For many of us over the last few months, our home kitchen has become increasingly important. Lots of us have taught ourselves to cook and bake and experienced the therapeutic effects of spending time at home. Even the smallest kitchen space is really the heart of the home, and you can help your small kitchen look bigger with the aid of our clever tips.
Think vertical
A small room has a small footprint, so it’s important not to clutter the floor space. If you can, move waste bins into cupboards and make sure there’s nothing on the floor that doesn’t absolutely need to be there. Draw the eye up the space as much as possible by stacking shelves vertically up the walls. Swap curtains for window blinds, which will remain stacked at the top of the window when not in use. This gives a cleaner silhouette and elongates the window visually. Use vertical cupboard handles rather than horizontal ones, and hang pictures that are in portrait format rather than landscape.
Clever seating
You may think that having a long, narrow kitchen or a small space means you can’t add a table – and sometimes you’re right, of course! You may, however, be able to add a small breakfast bar that folds down when not in use. The other option is a small, neat, two-person table. Round shapes with pedestal legs take up least both visually and practically. Add chairs or stools that can be stowed under the table when not in use.
Colour me bright
Keep colours schemes light and neutral to bounce back as much light as possible into the room. If you’d like to add an accent colour then don’t be tempted to add more than one, or it could end up looking a bit cluttered! Metallic accents work well in to reflect even more light and add interest without depth.
Build in extra space
The trick to making a small space look larger is to keep it as tidy and streamlined as possible. If you need extra counter space, you could consider a bespoke board that fits over the sink when you and can be slid into a cupboard when you don’t. Another alternative is a sliding board that fits under the countertop on drawer runners, and can be pulled out as necessary.
Think small…
…small appliances, that is! Many manufacturers now make dishwashers and washing machines that are three-quarter size or even smaller, suitable for a restricted space. They’ll look more in keeping, too.
Keep the bare necessities
While we all love our kitchens to look pretty, too much crammed into a small space tends to look cluttered rather than cosy. Think about what you have in the kitchen and what absolutely needs to stay there as opposed to having a home elsewhere in the house. For example, could recipe books live upstairs? Could your wine supply live on a rack in a different room? Would decorative jugs and pottery fit better in the dining room?
Light the way
Everyone knows that natural light is the best way to make a room look bigger, but you may have a small galley kitchen with no window of its own. In that case, is it feasible to put in an ‘internal window’ in an inner wall to borrow light from another room? The other alterative is to use a mirror with over-lighting to create a focus point.
With a little thought, even a tiny kitchen can become your favourite space in the house!
All images: Pixabay (c) 2021