Planning and Design Tips for a Small Kitchen

I do not think there is a person who likes indeed a small kitchen, whether it is a cozy one. It is not hard to see why not. You do not have enough storage space, it is not enough space for two persons at the same time, you cannot work the way you want, not to mention you must make a lot of concessions when choosing appliances. Generally these small kitchens are common in apartments or condominiums.

Photo by Studio E Designs LLCLook for kitchen design inspiration

But in fact, what defines a small kitchen?

Well, here, opinions are widely divided, and the definition is based both on your lifestyle and the expectations that you have from this space.

Generally, any functional kitchen has some clear areas:

– a food preparation area (countertop),
– storage space (cabinets, pantry and fridge)
– cooking area (consisting of sink, stove, microwave etc),
– and or not a dining place.

When your kitchen space does not allow a proper emplacement and development of these functional areas then you should find a viable solution to save space.

Solutions for Narrow Kitchens

The best idea to deal with this situation is to make an open space. In other words, if the conditions permit you can knock down a wall to get an open space for living.

In this way, you will have two options:

If you have a kitchen table put this table in the living room. The kitchen table will mark the boundary between the living room and kitchen, plus can also be used as storage space.
You can apply the same method when you have a countertop surface near the wall that is supposed to be demolished. The countertop surface will be the kitchen island or peninsula and the borderline between your living room and the kitchen.

However, if you cannot tear down the wall and you cannot create a dining room in another part of your home, you can have the solution to optimize your space with a folding table and two or more folding chairs. In this way, you will have the freedom of movement when you cook and also a very intimate dining.

Solutions for Small Square Kitchens

First of all square shape is ideal for a kitchen. However, when the kitchen side is relatively small, between 6 ½ to 7 ½ feet (2 to 2.3 m), things are not quite simple. A room with such a configuration and dimensions can be furnished with U-shaped or L-shaped furniture pieces, but in the middle will remain very little space.

If you are fan of traditional or classic furniture such U-shaped or L-shaped furniture type should be excluded because you do not have enough space for the table. The only solution is to give up the kitchen table using for this purpose the bar countertop.

Usually, the countertop bodies must be at least 24 inches (about 60 cm), considering that this dimension is enough to incorporate specific appliances. In this case, the top that you will use as a kitchen table may be even narrower because there is no cabinet underneath.

Kitchen Appliances – Frigidaire Professional | How To Build A House (howtobuildahouseblog.com)