As the heart and soul of the home, your kitchen needs to have personality and functionality. But how do you make that possible with limited space? When creating a more efficient and inviting kitchen space, bigger doesn’t always mean better.
So even if your kitchen is small, you can make it functional and organized without losing its aesthetic appeal. However, like many people, coming up with some ideas to restyle tiny spaces can be challenging.
While it may feel like you don’t have many options, thoughtful planning is the key to designing a tiny kitchen that meets all your needs and works for your lifestyle. Below are eight design tips to help you transform your small kitchen.
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1. Eliminate All the Non-Essentials
Your kitchen will look more cramped and small when there’s clutter everywhere. To make it more spacious looking and functional, you can first eliminate all the non-essential items. Start by emptying everything from every drawer, cabinet, and storage area. You’ll be surprised with the amount of stuff you’ve accumulated in an already-limited space.
Start by sorting all the items into what you think you use all the time and those you rarely use and must give away. This may not be easy but think about the space you can free up by clearing out the non-essentials. Being honest will help your kitchen to be more stylish and not cluttered.
Give your kitchen a fresh look by getting rid of unnecessary clutter. If you’re not ready yet to perform a high-level purge, begin by having a clean and clutter-free counter space, and you’ll see how your kitchen will feel different, airy, and inviting.
2. Use Glass to Visually Enlarge the Space
Glass can help eliminate visual barriers, making a tiny kitchen open and spacious. Wherever possible, use glass to expose and free up more space in your kitchen area. If you want to enlarge your kitchen’s design, you can opt for glass door panels or front cabinets to create an illusion of depth. However, only display a few items to keep the clutter to a minimum.
3. Paint With Space-Enhancing Colors
With just a few brushstrokes, you can simply transform your kitchen space that’s far easier on your budget. But ensure to choose the right paint colours. Although bright whites are the go-to paint colours for compact kitchens, there are more space-enhancing shades you can use to give your space a loftier feel. This can include blush nudes, green shades, calming yellows, and dark gray hues.
4. Open Up Your Storage Space
Cluttered shelves will make your kitchen feel smaller. Opening up your storage space is an excellent idea if you tend to clutter. Having all the essential items you need in the open discourages hoarding tendencies. It will also give your kitchen a more homey vibe. You can display appliances on countertops, remove cabinet doors, or install many open shelves.
5. Reconsider Your Kitchen Furniture
Your kitchen furniture must also be streamlined to fit in a tight space. For example, round tables are most suitable for small kitchen spaces since they can squeeze in a few more people than a rectangular model. There are many oak tables for sale you can find online. You can also use freestanding furniture like a baker’s rack or a bookshelf to give your kitchen some warmth.
6. Add Plenty of Functional Lighting
Like any room in the house, your kitchen also needs layers of lighting. Consider incorporating a window to let in ample natural light if you have a closed kitchen area. A statement lighting will not only be a beautiful centrepiece in the kitchen. It can also cast a multi-directional light, which is essential for increased efficiency in your kitchen space.
7. Put Up a Kitchen Island
Putting up an island is an excellent way to provide great storage space, display and functionality to your kitchen. Bigger kitchen islands are the trend, but you can’t fit one if the area is small. A movable or wheeled kitchen island will be the perfect alternative. You can easily roll the kitchen island out of the way if you need some additional space.
8. Organize Your Space by Work-Friendly Zones
As one area in your home with a lot of activity, the kitchen must be designed very well. Make sure to factor in your lifestyle and kitchen needs when restyling such a tiny space. Dividing the place into five work-friendly zones will help you create a kitchen that is easy for you to organize and keep clean. Here are the basic zones that will help make your kitchen space more practical to use:
Preparation Zone
This is where you probably spend most of your time. Activities in the area may typically include chopping, peeling, measuring, and mixing ingredients to prepare meals. The ideal location for this zone must be near the refrigerator and the kitchen’s primary sink.
Cooking Zone
Since this is where cooking takes place, you should always keep it tidy. Ideally, the cooking zone should be in the center of the kitchen and adjacent to the preparation and storage areas.
Food Storage Zone
This area is explicitly reserved for food storage. You can split this zone into two: one is where you place a refrigerator for fresh food, while the other is for the pantry or food cabinets to store dry goods.
Cleaning Zone
This area must always be hygienic, comprising the sink and some storage for washed utensils and dishes. Since it also includes the trash, recycling and compost bin, the ideal placement of this zone must be at the far end of your kitchen.
Regular Storage Zone
This is where you store all the kitchen utensils you need daily. Ideally, the storage spaces should be close to the entrance and avoid interfering with the other zones.
Make Your Small Kitchen Space More Gorgeous and Functional
Your small kitchen might make you feel restrictive. But the limited space doesn’t have to prevent you from making your kitchen area more gorgeous and functional. Whatever design you choose, ensure to incorporate some personal touches. Remember that a functional kitchen doesn’t have to be empty and bland.
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