Large kitchens may look good, but small kitchens are just pure love. They are ergonomically better, bring down the overall cost, and are quite flexible for remodeling in every way.
Your small kitchen is not a liability; it’s a way to show your creativity and personalize everything just the way you want it. In fact, the small kitchens have modification options that you will never find in a large kitchen.
However, to unlock the full potential of your kitchen space and leave a statement on every visitor, you have to modify the appearance of the kitchen very strategically. It’s not an easy task, at least not without some tricks up your sleeves.
Luckily, this post will provide you just the thing you need. It will walk you through 11 clever tricks that you can use to instantly remodel your small kitchen and attain the appearance you expect from it.
[toc]Let’s look at an example of each of these ways.
1. Remodel the Cabinets
Cabinet acquires a considerable part of your kitchen. You need them for storing tools, products, and more.
However, cabinets are also the part which makes the kitchen area look small. Therefore, the first step of the kitchen remodeling is to redesign the storage cabinet. Start by coloring the interior of the kitchen cabinets with light colors.
It is also a good idea is to replace the solid cabinet doors with glassy ones. It will provide a vision of the wall beneath the cabinet and create an illusion of vast space.
You can also use some hooks at the bottom or sides of the cabinet for hanging cups and some other utensils. It will look organize and save space.
You can also consider the forgotten space between the hanging cabinet and the ceiling. It will offer an ideal spot for storing less used tools and products, with some modifications.
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2. Shrink the Sink
Large designer kitchen sinks look appealing, but they need too much space and serve very less purpose.
By replacing this large kitchen fitting by a compact variant, you can save space as well and get extra benefits. For instance, there are the sleek split sinks with 360 adjustable watering head that can serve as an alternative for the dishwashers.
Its split divides the sink into two parts which you can use for storing the soapy water and rinsing the utensils at the same time.
You can also use one bowl for washing and the other for storing dirty utensils. It will help in keeping the kitchen organized, clean, and spacey.
Further, you can opt out for a stainless tell split sink. It will add a glossy touch to the place and will have minimal impact on your finances.
3. Large and Light Floor Tiles
It sounds a bit weird, but you can make your kitchen look more spacey by replacing your standard flooring tiles. The human cerebrum is wired in a way that it calculates the space of a place by comparing the area and the element in it.
When you use larger tiles, you actually create an illusion and trick the brain into miscalculating the area of your kitchen. So, try to use something like the 12*12 inch tiles for the flooring. The results will be even better if you can find 18*18 inch tiles.
However, make sure that the tiles that you use are light colored; color pop can reduce the effectiveness of this illusion.
Another thing that you should consider is the kitchen type. Large tiles don’t go with gallery kitchen variants with a narrow center floor. It looks even weird if you align them parallel to the cabinet.
4. Pull Out Fittings and Furniture
When you have a limitation of space and yet need the full functionality of your kitchen, there is nothing better than pull-outs.
The pull out cabinets and shelves amplify the storage space of the utensils and tools. They are accessible, easy to use, organizing, and most of all, very streamlined. They are also helpful in customizing the existing or new cabinets for more than one type of products. The best part is they have a very minimal footprint, and you can place them almost everywhere.
Further, you can also prefer to use pull-out kitchen furniture. For instance, if you have a breakfast nook in the kitchen, you can consider pull-out chairs. It will serve you the functionality and you can tuck-in the chairs when you don’t need them. Pull-out cabinet for linens, beverages, glassware and more, beneath the banquette seats are also an excellent option.
5. Use Shine and Sheen
Lighting is a prime element of the interior design of your small kitchen. Proper lighting of your kitchen will increase the amount of highlights in the place, which in turn make it look more appealing.
Moreover, the bright light ensures the full visibility of the place which in-turn makes it look more spacey. Even the principle of interior designing supports the use of bright lights for enhancing the aerial view and creating an illusion of more space.
Therefore, pay some attention to the lighting sources and light spreading element of your kitchen. Try to keep the kitchen glossy and more reflective. You can also use metallic finish appliances and light paints in the kitchen to increase the brightness. In case you have a see-through table or are using glass door cabinets, focus some light on them.
If you don’t have much ambient light source, hanging lights are also a preferable option. They are like the kitchen jeweler items which will add light, reflection, and a classy look to the place.
Planned correctly, the sheen and shine you attain from the lighting will make your kitchen look beautiful and a lot larger than it usually looks.
6. Uncover the Windows
As already stated, lighting is a crucial factor in deciding the value and appearance of the kitchen. The fluorescent lamps are suitable but if you want precise results, consider natural light sources.
If you have the windows in the kitchen, uncover them. Remove the heavy curtain or shades that are blocking the light and replace them with lighter covers. The resultant ambient will be more pleasant if you can place a sunshade on the outer part of the window and open it up.
It will bring both light and blow of air, making your place more soothing and mood enhancing. In fact, you can also use this window to make room for some potted plants and herbs. They will increase the appeal of the kitchen and provide you a supply of fresh herbs.
In case you don’t have a window in the kitchen, use mirrors. They can help you diver the light from other rooms to your kitchen. It may not provide the freshness and ventilation, but it will still make your kitchen look more substantial.
7. Floating Shelves
You have a small kitchen, which means there will always be a need for more room. The best way to add this space without affecting the looks of your counter is open shelving.
You can get some rustic looking, vibrant appearing or any other type of ledges and install them over the sink or other spaces of the kitchen. It will allow you to make a place for some dishes, glasses and more.
Personally, these shelves also come in handy for adding a glimpse of modern artworks and painting to the kitchen environment. The artwork will make your kitchen look eye-pleasing and more personalized.
Additionally, you are free to add some hooks and hang some pans or serving spoons with the hanging shelves.
Related: DIY Concrete Countertops at Home
8. Tap the Ceiling
If you have run out of storage area at the walls or counters, don’t worry, there is another wall that you can use, the ceiling. It’s the most ignored part of kitchen renovation and often remains empty.
However, it has a lot of potential space that can help you to add both storage space and uniqueness to the kitchen.
You will be surprised by the possibilities that come with the kitchen ceiling. For instance, you can use it to hang a wooden frame that will look like hanging light but have space for storage on the sides. You can also use it to hang storage baskets or potted plants.
Another possible way to exploit the potential of the ceiling is to use a pot rack. You can use it to store your pans and a lot of other light utensils.
9. Upgrade the Stove
Whether you have a full-scale kitchen or a tiny kitchen, one thing always remain constant, the gas stove. Most of the time, this stove is a four-burner range or cooktop. It takes a significant part of the kitchen space, and the weird part is that you don’t even use it all the time. All the four burners find their application only of a few hours per day.
So, why not sacrifice one of these burners and swap it with something more functional like a legged tray. You can use the plate for storing the spices or tools which you use while preparing food. You will get an easily accessible storage space without any problem. Moreover, you are not removing the burner, so you can revert the changes whenever you want.
10. Use Smart organizers
Less storage space and more appliances means, the traditional methods won’t do you any good. You have to organize things with a bit of creativity. The best way to do so is to use smart organizers.
Like there are the legged stands which you can place in a drawer to divide it into two or more. There are the sleek vertical stands that can hold tissues, foils, and more on a single base. You can also get the sidewise utensil holder for the utensils which are slim but have large diameters.
Further, there are things like product box that can organize and store all type of refrigeration-free product in a low profile drawer.
Another unique approach will be to use the sleek vertical rollers. They can store a lot of stuff and can hide behind small spaces such as there are between the refrigerant and the nearest wall.
11. Consider A Hollow Island
Even if you have a small kitchen, a small island is always an excellent option for it. You can use the counter of the island for keeping baskets, utensils, and more. Combines with some chairs, it can also work as your small eating nook.
You can further enhance the storage space by using a hollow version of this kitchen island. The hollow island looks like a typical kitchen island from the front so it won’t affect the looks of the kitchen.
However, on the side, it has some inbuilt shelves that you can use to organize and store multiple types of things.
Further, the island provides you a lot of space on each side, areas that you can use to hang some small kitchen articles.
Bonus Tip for Small Kitchen Remodel
Merely making the space and organizing of the kitchen will make it look larger and somewhat appealing, but if you want to make it look classy focus on the design schematics. Keep the design of the kitchen scheme simple.
Start by removing the things that do not belong to the kitchen and paint the whole place with white or some other light color. In case you are planning the hanging light, use the lightweight variants. The large and heavy ones will add weight to the kitchen and make it look weird.
Moreover, take time to plan the layout and keep the triangle principle in mind. Placing the refrigerator, stove, and sink far from each other is not a very decent option.
The Final Words
You see the size of the kitchen does not matter as long as you have the creativity to organize things. Careful planning and proper use of all the corners of the kitchen can offer you the looks that are similar and sometimes better than the large kitchen.
So, roll your sleeves, get down to work, and see your dream of an appealing kitchen come true. And if you ever face a problem, remember there are renovation experts in your area who would love to help you.
