Designing around a Smaller Kitchen

Kitchen Remodeling Jan 12

If you’re considering remodeling a smaller kitchen, and looking for ideas on how to go about the process, you should be aware that there are a number of neat tricks that professionals use to get the most out of limited space. The trick is thinking partly like an interior designer and partly like storage space designer. While interior designers are concerned with the aesthetics of a kitchen, storage space designers are concerned with ergonomics. As you may know, ergonomics concerns itself with the design of tools and spaces in order to maximize efficiency. This can include adding ceiling cupboards around the stove, or adding shelving for display collections. When you think about it, a kitchen doesn’t really need to be massive. It needs to be laid out in such a manner that those who are working in it have easy access to utensils, pots and pans, and counter space. Working with builder’s cabinets in a small kitchen can be especially frustrating. Builders cabinets, particularly in older homes, were designed during an era during which the number of kitchen appliances was far fewer than it is today. Modern kitchens need a lot of space, and they need a set of cabinets that support the amount of stuff the modern American kitchen has. The trick of course, is designing the cabinetry so that it doesn’t get in the way of everything else, or look overly cluttered. Using light color on the walls is one way that designers can make a smaller room look larger. Boldly colored curtains and textiles are another. The trend in modern kitchens is to make the room as bright as possible, and white has been the fashion for the last couple of years. But adding bright colors can create contrast that makes the room look better. In addition, using bold patterns on the wall can also influence the look and feel of a smaller kitchen. Shiny backsplashes, which are also quite popular right now, will give the eye a wonderful place to be drawn to. For smaller kitchens, there can’t be one inch of unused space. Installing shelving where necessary, and maximizing counter space is essential to the process. For some kitchens, this entails putting in built-ins at the end of a run of cabinets. They can be used for recipe books, and other handy odds and ends. Like most remodeling projects, remodeling small kitchens is part art and part science. On the one hand, you want to maximize the functional space and design it to be as convenient as possible. On the other hand, you want it to look beautiful, spacious, warm, and inviting. You want it to be a place that brightens your mood. If you have to deal with a small kitchen, designing around it is not as bad as it seems. It just takes a little planning.