No kitchen sink dramas
LUKE RIX-STANDING offers some clever design tips to help you maximise your compact living space
IN today’s property market, space is a commodity in short supply. From shoebox-sized studio flats in Victorian conversions to ‘snug’, purposebuilt semis on suburban estates, people are increasingly finding themselves cooking in mixed-use spaces – ones which sometimes double as dining, living, or even bedrooms.
But however minimal your living space is, several tried-and-tested tricks can help you make the most out of your kitchen area, without compromising the rest of your home...
DIVIDE SPACES WITH FURNITURE
Large items of furniture can provide effective buffer zones between areas that are for eating and areas that are for cooking.
Sofas have long been a go-to room divider – providing a clear, functional barrier that doesn’t block the eye line. Defining the kitchen area by adding a dining table ensures you can cook and socialise at the same time.
PUT THE KITCHEN IN THE CORNER
Corners are often neglected – partly because right angles can be hard to use – but kitchens are tailor-made to sit snugly in otherwise dead space.
Arrange kitchen cupboards and surfaces around a corner to create an out-of-the-way area where you can cook unimpeded, and leave the floor free for tables, TVS and chairs.
HAVE A CLEAR CENTREPIECE
Mixed-use spaces can easily start to feel chaotic and lacking in boundaries, but a single, eye-catching centrepiece will help lend the room a sense of focus and order. A dining room table, a multi-piece settee, or a widescreen television are all good to build a room around, if granted a central location, drawing focus away from crowded kitchen surfaces or that large, humming fridge.
USE A LIGHT COLOUR PALETTE
It’s the oldest rule in interior design – lighter shades make a room feel airy, bright and breezy, while darker colours are likely to make it look smaller and more claustrophobic.
Go for white, beige or pale greys to create the illusion of space.
CONSIDER A KITCHEN ISLAND
They’re not cheap, but kitchen islands can divide a space beautifully, doubling as a dining table (if you don’t have one).
They can also provide invaluable extra storage space beneath the worktop.
Plus, in today’s modern, minimalist, Ikea-influenced world, kitchen islands are always on trend.
USE LIGHT TO DEMARCATE SPACE
Accent lighting is a must for mixeduse rooms.
Desk lamps and hanging lights can illuminate specific parts of a room, drawing focus or ensuring they feel separate and contrasting.