Big Ideas for Small Kitchen Spaces

With growing populations in big cities, it is no surprise that kitchen sizes are shrinking. However, designing your small kitchen space does not have to mean a limitation on options. Here at Blue Tea, we’ve analysed some space saving ideas and tricks to help with your design layout for a smaller space. Attention to detail and design creativity are essential when renovating a smaller kitchen as every centimetre counts! Read more to see how to maximise your space whilst retaining a stylish and classy kitchen.

Storage Solutions For Your Small Kitchen

If you have ever had to work, cook or navigate a small kitchen, you will know how vital space saving solutions really are. Nowadays, there are a plethora of technology and innovative ideas to help you maximise space and increase your comfort levels. Below, you will find some examples of how you can increase the storage capacity in your kitchen to better the overall function and ergonomics of your space.

Drawers are the best way to get the most usable space out of your small kitchen. They hold up to 30% more storage than cupboards, keep your items organised and more visible, and eliminate clumsily stacked items found in cupboards. Drawers may be more expensive, but for a small kitchen space, they are definitely a worthwhile investment.

Pictured above is a hidden inner drawer. This allows the design to keep its clean aesthetic whilst providing clever storage on the inside.

Continuing the drawer theme is this pantry above using Blum Legra hardware. In a small kitchen space, having items that can be easily accessed is priceless.

If you can spare 200-300mm in your kitchen, this is a great little cabinet to consider. A pull-out oil drawer means that you can keep cooking oils close to your cooking zone.

Another space-saving mechanism is this kick board drawer, engineered by Blum. Awkward-to-store baking and muffin trays can be conveniently tucked away in one of these beauties.

The area under the sink is often a dark and wasteful space. It can be convenient to store your rubbish bin here to save space in your kitchen. You can also add a flip down cupboard that can house your cleaning equipment for everyday chores. This area then becomes practical instead of wasteful.

Small Kitchen Design Tips

Along with utilising special hardware, you can also add special custom designed features that allow you to make the most of your small kitchen space. Intelligent cabinets and clever design tricks will help make your space more practical as well as maintaining a desirable design aesthetic.

Above is a selection of cabinet designs that may come in handy if you are designing a kitchen within a tight space. The first image is a clever way to store your keys and everyday items that often don't get thought about. It will keep your bench top clear, and your mind organised. The following images are storage ideas using tall, but slim, cabinetry. Often, pantry items get lost in the depth of a standard sized cabinet. Here you can use a wide but thin cabinet for storage meaning your items are easily visible and reachable. These design ideas don't take up a big footprint.

If you are planning your new kitchen layout and are flexible with its location, how about using the area under the stairs? It obviously won't suit every situation, but by keeping it partly under the stairs, you are making use of otherwise dead space. Above are two examples which show seamlessly integrated kitchens into spaces under the stairs. In fact, by using space this way it becomes a design statement in itself.

Hanging shelves don't specifically increase storage space. They do, however, make a somewhat cabinetry-dense space seem less heavy, and airier, whilst still providing storage solutions.

The kitchen above shows how you can cleverly add storage space around a window area without it looking overcrowded. Having glass fronted doors around the window makes the window seem more appealing and the design integrated. The space does not feel boxed in.

Design Layout Ideas For A Tiny Kitchen

Small kitchen layouts need to be kept simple but smart. Symmetry is important in a small space as your eye will pick up on design flaws more readily. It is tempting to overcrowd a small space with cabinets. However, it is important to use some of the elements discussed above and come to a meeting point on design aesthetics verse plain storage capacity. Below, are some small kitchens that are aesthetically pleasing and make use of some of the design features mentioned above.

Often, corners are tricky spaces that are had to reach. Here, the designer has paid attention to creating a corner area that is practical and aesthetically pleasing. A win-win situation!

Keeping the design simple and uncomplicated is a key ingredient to designing a successful small kitchen. Here, the design is minimal but sufficient.

This small galley kitchen uses symmetry to convey harmony. Drawers maximise space. So too the double stacked wall cabinets will provide plentiful storage in this kitchen.

A Case Study

Here is a beautiful and minimal small kitchen designed by architects Louwerse de Jong in the Netherlands. The kitchen area is small, but the clever design creates the illusion of spaciousness. The galley kitchen is also a thoroughfare to the rest of the living areas. Whilst not conventional, the distance between the two bench-tops is wide. The joinery has been built seamlessly into the architecture. On one side there is an integrated fridge and wall oven stack preceded by a clear bench designated for food preparation. Open shelves create a feeling of spaciousness.

On the other side of the galley are the sink and cooktop area. A single under-mount bowl sink is used to save bench space. The joinery fits snuggly between two feature brick walls. The depth of the brick wall is matched by a stone ledge that extends up from the bench top. This bench top width is below the standard size, and a tap is fitted into the ledge. The ledge provides additional storage space, and the wall is left bare and uncluttered and features industrial lighting. The cooktop, too, is a narrow model to fit within the design constraints.

Attention to detail is the winning feature of this kitchen. A wide thoroughfare and a relatively thin bench area make the space feel open. Additionally, there are no wall units further adding to this sense of space and openness. A truly winning design for a small kitchen.

Attention to detail is the winning feature of this kitchen. A wide thoroughfare and a skinnier than usual bench area makes the space feel open. Additionally there are no wall units further adding to this sense of space and openess. A truly winning design for a small kitchen.

In Summary

It can be challenging to work with a small space to design a kitchen. However, by utilising the latest technology coupled with cleverly designed solutions, it is possible to create a functional, ergonomic, and stylish kitchen. Let us know if we can be of any further help and we would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on our small kitchen space ideas!