how to maximize space in a small kitchen

Does your small kitchen feel cramped and cluttered? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many homeowners struggle with maximizing space in tiny kitchens.

But there are smart ways to open up your small space and create a functional cooking zone. Just think outside the cabinet box!

10 Tips For Small Kitchen Space Saving

In this guide, we’ll share genius small kitchen ideas to help you gain precious counter space, storage space, and floor space.

You’ll learn easy, space-saving hacks to transform your kitchen from cramped to comfortable.

Some require a little renovation work, while others are quick, DIY improvements. But all will give you that extra room you crave without breaking the bank.

Remove a Wall

Feel boxed in by your cramped kitchen? Demolishing a non-structural wall can instantly create an airy, open-concept layout.

With guidance from an experienced contractor, removing a partition wall between the kitchen and dining or living room is relatively straightforward.

If the dividing wall is non-load bearing, it can simply be knocked down in a day or two. This dramatically expands your kitchen’s footprint.

You can then position cabinets along remaining walls, leaving the center open for a kitchen island or prep zone. The added countertop real estate is a game-changer.

While you’ll need to budget for rerouting electrical, capping pipes, and refinishing surfaces, the impact makes it worthwhile.

Don’t let confined walls limit your kitchen space. Tear down that barrier for an airy, open oasis perfect for cooking and entertaining.

Add a Single-Bowl Sink

Most kitchen sinks have a double-bowl setup, with a small bowl for prep and a larger one for cleaning. But in a small kitchen, this design wastes precious counter space.

The sink takes up half the countertop area, leaving you with tiny slivers for prepping food.

Here’s a easy fix – install a single, deep basin sink instead. It gives you more continuous counter surface on either side of the sink for prep space.

You can also mount a cutting board or drying rack over the sink basin to maximize the workspace. Look for compact sinks around 15×15 inches. Even a tiny sink makes a big difference!

Make a Blind-Corner Cabinet More Accessible

Speaking of making the most of limited counter space, let’s look at those awkward blind corner cabinets. You know, the ones where the shelves get lost in the far reaches of the corner, only to become black holes for lost Tupperware?

The fix is simple – install pull-out shelves or lazy susans. These rotating trays give you easy access to the entire cabinet interior so you can use every inch.

Your local home improvement store has a variety of off-the-shelf inserts you can install yourself. Or hire a contractor to customize built-ins for a truly optimized solution.

Store Dishes in the Eating Area

If your tiny kitchen lacks storage space for dishes and drinking glasses, get creative! Rather than using precious cabinet space, store your plates, bowls, and cups in or near your eating area.

Look for slim cabinets or hutches that can tuck into the dining room, an eat-in kitchen nook, or an adjacent living space.

These give you ample room for stacking dishes, freeing up kitchen cabinets for pots, pans, and food storage. Wall-mounted plate racks are another great option for utilitarian dish storage out of the kitchen.

Consider a Cabinet-Depth Refrigerator

Is your fridge sticking out like a sore thumb, cramping your little kitchen? Standard depth refrigerators are over 30 inches deep, leaving little room to walk by or open surrounding cabinets.

The solution is a cabinet-depth or counter-depth model. These slim refrigerators are just 24-25 inches deep, allowing them to sit flush with your cabinets.

It gives you several extra inches of clearance and lets surrounding cabinet doors open freely. Plus, counter-depth models come in a variety of slender widths to fit compact kitchens.

Make the Most of Every Inch With Roll-Outs

Your small kitchen cabinets contain so much hidden potential! Make them work double-duty with smart organizational tools like roll-out shelves, racks, and other inserts.

Pull-out baskets on drawer slides are perfect for storing pots, pans, lids, baking dishes – you name it. Wire racks and drawers give you easy access to items you’d otherwise lose in the back of cabinets. Under-sink roll-outs make cleaning supplies accessible. And don’t forget shelf risers and turntables to create extra vertical space.

With a variety of cabinet organizers, you can optimize every inch of usable cabinet space. It’s the little improvements that make a big difference in small kitchens.

Build Your Microwave Into Cabinetry

Countertop microwaves take up precious prep space in small kitchens. The easy solution? Build it into the cabinetry! An over-the-range or under-counter microwave can be installed seamlessly, gaining you valuable counter real estate.

There are slick, modern microwave models made for this exact purpose. Look for compact styles designed specifically for cabinet or shelf installation.

They’ll blend right into your kitchen’s style. For an even more integrated look, you can have cabinet face panels installed to disguise the microwave completely.

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No Room for an Island? Try a Cart Instead

A mobile kitchen cart gives you tons of flexible counter space and storage in a compact footprint. This is perfect for tiny city apartments and modest micro-kitchens where there isn’t room for a permanent island.

Look for carts with closed cabinets below for stashing cookware and bulky food storage containers. Open shelves are great for lighter items like dishes and spice racks.

Go for a model on lockable casters so you can slide it around for the ideal workspace configuration. When not in use, just tuck it against a wall and out of the way.

Pantry Cabinet in a Closet

Does your small kitchen lack pantry storage? A utility or coat closet near the kitchen is your hidden storage gem. Remove the hanging bar and install floor-to-ceiling cabinetry instead.

Shelves, pull-outs, wire baskets – you get tons of room to stash dry goods, canned items, and small appliances.

Or create a faux pantry with tall, narrow cabinets. Look for tall utility cabinets that can slide into any spare nook near the kitchen, like a hallway or corner.

Purpose-built pantry cabs have adjustable shelving so you can customize the interior. Again, getting creative with wall space is key for small kitchen storage.

Add Under Cabinet Lights

Good lighting makes even the smallest kitchens feel more open and bright. Adding under cabinet lighting goes a long way to maximize the perception of space.

Battery-powered LED light strips are an easy DIY project. Just peel-and-stick the strips to the underside of wall cabinets, shining light onto your countertops.

Look for dimmable, remote-controlled lights so you can customize the brightness based on task. The illumination creates depth and really opens up tight work zones.

Take Advantage of Natural Light

Speaking of illumination, let in all the natural light you can! Tear down draperies from small kitchen windows to let sunlight stream in.

It will make your space feel so much more open. Install sheer blinds or curtains so you still have privacy when needed.

Do you have a small window looking into a living space? Try an interior window instead. Remove the drywall between rooms and install glass blocks or a decorative window to borrow light from the adjacent room. It brings in brightness while maintaining separation between the spaces.

Get Creative With Vertical Space

If your kitchen has high ceilings, install shelving all the way up! Floating wall shelves give you tons of extra storage space without impeding cabinets below.

Stack your less frequently used pots, pans, utensils, and serving dishes up high.

You can also hang a pot rack from the ceiling for both storage and decor. Keep your daily cooking tools on the lower hooks for easy access.

Wall-mounted racks, pegboards, and magnetic knife strips are other great ways to creatively utilize vertical wall space. The more you can go up, the more room you free up down below.

Are you tired of your small kitchen feeling cramped and dysfunctional? Don’t let limited space crush your dreams of an efficient cooking haven! Our kitchen remodeling experts specialize in transforming tiny kitchens into spacious, stylish sanctuaries. By removing walls, installing smart storage solutions, and utilizing clever lighting tricks, we’ll maximize every inch of your cozy culinary corner. Stop settling for a frustrating workspace and start enjoying years of cooking bliss in your newly renovated small kitchen. Call small Kitchen Remodeling at 877-565-7458 or visit homerenomaster.com to schedule your free in-home consultation today! Let’s unlock the hidden potential in your modest kitchen together.