Small is Beautiful – 10 Top Design Tips for your Micro Kitchen
Large rambling farmhouse kitchens may be the advertising dream but if you live in a modern flat, kitchen space comes at a premium. While compact kitchen/diners are the new reality in most new builds, studio flats must surely be the ultimate multi-tasking home. The obvious question is: How can you possibly fit everything you need into a tiny kitchen?
Believe it or not, the ‘micro kitchen’ is actually a thing. Perfect for compact urban living in lofts and apartments, in man caves and she sheds, not to mention boats and camper vans, it can be a handy setup for multiple living situations. However, the micro kitchen does come with some design challenges.
Practising the art of making the most of the space you do have is, admittedly, taken to extremes when it comes to teeny tiny kitchens but it can be done. With the help of specialist kitchen designers Classic Interiors, I’ve compiled 10 top design tips to maximise your micro kitchen.
Reflect the glory
Your kitchen space may be minuscule but that doesn’t mean it has to look small. Using reflective surfaces such as high gloss kitchen units, glass-fronted cupboards, shiny splashbacks, mirrors, tiles and metal finishes will help bounce light around the room and make the space feel bigger and brighter.
Scale it down
Keeping your kitchen furniture and appliances in proportion to the space available will allow you to fit more in. Look out for narrow cupboards, slimline appliances and half-size gadgets. Think about repurposing wall units as base units and ask your kitchen designer for advice on clever ways to maximise the space.
Choose minimalist chic
No need to compromise on style due to lack of space. Keep the design simple and chic – white or neutral gloss cabinets and stainless steel finishes are a timeless combination. Try an all-white treatment and do away with fussy handles and ornate detail, to let the light flow unobstructed over the units and worktops.
Go for luxe
Splash out on expensive finishes – after all, you’ll only need a tiny amount. From luxury marble worktops and limestone flooring to designer tiles and premium paint colours, now’s your chance to bring some grandeur to your kitchen far beyond its micro dimensions.
Make it a feature
Who says you have to be ashamed of your teensy kitchen? Rather than blend it into the background, why not make a feature of it? Choose an accent colour for the walls in combination with effective downlighting to really show off your gorgeous kitchen units.
Use the building
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is take a fresh look at what’s already there and break a few rules. If you live in a period building with high ceilings, why not fix a simple shelf right across the mid rail of a big sash window, or over the top of a casement window frame?
Think Tall
Vertical lines are your friend; they take the eye upwards and stretch your kitchen higher – even better if you have a low ceiling. Minimise horizontal lines that cut across the space and use tall doors, vertical panelling, tile grout lines or striped wallpaper to reinforce the sense of height.
Be creative with storage
Look at every bit of kitchen space as an opportunity for storage. Add shelving in every nook and cranny, up to the ceiling, around door frames, above appliances, in wall recesses and even underneath wall units. Use whatever wall space you have available to hang utensils, pots and pans, spices, tea towels, baskets of fruit or veg…
Hide it all away
Not keen on looking at a messy kitchen from the comfort of your sofa or bed but not motivated enough to tidy it up? Think about installing a raised wall or full-length doors, or use a room divider, to hide away a single-wall kitchen.
Think multifunctional
The more functions you can accommodate in your micro kitchen, the better. Could the worktop double up as a breakfast bar? How about including a pullout shelf or foldout ironing board? Don’t forget to check out combi ovens and other multipurpose appliances that make your life easier.
*This is a collaborative post.
My kitchen is huge, and so was my mum’s growing up. At least in our old farmhouse ;). However, I have had some tiny kitchens in my life and this would’ve made them so much easier to work in.
Its amazing what you can do to increase storage and fit into a small kitchen with the right ideas and planning. Lovely suggestions and tips in this post.
Love all these wonderful tips for maximizing spaces. I love organizing my house so it’s functional . Thanks for the great ideas.
It amazes me how some people manage to get things sorted so well.
Those are some useful and helpful tips.. Agree with small is beautiful..
My kitchen is good size but I have definitely seen bigger. I think a smaller kitchen would force me to choose what was most important to me. I might even look at appliances that did two duties versus one.
I am another that has a small kitchen. I manage most days, and we are a family of four. I struggle a little with storage, as I don’t like things on the benches, and there isn’t enough room for everything in the cupboards. But I find my little kitchen easy to clean, which has to be a bonus.
Great tips! I’m curious….what’s considered a micro kitchen? I think I want one. LOL!
Haha I’m not actually sure – we once had one which was just a wall though, it had room for a cooker, mini-fridge (no freezer), the sink and then like 2 cupboards and that was it – you could only fit one person in it.
yes!! i struggle with clutter in kitchens so bad! its so frustrating!
There are so many different gadgets you can get as well, which doesn’t help.
I agree, for me the key is deffo to be creative with storage solutions. There are some really good ideas out there and it is all about making best use of the space x
Micro kitchens work in some spaces but I am hoping when I get a house that we can have a really good sized kitchen, although I’ll still do for space saving things x
I shall keep my fingers crossed that you get a good sized kitchen for yourself.
Great tips, these! We have such a tiny kitchen so we have to take advantage of every inch of space.
You have to when you have a small kitchen don’t you – it’s a shame as it can be a fun place.
I agree with being minimalistic and having those items that are multifunctional. Also being creative with the kitchen design to maximize the space too.
My last kitchen was tiny, and this would have been so helpful to use then! We definitely had to think tall to make use of the limited space we had.
These are some great ideas. My kitchen is semi-small. I wouldn’t say it was a micro kitchen, but it’s not huge either.
These are great tips for a micro kitchen. I really wish I had more kitchen space or at least storage space but haven’t any more room for extra cupboards.
My kitchen is pretty small so I will definitely be implementing some of these tips and tricks, thanks for sharing hun, great post!
We have a dinky kitchen with very little space and storage. It’s my 2018 goal to make an epic {yet small} kitchen next year!
These are such great tips. I love finding ways to maximize small spaces. Thanks for the great ideas.
Our kitchen is quite small and were definitely not making the most of the space. I would like to add some shelves but there isn’t really anywhere for them to go 🙁
My kitchen is quite big -having it ‘re vamped next year -useful tips to incorporate thanks
If i had a micro kitchen I would go for minimalist luxury! coz it’s beautiful and makes it look way for chic!
I love posts like this! I love finding new ways to make the most of the space I have! Great ideas, thank you for the inspiration
I like the minimalistic chic look. I hate clutter and the fewer the items on display, the better it looks in my opinion.
I have a micro kitchen and have employed some of these techniques. It makes my little kitchen look so high end and people can’t believe i did it myself.
We have a short galley kitchen. It’s more like a hallway into our utility room. I hate it. You’ve given some great ideas for my kitchen.