Small kitchen upgrades that can help you use the space

Our small kitchen ideas are ideal for those who are not endowed with a large and sociable kitchen. Of course, you may not have space for a kitchen island, a stove, and a dining table to gather guests. But the diminutive should not mean gray. There are many smart small kitchen upgrades to make your kitchen spacious and trendy.

We have a whole section of ideas for small kitchen upgrades to help start your project

Where should you start your small kitchen upgrades?

One of the most important elements in a small kitchen is storage. By maximizing every extra inch, reorganizing areas that do not work as hard as they should, and adding additional solutions if necessary, you can turn a tiny room into something useful.

Start by thinking about how you use your kitchen and where everything should be. As this will help you decide how you can pack and organize your kitchen space. For example, it is better to store items according to the frequency of their use. So make sure that everyday dishes are on an easily accessible lower shelf, and items for special occasions are above.

1. Consider compact containers

Put a windowsill, shelf, or groove to work by adding a few sturdy baskets and use to store bottles, bags, or even fresh herbs in pots. Baskets are also a great way to store seasonings, so you can take them all at the dinner table.

2. Find a new home for a washing machine

You might think that the kitchen is an obvious place to install a washing machine. But in continental Europe, you will most likely find it in the bathroom. So if you are stuck in place, it may be worth moving your washing machines to another place. If your bathroom is just as small, you can squeeze it into a closet under the stairs.

Alternatively, if you have a separate washing machine and dryer, you can store them in the kitchen. But stack them on top of each other in the old pantry. This hides them from sight, saves space and helps optimize washing days.

3. Increase sink size

There may not be room for a dishwasher in your small kitchen, so it’s worth finding a place for a double sink. Use one bowl for washing and one for dirty dishes. Thus, you will be somewhere to lay a dirty cooking set and plates out of sight, without cluttering up the work surface.

4. Turn every corner into storage space

Identify places where there is empty space. For example, the gaps between the shelves, in the back of the cabinets, under the sink, unused corners. If you organize your kitchen the right way, you can increase your storage space. Stack where you can, and remove kitchenware that is used infrequently or has only one purpose, so you have less to store.

Think also about moving items that are not used every day, but you do not want to throw them away. Then think about the space on your walls and doors. Try adding a dish rack or a magnetic knife board, hooks on the sides of the cabinets or racks hanging above the door. Additional shelves in the corners or through niches will also come in handy.

5. Add storage assistants

Your cabinets and drawers are your biggest storage resource, but they are probably not fully used. So consider upgrading wire racks that extend from corners or thin cabinets, some plinth drawers.

Or using drawer dividers for dishes, spices, pans or plates

Expand your storage with a mobile solution, such as a trolley or butcher’s unit on wheels. Or consider popping baskets or containers on top of your wall cabinets. Just hold a sturdy chair next to it so you can reach it.

6. Clean up the mess in small kitchens

Wall cabinets can really encroach on space, so think about removing them. Many movers that can be found on Master Moving Guide will gladly take them to a storage unit for you. Open shelves can have a huge impact on a small kitchen, creating a feeling of openness and airiness, while you limit the number of shelves used and what you store on them.

7. Clean your work surface

If there are too many items on the countertops, think about smart solutions such as wall mounted magnetic knife strips, handrails for hanging dishes, pans, cups, spice cans and garbage cans for cutlery. Also think about what you need to use every day, for example, cutting boards, wooden spoons, dishwashing liquid and what can be stored until needed.

8. Keep a simple kitchen layout

Nothing makes a small kitchen seem bigger like simple white walls. So why not take it further with elegant contemporary details that open up space. Light, reflective materials and minimalist design are your friends in small kitchen upgrades. So consider the cabinet doors made of white or frosted glass, white or composite stone or stainless steel worktops, as well as white tile.

9. Look for the portable storage

Consider a kitchen trolley on rollers, which provides additional preparation surface when you need it, removes it when you don’t. And also offers additional space for storing cookbooks, pots and pans. You can even use it as a convenient trolley for food and drinks when you have guests.

10. Do not let space go in vain

Not every kitchen will have a place, but if your heart is set on an island or a peninsula, think about redesigning your kitchen. The central workstation may be small, but it provides extra storage space and a useful work surface for cooking.

Who says that you cannot make whatever you want in your small kitchen

11. Attach compact kitchen

Not every home has a huge open-plan kitchen. But if your room is small, you will have a lot of good things to think about. For starters, it’s easy to keep everything handy and you will find plenty of storage ideas to get the most out of your space.

12. Install cabinets from floor to ceiling

And the last one of our ideas for small kitchen upgrades. Think vertically while continuing to raise cabinets to the ceiling. But carefully plan for the room to be as open as possible. Store less frequently used items in tall cabinets. If possible, add a breakfast bar – the amount of storage space and the working space it provides makes good use of the floor space and makes your kitchen more sociable.

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