If you have a tiny kitchen, you can take the opportunity to make more space with kitchen remodeling. If physically expanding the space is not possible, changing the layout or design can go a long way towards making your kitchen seem bigger at least.
Tiny kitchens are a common issue with many homeowners who can afford only small apartments and condo units, especially in the city. Some units already make the most of the available space, but that is not true in most cases. The appliances, cabinets, and lights could also use the space in an uneven and inefficient way.
Fixing these issues can make a tiny kitchen better in both form and function. Some clever tweaking and creative designing can help with that, especially when planning kitchen countertops. This might entail changing the layout or replacing old appliances that are taking up too much space. Here are some suggestions of what you can do to make your tiny kitchen seem much bigger.
Take measurements
Any successful kitchen design boils down to how well everything fits together, and this is particularly true for tiny kitchens. Before changing anything in your existing kitchen, measure everything you intend to put in it. This will help you plan the kitchen countertops that will accommodate everything in the most efficient way possible. It helps if your countertop specialist can provide a 3D design you can work on together to get the best design before you start swinging.
Choosing the kitchen countertops and storage are especially important when deciding on a design. For example, you can choose a galley layout for a kitchen used as a thruway, as this will allow you to place cabinets and countertops on both walls and maximize the work and storage space. Shallower cabinets and narrower countertops will not make that much of a difference on function but make a great difference on the space.
Another strategy is to move your sink to a corner from the middle to accommodate more of your appliances. You must think carefully on this, as sink placement is permanent and affects how everything else works in the kitchen. Moving it to another area will require a significant effort, not to mention new countertops. Try out several layouts and placements of your kitchen sink to make sure you put it in the right place.
Doors can also be a bit tricky in tiny kitchen, especially if it gets in the way of putting in the countertops you want. Consider moving it to make way for the design. Sometimes a few inches can make a big difference. If necessary, remove it altogether.
Light the way
Lights are very important for any kitchen, but especially for tiny kitchens. If your kitchen gets lots of natural light, then you have it made. In most cases, however, the most you can hope for I one largish window over the sink. This is fine, but you should make the most of it by choosing light colored kitchen countertops and cabinets to reflect the light and make it look bigger. You should also make sure you remove anything that blocks the light from the source.
This applies for both natural and artificial light. You can plan for more lights as well for better functionality. Consider adding under cabinet lights or spotlights, or both. It makes a difference. An even better idea is to put in a full backsplash in a reflective material such as polished granite.
Raise the ceiling
You might now know it, but your kitchen ceiling might have some space between it and the actual top of the unit. These may be soffits or lowered ceilings, and might be there for insulation, or maybe to hide some pipes. In some cases, it serves no real purpose, and it eats into your vertical space.
You might consider removing that ceiling and claw back a few inches of storage for your tiny kitchen. You will be surprised at how much difference it could make. If there are exposed pipes, you might be able to hide them inside a cabinet, or just paint it to get an industrial vibe.
Check out clearance sales
If you need to replace some stuff in your kitchen to make everything fit better, you can save a lot of money by scouring clearance sales for what you need. Some appliance stores give significant reductions at year-end sales for new appliances to make way for the next year’s models. Countertop specialists often offer package deals granite slabs or quartz stones and choosing RTA cabinets over custom ones is a smart move as well.
Go for the seamless look
A neat trick for making any room seem bigger is by creating a seamless look. Anything that breaks up the visual line will make a room smaller, so you want to design a small room with as little visual disruption as possible. You can do this by choosing appliances, countertops, and cabinets in colors that blend into each other. Alternatively, you can choose to hide most of your appliances behind cabinet doors.
Go high
You can make a tiny kitchen look bigger by creating the illusion of height. The idea is to lead the eye up, and you can do this by putting in a full backsplash that matches your countertops. This will draw the eye in and up and open the room. To make the room look even bigger, choose light colored granite countertops and backsplashes to reflect the light.
Conclusion
A tiny kitchen is a reality for many homeowners, but a little tweaking can make it look a lot bigger as well as a lot more efficient. It helps to have someone profession guiding you with the design. KNC Granite offers free quotes and 3D design consultation at no obligation, so you have nothing to lose.
KNC Granite is a countertop specialist servicing the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. areas. We have a large array of granite slabs from which to choose. You can check actual slabs at our showroom in Lanham, Maryland and we will walk you through how we can meet your budget and still give you quality granite countertops for your home.
We do not only supply top-quality granite stones, however. We are experts at fabricating and installing kitchen counters or bathroom vanities. We also specialize in kitchen remodeling and bathroom upgrade projects, delivering on time and on budget.
Aside from natural stones, we carry some of the top brands of engineered stone, including Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, and MSI, all of which come with manufacturer warranties. Give us a call or email us for your free in-home consultation and quote