Designing a Small Kitchen – Top Tips from the Professionals

The kitchen is the busiest room in the house, a place to cook, prepare and consume food, while the 21^st century kitchen is also a place the family can connect in the mornings. If your kitchen is on the small side, here are a few great tips from an interior designer.

• Create a ‘to scale’ floor layout – Use a large sheet of paper to create a ‘to scale’ diagram of the kitchen layout and carefully add items, bearing in mind the space they require. This is how interior designers work; you could use a computer program to generate 3D images of the kitchen
• Avoid dark colours – Light colours are preferred in a small kitchen, as this gives the room a spacious feel and combined with natural lighting, an airy kitchen can look larger. Choose two light colours and base your design on this with the addition of rich colours in the form of accessories.
• Make best use of wall space – Rather than floor-mounted cabinets, wall-mounted units give you more floor space and if the units are made to measure, make them slightly narrower than usual, which also adds floor space. Spice racks and implement holders can be positioned at eye height, giving easy access and a bottom mount fridge is ideal.
• Slimline appliances – This is one way of reclaiming essential space; search online for a leading appliance supplier such as LG and browse the slimline ovens, fridges, freezers and dishwashers. Each manufacturer would have appliances that are designed for small kitchen spaces, so do bear this in mind when acquiring kitchen appliances and furniture.
• Bespoke storage – If you hire a local joiner, he can build small storage units into the corners and recesses, making best use of all available space, while looking neat too! If you have little DIY experience, we recommend seeking out a kitchen renovation contractor who can handle everything from layout to project completion.
• Keep tiles small – Using small ceramic tiles makes a room seem larger than it actually is; this applies to both floor and wall tiles; if you have yet to choose kitchen tiles, the online supplier has you covered, with unlimited choices and very affordable prices.
• Lighting – LED lighting gives you more scope when it comes to kitchen illumination and it also has a bearing on how spacious the room looks. The online supplier is the best place to source interior and exterior lighting and prices are generally lower than traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

If you take your time at the design stage, you won’t regret it and with professional help, your new kitchen design will exceed even your highest expectations. If you approach a local kitchen renovation contractor with a budget, they can make numerous designs and you can make an informed decision, as to the best layout to suit your lifestyle.