Small kitchen? Here’s how to make the most of it

Among the various “tragedies” of modern life, having a small kitchen is definitely in first place. Since childhood we’ve been conditioned (TV should take its share of the blame here!) to dream of a spacious kitchen with an enormous cooker, huge refrigerators and a pantry to boot.

Yet real life isn’t like that: apartments (especially in large cities) are often very small and consequently the space dedicated to the tastiest room in the house is limited. A few square metres to contain all our culinary creativity.

So how can we best manage this small area? With a bit of clever rearranging: here are some useful tips for a small but extremely efficient kitchen!

Pic © Ikea

Drawers and cupboards

Well organised drawers are essential: they can be used for condiments and tins of various kinds, so as to leave your worktop as free as possible as well as freeing up cupboards for other things. The best way to ensure that everything is always at hand is to buy some drawer dividers: everything will always be in the right place.

Store dishes and pans in cupboards as best you can: a good way to save space is to put some small hooks on the cupboard doors, on which to hang the lids.

Shelves and height

Don’t just concentrate on your kitchen furniture interiors: make the most of your walls’ height by fitting shelves and using hanging furnishing accessories.

If space is really limited, make good use of the splashboard above the sink: hang your pans or cooking utensils that take up too much space in drawers.

Multi-functional tables

Extendable worktops, small tables with side shelves and much more: in a small kitchen a table cannot be limited to being just… a table. Choose functional furniture that will allow you to use your kitchen efficiently: not just at meal times, but throughout the whole day.

Pic © Habitissimo

Light and colour

Don’t forget about dark corners in your kitchen, especially if they don’t get enough natural light. Place spotlights in “tactical” places: they will make the space larger, or at least appear to be so (and in the meantime you will be able to see everything clearly!).

Colours can help you in this respect: stick with light colours, such as white and grey. Choose brighter tones for the details, thus creating your ideal space!

No more packaging!

Pasta packets, boxes of snacks, cracker wrappers: equip yourself with jars and baskets (that can be labelled!) and pour in the contents. You’ll be tidying up your shelves and saving precious space at the same time.