Beef Up Your Ranch Kitchen
Work with your ranch kitchen's smaller size to make the most of every precious square inch
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
Ranch-style homes are notorious for having small kitchens. While the trend is to open these kitchens up by knocking down walls and creating open-plan living areas, there are other options.
There are benefits to working in a small kitchen. For one, everything is at your fingertips. Your triangular arrangement of sink, stove and refrigerator is tight, making cooking an easy dance between the three. Second, a closed-off kitchen means the mess and smells stay somewhat hidden. Third, small kitchens make it difficult for several people to work at once. While that might be a detriment to some, I love it! I love keeping my kitchen to myself, working in my own little space and knowing exactly where every little thing is.
Join me today as we look at some ideas for making your ranch kitchen work better.
There are benefits to working in a small kitchen. For one, everything is at your fingertips. Your triangular arrangement of sink, stove and refrigerator is tight, making cooking an easy dance between the three. Second, a closed-off kitchen means the mess and smells stay somewhat hidden. Third, small kitchens make it difficult for several people to work at once. While that might be a detriment to some, I love it! I love keeping my kitchen to myself, working in my own little space and knowing exactly where every little thing is.
Join me today as we look at some ideas for making your ranch kitchen work better.
by Faiella Design
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When space is tight, every inch counts — including the ceiling. Make a grand statement with the lighting in your kitchen and draw the eye up. Visually expanding the space upward is a welcome distraction from crowded corners.
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by Amy Birdsong
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| Perhaps you would like to add a little life to your kitchen. Why not try a bold paint color on your cabinets? This yellow-green really gives this kitchen an injection of personality. |
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by Rina Magen
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| A ranch-style kitchen is typically small, so instead of trying to fight the obvious, why not play off its scaled-down nature? Instead of a giant copper hood, go for a smaller-size hood and stovetop to fit the space. |
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When storage space is lacking, consider moving some kitchen items to another room. Using a traditional hutch or an updated thrift store dresser is a great way to store additional dishes and flatware in an unused nook of your dining room.
by Laurie Burke
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The absolute number-one improvement for a small ranch kitchen is to add a window above the sink. It is a classic placement for a window, and many ranch homes are already blessed with one. Breaking up the bowling alley feel and offering a vista from the cozy nest of your kitchen is a much-needed boost to the ranch kitchen. Extending out with a bay window is even better.
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Here is another way of creating a bay-window effect in a modern composition. Notice how the countertop extends into the nook behind the sink, leaving plenty of rooms for herbs, sprouts and other plants.
| Extending the window to the ceiling completely opens up the space in a tiny kitchen. Imagine how dark this kitchen would be without this large expanse of glass. The juxtaposistion of sunlight with the deep, dark wood in the space is just right. |
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| If you have low ceilings (hello, classic ranch), you may not have the ability to put in a large bank of tall windows. You might, however, have a nice long, horizontal space for a row of windows. The windows here serve as a perfect frame for the mountains outside, and I bet there is fighting over who gets to do the dishes in this kitchen! |
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Working with small spaces in a traditional ranch-style home can often be a challenge, but it is possible to create a space you love to live in. By utilizing creative storage, opening up views with windows and other features, and giving your space life and personality, you can truly make your ranch kitchen a pleasing home on the range.
More:
17 Space-Saving Solutions for Small Kitchens
Not Your Average Ranch
Rejuvenated Ranch
More:
17 Space-Saving Solutions for Small Kitchens
Not Your Average Ranch
Rejuvenated Ranch
Ideabook published on Feb. 23, 2012.
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My last home was a 50's era California Ranch tract home designed by Cliff May. He may have been a great designer, but I would bet money he never had to so much as make a cup of tea. That tiny kitchen had 1 drawer. Yes --- O-N-E! It also had a scant 5 linear feet of counter space and no counter at all on either side of the stove. I retrofit all shelves with drawers. Also built a flip-up counter on the end of the stove wall so I had 2-1/2 temporary feet of counter area while cooking. I added above cabinet lighting to light the ceiling which was vaulted. I also installed mirror above the granite backsplash and above the sink so that it reflected windows past the dining area. Installing a glass-top cooktop also created extra "counter top" for non-heated kitchen activities. I got a smaller microwave and installed that inside the single pantry cabinet. Ultimately it ended up being a very functional space. Maybe I should start designing submarines, motorhomes, or other tiny functional spaces?
marcie
http://www.custommade.com/search?q=small+kitchens&p=1
It's frustrating to look for ideas for a layout like my kitchen (corridor, with a small dining area that leads in the living room, and the other end leading to a den). I would love to open up the one wall facing the living room where my stove and refrigerator are, but I can't think of a good place to move the fridge too without knocking into the other side's cabinets......let me know if you have any great ideas!! :-p
(attached is a layout of my house)
Of course, at this point in our renovations, the change would not be worth the $$$ so I am embracing the layout we have :) A few things I have done to keep the kitchen open feeling is to keep those windows wide, clear and open whenever possible and adding large scale art on the far wall of the dining room to draw focus from the kitchen.
A few links to photos of my small, but happy kitchen:
http://www.anestforallseasons.com/2011/01/some-people-say-penny-cant-buy-you.html
http://www.anestforallseasons.com/2011/01/i-paid-10-for-granite-countertops.html
Hope that helps a tiny bit!