Any kitchen, no matter how big or small, needs functional work surfaces and effective storage solutions to feel considered and useable, day-to-day.
Having said that, it is when space is tight that each and every cabinet and surface must work especially hard to earn its keep.
With that in mind, leading interior design house Neptune, considered the key points that you should bear in mind when designing your dream kitchen in a smaller space.
Designing a small kitchen is, inevitably, a balancing act between having enough storage and not filling the space with too many cabinets.
Open shelving is a classic solution, having a much lighter, less overpowering look than closed cabinetry, but over-fill your shelves and they can quickly become a distracting cacophony of objects and colours.
Using countertop cabinets in your design might not be the most obvious small space trick, especially as they do take up work surface space.
But what you sacrifice in terms of worktop, you gain in storage, and because they are anchored to the counter, they create a simpler, less fragmented look to your kitchen than ‘floating’ wall cabinets do.
If closed, floating cabinets are the solution for you, consider using wall cabinets painted in the same colour as the wall itself. That way, they will visually stand out less.
A larder is a feature that, especially in recent years, has climbed to the top of many people’s kitchen wish lists.
In a small space where effective storage is all-important, it makes light work out of organising tins, packets and jars.
Neptune’s larders, although no wider than many full-height cupboards, make the most of the available depth by dividing into three: adjustable shelves at the back, a double-sided rack of shelves on hinges that swings out, and a third set of shelves on the inside of the door.
If you don’t have room for the full-height larder, consider taking some of the clutter out of your kitchen to create a separate pantry space, close but separate to the main kitchen.
Think about what elements of your kitchen could migrate without too much impact on its functionality, whether that is dried foods, crockery, cleaning supplies or even a full section such as a tea and coffee station.
Finally, islands are one of the features that are very often at the top of kitchen wish lists, but are often left out of small kitchens.
But, unless your kitchen really is a very tiny galley, chances are that you can slip in an island designed to maximise space with a minimal footprint, such as Neptune’s freestanding Charlecote islands.
So long as you can comfortably manoeuvre around your room, then the extra prep space, storage and sociable nature of an island means it is worth it.
