Small Kitchen Design: Designer Tips

What comes to mind when you say “little kitchen”? Crowding, inconvenience, vanity, stuffiness? Wait, wait. You were in the wrong kitchens! Multifunctional, practical, compact, comfortable - these are the right words. Do you want them to come to mind every time you enter your small kitchen? There is nothing complicated. It is only necessary to think over and independently or with the help of a good specialist to realize the ergonomic design of a small kitchen.

Changing perception

Whatever the living room, kitchen, thinks of itself is the true calling card of every home. Here we not only cook and eat, but sometimes we live our best hours: we gather as a family in the evenings, share the joys and difficulties of the past day, meet close friends.

With the help of a good designer, replace the concepts in your life: there is little space - everything is at hand, small - miniature, cramped - cozy, non-standard - unique, and your new kitchen will become a space of warmth and comfort.

To make food from a daily routine turn into a sacrament and bring pleasure, and staying in your small kitchen is a joy, use our tips.

Remove the door

A traditional swing door steals a lot of space that can be used efficiently. Instead of a door, the entrance to the kitchen can be symbolized by an arch. In this case, the wall common with a small kitchen visually looks like a continuation of a single space. This is not only perceived as an extension of borders, but actually it is. For example, the most bulky object in the kitchen - the refrigerator - can be located along such a wall, continuing a single furniture row.

This solution has both pros and cons.

Advantages of a kitchen without a door:

1. Free up extra space.
2. Getting rid of the effect of isolation and limitation in a small area.
3. Extra natural light when there is a window in the adjacent room.

Disadvantages of not having a door in a small kitchen:

• The penetration of odors and noise into neighboring rooms.
• Intervention in the space of another room.
• Inability to use the kitchen as an isolated room (in a small apartment, a kitchen with a door can serve as a working or creative area).

A lot of light

Whatever the design of a small kitchen, it will benefit from a source of natural light. The light from the window will help visually increase the space of the small kitchen and give it lightness. The window next to the stove or sink is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

From the talk about the window, two recommendations immediately follow: its design and the window sill, which goes into the countertop.

Window decoration

Proper interior of a small kitchen eliminates the use of dense and dark materials in the design of the window space. A great solution for a small kitchen will be light, almost weightless curtains, Roman blinds or restrained light shutters, which almost do not conceal the light, but protect from direct sunlight. The design of a small kitchen will be spectacular at times if it is skillfully used in it such a win-win nuance as a window.

Tip: all your design ideas should serve the unity of style and the logical completeness of decisions. Thought out to the smallest detail design of a small kitchen is able to "save" any situation.

Workspace equipment worktop window sill

Rationality in the interior of a small kitchen will add a tabletop-windowsill. It can be used as a dining table, cutting surface or bar counter. Think about how many pleasant options for spending time in the kitchen await you in this case:

• to have dinner, admiring the view from the window;
• combine washing dishes with aesthetic pleasure;
• to cook your favorite dishes in a bright and sunny mood.

You just have to make a difficult decision: how exactly to use such an interesting space in your small kitchenette.

Think artificial lighting

The design of a small cozy kitchen implies an important rule: artificial lighting should be multi-level and present in all local areas. To successfully resolve this issue, it is useful to use the following recommendations:

1. Overhead lighting can be arranged in the form of spotlights or small rotary lamps around the perimeter and in the middle of the ceiling.
2. Each functional area must be equipped with its own light source.

It can be:

• LED strip along the bottom line of cabinets;
• spotlights;
• overhead lights;
• luminous strip in the space between the ceiling and cabinets, decorated in plexiglass;
• one or more pendant lights in the dining area;
• LED backlight space below the kitchen and the floor in the form of energy-saving LED strips.

Important! The floor illuminated by LED strip creates the effect of airiness and weightlessness. The kitchen seems to soar in space. But you should pay attention to the issues of tightness and fire safety of such solutions, and the brightness of the backlight should be comfortable for the eyes.

Color scheme

The design of a small kitchen is best maintained in a discreet, calm color scheme. Classic white, delicate powdery variations of beige, light cocoa with milk, diluted lemon, translucent mint will perfectly beat the interior of a small kitchen.

Proper furniture

One of the most important rules that can elevate the design of a small modest kitchen to the rank of a masterpiece is the choice of the right furniture. In such a small area, you simply do not have the right to make a mistake. Furniture should be:

• functional;
• capacious;
• simple, without excessive decor and intrusive drawing;
• neutral light tones.

In order to combine all these qualities in furniture and take into account the features of the space of a small kitchen, it will be more reasonable to make custom-made furniture. With the help of a designer, you can ensure that every centimeter of usable area works for you.

What is important to consider when making furniture

• To save space, shelves can be made smaller in width than the standard 60 cm. Compensate for shallow depth with the number of shelves.
• Make the most of space in height - make tall cabinets. This will not only increase capacity, but also make the small kitchen visually more spacious, extend it.

Important! Instead of hinged cabinets, use sliding or lifting doors. This will increase the cost of manufacturing furniture, but save space.

• Use a folding design as a dining table. It is attached to the wall and is displayed only at the time of eating.
• If the window opening is wide, use the space under it: it can become a full-fledged cabinet.
• Avoid large patterns on furniture facades. It will create a cluttered space effect in the kitchen. Best of all - discreet small print or plain color.
• Use reflective and glossy surfaces. Glare on the facades of cabinets and countertops visually add space, create the illusion of depth.
• Round corners. We are not talking about radiused or curved facades of cabinets. Their advantage in the form of increased capacity of the cabinets curved outside is a disadvantage - the equivalent space “outside” is “eaten up”. But to round the outer edges of the work surface is useful for comfortable and safe activities in the kitchen: moving in a limited space, you do not risk hitting sharp corners.

Tip: use the corner option for placing furniture as more advantageous in space compared to linear.

The choice of technology

With today's abundance of household appliances, it’s easy to choose models that won't take up much space. For example:

• the narrowest and highest refrigerator;
• small oven;
• a small cooking surface on 2 rings.

It is better to place the microwave at the top in a special niche provided for the manufacture of furniture, or fix it with a bracket.

Organizers and alternative kitchen solutions

You can use additional solutions for the kitchen space in the form of hanging systems and various organizers. The rails will unload and tidy up the contents of the kitchen cabinets, as well as what is not fit into them. They will replace several shelves, and at the same time take up a little space.

Tip: multi-tiered and circular roof rails are a real find that contributes to the design of a small kitchen. These versatile fixtures fit all interior styles and streamline the storage of kitchen utensils.

Each hostess can choose for herself suitable designs and organizers:

• magnets for knives;
• hinged shelves;
• towel racks;
• baskets for vegetables;
• holders for cups and glasses;
• spice racks;
• hooks;
• small containers for small things and stuff.

Important! Kitchen utensils placed on hanging systems require attention from the hostess in maintaining order and creating some aesthetics. You must admit that a chaotic hash on open shelves or hooks is an unpleasant sight that can ruin any interior.

Thinking over your version of a small kitchen, use these simple recommendations. And once again, from your own experience, make sure - the size does not matter. Content defines everything. And the successful cakes of the mistress of the house are a confirmation of this.