5 Top Tips When Planning a Small Kitchen

We recently gave you 5 common kitchen design mistakes to avoid when you’re planning a new kitchen. But what if the space you’re working with is small? Not only does it mean you might potentially need to leave out some appliances or kitchen islands and seating space, but you’ll also need to carefully consider how to get the most out of your space when planning a small kitchen.

Here are our top 5 tips when planning a small kitchen:

1. Think functional

When space – especially floor space – is at a premium, you want a layout that’s intuitive and functional. Try to be too smart and you’ll end up with a kitchen that is a nightmare to work in.

Picture how the finished kitchen will look and imagine yourself using it. Where do you want your most frequently used items to be? With planning a small kitchen, basic planning like this could be the difference between a small kitchen you love and one that drives you insane.

2. Put cabinets up high

While you will want some cabinets lower down for ease of use, consider putting the majority of them up high. Wall space higher up is often wasted in small kitchens, but it’s not if you adorn it with kitchen cabinets.

The bottom line is that extra storage space is better than having an unusable void above your kitchen cabinets where you’ll ultimately just store that old blender you rarely use.

3. Opt for lighter colours

While dark colours can add dramatic effect to a room, they are definitely not what you want when you’re planning a small kitchen and working with a small space. Opt for colours that are light and neutral – whites, creams, even cheeky yellows.

4. Go for bigger floor tiles

It might sound strange, but small floor tiles make a kitchen feel smaller. Don’t ask us why, they just do. That’s why when you’ve only got a small floor you should go for tiles that are bigger in size. They will make the space feel larger than it is – plus you’ll save on grout too.

5. Prioritise your accessories

While it’s nice to have every accessory and small appliance under the Sun, it’s simply not practical in a small kitchen. You’ll need your worktop space for preparing food on and having it cluttered with small appliances and accessories will soon frustrate you. Consider hanging cups and mugs from hooks underneath your high cabinets to reduce the amount of space they take up.