Compact kitchen? No problem! We show you how clever planning and smart choices can help you create your dream design.

Let’s face it, a small kitchen has to work doubly hard to deliver on sufficient worktop area, plentiful storage and housing the number of appliances you’d have in a larger space. But don’t fret, KBB journo Charlotte Luxford has pulled together a comprehensive guide to creating a pint-sized kitchen that’s both stylish and ultra-functional.

1. Be clever with colour

Whether you want to go light or dark, sticking to a more minimal colour palette will avoid things feeling too busy. “It’s surprising how a limited selection of colours creates a more serene and tidy feel to a room,” says Helen Parker, creative designer of Devol. If you prefer to go lighter, choose a palette of materials that are similar in tone throughout. Opting for pale flooring, worktops, cabinetry and walls will have more impact than simply painting your walls a light colour.

And if you want to celebrate your kitchen’s dimensions, consider adding mood and drama with a darker scheme. “Small often means intimate, cosy and glamorous – a bijou, richly coloured kitchen can be the most alluring of spaces, holding a certain charm and beauty that is hard to achieve in a large space,” adds Helen.

2. Maximise the layout of your kitchen

In a small kitchen, getting the layout right is crucial. A U-shaped design is ideal for compact spaces as it maximises storage and ensures the space is used to its full potential. L-shaped designs are also a great solution for small kitchens that are part of a multi-functional living area and can make use of corners that would otherwise be wasted.

If you’re working with a galley layout, consider fitting pocket doors, which means you can utilise the full space without a door obscuring any cabinets. In a single-run kitchen, tall units work best, optimising the floor-to-ceiling height, with pull-out larders. Creating functional zones for cooking, prepping, cleaning and storage will also help you to optimise workflow and create a beautiful and hard-working kitchen.

3. Light it right

Just because your kitchen has a small footprint, that doesn’t mean a couple of spotlights will do the job. If anything, your lighting needs to be more carefully planned to create the illusion of space.

Maximising natural light is also key. Consider which way your windows face – at what time of day will it receive the most light? Is it north facing or south facing? These factors will play a part in how you approach your lighting scheme and décor.

When it comes to artificial light, layered light is key. Task lights and pendants work particularly well above counters. Dimmable integrated lighting can be used throughout the rest of the space to soften the kitchen and merge with any other living areas.

5. Make smart material choices

When working with a tight space, thoughtfully selected materials can help your kitchen feel more spacious. “A mirrored or light-coloured splashback, with reflective qualities, such as stainless steel or glazed tiles, can make the room appear larger,” says David Conlon, founder of the design company En Masse Bespoke.

Matching your splashback to the worktop can add depth too. Laying large-format floor tiles, with fewer grout lines, is another classic way to create a fuss-free finish, but don’t rule out patterned flooring.

“One trick in the interior designer’s handbook when designing in a small space is to make noise in a certain aspect of the room to distract from its real footprint,” says Neptune kitchen designer Nerine Vacher. “Flooring is a common tool for achieving this, such as patterned tiles or unexpected materials such as terracotta brick.”

6. Consider kitchen island alternatives

An island is often top of everyone’s wishlist, but sometimes it just isn’t practical in a compact space. To figure out whether it’s a possibility in your kitchen, Charlie Smallbone of Ledbury Studio recommends going no smaller than 90cm wide by 1.5m long. In addition, you’ll need a metre’s clearance around all four sides.

As an alternative, consider a streamlined peninsula, which can be added to your kitchen design without interrupting the central flow of the room. And if you’re really tight on space, squeeze in a breakfast bar by creating an overhang at the end of a worktop or extending the surface out to the side.

Shaving off corners and opting for a curved countertop or round breakfast bar will create an even more space-efficient design. If you really want a more conventional island, you could always opt for a design on wheels that can be tucked onto the end of a cabinet run for occasions when you need more space in the kitchen.

7. Trick the eye

With a few clever design choices, you can create the illusion of extra space. “A solid bank of wall units can make a small kitchen look and feel even smaller, so swapping out a couple of them for shelves or glass-fronted units is a smart way of visually opening up the kitchen,” says Fabiana Scavolini, chief executive officer at Scavolini.

Streamline wherever possible by opting for multi-use appliances that increase functionality and save space. Choose sleek induction hobs with built-in extractors. Or, you can swap a kettle for a boiling-water tap.

It’s also worth considering your cabinet style. In order to keep the design minimal and fuss-free, try opting for handleless or slab-fronted doors.

8. Maximise storage

Clever storage is a must in a small kitchen design. Why not push cabinetry all the way to the ceiling rather than leaving space to gather dust at the top? Or swap out base cabinets where you can for deep pan drawers, as these are more efficient. A pull-out larder cabinet minimises the need for lots of wall units, which can overcrowd the room.

Consider a bespoke corner pantry unit, with sliding pocket doors, to ensure good workflow in the kitchen when it’s in use.

Also, look out for any untapped space opportunities. For example, you can add wire racks to the backs of cabinet doors. Or maximise cupboard storage with under-shelf baskets, tiered shelf organisers and lazy Susans.

Turn plinths into drawers, attach hanging rails or shallow shelving to the ends of cabinets and utilise tall 150-200mm gaps by filling them with wine storage, narrow bookshelves or a place to store baking trays or chopping boards.

Finally, don’t forget to utilise the often-wasted space in between wall units and worktops with mid-way modular shelving units with a hanging rail for containers and hooks.

Enjoyed this post? Click here to discover why curved islands are the latest ‘it’ feature in kitchen design

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