Small wonders
Tight for space? LUKE RIX-STANDING finds little ways to make tiny kitchens a big success...
IN THE modern world of cramped shoe-box flats and sardine-tin apartment blocks, space is a rare and valuable commodity.
Extended worktops, double-door refrigerators, and luxurious kitchen islands – particularly in urban areas – are now myths from a bygone age for many.
When space is scarce, kitchens are often first to feel the squeeze but there’s no need to let that cramp your cooking.
Here’s how to live it large, even with the most modest kitchen.
PURGE THE UNNECESSARY
BE totally honest with yourself – do you really need that candy floss maker, that ‘pizza oven’ that’s actually just a small oven taking up half the counter top, or that margarita maker you used once back in 2013?
“It’s the number one mistake people make,” says professional organiser, Vicky Silverthorn (youneedavicky.com). “Putting the contents of a four-bedroom house into a two-bedroom house, and keeping gadgets that come out only occasionally. The fondue set, the large dinner platters for people that don’t have dinner parties...
“Ask yourself what you’d prefer – the space, or the appliance you use once a year?”
THINK VERTICALLY
FLOOR space is not the be all and end all and, for those blessed with high ceilings, it’s crucial to cash in. Add extra shelves above your cupboards, or use the tops of your cupboards as extra storage space.
Time and budget allowing, you could install a vertical, sliding drawer. Think of your kitchen like a maths question – you’re calculating the volume, not just the floor area.
USE YOUR CORNERS
CORNERS are notoriously difficult to utilise, but unless you’re living in a water tower, every room has at least three or four of them.
Wraparound corner shelves are shoo-ins for storage-starved kitchens, while floor lights and tables can be slotted in with ease. 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 feeling the squeeze, you can always store non-perishables elsewhere.
There’s no need to clog your kitchen cupboards with piles of pasta and tinned beans when they could live just as happily somewhere else in the house.
KEEP IT TIDY
KITCHENS are supposed to be functional, efficient spaces, tailored to minimise the pressures of cooking and you need a clear work surface.
“It’s about putting the items that you have in the correct spaces,” says Vicky, “and there is no one-size-fits-all. Look out for gimmicky plastic containers that only contain a few tins – not everything needs to live in a basket, despite what Instagram says. 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 (although there are no hard and fast rules!), so consider keeping your scheme to a two-colour maximum.
Lighter colours invariably feel airier – whitewashed kitchens are increasingly common – while reflective surfaces like mirrors lend depth.
TACTICAL LIGHTING
HOW large a room looks is as much about your perception as its actual size.
Natural light bathes your kitchen in a vivid glow, imitating the wide open spaces of the great outdoors, while poorly-lit areas quickly feel poky.
Mix up overhead sources with table lamps or wall lights. Accent lighting lends contrast between different parts of a room, which inevitably leaves your kitchen looking larger and more varied.
SPACE-SAVING GIZMOS
EXTRAVAGANT gadgetry generally takes up more space than it saves, but there are a few specific products that earn their place.
Try a magnetic knife holder – a strip on the wall that holds knives and other metallic implements – or pick up 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 catered for with rails and racks.
DOUBLE UP
GOING back to gadgetry, canny buyers can squeeze two tools into the space of one.
“Employ multi-purpose kitchen utensils,” says Vicky, “you’re automatically saving space.
“I’ve been working with Brabantia (brabantia.com/uk),” she adds, “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, a spaghetti spoon that’s also got a measuring tool in it.
“You’re instantly halving the utensils in your kitchen.”