Figuring out how to transform the heart of your home into a functional and stylish space when there’s no room to fry and omelette let alone swing a cat is not as hard as we might think. When a kitchen space is more like a butler’s pantry than a whole kitchen, and you have to choose between a coffee machine or a toaster to take up precious bench space, there are plenty of clever interior design tricks to maximise the space you have.
To help inspire you, we’ve pulled together our most popular small kitchen ideas. A kitchen is one of the hardest working rooms in the home and when you’ve got limited space, planning your kitchen can be challenging to decide which elements to keep and how to make everything work together.
While creating your dream butler’s pantry and installing an island bench that is big enough to seat your entire extended family is probably a bit ambitious, there are several clever tricks of the trade that can be used to help you maximise your available room, while also enhancing the feeling of spaciousness.
What is the best way to layout a small kitchen?
You can make some simple tweaks to your current tiny kitchen or start from scratch when working out the best design and layout. Be flexible to new colours and moving a few things around, there are plenty of small kitchen ideas that can have a big impact.
Stretch your cabinetry
Depending on your kitchen layout, it’s important to stretch your cabinetry as far as it can go. Think vertically when it comes to storage and make the most of every nook and cranny with clever joinery.
Max out your floor space
Simultaneously, if you’ve managed to fit in a kitchen bench with bar stools, opt for furniture with slim legs that keep the bulk of the piece off of the floor to give the illusion of more floor space.
Bring natural light inside
Maximise the natural light within your compact kitchen by using reflective materials like mirrors, brass and brushed steel. Not only will they maximise the light within the kitchen, but they’ll also lend a visual impression of larger space.
Bring in a butcher’s block
If the design of your small kitchen allows for only one bench, there might be room for a stand-alone butcher’s block. Stationed in the middle of your kitchen so you can still walk around it, a butcher’s block works as bench space or a place to chat (farewell friends and family getting under your feet).
What colour should cabinets be in a small kitchen?
White does lighten a room and gives space when there is little, but there’s nothing wrong with injecting some colour into your small kitchen. Sage green works well in small spaces, and creates calm instead of clutter. It has even made the kitchen in this houseboat look spacious!
It’s easy to buck the all-white trend when it comes to a small kitchen, and add interest and texture in other ways. For something elegant and crisp, a shaker style kitchen cabinet is a chic and enduring trend, and can be updated for modern and contemporary homes with a more daring colour. In traditional homes, shaker style cabinets are often painted in crisp whites and pale greys, with the shaker detail adding depth to the otherwise flat colours. More modern takes have seen cabinets painted in bolder colourways from deep blues to rich greens. Our tip though? Go for lighter hues rather than moody shades to keep the space feeling open.
16 small space kitchen design ideas
Custom V-groove joinery, brass hardware, glossy tiles, effective storage, and a leafy outlook make the small kitchen of this Double Bay townhouse appear bigger than it is.
Being on the smaller side hasn’t stopped the timber and neutral-hued kitchen of this Sydney home from achieving both form and function. Plenty of storage can be found in full-height storage, open shelves and a breakfast bar bench.
During pandemic lockdowns, this gorgeous off-grid cabin became the ultimate escape for its owners, stylist Emma O’Meara and her husband Simon. The kitchen in the log-style cabin (which is available for stays) blends the khaki and creamy tones of the surrounding bushland and is perfectly effective despite its small stature.
The kitchen of this London apartment is made of birchwood ply, giving it a light and bright complexion. The island is on lockable castors, giving the space an added layer of flexibility. “Whether we’re having a party or the kids are having a playdate, we can move the island to a nook under the oven and literally create floor space from nothing,” says homeowner Sean.
Small but perfectly formed, the kitchen of this Scandi-meets-Japanese-meets-70s-style holiday home is just right for the space. During the property’s renovation, the homeowners actually downsized the kitchen to make way for a larger dining area – a decision that suited their holiday style perfectly.
This small kitchen by Josh and Jenna, the two-time contestants from The Block who became professional designers/renovators, includes a brick splash back and plenty of hidden storage. The design plays to the idea of the Tiny House movement. “We live only with what we need because there’s simply no room for anything else,” says Jenna.
In this compact Paddington terrace to conserve space a custom dining table was built to connect with the kitchen island, transforming it into a multi-functional space.
The kitchen in this coastal Art Deco-style home proves that subtle splashes of colour is a great way to add style and depth to a small cooking zone. Having the rangehood match the wall colour is a clever way to make bulky items blend into the background.
By placing open shelving across the window, this small kitchen has gained more storage space without cutting out the natural light.
In the small kitchen of this Sydney apartment clever custom joinery provides ample storage throughout. In the corner cabinet below, hinged shelves inside swing outwards for ease of access and use.
This chic Brisbane pool house has been transformed into the ultimate rental guest home and makes the most of its limited footprint. A servery window in the kitchen transforms the bench into a breakfast bar and a wall-hung rail is the perfect storage spot for pots and pans.
To avoid this tiny kitchen area from feeling boxed in, only low cupboards have been installed. A simple palette also helps to maintain a light and airy feel.
In this renovated Federation cottage the dining table has been placed within the kitchen in order to double as additional bench space for food preparation. Cabinetry provides ample storage.
If your home is narrow, running your kitchen along the length of a wall like this one in this Balmain home is a great space-saving option. Sleek cabinetry paired with a glossy bench and splashback creates a modern, seamless look.
The sophisticated black cabinetry in the kitchen of this renovated Italianate Victorian home reach from the ceiling to the floor to provide as much storage space as possible.
A generous extended benchtop on this slim-line kitchen bench creates extra bench space that can also accommodate bar stools, transforming the heart of the kitchen into an additional seating space within this small eco-friendly home.
Homes To Love
We're all about helping you create Homes To Love. Featuring inspiration and expert advice from Australian House & Garden, Country Style, Inside Out and Belle magazine, we're the most trusted homes and interiors online destination.
