A shallow shelf under an expanse of overhead cupboards can be a great place to store small items like spice jars, pepper mills or tea canisters.
6 – Attach a storage bar or rail
Adding a rail or a magnetic bar, for example at your credenza, gives you a practical place to hang utensils or objects such as spoons, cups, jars, jars of spices for seasonings, paper towel rolls, tea towels, etc.
7 – Work on the light
You might think using a dark color in a small kitchen is a total mistake, but the contrast of light and dark can create optical effects that make the kitchen appear larger. Using a bit of dark gray on a back wall behind surrounding white cupboards can make the wall visually “recoil” helping to give the kitchen a bigger feel.
8 – Opt for very high cupboards
The height of cupboards in a kitchen is often standard. It corresponds to a distance above your counter or island. If you feel a bit “in the wall”, if you’re tall or don’t mind using a stepladder, install your cupboards on the wall a little higher than usual. Thanks to these few centimeters, you will gain in comfort. For a clean layout and clean lines, align your upper cabinets with your range hood.
9 – Prioritize storage space over worktop space
In any kitchen layout, priorities must be considered. Would you like more space to work or more space to store and store? In a small kitchen, it may make sense to give up extra space on your worktop in favor of a large vertical cupboard that you can use to its full height. If you have enough space to prepare a meal, it’s perfect if that’s all you need. Because in many kitchens, long stretches of worktops go unused anyway. Consider swapping out a long worktop for a shorter worktop and one or two full-height cupboards – they can also accommodate your large appliances, for more efficient use of space.
10 – Attach mirrors
Don’t have a wall that you could open to create a connection, like some sort of serving hatch? In these cases, you can still create the illusion by using one or more mirrors. The reflective surface gives the illusion of depth beyond your cupboards.
11 – Use a tray to gather
Sometimes all you need to declutter your kitchen is a simple tray. Gathering items like a spoon, mortar and pestle, and kitchen timer all on a tray or cutting board visually tricks our brain into seeing them as organized. It’s a pretty quick trick that can make a big difference, especially when it comes to visual perception.
12 – Create a secret storage area on the floor
This last idea is probably not the most practical for all homes, but it is still the most unusual. Yes, and if you planned a storage area for your wine bottles integrated into the ground: a secret cellar, in short! All this to convince you that you have to dare to be creative, even more so when working on the layout of a small kitchen.