COMPACT KITCHENS

From creative ways with walls and flooring to clever layouts and storage, these design tricks will help to maximise your space, no matter how small

Smart design moves, from layouts to storage, for spatially challenged rooms.

BLACK MAGIC Hong Kong-based interior designer YC Chen of hoo, hoo-residence.com, is well versed in the challenges of small kitchens. Here, he has made the most of the bright space with dramatic full-height black-painted cabinetry and an open breakfast bar with stools that can be tucked neatly underneath.

SHINING EXAMPLE Using high-gloss cabinetry from Bulthaup’s b3 range, Kitchen Architecture, 01865 426990, kitchen architecture.co.uk, has managed to squeeze an island with stool seating and a separate dining area into a tight space. The pale palette enhances the feeling of openness, while a backlit dropped ceiling draws attention to the room’s height rather than its narrow width. Hidden behind flush units is plenty of storage and space for small appliances, while a mirror table top reflects light into the room.

SLIM PICKINGS A narrow island can be all it takes to double preparation space and achieve a sociable layout. This hard-working unit from the Stockbridge range by Howdens, howdens.com, also incorporates a gas hob, wine racks and shelves for cookery books.

WELL ROUNDED Elegantly curved end units ensure this snug U-shaped kitchen has a sense of flow, while the dominant diagonal lines of the herringbone parquet flooring make the space feel wider. Casa kitchen, from £8,000, Schüller at West London Kitchens, 020 8741 1981, westlondonkitchens.com.

BESPOKE BEAUTY Custom furniture can really pay off in a small space. Here, Middleton Bespoke, 01403 864446, middleton-bespoke.co.uk, has packed the essentials of a much grander country kitchen, such as a range cooker, larder and butler’s sink, into a pint-size footprint.

OPTICAL ILLUSION This 3D-effect Box Tile linoleum, £69.60sq m, Sinclair Till, 020 7720 0031, sinclairtill.co.uk, draws focus to the floor and away from tight proportions. Painting the back of the door the same colour as the walls makes the room appear larger when it is closed, while using it as a chalkboard for memos is a clever doubling up of surface space.

DINING IN This idea, by Hannah Brown of Amory Brown, 020 3405 4090, amorybrown.co.uk, features banquette seating fitted directly onto the peninsula unit, with deep drawers underneath providing essential back-up storage for the compact kitchen.

OFF THE RAILS

Omitting wall cabinets to create a more open feel is a keystone of small kitchen planning, but needn’t mean sacrificing storage potential. These Rimforsa rails, from £6 each, Ikea, 020 3645 0000, ikea.com/gb, hold all sorts of accessories, including baskets, knife and spice racks, utensils and chopping boards, while shelves above can be used for crockery and glassware.

PACK IT UP If you don’t have room for a permanent breakfast bar, the ingenious wall-mounted Table Plus, £1,248, from Magnet, 01325 744094, magnet.co.uk, may be the solution. The cupboard door folds down to form a table, complete with side pocket storage, and packs up neatly when not in use.

ONE-SIDED APPROACH A galley layout with a single run of cabinets is usually the most ergonomically efficient solution when space is restricted, as there are no wasteful corner cabinets and everything is within easy reach. This sleek example runs the wall cupboards right to the ceiling to take full advantage of the room’s height.

DYNAMIC DUO Don’t shy away from using lively colours in a small space. This white kitchen is the perfect foil for bespoke harlequin wall tiles and a striking Karin runner, from £69, Brita Sweden at Benuta, 020 3608 0595, benuta.co.uk, which is made of woven plastic for a low-maintenance and durable finish.

A FRESH ANGLE Here, subway-style tiles set in a brickwork format and enhanced with contrasting grout have been used to transform an awkward sloped ceiling into an eye-catching feature. Painting the floor in the same fresh white as the walls and ceiling keeps the space clean and bright.

SUNNY ASPECT If your new kitchen is part of a single-storey extension, consider adding a large skylight over the cooking area. In this modern interior by Play Associates, 020 7637 8697, play-associates.com, the scale of the overhead opening seriously boosts what could easily have been a dark corner.

TALL ORDER In this narrow, doublegalley kitchen, interior designer Stephanie Sabbe, sabbeinteriordesign.com, has used the tried-and-tested spatial trick of placing the tall units closest to the entrance. The idea is that the eye will be drawn beyond the towering appliances, rather than overwhelmed by them. Painting the far wall black augments the effect.

GLASS ACT

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the smartest as Studio MRS, studiomrs.com, proves with this suspended cabinet. It features glazed doors on both sides to allow daylight to flow through and also offers easy access to glasses from both the kitchen and dining areas.