Small Kitchen Ideas: Storage, Layout and Light
Not everyone has room for a large
kitchen, and a small one does not have to be a compromise. It does have to be planned harder. Below are the ideas we return to most often when the space is tight, covering storage, layout, appliances, light and colour. We have been making bespoke handmade shaker kitchens since 1999, for every size of room and budget.
Small Kitchen Ideas at a Glance
In a small kitchen the gains come from a handful of decisions: use drawers rather than base cupboards so nothing is lost at the back; fit a slim or pull-out larder instead of banks of wall units; keep wall cabinetry to one side only and use open shelving opposite; choose compact or built-under appliances and a vented hob to remove the need for an overhead extractor; add a built-in bench or window nook instead of a dining table; keep the worktop a single uninterrupted material; and use a mirrored splashback and layered lighting to move light around the room. Handmade Kitchen Company design and hand-build kitchens to fit any size of space, from our workshop in Essex.
A portable island
Not every kitchen has room for a fixed island. So that clients could still have one, we developed a
: extra worktop where you need it, moved to suit the task, and sized to tuck back under the worktops and units when it is not in use.
Slim and pull-out larders
Pull-out larders and slim
are the most efficient storage you can put in a compact kitchen, because they use the full depth of the unit and everything comes to you. Because they are made to order, the interior can be deep, cage-structured or discreet to suit what you store. Resist filling the walls with cabinetry: it closes the room in. A better approach is tall cabinets down one side with open shelving opposite, which gives you the storage without the enclosure.
Drawers instead of cupboards
Drawers make better use of space than base cupboards, and in a small kitchen they are close to essential. Nothing disappears to the back, and everything is reachable without kneeling on the floor. Choose deep drawers for pots and pans, two-in-one pull-outs where the height allows, and fitted internal organisers for cutlery and spices. All our drawers are made from solid timber with handcrafted dovetail joints.
Internal storage
Fitted interiors are what keep a small kitchen from silting up. Pull-out corner units recover the dead space that every layout has, and an integrated recycling bin keeps the floor clear.
Compact appliances
Appliance size is worth real thought when the room is small, and bigger is not automatically better. Built-under drawer fridges and dishwashers work well, and built-under wine coolers look neat where a full cabinet would dominate. An induction hob with integrated downdraft extraction removes the need for an overhead extractor, which frees the wall above for storage or a mirrored splashback. A
is worth considering for the same reason: it takes the kettle off the worktop permanently.
Seating without a dining table
A kitchen has to do more than cook. Where there is no room for a separate table, a built-in bench with storage underneath or a
gives you somewhere to sit without the floor space four chairs demand. Pair it with a small
, which has no corner legs to catch.
Layout
Work to the kitchen triangle: the hob, the sink and the fridge sit at the three points, so the cook moves between them without crossing the room. In a galley, put the sink opposite the cooker rather than beside it. In a small U-shape, resist cramming every wall with cabinetry. Recover the corners with pull-out solutions instead, and keep wall units to one side only.
Lighting
Layered lighting does as much for a small room as natural light. There are three types worth combining: ambient for general illumination, task for work surfaces, and accent for interest. Under-cupboard LEDs and pendants work well together, and dimmers let one room serve both cooking and sitting. Our guide to
covers the layers in detail.
Glass-fronted cabinets
Glass fronts break up a run of solid doors and let light through into darker corners, which matters more in a small room than a large one. They also keep everyday items visible rather than buried.
A mirrored splashback
A mirrored splashback moves light around a room where natural light is limited, and an antique finish gives it character rather than making the kitchen feel like a bathroom.
Colour
Lighter colours suit a small kitchen, but that does not mean white. There are neutrals across every palette that keep a room feeling open while still having some depth to them.
Worktops
Quartz is an engineered stone, hard-wearing and available in a wide range of colours and finishes. In a small kitchen the advantage is that it runs seamlessly, and an uninterrupted surface makes a room read as larger than a worktop broken up by joins and changes of material.
Small Kitchen FAQs
What is the kitchen triangle?
The working relationship between the hob, the sink and the fridge, arranged so the cook moves between the three without obstruction. In a small kitchen it matters more, not less, because there is no room to absorb a bad arrangement.
Are drawers better than cupboards in a small kitchen?
Generally yes. A base cupboard wastes the space at the back because you cannot reach it without emptying the front. A drawer brings the whole contents out to you, so the full depth of the unit is usable.
Can a small kitchen have an island?
Often not a fixed one, since an island needs clear circulation on all sides. A portable island is the usual answer: it gives you the extra worktop when you need it and tucks away under the units when you do not.
What colour makes a small kitchen look bigger?
Lighter shades reflect more light, but the bigger factor is consistency. A room in one considered colour with an uninterrupted worktop will read as larger than a room in several pale colours broken up by contrasting surfaces.
Where does Handmade Kitchen Company design small kitchens?
We design, hand-build and hand-paint bespoke kitchens for every size of room, from our workshop in Essex, for clients across Essex, Hertfordshire and North London. If you would like to know more about our bespoke designs,
today. We look forward to hearing from you.
