How to plan and decorate a small kitchen: tips and tricks

Small kitchen doesn’t mean you cannot cook amazing meals and have a great time baking. All you need is just a little bit of planning and the right layout that works with your needs. In this blog post we have compiled a few ideas on how to decorate a small kitchen so it feels spacious and inspires you to prepare delicious food!

Storage makes or breaks a small kitchen

To have a tastefully decorated small kitchen you first need good storage solutions. Nothing makes a room look incoherent more than a big old mess. And the kitchen is definitely one of the main places that can get messy really fast. So, to avoid that even in a small kitchen, find ways how to create storage for all the kitchen appliances, delicious food, and tableware!

High cabinets

If you are renovating your kitchen and it is in a smaller size, definitely go for high cabinets. Fill out that space right to the ceiling. That way you will get extra storage and the high cabinets will visually elevate the room and make it look bigger.

If renovations are not what you are going for or you are not allowed to do (for example, in a rental space) try to add extra storage on the existing kitchen cabinets anyway. You can put there boxes or baskets that you can fill up with useful items.

Open shelving

When you have added the high cabinets for extra concealed storage, add an open shelf here and there. Open shelving makes a space feel breathy and wider. It is a great way how to make a small kitchen feel homey and it provides extra storage space that is always useful.

Just remember, to keep the open shelving free of clutter and display there a few items that are functional and look visually pleasing. To have a coherent look it is best to put on open shelves:
1) your beautiful tableware,
2) everything you have moved from colorful original packaging into coordinated containers,
3) plants,
4) art,
5) vases,
6) cookbooks,
7) and other items that spark you joy and makes the kitchen look put together.

Hanging storage from the ceiling

If you are working with a small space you need to get creative. Storing pots and pans in a kitchen can be one of the most challenging tasks since they take up a lot of space. What you can try is to add hooks to your ceiling or have a rod with hooks hanging from the ceiling and place your pots and pans there. It will not only be practical, but it will also look effective and unique.

Another option, hang shelves that were originally meant for the floor, upside down! Screw them to the ceiling, and voila! you have extra storage for all your kitchen goodies.

Pull-out shelving

In kitchen accessibility to the items you need for cooking is crucial. It can get really annoying trying to reach things that are behind things on your shelves. To avoid that at least a little bit, think about installing a pull-out shelving! It is perfect for pantry items like flour, grains, canned goods, etc.

And you can install pull-out shelving in odd places, for example, in that really narrow 4-inch space between your fridge and cabinets. It is the perfect space to create extra storage!

Choose your battles – what you need, what you don’t

In a smaller kitchen, chances are you won’t be able to get everything you want and you might need to sacrifice something. Before making any kitchen decisions, think hard about what you really need in a kitchen and what you can live without.

Declutter your kitchen items

You won’t get storage for everything, so before you move into your new small kitchen, make a declutter session and get rid of all the items that are not necessary. For example, if you live alone, you might get by with just 2 plates, you don’t need 10. When hosting you can use paper tableware or store the extra plates somewhere else in the house.

Also, look at the kitchen appliances that so often clutter the cooking surface. Decide what you use daily, what you don’t use at all, and what you use once in a while. Then organize it accordingly – what you use daily leave out on the counter, what you don’t use – donate or sell, what you use once in a while, put on a shelf.

Pots and pans are another section that you probably can declutter. Go through all the sections in your kitchen and leave only the necessary items for your daily tasks.

Plan your kitchen according to your personal needs

Don’t copy a kitchen layout from a catalog. Think about your personal needs! Do you like to cook on the stove? How many burners do you use at once? Depending on the answer you can get a stove with 2, 4, or 6 burners.

How much food do you usually have at home? Maybe a small fridge is enough for your needs and you don’t need a big one.

Do you eat in the kitchen? If not, maybe you can leave out the breakfast nook and replace it with kitchen items that suit your requirements best.

Convertible items

Small spaces often need to be convertible as they are used for different purposes. Small kitchens are no different. Where possible, find a way how to make an item convertible and usable for more than just one purpose.

Add extra counter space

You can have a board that slides out of the kitchen counter that you can use as extra space. It can go on the stove or stand on its own. Also, you can always count in the kitchen island or table as an extra space for prepping.

Use the outside of the fridge for storage

Not sure where to store your spices? Get the magnetic spice holders and stick them to the fridge! You can definitely find other useful kitchen items that you can store on the fridge with magnets.

Store some pots and pans in the stove

If you don’t use your stove that often, use it for storage! Just remember to take the items out when you are using the stove.

Add storage to the kitchen island

Add cabinets to the kitchen island to create extra storage space! You can even make the cabinets movable (detached from the island). That way you will get even more counter space to use when cooking or hosting.

Leave out a fixed kitchen island

Another option is to make the kitchen island itself movable. Don’t fix it to the floor, rather have a table in the height of an island. That way you can move the table when you need more space or can use the table for other tasks.

Decorating a small kitchen

Once you have sorted out all the practical details about storage, things you need and don’t need in the kitchen, and furniture to get, it is time to decorate. You can decorate it, of course, according to your liking, but keep in mind a few tips and tricks on how to make a small kitchen feel more spacious and exciting.

Surprising colors to draw attention

To make a small kitchen pop ditch the traditional white and go for a surprising color for the kitchen cabinets. But don’t make it monochrome. For example, paint just the bottom cabinets in mint green, leave the rest of them neutral or go for a complementary color, like mustard yellow.

Use colors as an accent in other areas of the kitchen as well. It will make it look coherent and well-planned.

Use wallpaper as an accent

Go bold and use wallpaper to make an accent in the kitchen, even in a small one. You can choose a wallpaper that mimics tiles or go for something floral or geometrical. You can use the wallpaper for the backsplash (you can use it bare, or cover it with a glass plate to make it more durable and easier to clean) or on the walls. Maybe even wallpaper the fridge? Use your imagination to find the best solution for your case.

Remember that you can even use some wallpaper patterns to make the space look bigger! For this effect try one of these wallpapers: Modern Conifer, Abstract Waves, and Drawn Verticals.

Make it seamless

Another option is to blend the kitchen together with the rest of the room if you are working with an open concept. Paint the kitchen in the same color as the living room! It will make the room feel much bigger since it won’t be divided into two parts.

Light colors and glossy finishes

To have a classy look and make the room feel wide and bright, use light colors for furniture finishes. White, beige, cream and light gray are good choices. If you have the chance and you like the look, you can even add a glossy finish to surfaces like cabinet doors. The gloss will reflect light more which will have a room-widening effect.

Plants

No room is finished without at least one plant. The kitchen is the perfect place where to decorate with plants – they look great and since you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you will probably remember to water them. You can even make your kitchen plants have a double purpose – plant some herbs and you get a plant and a spice!

Wall decor

Even in a small kitchen there is definitely a place for a cute wall decor moment. Find something that suits your style. It can be a kitchen-related theme, but it can also be something unrelated. Whatever feels good in your kitchen. Wall decor will help to bring it all together and make the kitchen feel decorated and thought of.

In conclusion

When planning and decorating a small kitchen it is important to start with the functionality and then bring in the decor. But nevertheless, both are important for a beautiful end result! So find good storage solutions, evaluate your kitchen needs, choose furniture and appliances according to those needs, and decorate taking into account your personal style.