Making the Most of a Small Kitchen: A Guide

So you’ve completed the paperwork on your brand new home and you’re mere weeks away from moving in. But there’s just one small snag – the kitchen’s a little on the poky side.

We’ll start by saying this: don’t be too disheartened. With pretty much any house – big or small – there comes some form of compromise before you move in – and the good news is the kitchen doesn’t always have to be a deal breaker.

Sure, you might be a little hacked off if you were keeping your fingers and toes crossed for a garden and ended up with a yard. Or perhaps you’re miffed that the third bedroom you wanted didn’t come off. But hey, you can work with a small kitchen – and here’s how:

Go Lighter – A fresher, brighter shade on walls gives the illusion of additional space – and not just in the kitchen. It’s well-known that dark colours almost always make rooms feel that bit smaller. With that in mind, put your grand designs of a deep, duck egg blue aside and instead opt for that trusty favourite: magnolia. Don’t just consider your walls, either; think about how lighter cabinets will add interest to your space and give you a blank canvas for effortless redecorating, too.

Choose Clever Storage Solutions – If you currently have too much equipment in your kitchen, make sure you put some thought into cool and quirky ways to store it. From hangers on the walls for pans, to hooks on the inside ‘ceilings’ of cupboards for mugs, there’s so much you can do to eke out the space in your kitchen. Plus, when chosen well, jars, tins and other storage containers can add interest to your space. Check out places like Home Sense, ASDA Living and Next for affordable and convenient options for your kitchen.

Use the Height of Your Room – Slim and narrow kitchen? Instead work upwards and utilise the height of a room to ensure the very best for your space. If you’re short of room in your cupboards or on your worktops, think about adding shelves to any free patches of wall, using them to display storage canisters or other kitchen trinkets. Also think about as-yet-unitilised areas like the top of the fridge – can you add a pretty storage box there – filled with essentials – to maximise the area?

Downsize Your Appliances – Is a large, four-slice toaster cluttering up valuable workspace? Perhaps you have a microwave and find that you rarely use it? Think about all the ways you can make the most of your space by downsizing, particularly where appliances are concerned. Do you really need that pasta maker that only comes out once a year, for example? Or are you someone who has an abundance of utensils you just never use? Consider having a cull and only keep what you know you’ll need.

Opt for Moveable Furniture – When it comes to your space, do you really want to splash out on furniture which can only be used in one room and one room alone? Think about instead investing in pieces that serve a number of purposes and can be moved from room to room. A tea trolley, for example, might double up as a drinks cart, somewhere handy to store your veg or a convenient place to keep your office files. Buy relatively affordable ‘kitchen’ items like this and you can swap and change when something’s not working for you.

Give Reorganisation Some Thought – So you’ve decided by now you want to scale back your kitchen and ensure it’s a much more functional space in your home. Before you jump into buying a million and one storage solutions, instead take some time to work out what you’d like to achieve from overhauling the space. What are you aiming to get out of your kitchen; is it purely a practical space to cook your own evening meal in? Or would you, perhaps, like the kids to be able to get involved in preparing food? Give all these questions a thought and then work out how best to tackle the space you have.

Want more? Don’t forget to keep an eye on the MyAppliances blogs for next week’s blog.