Work-top tips to make most of tiny kitchens
There are plenty of ways to help you live it large in a small space. Get cooking with these practical ideas
ANYONE living in a modern shoebox flat can only dream of kitchen islands and extended worktops.
Space has become a rare and valuable commodity in many urban areas, and kitchens are often the first room to feel the squeeze when plans are drawn up for new properties. Here’s how to keep living it large, even with the most modest kitchen.
PURGE THE UNNECESSARIES
Do you really need that candy floss maker, the “pizza oven” that’s really just a small oven taking up half the countertop or the margarita maker you used once back in 2013?
Professional organiser Vicky Silverthorn (youneedavicky.com) said: “It’s the No1 mistake people make, putting the contents of a four-bedroom house into a two-bedroom one, and keeping gadgets that come out only occasionally. Ask yourself what you’d prefer – the space or the
appliance you use once a year?”
THINK VERTICALLY
It’s not just about floor space. If you’re blessed with high ceilings, add extra shelves above the cupboards or use the tops of your cupboards as additional storage space. Budget allowing, you could install a vertical sliding drawer, which could be like a mini-pantry.
USE YOUR CORNERS
Unless you’re living in a water tower, every room has at least three or four corners.
Wraparound corner shelves are ideal for storage-starved kitchens. In most rooms, corners are dead space. In a small kitchen, they’re an opportunity.
STORE IN ADJACENT ROOMS
If your home is relatively spacious and it’s just your kitchen that’s small, you can store non-perishables such as tinned beans and pasta in cupboards elsewhere in the house.
KEEP IT TIDY
Vicky said: “It’s about putting the items that you have in the correct spaces. Get stackable storage containers, or containers that fit inside each other when they’re not being used.”
CLEVER COLOURS
Just because your kitchen is small doesn’t mean it has to look small. Consistent colouring helps a room feel fluid, while bright blocks of contrast colour can quickly become claustrophobic, so consider keeping your scheme to a two-colour maximum.
Lighter colours invariably feel airier, while reflective surfaces like mirrors lend depth.
TACTICAL LIGHTING
Natural light bathes your kitchen in a vivid glow, imitating the open spaces of the great outdoors, while poorly-lit areas quickly feel poky.
Accent lighting lends contrast between different parts of a room, which leaves your kitchen looking larger and more varied.
Vicky said: “I love lights that dim in a kitchen. It gives the bright, vibrant light for the morning and afternoon but can then turn cosy for when you’re winding down.”
SPACE-SAVING GIZMOS
Extravagant gadgetry generally takes up more space than it saves but there are a few products that earn their place. Try a magnetic knife holder – a strip on the wall that holds knives and other metallic implements – or a chopping board that sits atop your sink.
Anything that can be hung should be hung. Hooks on the undersides of shelves are a go-to for mugs, while large utensils can be well catered for with rails and racks.
DOUBLE UP
Canny buyers can squeeze two tools into the space of one.
Vicky said: “Employ multipurpose kitchen utensils. I’ve been working with Brabantia and their new Tasty+ range is full of them.
“There’s a spatula that’s also a fork, a skimmer that’s also a ladle, and a spaghetti spoon that’s also got a measuring tool in it.
“You’re instantly halving the utensils in your kitchen.”