Pimp your plinths Both Odile and Mark point out the value of the plinth area – that space at the bottom of your cupboards generally filled by a decorative strip to disguise the units’ feet. Rather than just blocking this off, Odile suggests fitting plinth drawers under some units. In one of the kitchen brands Mark supplies, the plinth drawer doubles up as a step to help you to reach tall shelves or for children to stand on and assist with food prep.
Blend it in Don’t hide a small kitchen out of sight; instead, help it blend into the rooms around it, in a modern, ‘broken plan’ way. Opening up this micro kitchen to the living room, and adding an internal window between the kitchen and hallway (out of shot here, but see it by following the link below), helps it to feel part of a beautifully planned whole.
Pick pint-sized appliances Don’t assume that big is better when it comes to kitchen appliances. It’s possible to find smart styles designed for small spaces – and you don’t have to sacrifice precious storage to shoehorn them in. For example, this electric Aga is just 60cm wide, meaning the cosy cottage kitchen you’ve been hankering after is (quite literally) within reach.
Wash your fruit and veg Before putting fruit and vegetables in the fridge, wash them in a vinegar and water solution. Do this by filling up your sink with water and adding 235ml of distilled white vinegar. Add your fruit and veg to the bath and let them soak for 10 minutes. The natural acid in the vinegar will kill bacteria that causes mould and rot.
Squeeze in ample seating If your kitchen-diner isn’t huge, but you still want to welcome guests, think about ways to sneak in more seating. A clever trick is to build a banquette, which is more flexible than the usual table and chairs set-up. A bench seat like this one is great for allowing guests to squeeze on, so you can seat more people than you would if you had four chairs around the table. An added bonus of a banquette is that you can fit storage beneath the seats. Ask a carpenter if they can incorporate a lift-up top so you can access the empty space inside.
Measure up It’s easy to think that buying storage containers will make you more organised, but be careful to measure your space beforehand. If you’re redesigning an area, take storage into account as part of the design process. Try to include a place for everything you need to store, so that you avoid ending up with an area between shelves that’s too short for tall items, or a deep shelf with wasted space.
It can also be handy to have a large board or calendar somewhere easily accessible, so that everyone can write down things they need to do. Allocate a central hub in your home where you keep keys, shopping lists and essential paperwork, too. Having one spot for all these things can help you communicate with others you share your home with, even if your paths don’t cross very often.
Go easy on yourself Make it as easy to put something away as it is to get it out. Store frequently used items in easy-to-reach spots and keep those difficult-to-access corners for seasonal items. Open baskets can be great for large items, children’s toys, toiletries or outerwear. Very small items will get lost at the bottom of a large basket, so use little containers for these. Make sure people can reach the boxes and baskets in order to pop things away, and that the box isn’t too heavy to lift. If it’s fiddly or difficult to put an object away, it will probably end up on the floor near its box rather than in it.
– a rail placed in the laundry room for hanging shirts and tops. The garments can be hung up straight from the wash, and either worn straight from the laundry room or taken back to the wardrobe.
Door-mounted storage Mounting tea towel rails or racks to the inside of doors is a cheap and cheerful storage solution. It’s a great place to store sponges and damp cloths too, because they can dry faster here, and always in easy reach. Tip: If you have a decorative/routed door front, check the thickness of the door and screw length to prevent drilling straight through when attaching the rail.
Similar to the drawer, these wire U-shaped drawers provide more air circulation and better drying for sponges and wet items. This solution is a little less flexible, so will require mixing and matching to make them fit around the sink and still be compatible with the cabinet size. Tip: As noted earlier, using regular chromed or coated steel (ie, not stainless or aluminium) can lead to rusting surfaces over time.
Using plastic and waterproof materials Products made of plastic are a simple and cost-effective solution for under-sink spaces. Putting all the wet items together will reduce water dripping into the corners of your cabinetry and prevent swelling of the board.
Lining the shelf with a plastic film, one that preferably has a slight lip in the corners, is a simple way to protect your cabinetry. Plastic trays and racks are also easy and effective solutions that make everything accessible. Tip: If you have an adjustable shelf, ask your cabinetmaker to edge the sides they usually leave raw; this will increase the longevity of the shelf should water leak into the corners.
Play with pattern This sumptuous window seat looks extra-inviting thanks to the selection of beautiful fabrics on show. Don’t be afraid to mix and match materials around a similar colour theme and style.
Plump for one long planter You don’t have to go for a multitude of mini pots on your windowsill, however. One long windowbox filled with succulents, as here, looks neat, modern and sculptural. Always make sure that potted plants have a place for water to drain, so they don’t damage windowsill paintwork.
galway
Divide your cupboards For neat storage in kitchen cabinets, it’s easier to stack things vertically. An easy solution is to fit vertical shelves to divide the cupboard into sections. These ones have zones for frying pans, chopping boards and baking sheets.
In this Shaker-style kitchen, the hooks are part of a wall-to-wall ledge. The pegs can hold a variety of items, depending on which area of the workspace is being used. The shallow shelf above is perfect for small vases, tins and jars.
Vinegar is great for descaling kettles and coffee machines, and baking soda is a good way to remove stains from your fridge. Regularly remove food debris from your dishwasher filter and wipe down the inside of the door with hot soapy water to keep the bugs at bay.
like mine, but white
jelly would lights
The knife drawer contains recesses of various sizes, plus hidden magnets that keep the knives in place when the drawer is opened and closed. The solid oak drawers are finished off with a thin rim of decorative beading.
not black, but actually a dark blue
interesting kitchen wall for open plan
Drawers are another place where small items tend to cause problems. Start things off on the right note by putting simple drawer organisers in place wherever small items are stored: kitchen drawers, miscellaneous drawers, desk drawers and hallway drawers can all benefit from organisers.
Wall-mounted plant pots can add some refreshing colour to an otherwise plain scheme. Hanging several of them, as seen here, gives a great effect. They don’t need to be fancy either
possible book photo thanks to angle
for book
This Parisian micro flat is a masterclass in how tiny can look amazing. Multi-functional furniture and pale, coordinating materials, such as birch plywood, are the order of the day to keep the look uniform and chic. The ingenious kitchen is tucked on a platform under a sloping roof. Perhaps the cleverest detail is the peninsula worktop, which folds out to create a dining table for entertaining. When not in use, it folds back, making space for a slide-out bed at night.
Rack ’em up For cost-effective storage, you can fix racks to a plain wall for storing all your tins, jars and spices. Because the shelves are shallow in this generous and well-ordered pantry, all the items are easily visible.
Don’t forget door space Maximise space by fixing spice and oil racks onto the inside of cupboard doors. Not only will this make use of otherwise dead space, it’ll mean your goods are easily visible and accessible. Painting the racks in the same colour as the cupboard doors will mean they blend in and look like part of the design.
Repurpose Be creative! Here, specially designed pull-out units have been made for trays, but you could use magazine files for smaller trays and other slim items. Finding designs in the same colour as your pantry or cupboard interior will help to keep an uncluttered look, and will also look more ‘designed’.
Divide (and conquer) your drawers Even if you don’t have a pantry, drawer organisers are a great way of making sure things like herbs and spices are easily to hand when you’re cooking. They look stylish, too, so no more messy drawers.
store your food is in clear containers. The sealed lids keep goods fresh and you can easily see where things are. For a stylish (and easily replaceable) labelling idea, tie luggage tags around glass jars to identify their contents.
black windows
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