1. CONTRAST THE COUNTERTOP WITH THE FLOORING
The colors and materials in this kitchen were chosen to contrast with the smoked wooden floor to give it more interest and make the space look bigger. It is important to explore countertop ideas.
2. CREATE A SHELF BETWEEN THE HOB AND THE WALL CABINETS
It is a common design with modern small kitchens to have wall cabinets on either side of the hob. But with space at a premium, many people are missing a crucial trick when it comes to small kitchen storage ideas.
3. USE GLASS FRONTS INSTEAD OF SOLID DOORS
As much as many of us love open kitchen shelving ideas, it sacrifices storage in smaller kitchens. However, when all the cupboards in a kitchen have solid fronts, it can sometimes feel a little imposing. So what is the answer? ‘To break up the monotony – as well as lighten the overall look of the kitchen – we design wall cupboards with a variety of glass fronts,’ says Irene Gunter, founder of Gunter & Co.
4. HAVE A LARGE, PATTERNED FLOOR TO TRICK THE EYE
A smaller kitchen requires careful thought and consideration to give the illusion of a larger space and the impact kitchen flooring ideas can have is often forgotten.
5. KEEP WALL CABINETS TO A MINIMUM FOR AN AIRY LOOK
While good and effective storage is a genuine concern when designing a modern small kitchen, this does not mean having long banks of wall cabinetry. This can make the kitchen feel claustrophobic and uninviting. In fact, there are many smarter ways for how to get more storage in a small kitchen.
6. CHOOSE LIGHT COLOURS AND REFLECTIVE MATERIALS
There are a plethora of smart ways to make your kitchen feel spacious – one way is to take a considered approach to the paint and materials that are used in the design, like putting thinking about your modern kitchen backsplash ideas.
7. INSTALL A MULTI-FUNCTIONING ISLAND
‘An island unit is often thought of as an aspirational furniture option, suitable for only the largest of kitchens, but that’s not necessarily the case,’ says Daniel Bowler, Director for Eggersmann UK. So contrary to what you may think there may be a suitable small kitchen island idea for your small kitchen.
8. EMBRACE THE SPACE WITH BLACK CABINETRY
You do not always have to go light and bright in a small kitchen to create the illusion of a bigger space. Sometimes it can be just as effective to have darker walls and cabinetry which gives a cozier and more intimate feel which detracts the eye from the size of the space. In this kitchen by deVOL, having black cabinetry and black island gives a more harmonious look and compliments the putty-colored walls which add to a warm, inviting space.
9. MATCH THE CABINETRY COLOR TO THE WALL TO VISUALLY EXPAND THE SPACE
You may not be able to change the actual size of a modern small kitchen but a clever use of small kitchen paint colors is a relatively easy and cost-effective way to make it appear larger.
10. INTRODUCE A FREESTANDING ISLAND
‘When optimizing space in a small kitchen, I often suggest to clients that the island could be a freestanding unit, on the condition that all the appliances are housed elsewhere,’ says Adrian Bergman, design manager at British Standard by Plain English. ‘This not only allows you to move the island in case of a big party, but it also means the kitchen feels ‘lighter’, as furniture on legs — like an oversized butcher’s block — tends to add a sense of space as you can see the floor underneath.’