The first thing I thought of was "At least one small major appliance."

The roughly 7x7 kitchens in my complex were all furnished with a full-sized DW, a small but essentially full-sized c. 1965 refrigerator, and either a 24" range or 24" cooktop and wall oven.

Its impossible to do modern full-sized appliances in these kitchens. I have found the best option has been to go with a full sized range and an 18" DW. Refrigerators are tough because even very small ones have gotten deep.

There are some very ordinary houses around here that have SubZero fridges in them simply because they needed something that was narrow AND shallow.

...Very Smart Storage.

I really think what makes small spaces work is efficiency - and dual-purpose when you can get it in practical ways. The difference between my little house from the 1950's and the designs found in books like The Not So Big House or The Small House Book seems to be less about square footage and more about smart design.

Luckily, much of what is happening in kitchen design right now is perfect for small house owners, i.e., frameless cabinets, full extension, cabinet/cupboard organization systems, slide outs which allow even 3-6 inches to function for you through spice racks and broom 'closets', cabinets/pull outs you can use from both sides of a peninsula or island, tall pantry cabinets. And, of course, the current trend for drawers, drawers, drawers. Heck, we have even figured out ways to make a kitchen really function with no uppers at all.

One of the things I am most looking forward to in my new kitchen is the improved function and storage capabilities I expect without changing the footprint. It's the little things, like having a dedicated space for garbage.

...to not be afraid to be big.

By that I mean still pick a dramatic focal point and show it off. That may even be more important in a small kitchen than a bigger one. We all know that the kitchen is small in area and so no point in pretending otherwise but it doesn't have to be small in character.

...some sunlight/light ...a window, a skylight, solor tubes, under counter lights... or a combination of same.

several things: 1.astute awareness that your "surfaces" will always be in view-doors, counters, floors, walls. Blending all this together becomes critical 2. brazen honesty with the occupants use of space[where is the best place for compromise] 3.ability to have a little fun,with color/style given the space is not a perfection palette when done-find a serendipity somewhere.

1) to be adjacent to but outside of the household walkpaths; not fair to route traffic through a little kitchen!
2) to have a single work triangle--to remove option of introducing a second worker into the space
3) a definite personality--I believe small kitchens can be forgiven for quirky or colorful decorating which you can't do as easily in a large space; small kitchens can be endearing in ways that large ones can't (there was a thread a few months ago about "charming" kitchens and we decided that they tend to be small)
4) pull-out work surfaces to increase workspace (you KNEW I'd add this one, didn't you?)
5) backless small-seat stools or chairs that can be tucked away and that can hefted with one hand when they need to be ejected entirely; small rugs instead of large; storage elsewhere for seasonal and awkward shaped items
6) no non-kitchen items stored in it
7) rules of conduct which are agreed to by all users

I second the ideas above. In our old kitchen we removed half of one of the side walls of a nearby basement stairway just to give the room the illusion of spaciousness--it worked! Solar tubes are a new and interesting way to bring in light. Additionally, there are so many new kinds of lights that there is no excuse for any area to be dark. Windows might be problematical for budget or precious wallspace, but if one can do an exterior bump-out at sink there is the bonus of a little space behind the sink and a significant feeling of airiness and light.

A small kitchen needs to know it's for cooking. Not entertaining. Not showing off. It's a work place although it can be pleasant.

Things should serve as many purposes as possible and trendy features should only be used if they have merit.

I'm often impressed with some of the smaller kitchens that sacrifice essential workspace or storage for that superfluous prep sink or beverage center or breakfast bar. Just like the built in kitchen desk is out of fashion because it was found to be useless to most people, I suspect these things will eventually be replaced when smaller kitchens are reremodeled.

.............induction cooking, to save stove space and frameless cabinets with as many drawers as possible.

A small kitchen needs much more planning than a larger one. And it's more likely to be a success with professional involvement rather than just the homeowner attemps to just cosmetically improve it.

A small kitchen needs sacrifices. It can't have it all, and it shouldn't try to. No matter how much you really love the look of a 36" pro range, you're crazy to cram it into a 7x9 space. If your list of wants is overwheming, then move.

A small kitchen needs to exploit every inch of the vertical. You only have so much square footage, but if you look at the space as cubic footage, you may squeeze a few more shelves out of it.

"A small space kitchen is so small that it needs ...

... a very careful layout.

a pantry!

One good counter workspace that doesn't get dirty dishes or junk mail or anything else put on it. You don't need acres and acres of counter if you have that one good one.

Florantha, did you do a solatube? If so, did you install it yourself?

An honest look in the mirror at your own lifestyle, rather than a longing glance at what you see on TV or in magazines.

Want to cook like Julia Child in a small kitchen? Yes, you can do it. You will need a lifestyle where others in the family respect your work, give you what you need and stay out of your way. Picture Julie and her husband in "Julia and Julie," where hubby steered clear, pitched in, lent a helping hand, and at least sometimes was excited about the cooking. Not a lifestyle where busy-so-busy-oh-so-busy-you-have-no-idea-sooverscheduled-so-busy teens feel the space is first and foremost there to give them snacks and drinks and plunk space and homework space, or a spouse who reaches across your line of vision while you are julienning with a chef's knife, or portly aunts who just like to stand in the middle of the floor. Nothing wrong with that life. It does not fit in a small kitchen next to Julia Child, is all.

Is your lifestyle really about show-stopping, neighbor-gobsmacking, friend-oneupsmanshipping, Joneses-up-with-keeping glamour and glitz? Then be honest. Admit it. Don't waste your precious space on workflow and prep sinks and three feet between range and water. Just do big impact, over-the-top, beautiful design, and stop trying to pretend you plan to cook there.

Did you watch too many Waltons reruns? Do you dream of huge hordes gathered around your kitchen table, multiple generations of story tellers, heads thrown back in telegenic laughter? Then move.

If you want your kitchen to work for your life, then be honest about what your life really is.

I second the pull-out work surfaces, and I'd add that a tiny kitchen needs a very good food processor, because that can sometimes eliminate the need for using a large cutting board. A good processor may double as a blender, too.

Sorry, I don't see how a food processor can ever replace a cutting board. Ever boned a chicken with one?

"... can sometimes ..."
One day, we may find out more but it wouldn't hurt if we never end up knowing how " the need for using a large cutting board" may sometimes be eliminated.

So, please, for now, in this thread, let us continue with all these good answers.

O.T. to colorfast: Have not installed a solar tube in our kitchen--we were going to, but then we changed a doorway, which helped introduce light into middle of house. Now we're trying to decide how to introduce natural light into a very very dark dining room adjacent to kitchen. We'll either use a tube or a narrow non-openable window alongside the fireplace. My concern is winter--haven't experienced snow atop a light source. Last winter was so extremely snowy in Central Minn that it has changed my thinking--no longer assume that the roof will be bare for a good part of many winters, as it was for the last 20 yrs. I don't know how much light can penetrate a foot or two or three of snow, but there would likely be more light than we get currently. Yeah you can go up on roof to shovel off the snow, but this would be near the peak of the roof. We do shave off snow with a snow puller though.

Here's a previous thread about this product.

Here is a link that might be useful: light tubes in ceiling 2004 thread

Lose the rules. Use cardboard mockups to make your own.

Free, independent thinking. Someone on this forum with an extremely tiny, busy, crowded kitchen needed something placed in an unconventional position but worried it would look "odd." Uhuh. Good function will explain itself to those who understand it, half the others won't notice, and, no matter what, all would do the whole kitchen differently if it were theirs. :)

Also off topic: Thanks, Florantha. I worry about the seals as well. Here in the NW we think a lot about rain, molds and mildews etc.

Respect.

I think a lot of small kitchens are designed as though the occupant's cooking activities won't extend much beyond reheating takeout or baking chicken nuggets. A small kitchen CAN support serious cooking.

to have enough counter space in 1 run to plate up 4 plates and set down a pan, even if that means the sink is not under the window.

O.T.
Do not disrespect or underestimate small kitchens. The original kitchens on my tract house street were horrible by current standards, but these twinsie little pullman kitchens with doors on both ends nevertheless allowed post-WWII moms to make family meals from scratch, can and freeze garden produce, and host card parties, garden club meetings, and extended families at holidays. I've been told as much by the older residents. DH and I remodeled the original so nicely without adding an inch of actual space that it served me from 1976 to last year when we finally took a sledgehammer to it. Guests at my dinner parties joked that it was like the clown car from which so much entertainment emerged even if it appeared to hold so very very little. But I had to have rules and one was that no one could be in the space with me when I said I needed to be alone. We installed a long countertop which allowed me to plate things before serving and which accepted mounds of dirty dishes afterwards. Cleanup was also a one-person activity. No one was allowed to stand around to talk; guests could stand at either door if they really wanted to, but no, no, no, do not come in. The work triangle was a long obtuse triangle that covered the entire room. But the zones were there, crisp and sharp and functional.

Cooksnsews:
A small kitchen would have limited counterspace. Perhaps the owner of this home wished to create a meal which required a lot of prep work - it's easier to section tomatoes into a processor and then dice or puree' them in the FP than it is on a cutting board, because then you need the space for the board plus a bowl nearby to put the diced tomatoes. Plus, what if you need the cutting board for something else at the same time, like raw meat? Imagine a tiny kitchen with TWO cutting boards - there may not even be space for that.

It was just an idea...

Reading into this, I think I'm reading that a small space kitchen ought to be large in certain ways (like countertops) to such an extent that it creates poles, axes and triangles, and even to the detriment of other things (like symmetry of the sink or cooktop placement in the countertop run).

I have a small kitchen, but my son, an even smaller one. I definitely agree with the idea re: smaller appliances. He would never host Thanksgiving, so why does he need a fullsize stove? Not more than 2 people could live in the house, so why does he need a fullsize DW? He doesn't drink beer, so why does he need an XL fridge? Also, ditto re: a pantry or utility room close by for additional storage. His and my main problem is counter space. To help with that, a counter ht. table that could be used for prep as well as to eat at.

Just my opinion, but symmetry is vastly overrated, in kitchens of any size. Also, most of us have many compromises to endure to achieve kitchens that work best for us. Seldom does one have enough money, space, and/or time to indulge all the fantasies desired in a dream kitchen. My priorities for a kitchen smaller than my present one would be 1) adequate work/prep space, 2) clever storage, and 3) a really good cooktop. Everything else, including other appliances, lighting, gadgets, finish materials, etc would get worked in around those.

... a cook.

There's no room in such a really small space for boxes of pre-prepared food, in fridge or freezer or cupboard. There's no room for a small appliance for each task that can be cooked normally by someone who knows how. Instead, a good sized range--not huge, but not miniscule--can be the center of all cooking. A good range is a deep fryer, cupcake baker, rotisserie, pizza oven, egg poacher, steamer, slow cooker, etc., etc. Mincing can be done with a good knife, and grating/shredding, can be done with a Microplane. Most mixing can be done with a wooden spoon or whisk.

Okay, been there, done that, and without the good range--no oven at all, and I think an oven is worth the space. :) The main thing is that cooking took a lot longer. :) What you get in a bigger kitchen with more specialized equipment is freedom. :)

Some of my favorite meals have been prepped and cooked in the galley kitchen of a 27ft sailboat. I think any small kitchen should take tips from boat or rv kitchens. Altho compact planning and proper stowing is key! A small kitchen needs an organized user and benefits from meal planning. A cook who uses mostly fresh ingredients for not much room for frozen and canned produce to be stowed. Also 1 dish meal recipes are a great idea for smaller kitchens they need less tools and are less clean up

My small kitchen consists of:

Double oven range - love this as it also has a toaster option and can cook different meals at one time

Standard size DW - smaller doesn't work for me
Samsung Bottom Freezer RF - which is not much smaller than my larger ones in the past. And it sits at the counter edge.

Appliances without handles whenever possible. The stove is the only one with them.
Large windows for great light

An extra freezer in the garage

Nothing but the multi use mixer on the counter (too heavy to move around) and daily use items - salt/pepper

Storage on inside doors

Large item storage rarely used are stored in attached laundry pantry

Could use:
More counter space between stove and sink (definitely a design issue)

Drawer units rather than bottom door cabinets or have multifunction storage options throughout

Better lighting (tired of can lights) under cabinets?

One option for more space is appliances that do not have handles. I haven't noticed this as an issue

Thanks for this great topic. When I think of small I
imagine Saint Germain Paris, San Fransico, Hong Kong...
Micro mini tiny kitchens with out a garage or even space
to expand. Every centimeter of space is utilized to
create a place to devour delicious meals.

A small space kitchen is so small that it needs ...

light
out of the box creativity
practicality
honesty
simplicity with a dash of elegance
clean lines and surfaces
some reflection but not so much you get closed in
and lastly
confidence.

~boxerpups