We all agree that size of the room plays an important role when it comes to home remodelling. The kitchen is one of the most significant parts of the house. Having a small kitchen does not mean that you cannot be a master baker or chef. With the help of brilliant ideas and designs, you can make your kitchen feel more spacious.
Best Small kitchen ideas staying in your budget
If you seek the best options to deal with a small kitchen, you should consider the availability of the space you have. We bring you 12 ideas and guidelines to help you utilize every inch of your kitchen and make it feel bigger.
1) Utilize vertical space
Utilizing vertical space is critical in smaller areas. When you feel like your kitchen is less spacious, you have to use innovative techniques to counter it. One of which is to utilize your vertical space. The most popular and effective idea is to build cabinetry along a wall. This is an excellent way of streamlining and opening up space. When you start thinking vertically, you can develop many great hacks like installing pot racks and knife mounts. You can also install open shelving, which will allow you to show off your fancy pots and pans. This technique will help make room for more essential items in the cabinets. It is advised to store the least frequently used items in the high cupboards. One of the best cabinet ideas can be found on Impressions Kitchens.
2) Create an illusion using colors
Replacing your equipment to make more room in your kitchen can be quite expensive. As a result, most people choose to paint their kitchen to give the illusion of it more spacious. New color schemes can do wonders to help your kitchen feel a little bit bigger. It is preferred that the surrounding wall should have a neutral color while the cabinetry can use a more vital shade. Yellow, light blue, and green are popular color pallets for kitchens. The difference in shades will help create an illusion of divided colors between the floor and the ceiling, making it look bigger. Experts say that the lighter the kitchen, the larger it feels. The light-colored walls would help reflect light around the kitchen, making it look brighter and more prominent. Following are some of the most popular light paint colors for kitchens
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Behr Snow Fall
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
- Sherwin Williams Creamy
- Behr French Gray
- Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray
An accent wall can also help transform the look of your overall kitchen, regardless of its size. And you can also double down on color with vivid appliances.
3) Learn to use lighting
Lighting can play a significant role in the way your kitchen looks and feels. Mostly small kitchens have only one primary lighting, which usually adds a very dull effect. Experts believe that good lighting is crucial while cooking. Most kitchen designers and experts prefer an oversized light for small kitchens as it can help expand the room, and pendant lights can aid you with that. It is advised to take measurements before installing them, so they don’t affect your functionality. Light fixtures should hang almost 7 feet above the ground.
Mirrors can be an essential element when there is little natural light in a kitchen; as mentioned earlier, and a lighter kitchen means an open kitchen. A mirror can help achieve that goal. Plus, it can give the illusion of more open space.
While moving your kitchen furniture, be sure not to cover any windows. Many people would sacrifice their windows for better adjustment without realizing that apart from electrical lighting, natural light and the outside view could spark their kitchen.
4) Measure your furniture
Having too much or too big furniture can make your kitchen look even smaller. It is advised to use small furniture that would free floor space and help provide more walking space. This will lower your chances of bumping into furniture or other people when your kitchen is crowded.
5) Invest in flexible storage and make adjustments
To make your kitchen big, you have to think creatively. So, you have to make slight adjustments and invest n flexible storage. You can do so by using wire panel shelving instead of typical kitchen shelving. Ordinary shelves occupy a lot of space and cost you a fortune; where as string shelves can be adjusted anywhere, they are affordable and give your kitchen an aesthetic look. Another great idea is introducing drawers in your cabinets as they are straightforward to install and are less costly than custom-made cabinetry. Cupboards and drawers are usually the most significant storage resources. They can be improved by installing retrofitting wires that pull out of the corner, slim cabinets, some plinth drawers, or using drawer dividers for utensils. These creative ideas can increase your kitchen’s storage capacity by a considerable margin.
Pegboards are also one of the best solutions to counter small storage capacity. It can give you space where you didn’t think you had any. Pegboards are readily available online, and you can get one made in your desired size, shape, and color.
A small kitchen requires you to use every inch you have, even space next to your stove. That place could be used to store oils, spices, etc. You can also add a narrow nine-inch-deep pantry there. It can take the place of a filler between the refrigerator and the wall as well.
If you are running out of space in your cabinet, you can use a basket or a bin. Adding a basket that perfectly vibes with your kitchen can act as décor and additional storage simultaneously.
The refrigerator can occupy a significant portion of the floor. As a result, designers prefer to position the fridge within the cabinetry for smaller kitchens. This will help give your kitchen a pleasant look and help make it more spacious at the same time. Your cabinets must be designed to fit a fridge in between them and still look good. For that, you can take help from online sources like Impressions Kitchens.
6) Play with patterns
By adding patterns and colors to your kitchen, you can create an illusion of an open area. Having a fancy floor texture can help change the overall look of your small kitchen. It can help distract the eyes and make the kitchen look more prominent. A kitchen’s floor is often overlooked, potentially serving as a highly impactful design element. Adding patterns and textures to your kitchen’s floor can make it look more appealing. It is advised that your floor should be less slippery and easy to clean. For that, you have to make sure that your floor is made out of the right material. The top two on the list are granite and marble. Most people get confused about choosing what’s best for their personal needs. For more insight on that topic, you can read this article by Impressions Kitchens.
If you are very tight on budget, you can consider adding a mat instead of customizing the floor. A vibrant flat weave rug is an easy and less costly way to introduce a bit of color and warmth to your small kitchen.
Patterns aren’t just limited to your floor. Introducing textures in your walls through tiles, wallpaper, or wall decals can make your kitchen look more prominent. By doing so, you can help the walls blend into your kitchen’s theme. This method is affordable and can significantly impact the way you see and feel in your kitchen. Kitchen upgrades have become more comfortable over time. You can also update your kitchen backsplash with a fun pattern or a bold color in very little time.
7) Be innovative
You have to use innovative designs that occupy less space to help your kitchen increase its storage capacity or be more sizeable. An extractor hood can occupy too much room on your wall above the stove. In contrast, a combined induction extractor hob is a great space saver. This allows you to install an extra cupboard or shelf on the wall instead of the hood resulting in more storage capacity.
The sink can be customized to be multifunctional. Usually, sinks are used for cleaning and occupy a lot of space. Instead of a traditional sink, you can opt for a smaller sink with a cover that will make it multifunctional, and it could be used as a prep area as well. People also prefer deep sinks, which help to conceal their dirty dishes.
Open shelving is a creative and affordable method when it comes to small kitchens. It can make your storage look less closed-in and bigger. It also doesn’t cost that much. You can do it yourself too, all you need is some wood, shelf brackets, and nails. You must make sure to leave 15 to 20 inches of space from your countertop to the bottom of your shelf.
8) Keep your work surface tidy
A clean work surface can leave you with more space compared to a cluttered one. The work surface must be clear as you cannot waste time moving and adjusting items while cooking. A few ideas that would help you tidy your work surface are wall-mounted magnetic knife strips, rails to hang utensils, pans, mugs, spice jars, and cutlery bins. Keeping the items that you rarely use in a cupboard instead of a shelf or cabinet will also help you create more space.
We never get a clear shelf because we never get rid of the old useless items. Many of us keep buying new containers or utensils without ever getting rid of the old ones (that we will never use again in the future). This leaves you with more than enough items for you to fit in your limited storage. As a result, it is advised to get rid of old plastic containers or mismatched dinnerware once every couple of months.
You can keep your surface from getting cluttered by putting your appliances in a cupboard. This will leave more space on the shelves while cooking and make it easy to access all your appliances in a single closet. This trick can help you put that awkward corner in your kitchen to fair use and reduces the chance of misplacing any of your kitchen techs.
9) Add a little green to relax
Research shows that anything related to nature or landscape has a calming effect on the human mind. So, it would be best if you considered adding a few small plants for that purpose as they would make an excellent addition to the décor and help you relax. As cooking can leave you with all kinds of fumes in your small kitchen, refreshing plants can come in handy.
10) Try these dining table ideas
Dining tables occupy a significant part of a kitchen’s floor space. That can be countered in many different ways. A square table is believed to cover more area and fit fewer chairs in it. A round dining nook can help you withholding more small chairs and covering less floor area. Another option is to use a floating table. It can also help put a blank wall in your kitchen to good. This can act as an extra counter and a dining space as well. Foldable floating tables are also available, which can help give you more floor space.
You can also consider using a slim kitchen island while dealing with a small kitchen. A rolling island is preferred as it could be pushed out of the way once dinner is ready. Many people think that islands cannot work in small kitchens, but all they have to do is put it on wheels and solve it. This way, you can roll it out when the guests arrive or need more walkway space. A rolling island can be rolled into the guest room and used as a bar as well.
11) Choose your appliances wisely
Having something visually appalling can help you feel relaxed even in a small congested kitchen. This can be achieved by choosing your appliances according to the cabinetry and your overall kitchen theme. Enthusiasts cooks believe that their kitchens define who they are, so it is advised carefully to choose your cabinets and appliances. Appliances are mostly challenging to fit in a cupboard when short on storage. Unlike utensils, appliances are not shaped to fit with each other in compact drawers. There is a high chance of damaging appliances by pushing them to work together. As a result, people prefer to put them on shelves. So, if your devices are going to occupy your shelf space, it would be best to buy small ones.
12) Consult a professional Renovator
Talking to renovation experts has become much easier over time, thanks to the internet. Only a professional’s advice will help you renovate your kitchen, make it spacious and aesthetic while not exceeding your allowed budget. Such renovators are available online, and one such example is Impressions Kitchens.
