By Ellie Reeves | 11th January 2023 | 5 min read
Create a small kitchen design that works for you
Limited on space? That doesn’t mean you have to settle for a gloomy kitchen. In fact, when it comes to your kitchen design, the layout is arguably more important than the size. If you want an efficient and reliable kitchen, you’ll need to make smart decisions about your storage, appliances, and small kitchen layout. With our expert tips and innovative products, we’ll help make sure you have enough room for stress-free cooking, so you can show off your culinary prowess. Carry on reading for advice on creating a small and simple kitchen design for everyday life. Because size isn’t everything.
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- Choose streamlined kitchen cabinets
- The best layout for small kitchens
- Save space with a single bowl sink
- Small kitchen storage ideas
- Best appliances for small kitchens
- Paint colours for small kitchens
1. Choose streamlined kitchen cabinets
Choose a kitchen design with smooth lines and a gloss finish, such as our Stevia range. Reflective surfaces help create the impression of space, allowing you to move more freely around the kitchen.
For even more space, choose handle-less cabinets, or ones that have integrated handles, like our Garcinia range. Not only do they look ultra-sleek and stylish, they’ll also stop you from knocking yourself on knobs or handles. Browse all of our fitted kitchens.
2. The best layout for a small kitchen
If you’ve got minimal space, it’s important to consider the layout and design of your kitchen.
Believe it or not, it is possible to have an island in a small kitchen. In fact, a breakfast bar or small island made of base cabinets with an overhang makes a good alternative to a dining table. Add a couple of stackable bar stools and voila, you’ve got somewhere to eat with the family.
For a small kitchen, we recommend a galley or pullman layout. Don’t forget to use the “working triangle” theory when designing your kitchen – your fridge, oven and sink should be clustered together for easy access. Need some more advice on designing a small kitchen layout? Find the perfect kitchen to suit your room shape.
3. Save space with a single bowl sink
Single bowl sinks allow for much more room on the worktop. Our state-of-the-art Romesco smart space sinks are ideal for creating a space-efficient and multifunctional work area.
It comes with a whole host of features, such as an extra wide and deep bowl, integrated accessories and a dual ledge rim design. It even has a reversible drying rack to increase drainer space, and layered accessories to make food prep easier than ever.
Our Romesco smart space sinks are available in 1 bowl, 1 bowl with drainer or as a 1.5 bowl option to cater for all kitchen requirements. Why not pair with the ? It has a swivel spout, helping you do the dishes no matter the size of your sink, and an anti-limescale spout that rubs clean!
4. Small kitchen storage ideas
Neatly tuck your food, waste and cooking utensils away using integrated storage and bins. Our Vigote internal pull-out bin allows you to hide your rubbish from dinner guests, or from greedy pets. It keeps any nasty smells at bay too.
Instead of trying to cram everything into cabinets, why not use open shelving or drawers for ultimate space efficiency? Drawers help maximise the amount of usable space and can reduce the amount of wall cabinets you need.
With Soto drawers you can also create storage towers of different heights or configurations– it’s essentially a cabinet filled with internal drawers, offering a huge amount of storage that you can tailor to meet your needs. We also have a nifty plinth drawer to help you make use of the unused space below your cabinets.
Your worktop space is precious – it should be reserved for food prep only. Keep clutter off the worktop counter with our Pecel magnetic storage range. It makes use of traditionally unused space between the worktop and wall cabinets and helps keep utensils and kitchen sundries within arm’s reach and off the counter.
There are lots of little changes that will make a big impact – leaving you with a more open and spacious kitchen. If you have crockery that you only use for fancy dinner parties, store them out of the way in boxes on top of cabinets. If you haven't got anywhere to keep dining chairs, use foldable dining chairs, and hang them on the wall when not in use.
Best kitchen storage for a small kitchen...
- GoodHome Datil Chrome-plated Silver Wall organiser utensil holder, (H)85mm (W)604mmOffer - 20% off when you spend £3000+ on a kitchen. Discount applied in basket. (5)£4.00
- GoodHome Datil Silver effect Pan lid holderOffer - 20% off when you spend £3000+ on a kitchen. Discount applied in basket. (5)£7.00
- GoodHome Pecel Medium Magnetic panelOffer - 20% off when you spend £3000+ on a kitchen. Discount applied in basket. (20)£8.50
5. Best appliances for small kitchens
Shop around for space-saving multipurpose appliances, such as the GoodHome Bamia compact oven microwave which has the functionality of an oven and microwave, all in a compact space. If you don’t feel you need a conventional oven, you could opt for an air fryer or slow cooker to do the bulk of your cooking.
We sell a range of smart appliances that will keep things running smoothly in your kitchen, all whilst reducing energy costs. Choose from smart dishwashers and fridges to Wi-Fi connectable cooker hoods.
6. Paint colours for small kitchens
Wondering what kitchen paint colour to go for in your small space? We suggest picking a light, cool shade such as cream, light grey, or pale blue. A satin or silk finish will help bounce light around the room, making the kitchen feel bigger and brighter.
Small kitchen paint colours we think you'll love...
- Dulux Easycare Caramel latte Matt Emulsion paint, 2.5LOffer - 3 for 2 on selected interior paint and paint mixing. Discount applied in basket.(97)£27.00£10.80 / l
- GoodHome Kitchen Alberta Matt Emulsion paint, 2.5LOffer - 3 for 2 on selected interior paint and paint mixing. Discount applied in basket.(12)£20.00£8.00 / l
- Dulux Easycare Willow tree Matt Emulsion paint, 2.5LOffer - 3 for 2 on selected interior paint and paint mixing. Discount applied in basket.(200)£27.00£10.80 / l
- Dulux Easycare Magnolia Matt Emulsion paint, 2.5LOffer - 3 for 2 on selected interior paint and paint mixing. Discount applied in basket.(92)£27.00£10.80 / l
- GoodHome Kitchen Tijuana Matt Emulsion paint, 2.5LOffer - 3 for 2 on selected interior paint and paint mixing. Discount applied in basket.(9)£20.00£8.00 / l
Browse all kitchen paint
Watch our video for tips on organising a small kitchen space
These small kitchen ideas prove that you don’t need a big kitchen to have a functional space. By choosing certain storage options or using integrated handles, you can instantly open up your kitchen space.
If you’re designing a new kitchen and aren’t sure where to start, be sure to check out our article, 4 steps to planning a new kitchen, it's full of inspirational ideas for planning a kitchen, whether it’s a new kitchen or a renovation project – we’ve got the knowledge to help you get started.
