Space-Saving Kitchen Ideas
Those of us who follow trends in decorating and remodeling are well aware of the craze for mega-sized kitchens. I’ve got nothing against these grand spaces. Heck, I dream of someday having a huge kitchen with a ton of space for entertaining my friends and family. But it always warms my heart to visit kitchens that sparkle with both efficiency and style. I always feel welcome. The problem of creating a fabulous kitchen simply comes down to what you can fit and where. To create an efficient kitchen design, you need to work on three major areas: Storage, lighting and appliances.
Great small kitchens:
Bright and Modern Kitchen in 90 Square Feet
Get Ideas From a Warm, Pocket-Sized Kitchen
Photos: Browse inspiring small kitchen designs
Great small kitchens:
Bright and Modern Kitchen in 90 Square Feet
Get Ideas From a Warm, Pocket-Sized Kitchen
Photos: Browse inspiring small kitchen designs
Photos & Products
The challenge: Compact kitchens may appear to be a design challenge, but they can also be functional, stunning and efficient.
Even with a limited budget and building restrictions, you can find that there are many options to create and transform your kitchen into something that meets your needs and vision.
Even with a limited budget and building restrictions, you can find that there are many options to create and transform your kitchen into something that meets your needs and vision.
Here are some design tips to consider.
Smaller and compact appliances. Appliance manufacturers have come up with more compact space-saving appliances make small kitchen design easier, such as refrigerators that are 24 inches deep instead of 30 inches deep. Appliances such as microwaves can be hung underneath cabinets to save counter space.
Smaller and compact appliances. Appliance manufacturers have come up with more compact space-saving appliances make small kitchen design easier, such as refrigerators that are 24 inches deep instead of 30 inches deep. Appliances such as microwaves can be hung underneath cabinets to save counter space.
Show off your pots and pans. For storage, hang up pots and pans in a pot rack. This is a perfect way to free up cabinet space, and they absolutely add charm and character to your small kitchen design.
The galley kitchen. Using a galley kitchen design, the cabinets and appliances line up on either side of a corridor. This can work out very well for a small kitchen!
More ideas for gallery kitchens
More ideas for gallery kitchens
Create the illusion of more space with lighting. Creating an illusion of space with under cabinet lighting or under the counter. With the proper type of lighting the kitchen can be made to appear larger and more pleasing.
Storage really matters. Install deeper counters that can accommodate more appliances and increase work space.
Use illusion. Make your kitchen appear longer with floor tiles placed on a diagonal.
Sometimes less is more. Reduce your clutter and create open shelving where you can display your plates and utensils.
Let the sun shine in. When designing your small space, consider making the room appear larger by putting in a big, grand window.
We would love to hear from the Houzz community! Please share your tips for creating a small kitchen in the Comments section below!
Here is my kitchen. You open the oven door and you have very little clearance between it and the counter. As a part of our rental agreement, we remodel this home and it goes towards the rent. The homeowners already had the counter with sink in when we moved in.
We took part of the wall and made an inset space that took the non used space behind the bathroom door. Here is where the fridge went, otherwise you could not get into the kitchen as the fridge would be blocking the doorway. We just, after a year, put a stove/oven in the kitchen, who knew it would be so difficult to adjust to having one again. There is no storage space and this is very frustrating for me.
We did just get the owners permission to "push out" the SW corner and square off the house so that will add 4'x7' of space to the kitchen. I would still like to get some ideas on how to best utilize the space to make the kitchen functionable.