Just because your kitchen is lacking space, it doesn’t mean that you can’t create a well-equipped and beautifully-decorated space. Style and function can be achieved even in the smallest of rooms with the help of just a few nifty tricks and hacks.
Listed below are some of the ways you can maximize the efficiency of your small kitchen without sacrificing its functionality, style or design.
Appliances
When choosing appliances, keep the available floor space in mind. It’s worth mentioning that, nowadays, finding the appliances of various unconventional sizes is much easier than it ever was. Therefore, consider the layout of your kitchen beforehand and explore your possibilities. Two-in-one appliances, such as ranges and combined refrigerators and freezers, are the best way to go when it comes to small kitchens.
Sink
Instead of trying to squeeze in a double bowl sink into your small kitchen, go for the single bowl one. This will not only save you a significant amount of counter space in your kitchen but, thanks to the versatility of such sinks, it will also allow you to completely adjust it to your personal preferences.
Furniture
Fitting all the necessary furniture pieces in a small kitchen, especially if you don’t have a separate dining room, can be a real challenge. That’s why you should go with multipurpose furniture pieces, such as a kitchen bench that can double as a storage space solution, as well as foldable furniture. This way, you can simply fold and store away the furniture pieces when you don’t need them, freeing up additional space you can use for something else.
Other elements
The fact that you have a small kitchen should never be used as an excuse not to include some other important elements. A range hood should definitely find its place in your kitchen and, again, when it comes to size, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. Additionally, installing a reverse osmosis water filter under the sink will save you space but still provide your housemates with fresh drinking water. Finally, placing a recycle bin inside one of your bottom kitchen elements will make it easily accessible without taking up any additional floor space.
Pantry
Yes, creating a pantry in a small kitchen is probably the last thing you had in mind, but we’re here to tell you that it’s not only possible but practical as well. Instead of designating an entire area of your kitchen to create a pantry, you can make use of all the narrow – usually unused – space you have between, for example, your fridge and the wall. Create a slim, pull-out pantry, add a few wheels on the bottom to make pulling it out easier and fill it up with canned, dried and long-lasting food and other items you’d otherwise put in a regular pantry.
Dishes
In small kitchens, it all boils down to making the most out of the space you have and making everything in it serve as many purposes as possible. So, instead of cramping the space with various storage solutions, consider hanging all of your knives, pans and other kitchen utensils on the kitchen wall. This way, they will be both easily accessible and work as a great kitchen decor.
Lighting
Finally, by properly illuminating your kitchen, you can make it – at least – feel roomier. An overhead lighting fixture is an absolute must, but you should also add task lighting to make the meal prep easier, as well as accent lighting, to enhance and accentuate the wow effect your afore-mentioned kitchen decor is bound to evoke.
As you can see, the actual size of your kitchen is not that important when it comes to creating a beautiful and functional space; the way you use it plays a much bigger role.
Lillian Connors can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of green living/home improvement projects and spread the word about them. She cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Twitter.
