Design Ideas To Make The Most Of Your Small Kitchen

Do you have a small kitchen? Cosy can be cute, but you need to get clever with design and storage to keep your space organized and clutter-free to maximize your space. Let’s take a look at our favourite small kitchen ideas so you can summon your inner interior designer and make your room feel as spacious as possible.

When you have a small space to work with, your design options are limited. OK, so you might not be able to have that kitchen island you’ve always dreamed of - but there are still some great options. When it comes to small kitchen designs, you want to focus on increasing the functionality of the space.

Kitchens with a long, narrow kitchen - usually with a corridor in the middle flanked by workspaces and cupboards on either side - are named for their similarity to the galley on a ship. It’s one of the best layouts for maximizing space in a small kitchen and allows all your essentials and appliances to be kept within easy reach.

Choosing a single galley wall over workspaces on either side is also a great choice to consider. Having everything you need close by can make for a more efficient workflow, and if you don’t need counter space on both sides (if you live alone, for instance), you could choose to make the most of the extra room with open shelves or maybe even a small dining table. Open shelving can be decorative as well as practical. It creates extra storage space, keeping your coffee jars, sugar pots and other bits and pieces that can add to a cluttered feel off the counters, whilst allowing you to add a touch of personal style with your prettiest kitchenware and accessories.

If you’re looking to maximize space, keep your colour scheme light and bright. White paint is always a good idea for freshening up a room and making it seem bigger by reflecting light all around the space. Combining this with white cabinets completes the effect, creating a seamless space that isn’t broken up by darker colours.

Light grey is another good option to open up space, either paired with similarly-coloured counters and cupboards or ones in a soft contrasting shade like light blue or green. Opting for low colour contrast between your walls, counters and cupboards will open up your space, so keep this in mind when planning your kitchen renovation.

As well as the colours in your kitchen, it’s a good idea to think about the materials you use as well. Reflective surfaces can make a tiny kitchen feel much bigger than it actually is, so think about choosing glossy cabinets over matte ones, stainless steel appliances, glass tiles and mirrored splashbacks.

Bigger isn’t always more beautiful. There are lots of ways you can jazz up your smaller kitchen, from the appliances you choose to your selection of accessories.

Pairing a white colour scheme with a bold floor opens up your space and creates a beautiful Instagram-worthy visual element. Go for a single bold, bright colour, or choose patterned tiles in your favourite design.

Or, if you prefer, create an accent wall with pretty tiles or paper. If you choose a light colour and a geometric design rather than anything overly fussy like a floral design, it can really make your space pop.

Get creative with your storage space. If your pots, pans and utensils take up lots of room in your cupboards, you could hang them from the ceiling instead - and it’s a great excuse to splash out on beautiful cookware that you’ll want to show off.

If you pride yourself on your mug collection, hang them up as well. Rather than using a mug tree which takes up valuable counter space, hanging your mugs on the wall frees up space and adds a pretty decorative touch.

Finally, adding decorations that you really love is the key to making your kitchen beautiful - just as it is with any other room. Find a statement piece of artwork to hang above your sink, or add some plants (real or faux) to create your own kitchen jungle - again, hanging these up rather than keeping them on the countertops is a smart way of making your room prettier whilst freeing up space.