Kitchen designs are a serious issue when considering a home purchase or a home redesign. If your home is like most, then there are few options to consider other than a small kitchen design. There are many homes throughout the world in which the kitchen is literally smaller than the bathroom. But there are options available that will maximize the available space. Of course these options vary greatly depending on the size of your kitchen and budget.
In order to maximize space, one may want to consider how much refrigerator and freezer space you actually need. If you live alone, is it really necessary to have a 2000 cubic inch refrigerator freezer? Probably not. Many appliance manufacturers make smaller units to accommodate smaller spaces.
Often, you can save a tremendous amount of space by having a combination hood vent microwave, this will free up a few square feet. With small kitchens, it may be advisable to purchase a separate storage cabinet to store your appliances, as these take up a remarkable amount of space. Do you currently have a separate dish washer? Then an under the counter washer will make more room in your kitchen, and cut down on clutter.
Many kitchen designs also include the dining area. If space permits, utilize a restaurant style booth. Yes, we’re serious. This involves the use of a bench type seat and a table. Often times these benches have storage underneath.
If you are a DIY type, the possibilities are endless. There are also many contractors that will design and build these benches to suit your needs. These are also especially useful if your kitchen has everything on one side, for example: your stove/oven, countertop and sink are on one side. Oftentimes, with larger kitchens, you can free up a large amount of space by simply eliminating the island. Of course all kitchen redesigns are heavily dependent on your own budget and timeline.
As with any type of redesign or planning, one must carefully keep in mind the amount of available space, shape of the space (is it rectangular or square), and of course budget. I have seen kitchen available space in which the kitchen was about 10 feet by five feet. This is not much of area to work with, but very doable. This is especially the case in many older homes.
If you are not the DIY type, carefully measure the available area, determine what your needs are, and determine what you can comfortably spend. Take this information to a contractor or home improvement center and see what you can come up with, Many of these services are free, and often home improvement centers will offer a discount if you purchase the supplies and equipment with the plan.
The next thing you want to think about is how to tie the room together. This is more a style and interior design issue, but find inspiration by looking around you. Sometimes simple solutions appear in the most unlikely places, for instance boats have small kitchens, so you could incorporate nautical design elements…make a galley kitchen, and add some nautical lights like these to accentuate and authenticate the design.