NATIONAL REPORT—Remodels are not just for big rooms. Small rooms need them too. If anything, small rooms are in more dire need of renovation since they need to use every inch of space in the most efficient way possible. This is particularly the case with small kitchens because the work triangle—the space between the stove, the refrigerator, and the sink—is going to be smaller. Remodeling a small kitchen takes some design ingenuity, but it is ultimately not much more difficult than remodeling a larger kitchen.
One upside to the renovation of a kitchen that is on the tiny side is that it costs less, since there is less material needed. So, anyone who is thinking about a kitchen remodel in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, or any city in America, need not worry if their kitchen isn’t big enough to hold an entire football team; to paraphrase a hackneyed—but relevant—maxim, “It’s not about the size of the kitchen, it’s how you use it.”
Starting a Small Kitchen Remodel
When remodeling a kitchen, the first thought should be towards the room’s function. A large kitchen can have multiple roles, or one specialized role, such as a gathering place for parties or as a paradise for an enthusiastic home chef. A smaller kitchen, one that can be found in an apartment, hotel suite, or a modestly sized home, needs to stick to a basic function.
That function is usually going to be food preparation, so the various appliances used for that function will all need to be able to fit into the kitchen. It is likely that most kitchens will already have basic appliances like fridges and stoves already installed, so you need to focus on finding space-friendly countertop appliances, like microwaves, toaster ovens, coffee-makers, and more.
Small Kitchen Design Ideas
There are a lot of ways to make a petite kitchen more stylish, best of all, none of them will break the bank because fewer materials will be needed. In a small space, you can even do a lot of the work yourself to save on labor costs.
Open Up the Space
How do you expand a small kitchen? By removing claustrophobic cabinets and installing open shelves, utensil racks, or magnetic holders. These open storage features help to make the space feel bigger; you can also incorporate transparent glass in the kitchen or cupboard doors, or mirrors if there is room on any of the walls. Any designer will tell you that they make a space feel larger.
Mix and Match
You can use different materials in the various elements of the kitchen to give it more visual interest. The countertop, flooring, fixtures, storage, and appliances can all have distinct looks, that nonetheless work together to create a pleasing mélange of styles. You can visit a kitchen showroom to make sure that your choice of countertop does not clash with your flooring choice, cabinet or shelf material, and so on.
Use Bold Colors
You can use light or pastel colors to give the room a more-airy feel. These colors can be on the walls, backsplash, or anywhere that draws the eye when you enter the room. You don’t have to saturate the room with these bright colors, you can use contrasting darker colors on appliances, utensils, and other smaller features to give the room some color variety.
Get Lit
Bright, atmospheric lighting can give a pint-sized kitchen a more spacious feel. Try using pendant lights in parts of the kitchen to give that area a more open look. You can also incorporate floor lighting under the toe kick for even more atmospheric lighting.
Don’t Forget the Floor
Using large tiles can make the kitchen seem larger than it is, and—bonus!—large tiles are easier to clean since they have fewer grout lines. When dealing with a smaller space, you can opt for slightly more expensive flooring, after all, you’ll be using less of it, so you won’t have to pay as much.
Small Kitchen. Big Ideas
Don’t let a small kitchen curb your design ambitions. Regardless of its size, there is a lot you can do with a kitchen remodel, plus it won’t cost as much or take as long. Instead of seeing your mini kitchen as a pain, you can consider its smaller size as an asset. So, start thinking big when it comes to designing your small kitchen. There is no reason to put a limit on your remodel aspirations.
