It’s one thing to make something small ‘look’ bigger; it’s another to make it ‘do’ more. If you have a small kitchen, you might be thinking how to style it in such a way that you can actually do more things in such a small amount of space. Here are some major elements a small kitchen should have to make it ‘bigger’ in terms of what it can do.
Find Flexible and Space-Saving Storage
In a small kitchen, you need to think creatively when it comes to storage. Instead of investing in ordinary shelves, use wire panel shelving that can maximize storage by adapting to your kitchen’s needs anytime. Add or take away shelves, hang glasses upside-down, or even set up a wine rack.
Consider a kitchen trolley, too, that provides an additional prep surface when you need it, rolls away when you don’t. It also offers extra storage for cookbooks, pots, and pans. You can even use it as a handy food and drinks trolley when you have guests.
Bennington Rolling Kitchen Cart
Make the most of your space with modular storage. This space-saving solution makes storage efficient, since many containers are stackable. Use square baskets to make finding oddly shaped items easier, and canisters to keep dry goods fresh.
Make the Most of Small Appliances
Keep surfaces from looking cluttered by tucking the toaster, kettle, and coffee machine away in a cupboard. As soon as you open the cupboard, your favorite small appliance is ready to use. This is can be a small hack for making use of awkward corners, and so that none of your kitchen gadgets gets lost at the back of a cabinet.
via House Beautiful
It’s also best to go for compact appliances that offer multiple functions—an air fryer that not only can fry, but also bake, broil, roast, toast, and warm up food; or a mixer that can also be a blender. The same can also be said for rice cookers. Despite their name, even inexpensive rice cookers can now cook veggies, meat, pasta, and beans — giving you more bang for your buck and more possibilities for cooking in your small space.
Rethink the Kitchen Island
Replacing the table for a versatile kitchen island is the perfect way to add extra storage and surface space, while still keeping the kitchen a sociable space. Choose an island with plenty of storage space underneath for storing vegetables and linens, and a slight overhang from the counter top to ensure that some bar stools can fit easily under the island, avoiding any potential tripping.
Add a Supersized Sink
Your small kitchen might not have space for a dishwasher, so it’s worth installing a supersized double sink — with one sink for placing dirty dishes, while keeping another one free for washing. In addition, you’ll have somewhere to pile used preparation tools and plates temporarily, without cluttering up the work surface.
Install Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets
Think vertically by expanding your cabinets until they reach the ceiling but plan carefully to ensure there’s still enough space left in the middle of the room. Store less frequently used items in high cupboards.
via Sweeten
Storage is one of the most important elements in a small kitchen. By maximizing every spare inch, reorganizing areas that aren’t utilized as much as they should, and adding extra solutions where necessary, you can turn a tiny room into a big winner in terms of functionality.
