MAKE YOUR SMALL KITCHEN LOOK BIGGER |10 AMAZING POINTS TO CONSIDER
Designing a small kitchen and fulfilling all the basic requirements is a challenge. There are so many questions running through your mind when you are working on a smaller kitchen.
Questions like-
What is the best layout for a small kitchen?
How do you design a small kitchen?
How can I make my small kitchen look beautiful
What colors make a small kitchen look bigger?
In today’s blog post I am going to discuss these design issues.
Undoubtedly the kitchen is the heart of your house. It is a place where not only food is cooked but it is also becoming a space where some sort of meaningful conversation can take place because of a lack of time among people.
So the kitchen is becoming one of the spaces where not only food is cooked but also where ideas are being shared.
But working in a small kitchen is another challenge because of the shortage of space.
Yes, we cannot maximize the square footage of your space but if you have planned your kitchen well and if you have used the proper organization methods it will not only make your kitchen look spacious but will also make you feel like you have increased the square footage of your kitchen space.
In today’s blog post I am going to discuss a few ways by which you can maximize your kitchen space and will make your small kitchen look bigger.
01-DECLUTTER
When you’re working in a smaller space then and it is always recommended to prioritize things and keep things only what is needed.
Storage is the biggest issue in a small kitchen.
Figure out what items are essential and that can’t be ignored.
Regular things like spices containers, cutlery items, crockery for regular use, containers for grains, utensils for everyday use, mixer/grinder, etc.
Find out the relevant items because of which your kitchen is incomplete and then sort out those things that you are not going to use frequently.
If possible keep those things that you are not going to use on a regular basis outside your kitchen.
This will help you to add some more space to your storage system.
02-PREPARATION OF THE KITCHEN LAYOUT
Drawing a good layout plan is the first step toward designing a small kitchen.
Your layout of the kitchen depends on the number of walls that you have where you can align your counter. It can be Linear, L-shaped, U-shaped, Gallery, G-shaped kitchen, or Island kitchen.
Analyze your space and prepare the basic layout of the counter.
Every inch matters so the layout of your kitchen has to be functional and also should give you a proper room for the preparation of food and should keep your circulations smooth.
Keep the basics of the kitchen which is the work triangle in your mind while preparation of the layout.
Normally there are two types of work triangles.
Work triangle between hob/cooking range, sink, and refrigerator, and the other work triangle will be your preparation area, sink, and cooking range. Your preparation area can be the landing area as well, where you can put things after taking them out from the refrigerator.
If you are living in a building apartment the kitchen size must be somewhere around 5 feet by 7 feet or 6 feet by 8 feet or somewhere near to this.
This site is really small for the kitchen. Because it carries an entire load of your house. It needs a lot of space for storage other than cooking preparation and placing a refrigerator.
The best layout for a kitchen is U-shaped, but generally, for a smaller kitchen, we get an L-shaped kitchen to work with.
While working in a smaller kitchen, place your refrigerator outside your kitchen, if you don’t use it frequently while preparation of the meal. By doing this you can have some more storage space.
Read this to learn about the work triangle and the kitchen layout.
03-SELECTION OF THE COUNTERTOP AND BACKSPLASH MATERIAL
A white countertop or neutral finish countertop can be a wonderful option for a small kitchen.
You can go with white Nano stone or white granite to create a sense of space in a small kitchen.
Quartz can be a wonderful option for countertops. These are sturdy and easy to clean and long-lasting.
When choosing the back-splash material, it will be really nice for your kitchen if you choose big tiles/ stones because they will fewer joints, which will not create cleaning issues.
Choosing small tiles/mosaics will lead to a lot of joints, and their grouts are more susceptible to oil, and spices will become a nightmare to clean.
04-MAXIMIZE YOUR KITCHEN STORAGE
When planning a small kitchen it is advisable to use vertical storage as efficiently as possible.
You can maximize the number of drawers vertically for your lower cabinets.
Your vertical section needs space for heavy utensils medium-range utensils cutleries and crockeries.
The lower drawer generally is dedicated to heavy utensils and medium utensils and the upper drawer is meant for crockeries and cutleries.
For efficient use of vertical storage, it is advisable to divide your vertical drawers into three segments or four segments if possible.
Innotech drawer systems are very efficient for kitchen storage rather than wire baskets. They are very clean and are easy to organize by using organizers.
Normally the above cabinet starts after 2’0″ above the countertop.
So, if you are making open shelving (floating shelves) at the height of 1 foot 6 inches above the countertop you can use that space for keeping spices container cups bowls, glass, or other regular use smaller items.
Make sure the depth of the floating shelving is not more than 6 inches.
05-CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOR SCHEME
If you are working in a small kitchen then you have to be very alert to the color scheme that you will be using.
Undoubtedly the neutral color palette will make your kitchen look wider and more spacious.
You can use two different neutral tones if you want to break the monotony same color.
But if you’re using the same color at the lower and upper cabinets, then you can break the monotony by using an eye-catchy backsplash material.
Like if you are using white color for the lower and upper cabinets then you can use white stone as a backsplash.
The use of colorful pattern tiles looks very pleasing in a small kitchen.
06-USE OF REFLECTIVE SURFACE FINISHES FOR YOUR SMALL KITCHEN
Shiny materials like high gloss laminate or acrylic or lacquered glass shutters or high gloss paint will create an illusion of openness.
It can be a good finishing material for your cabinets if you are working in a smaller kitchen.
You can also use see-through glass shutters to make a small kitchen feel lighter and more vibrant.
But acrylic and lacquered glass are more prone to scratches. In fact, even scratch-resistant acrylic needs buffing from time to time. If you are ready to take this pain of regular maintenance, then only you can use these materials.
Using a mirror at the backsplash of your kitchen can also be a good idea to create some more space.
But it is going to be very difficult to maintain the luster of the mirror in the Indian cooking style, so handle it with care.
07-HANDLELESS KITCHEN
Using a handleless shutter will give you a seamless look and in the end, it will make your kitchen elegant and stylish.
You can use profiles, or magnetic door latches for cabinets to create the look. You can also work on some architectural details like dropping the overhead cabinet by 1″ down to give a seamless look.
08-PERFECT LIGHTING
No matter how spacious your room is if the lighting of the space is not appropriate it is going to look dull and less spacious than actually, it is.
So while designing your small kitchen make sure there is good lighting in your space.
Choose natural white light or cool white light for the space. It creates more clarity of things.
You can use a pendant light on the ceiling to add some design elements.
Profile lighting below your kitchen cabinet or some spotlights inside your kitchen will not only add glamour but will also create an illusion of space.
09-GO SLEEK
Hob always looks good in a kitchen. But when your kitchen is smaller it becomes a blessing.
The use of a hob in spite of the countertop cooking range will make your kitchen look clutter-free and will add a fancy touch to your small kitchen.
The depth of the overhead cabinets should not be more than 10-12 inches.
This will give your kitchen a sleek look and make your small kitchen look spacious
Floating shelves can also also be an option for a small kitchen. It will give your kitchen an airy look but can make your kitchen look cluttered if not organized properly.
Floating shelves need proper organization and it’s a time-consuming job. Keep this in mind if you are planning for floating shelves.
10-OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER
Nowadays wonderful organizers are available in the market. They take less space and provide maximum storage. You can select those for your kitchen space to add some more space.
When choosing the chimney, it will be better if you choose a 2’0″ wide chimney and not more than that. It will give you some more overhead cabinet space from both sides.
The corner unit/ magic corner eats a lot of space. You can avoid this in a small kitchen. In place of this, you can do shelving there which will give you a lot of storage space. For better usage of this space, add some lighting, so there will be less possibility of things getting lost in the crowd.
Hope you like today’s blog.
You can also contact us for any design-related query.
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