Small kitchens are often characterized as cozy and charming, but can also be difficult to keep organized. If you’re looking to improve the functionality of your small kitchen without gutting it or replacing all its pieces, these design ideas can help you transform the space into a functional culinary haven.
Keep It Simple
Simple doesn’t have to mean bland—unless you want it to. If you want a monochromatic look, choose one color family for your cabinet paint, countertop appliances, and dinnerware. Alternatively, replace raised panel cabinet doors with sleeker slab doors. Their smooth surfaces can help the room feel more streamlined. If you’re planning a bigger remodel, consider getting a refrigerator and dishwasher sheathed in paneling that matches your cabinets to conceal them completely.
Seek Out Unused Spaces
To increase storage space and get small items such as spices and canned goods out of the cabinets, install a rolling pantry in an empty spot on your refrigerator. This frees up space to keep larger items on taller shelves, and it keeps smaller supplies accessible. Paint the face of the rolling pantry to match your other cabinetry or choose a design that coordinates with your wooden cabinet doors.
Go Brighter
If your small kitchen looks like it might have bats roosting atop the cabinets while you’re prepping your morning oatmeal, it’s time to lighten up. Installing more lighting in your kitchen is an easy way to make it feel airier and more spacious—and it helps you see what you’re doing. One quick way to illuminate the space is to install battery-powered puck lights under the cabinets. Consider replacing bulbs in overhead fixtures with brighter models that provide at least 5,000 lumens, notes HouseLogic.
Open It Up
Although it is important to have ample storage space, if you are looking to create a loftier look in your small kitchen, this design idea is one to consider. Take down your upper row of cabinetry to open up the space and remove some of the visual heaviness. Replace it with a few smartly positioned floating shelves where you can display a decorative vignette, some plants or the dinnerware you use most often.
Splash Out
A mirror hanging in the kitchen can brighten your space and create a focal point. Instead of installing new tile backsplash—or in addition to adding one—hang a long mirror that fills the space between the countertop and cabinets. A mirror is not only visually doubled in size, but it’s easy to clean. Just think about all that grout you won’t need to scrub!