Space saving ideas for small kitchens

The kitchen is often described as the heart of the home, and is the room in which we spend most of our time, but unfortunately for too many people it is also the smallest room in the house. Whether you live in a small cottage or terrace house, or a stylish city centre apartment with a coffin for a kitchen, here are some tips for making the most of the space you have.

Units

• Freestanding units allow for a lot of flexibility in design, and on legs can also create the illusion of space as the floor below is exposed. These can be picked up from IKEA at a reasonable price.

• Glass fronted units open the room up

• Floor to ceiling cupboards make the most of space, but make sure you store your lesser used items towards the top

• Use units with sliding or roller shutter doors where possible, and maximize on the use of lazy susans and shelf stackers

Appliances

• Opt for small kitchen appliances such as a slim line dishwasher or a slim freestanding cooker; or integrated appliances help to streamline the space.

• It is common knowledge that a large mirror is a great way to create the illusion of space in a room, so to create this effect in the kitchen without taking up precious wall space, check out the Whirlpool 20TML4 American fridge freezer which has a mirror finish. As this also integrates fridge and freezer, it is a doubly attractive option!

• Move washing machines & tumble drye rs to the garage if you have one

Lighting

• Install a good amount of light, including under cabinet and within glass fronted cabinets to lighten up dark spaces

Colour

• Opt for light coloured units and walls (I won’t say it again, you know why by now!)

Storage

• Store pots and pans for cooking inside your oven when it is not being used to free up cupboard space

• Use wall hooks and ceiling racks to hang utensils and mugs etc