Small Kitchen Layout Ideas for you. Few people ever expect their kitchens to feel small until they’ve lived with their layout for awhile. Suddenly every inch feels inadequate for storage, traffic flow, or cooking tasks. The trick to any small kitchen design is to make it work harder than that.
Small Kitchen Layout Ideas: Begin With the Kitchen Work Triangle
Your most frequently used tasks should be conveniently close to one another. Ideally sinks, stoves and refrigerator should all be within arms length of each other. Appliances may need to be moved around a bit in a small kitchen, but the concept of limiting unnecessary steps during food preparation should not change.
Galley or L-shaped kitchen layouts work well in small spaces because they keep traffic in a straight line. When your refrigerator, sink and oven are located close together your food prep and clean up flow will be optimized.
Consider Vertical Storage
Wall mounted storage keeps your countertops clear and can give your kitchen more overall height. Making use of the entire wall will help your kitchen feel larger and less cluttered.
- Tall cabinets that reach almost to the ceiling.
- Open shelving for everyday dishes.
- Hanging pots and pans from ceiling racks.
- Vertical spice organizers that pull out.
- Stackable food containers.
- Store seldom used appliances up high.
Limit what you store on these tall cabinets so that countertops can stay clear. Editing down your kitchenware is essential to making small kitchens work.
Small Kitchen Layout Ideas: What Shapes Should My Layout Be?
Certain kitchen layouts work better in small spaces than others. Isolated waste baskets, prep areas, and cooking zones should all be near the kitchen work triangle no matter what size your space.
Galley kitchens are best for very narrow spaces. An L-shaped kitchen layout will open up one corner of your kitchen for walking space or a eating area without compromising efficiency.
U-shaped kitchens can work in smaller homes if one or more sides of the kitchen are not too deep. You can also consider replacing an island with a peninsula if there is not enough room to walk around it. A peninsula extends out from your countertop like an island but will still allow traffic to pass by.
Maximize Your Corner Space
Unless utilized properly kitchen corners can become dead space. Using creative corner storage can allow you to increase storage space while keeping other countertop areas clear.
- Install a lazy Susan inside deep corner cabinets.
- Pull out diagonal drawers to eliminate wasted space.
- Hang pot lids on a pull out tray.
- Install appliance garages in your corners.
- Store lightweight items in high up corners.
- Store bulk items in low corners.
With lots of hidden storage your countertops can stay clear of clutter. Make sure to utilize every inch of your corner spaces and the rest of your kitchen will easily follow suit.
Let There Be Light
Light makes a big difference in how small your kitchen feels before you begin renovating. Light colored surfaces bounce more natural light around the room; Dark colors absorb more light and can make the walls in your kitchen feel like they are closing in on you.
Use light colored paint, glossy tile backsplashes and glossy cabinet finishes where you can. You can also install under cabinet lighting to help brighten up work areas. Removing shadows will make your kitchen feel more useful and appear larger.
Small Kitchen Layout Ideas: Invest in Flexible Furniture
Fold down tables, rolling islands andExtendable countertops can be adapted to your needs and saved space when not in use. Small kitchens need furniture that can do double duty.
- Counter stools that can slide fully underneath.
- Drop leaf tables for extra dining space.
- Kitchen carts with locking wheels for movable counter space.
- Nesting mixing bowls and folding measuring cups.
- Slimline chairs instead of bulky options.
- Tables that mount to the wall and fold down after use.
Multipurpose furniture can be living and kitchen friendly. Don’t force your kitchen to only do one thing. If you need extra dining space or counter space you should have furniture that can accommodate that.
Don’t Forget About Traffic Flow
You should also consider how people move through your kitchen when deciding on a layout. Having someone knock over your elbow while your cooking because the kitchen is too cluttered is annoying.
Paths should be left clear near entryways, sinks and large appliances. Try not to obstruct traffic from passing between your food prep area and cook station. Kitchens that have good traffic flow will feel more open and less hectic.
Use Hidden Storage Options
Hidden storage inside of kitchen benches, cabinets, or even toe kicks help you make the most of the space you have. Instead of your kitchen feeling busy from too many pieces of furniture, it will feel like the perfectly fitted pieces work together.
Think about installing drawers under your bench to hold napkins, extra dishes or serving ware. Toe kick drawers are great for storing things like cookie sheets or large trays. The unused space next to your fridge or dishwasher can sometimes be wide enough to fit a skinny pull-out storage tray.
Look for every chance you can to add storage into your kitchen. Unused space can be eliminated when you think outside the box and utilize furniture that can work double duty.
When to Consider Changing Your Kitchen Layout
Cooking should not feel cramped or uncomfortable. If you kitchen still feels too small after decluttering there may be something wrong with your kitchen layout.
Are you and your partner bumping into each other while cooking? Do your cabinets constantly get in the way of each other when they are open? These are common signs that something in your kitchen needs to move, not just shuffled around.
Sometimes changing your kitchen can be as easy as swapping cabinet doors for cabinet drawers. Or moving your everyday appliances closer together. You may even find that removing a kitchen table can free up enough space to make a world of difference.
