Creative Small Kitchen Designs

If the kitchen of your dreams turns out to be too small for your liking, there are steps that can be taken to offer more room, and to make the space seem larger. One may want to consider color combinations, mirrors, and even a small, mobile island piece. In some circumstances, it may be viable to streamline appliances as well.

Small kitchen designs might pose some issues with space, but it is not altogether impossible. Light is one facet that will allow the space to appear to be bigger than it is. Add some french doors to the entrance of the kitchen to allow light from other rooms to infiltrate the space. Some opt to remove the doors and make the doorway open air. If there are windows in the kitchen use light, airy curtains that allow more rather than less light to enter the room.

While kitchen colors are typically supposed to be darker in order to suppress hunger, the small kitchen design should use light or pastel colors. These lighter colors will make the available space feel roomier and more wide open. If one color cannot be decided upon, use a variety of colors in order to shake up the space.

Another option in small kitchen designs is to use reflective surfaces. Add some stainless steel, mirrors or glazing to the area. The refelctive surfaces will catch the light and make the space seem bigger. The more light that can be pulled into the smaller space, the more spacious that area will feel and appear.

If an area that is more like a restaurant kitchen is not what does it for you, one can try alternating reflective panels, or trim and baseboards in a reflective surface. Using a pastel color and then topping it or breaking up the space with a reflective surface that catches the light will also add to not only the charm of the kitchen, but also the feeling of having more room.

Small kitchen designs can leave one wanting more space for food preparation and countertops. In this instance one may opt for an island in the kitchen. This may sound impossible for the owner of a small kitchen, but many of these islands can be bought and designed to have wheels on them. This means that the island is not kitchen specific. One would be able to move the island to where it will work best for them, and this will also give the feeling of having more kitchen than is actually the case.

Another choice when redoing one’s small kitchen designs is the lighting. The overhead lights are good if one is looking to illuminate the entire space. Although, the harsher overhead flourescent lights can make the cabinetry and appliances seem to close in on the space. Try some the cabinet lighting or even recessed lighting that is mounted within the wall space. This lighting will enlarge the visual perception of the space.

When the lighting is under the cabinet it plays a twofold role. First it illuminates the space on the counters making food preparation easier. Secondly it downplays the size and location of the cabinets. This makes the cabinetry seem smaller and the overall space seem larger. With separate switches for undercabinet and recessed lighting, one can also use fewer lights and save money as well.

The best thing to remember with small kitchen designs is to be creative. Let the space be a reflection of your tastes and preferences. If using multiple colors or applications is what makes you happy, then do it. It is your space, so live in it well.