It’s always important to maximize the space you have available when coming up with a kitchen design for your home, but that’s even more true if your kitchen only occupies a small area. As one of the busiest and most used rooms in any household, it becomes vitally important to carefully fit all of the required features into the design to ensure that all your needs are met. We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners in Toronto come up with a functional kitchen space over the years and whenever we work with a client that isn’t blessed with a large open space, we always tell them that it’s vital to focus on three main areas above all others: Storage, lighting and appliances. Many people think it’s impossible to create an impressive kitchen area if they don’t have a lot of space but that’s not true, and while it certainly is more challenging, if a small kitchen design is done right if can be extremely functional, visually attractive and efficient. During this article we’re going to make a few design suggestions and point out certain features that can help you to make the most of a small area.
I’ve Only Got a Small Area to Work With: How to Come Up with a Good Kitchen Design?
We’ve worked with many clients in Toronto that own a small one or two bedroom apartment in the centre of the city and while space does place a certain limit on you in terms of what can be achieved, it’s certainly not the “make or break” factor that many people make it out to be. To have the best chance of coming up with a small kitchen design that you can be proud of, take note of the following tips:
- Utilize the Centre – All too often we see people leaving the centre of a small kitchen empty, which is a big mistake since it doesn’t need to be left blank. Rather than doing this, think about having an island unit in this area, which can provide tons of additional storage as well as offer additional food preparation space. It could even serve as a place for you to eat your meals. This multi-use feature has to be part of your kitchen design as it helps you to make the most out of the space you have.
- Opt for Compact Appliances – Bigger is not always better and it certainly isn’t when your kitchen is on the small side. Rather than wasting lots of space by filling your kitchen full of bulky appliances, opt for smaller, compact appliances. This is particularly relevant to the types of appliances that typically take up a lot of room, such as the fridge. Select one that isn’t quite so deep and doesn’t protrude into the floor space too much.
- Hanging Pot Racks – This is something that’s definitely been “in” for a new years now and is a feature that can really work wonders in a small kitchen design. Rather than stuffing your kitchen cabinets full of pots and pans, install a pot rack and simply hang them up. Not only is this a great space saver, but it can also really add character to your kitchen too. Copper pot racks are particularly popular.
- Don’t Neglect Lighting – Lighting plays a particularly important role in a small kitchen design and can help to make your kitchen appear bigger than it really is. There’s nothing quite like natural lighting to illuminate and expand an interior space, but in terms of functionality and efficiency, task style lighting is popular for kitchen areas since it only lights the area you are using, therefore minimizing energy consumption.
- Only Install What You Really Need – Over the years we’ve worked with many homeowners that had a kitchen design that didn’t really work for them simply because they had packed it full of features that they didn’t really need or use. Sometimes less genuinely is more. Cut out anything you don’t need and stick with those features that are essential in your day-to-day life.
If you’re struggling to come up with a kitchen design for your home and need some help