How to make the most of small kitchens

We’re about to start sprucing up our kitchen, but there’s one thing we won’t be able to change: its size. We don’t have the funds to knock down walls and create an open-plan kitchen-diner, so we’re going to have to make the most of the narrow galley-style space we have.

It’s a dilemma I know many of you share, so before I dive into the plans for our upcoming makeover, I’ve rounded up 10 ideas for maximising a small kitchen. They cover everything from storage to lighting, so I hope you’ll find something to help you transform your own kitchen into a stylish, practical and more useable corner of the home – whether you’re starting from scratch or updating an existing scheme.

Keep things simple

When it comes to choosing cupboard doors, drawer fronts, worktops and splashbacks, keep things sleek and simple to avoid making a small kitchen feel busy or overly cluttered. White or very pale colours will help to create the illusion of space, and I’d recommend sticking to three or four different shades at most. You could even consider running the same colour across the cabinets, worktops and walls, removing any visual barriers that break up the kitchen and therefore making it seem much larger overall. It’s also worth selecting understated handles instead of chunky designs, or even doing away with them altogether in favour of integrated push-to-open mechanisms.

And remember that simple doesn’t mean boring – you can easily add personality and interest to a minimalist kitchen with plants, ceramics, artwork and other accessories.

Fellow blogger Sarah of Coco Lapine Design has used white across every element of her kitchen, creating a streamlined and airy look. The floating open shelves provide a place to display a few well-chosen accessories. 

Do without wall cabinets

Wall cabinets really encroach on space and can make a small kitchen seem even more cramped, so consider foregoing them and having lower units only. It might seem counter-intuitive when you’re trying to pack a lot into the room, but the result will look much airier and more inviting. And there are lots of ways to replace any lost storage – just read on for a few ideas.

If you really can’t manage without wall cabinets, think about having just one or two instead of a whole bank of them – or, if you have a galley-style kitchen, having them along one side only.

Norwegian interiors consultant Astrid Marie Vie has done away with wall cabinets to make her kitchen seem more spacious (see a full tour of her beautiful home here). The pale colour and minimalist handles enhance the airy feeling. 

Use open shelving 

Open shelves are a great option for small kitchens, as they’re much less imposing than wall cabinets. They also enable you to create interesting displays with ceramics and glassware, and to keep regularly used items at hand. There are all sorts of options, too – you could have floating shelves painted the same colour as the wall for a streamlined look, buy a ready-made set such as the ‘String’ system, or use reclaimed wood for a rustic effect.

Many people shy away from open shelves because they’re worried about dust, but we’ve had them in our kitchen for years and it really isn’t much of a problem. A quick wipe down once every couple of weeks is all that’s needed, and because ours hold glasses and mugs that we use every day, the items themselves don’t have chance to accumulate much dust.

Open shelves add useful storage without making this small but stylish kitchen (the work of UK-based Custom Fronts) seem cramped and dark.  

Install hanging rails and hooks

Hanging rails and hooks make an eye-catching and convenient way to store utensils, pans and more, and they can be fixed directly to the wall or to the underside of shelves and cabinets. You can even buy clever accessories that let you transform them into anything from cookbook holders to dish racks – IKEA has a huge range to choose from.

Here, a hanging rail extends along the full length of the kitchen and is used for mugs, utensils and more. A pair of pendant lights create a focal point without taking up valuable floor space. Photo by Fantastic Frank.

Maximise cupboard space

There are also lots of clever tricks to help you eek every square centimetre of storage out of your cupboards. If budget allows, you can buy pull-out inserts that vastly increase the amount of useable internal space; if funds are more limited, shelf risers and freestanding plate and pan racks can make a big difference – we use both in our kitchen.

Other quick-win solutions include storing food in glass jars or see-through tubs, meaning you can stack them on top of each other and still find what you need at a glance, and installing hooks on the inside of doors for small utensils.

Pull-out inserts and door additions allow you to increase the amount of storage space inside your cupboards, as shown in this image from Swedish company Nordiska Kök.

Choose integrated appliances

Integrated appliances tend to take up much less space than freestanding ones, and being able to hide them behind cupboard doors will give a streamlined look that tricks the eye into thinking your kitchen is bigger than it is. Don’t assume you need to go for full-size appliances, either – there are plenty of compact dishwashers and fridge-freezers which are so well designed that you’ll barely notice they’re smaller than standard options.

All appliances are integrated in this striking galley-style kitchen by Reform. Wall cabinets are used on one side only to avoid making the space seem even narrower. 

Make the most of the sink area

Consider undermounting the sink so that it sits just below the surface of the worktop. This creates a minimalist look and eats into much less space than a normal inset sink. You’ll lose a draining board, but you can buy a moveable one that can be tidied away; there are even some options designed to sit in the sink itself.

Another easy trick is to incorporate a wooden board that can be placed over the sink when it’s not in use, creating a bit of additional work space. Some sinks come with the option of ready-made covers, or you could ask a carpenter to create a bespoke one for you.

Undermounting the sink helps to maximise space in the tiny kitchen area of Norm Architects‘ Copenhagen studio (see more here).  

Consider what gadgets you actually need

Ask yourself which kitchen gadgets you use on a regular basis and do away with anything that isn’t necessary. It’s worth being strict: do you really need that snazzy coffee machine, or that pasta maker which someone once bought you for Christmas? They might look impressive, but if they sit idle most of the time they can probably go. For example, a big chunk of our worktop is currently taken up with a microwave, but we can always use the hob for heating stuff up, so we’re thinking of getting rid of it.

If you have gadgets that you do need to keep but that you don’t use every day (blenders, toasters and the like), try to find places to store them away so you can free up even more worktop space.

The worktops in this minimalist kitchen by Nordiska Kök are kept clear and clutter-free, with only the most frequently used gadgets on display. The sink is also undermounted.  

Be clever with lighting

Many people assume that having a small kitchen means you only need a single overhead light, but that can leave you with dark corners, and you’ll often find you’re working in your own shadow. So, look at installing task lighting above food preparation areas, hobs and sinks. There are lots of compact tubes and LED spots that can be mounted on the underside of shelves or cupboards, and many come with dimmer functions so you can alter the mood.

You can also use lighting to create a statement feature without taking up much space – perhaps by suspending a row of pendants over a worktop, or by installing an eye-catching wall lamp that can be angled to direct the light where needed.

LED lighting runs along the underside of the shelf in this Danish galley-style kitchen, designed by Norm Architects. The shelf itself is made from reclaimed wood, creating a striking contrast with the sleek white units beneath. See more of this stunning home here. 

Buy a trolley

Finally, a trolley on casters is an easy way to add extra work and storage space in a small kitchen. You can roll it to wherever you need it and tuck it away when it’s not in use; it could even double as a bar cart or serving trolley when you have guests.

Blogger and stylist Cate St Hill uses IKEA’s ‘RASKÖG’ trolley to provide additional storage space in her London kitchen. She’s also put together a useful round-up of the best Scandinavian-style bar carts and trolleys, which you can find here. 

How about you? Do you have a small kitchen, and if so do you have any useful tips and tricks to share?

Top photo by Fantastic Frank; all other photography as credited above