Tips for Kitchen Designs in Small Spaces

We believe that all kitchens have the potential to be a great space. If a kitchen is small, though, it can feel like more of a challenge. The key to working out kitchen designs for small kitchens is in layout and features. So what are the best ways to design a small kitchen and where should you spend your budget for the best effect?

Layout

A work triangle – the path between cooking, cleaning and food storage areas is designed to bring efficiency into the kitchen. In a small room, it is less challenging to achieve this triangle, as your options for where to situate appliances are limited. For square rooms, a U-shape layout makes sense. For rectangle rooms a galley or L-shape is often preferable. What can really make the difference in kitchen designs for small kitchens is vertical layout and storage. These aspects are more flexible and can make the difference when tailoring the space for your needs. 

Colour

To make a space feel larger, stick to lighter tones. This goes for wall colours, cabinet fronts and worktop finish. Don’t feel limited by this, though. By choosing natural granite or quartz for your kitchen worktops, you can choose from a wide range of hues that fit within any colour scheme. Look at sage or duck egg shades. Choosing surfaces that are light reflective can also give the appearance of space. So consider gloss cabinet front finishes and sparkling quartz worktops.

Storage

When a floor area is finite, it’s the inside of cabinets that revolutionise kitchen designs for small kitchens. You can make your cabinet functions more efficient by using pull out solutions to access the back of corner units. With clever solutions you can utilise every corner of space, from spice racks on the back of cabinet doors to hanging cups or utensils from the underside of cabinets.

Clean Lines

Whilst it is important to make the most functional use of space, good kitchen designs for small kitchens should shun clutter. This comes down to more than making sure everything has its place on your worktop. A streamlined concept can be achieved through handleless cabinets. By removing handles from your design, there is less clutter and longer lines throughout your kitchen. Stone worktops work really well to highlight this feature. With the simple graining of natural marble, the lines of your cabinet fronts are enhanced.

Vertical Solutions

Kitchens in older properties may have smaller kitchens, however they often benefit from high ceilings. So it’s wise to concentrate kitchen designs for small kitchens on maximising this part of the space. Don’t allow the space above your cabinets to become either redundant or a dumping ground. Build up cabinetry to make the most of that space. Or for a period feature that’s coming back on trend, consider a Victorian sheila-maid.

Lighting

As well as maximising the natural light in your kitchen, your artificial lighting decisions are important. Don’t choose lighting fittings that overwhelm a space. Instead, smaller but unusual fittings will add character to a smaller kitchen. Maximise your scope for illumination and create texture through a range of levels to your lighting. Under cabinet lighting works fantastically in kitchen designs for small kitchens.

Features

When a kitchen is small, concentrate on beautiful features to create a sense of luxury in the space. A choice of natural stone worktop is an ideal place to allocate some of your budget for a kitchen refit. Whether you prefer elegant marble or sparkling granite, why not make your worktops become the talking point of the space!

A small kitchen need not be a space of compromises. Indeed, it can be a place of luxury and calm. At Zenstone we are familiar with many kitchen designs for small kitchens. So we’re ideally placed to advise you which stone worktops will look and function wonderfully in your space.