10 Tips for Making the Most of a Small Kitchen

Having a small kitchen is neither the end of the world, nor a synonym for having a messy, impractical space. Here are 10 tips for improving the layout and decoration to make the most of the small space and to make your kitchen the heart of the home.

To ensure that your small kitchen has the best possible layout, you should start by choosing appliances that fit the space well. You can now buy, for instance, dishwashers that can be built into a kitchen cabinet to save space, whilst also improving the appearance of the room. A built in fridge is also a popular space=saving choice. In addition, don’t hesitate to go for a multi-function oven, that can also serve as a microwave.

To save space in your kitchen, why not use all of the height that is availavle to you? This allows you to, on the one hand, to gain as much storage space as possible, and to also give the impression of depth, of greater space. A lot of furniture that can be modified to fit your space is also available now. However, make sure that you can still get into your storage units.

Don’t forget that you can also add wall shelves to decorate your small kitchen, plus, back-lighting can also make a space look both bigger and better.

To decorate your small kitchen, you need to make the most of the corners. Yes, getting to furniture in the corners can sometimes be complicated and not at all practical, however, you can opt for furniture that is specifically designed to fit in corners, you can even get corner shelves, which allow easy access to your utensils and can add decorative value too.

To gain space in your small kitchen, why not go for a built-in bin, which will free up more floor space and hide an object that is, let’s be honest, often unattractive, or even smelly

To gain depth of storage space, why not go for kitchen cabinets with low bases, and that are a bit higher than the norm. Doing so will make your work-surface higher, bigger and you’ll benefit from a better equipped kitchen thanks to the extra space.

In the heart of your little kitchen, remember to keep certain elements distant from each other. For example, keep the water away from electrical outputs and keep the heat-sources away from fridge. For instance, try not to put the fridge and the oven to close together

To truly make a small kitchen look bigger ideally you want it to open out into the living room. The kitchen surfaces or cabinets can act as a great means of separating the two spaces.

If your kitchen has a window, let some light in to make the space look bigger. Make sure that nothing blocks the window or the light. To make the room look even better, why not go for spotlighting, like LEDs over the work surface, for instance.

Another part of making sure your kitchen is bright, is playing with the colours that you use. You should, for example, favour light colours if the light sources in the room aren’t very bright. Or, you could put two complementary colours together to give a pleasant decorative effect. Check out our article on revamping old furniture without ruining it to find out more.

This is often what determines where your furniture and appliances can go. You should opt to put extension cables with multiple otputs in cotners, or just above your work surface. That way you won’t see the cables and you will be able to easily plug in your appliances.

For other decorating tips, why not check out our article Design Tips: Decorate your balcony and DIY Tips: Zen Living.