How To Remodel A Small Kitchen

Photo by Sikamo

by Dan Fritschen

Update: When your kitchen is in need of updating or if you feel like you want to give your kitchen a facelift, it can be a difficult task when the actual space you have is pretty small. Especially when all the design magazines show pictures of huge, spacious kitchens with fixtures and fittings that just won’t translate to your own! But there are some great space-saving tricks you can use to not only create the illusion of space but also for clever storage ideas.

We would all love a massive house in the country with an airy, spacious kitchen – but until we get the home of our dreams, we’ll have to come up with creative ways to make the best of the space we’ve got! Moving home might not be practical for you, and an extensive remodel could cost more than you have, but there are actually some very effective and affordable ways to remodel your small kitchen to make it feel much larger.

Light And Space

Creating the illusion of space is half the battle in a small home. Dark colors will make the room seem smaller than it is and make it feel more claustrophobic, so re-painting the walls in a brighter, more cheerful color will easily open up the space. Lighter colored floor tiles and hardwood floors will also create a more spacious feel in the room. Cabinets and countertops should also be painted brighter or be finished with light materials.

Using mirrors as your splash-back is a great way not only to save money on expensive tiles, but also instantly make the room look bigger and feel brighter. The mirrors will also naturally reflect light back into the room.

In larger kitchens, there’s more floor space for cabinets so you can store all your kitchen equipment easily. In smaller rooms, instead of spreading outwards you should spread upwards – add extra cabinets or cupboards that extend right up to the ceiling for a more effective use of space. You can store things here that you don’t use that often so it won’t matter that it is harder to reach.

And don’t be afraid to consign rarely used kitchen items to the attic or basement – if you only use your shrimp forks once a year then they don’t need to be within easy reach all the time!

Furniture

If there’s no room for a table or an island, a small breakfast bar is a great space saving idea. An overhanging counter top and set of stools easily creates an informal eating space without taking up much room. Try matching the color of the stools to the other furnishings so they blend in seamlessly.

A slender spice rack cabinet is another innovative space-saving idea that means your surfaces won’t look too cluttered.

It’s easy to find inexpensive ways to make the most of a smaller kitchen until you can afford that dream remodelling project! You can also find plenty of great ideas for enlarging your living room too. For more great kitchen design ideas, check out our design gallery, and for help with kitchen remodeling costs you can use our free, easy to use cost calculators.