If you’re like me and never seem to have enough space in the kitchen, here are some ideas on how to make the most of the little room that you have in there. Some of these options may cost money and some of the options are free, quick and easy to implement.
1. Be Smart When Purchasing Appliances
If you’re struggling with limited kitchen space then there are a few things that may help when choosing an appliance.
It’s always best to buy a washer dryer rather than separate washing machines and tumble dryers. This will provide an extra standard size gap within the kitchen that could be filled with a dishwasher, to make life easier, or even another storage area.
If you have a standard sized dishwasher you can always try buying a slimline dishwasher to give extra under-counter area space or even invest in a tabletop dishwasher to free up the whole area.
2. Cutting Corners
If you’re after more worktop space and aren’t afraid of doing a bit of work in the kitchen then purchase a corner sink. In every kitchen the corner unit is a difficult area to use at the best of times but with a sink in the corner it will still serve its purpose brilliantly, but you’ll also gain extra worktop space from either side
3. Use The Walls And Ceiling
You can use this space for herbs, hanging utensils or other things that are light and won’t hurt, should you bang your head on them. Wall space is extremely usable with baskets and rails as well as utensil holders. They not only increase the amount of storage and drawer space but they also look really good and are practical too.
4. Tidy Drawers And Cupboards
Regularly tidying cupboards and drawers will give you lots more space. Cluttered cupboards lose half of their capacity when things just get thrown in there. I like to buy clear storage boxes to put rarely used plates, glasses and utensils in. This means I can stack fragile pots on top of each other without risk of breakages and also get more items in the cupboards.
5. Let There Be Light
If you have a window in your kitchen then make sure that as much light can enter the kitchen as possible. If it means taking down net curtains or anything blocking light try removing them now. You should find that increased light in the kitchen will make it feel bigger straight away.
6. Bin It!
If you’re struggling with limited floor space then try to find a bin that fits under the sink or somewhere that will achieve more walking space. I found that if I had to have a bin that was on the kitchen floor, a square bin will fit into unusable corners better than a cylinder shaped bin.
7. It’s Behind You!
Many kitchens have a door opening in to the kitchen which tends to wipe out quite a lot of kitchen space. You can use the space behind the door for sweeping brushes, vegetable storage, tall slim storage, ironing boards and more. You can buy storage racks and organisers for the back of your door too!
8. It Isn’t A Tall Order
If you want to gain space in the kitchen, using as much vertical space, in the form of tall units, will help you make the most of what you have. Just like high rise flats hold more people, ceiling high kitchen units and cupboards will store a lot more things.
9. No Hobstacles
Struggling to find enough worktop space in the kitchen? Why not buy a ceramic hob where the surface is flat and usable. I used to have a solid plate hob (hated it) and swapped this for a ceramic hob which I love and it’s also great as additional worktop space.
10. Mirror Image
Having mirrors in a small kitchen will not only let the light reflect around but it will also make the kitchen look more spacious. Okay, so this might be cheating because it’s not making the place any bigger, but with it looking brighter, this will give it the perception that it is a larger room which isn’t cheating! You can even buy mirror finished tiles and even stainless steel finish tiles too. Once applied to the wall these give a lovely mirrored finish.
Hopefully some of these tips will come in handy for you like they did for me. It’s quite easy to forget about little things that make a huge difference and go to the extremes of knocking down walls and ripping out kitchen units to get more space. If you have any good ideas that you would like to share please feel free to.
Written by Alan Gregory writer for Appliances Online by day, midnight snack chef by night. You can follow me on Twitter @AlanJGregory. I like cooking, hate cleaning and miss carbohydrates now that I’m on a rubbish diet!
I absolutely love your ideas! My kitchen is really small and some times I even think there is no space for me to do anything! I am going to hang a mirror and remove the window shades. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you June, glad you found these tips as useful as I did.