Room Ideas
When you have minimal square footage to work with, our small kitchen ideas can help you maximize your space. Every detail is important, from the countertops to the appliances when you're working in a limited space. Even the tiniest kitchen can be attractive and functional if you keep scale and efficiency in mind. Color and lighting also play important roles in creating an inviting kitchen for both food prep and socializing.
A tiny kitchen is the perfect location for a small-scale, repeating tile floor. In this room, the bold black and white pattern is on a small scale the gives the room a larger feel. By using black handles on black cabinets, there is a flow and lack of clutter that might otherwise overwhelm the space. Choose open shelving on pale walls to open up the space and allow you to display small pieces of artwork. A modified range hood that isn't low over the stove opens up wall space and lightens the room.
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Even a tiny kitchenette can be stylish. By sticking to small, portable appliances and simple shapes, you give the space is clean look. Incorporating open shelving on one cabinet and contrasting stainless steel on another, you keep things interesting. When there's a window in a small kitchen, skip upper level shelving and take advantage of the window ledge instead. Using a colorful rug with a generously sized pattern as the focal point makes the overall impression cheerful rather than cramped.
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In a small kitchen, you have to be selective. By choosing those pieces you use most often and keeping them on stacked, floating shelves, you combine a beautiful display with practicality. Choose your favorite wine glasses, the teapot you use every morning, and the spices you usually reach for, then arrange them artfully on the wall. In this kitchen, the shelves use the space usually reserved for a window. Green demitasse cups and an assortment of tiny plants add pops of color. If you're using floating shelves or glass-front cabinets, put your spices into decorative jars for a curated look.
You can use any color cabinet in a small kitchen, but this muted blue is ideal for keeping things light, particularly combined with upper cabinets in white. Create unity by using bold hardware in rich gold that's also used on the pendant light. In a galley kitchen, a bold rug with warm, contrasting colors adds dimension without clutter and highlights a beautiful wall feature like this dark wood pantry.
When your kitchen decor includes warm woods with light countertops and walls, you need something to tie it all together. Accenting with touches of black, such as planters and hardware, give traditional wood cabinets a bit of flair. Use a boldly patterned rug to bring the black, white, and wood tones together for a cohesive look that's long on style.
Maximize your small kitchen space by scaling down your oven or stacking two smaller ones to take up less counter space. You can stick with white and stainless steel for with just touches of color for a simple, timeless look. A small rug can visually stretch the space with strong horizontal lines. If you need additional space for tea towels and potholders, install a sleek towel bar on an unused wall.
Even though rustic design is very focused on natural elements, that doesn't mean you're limited to a neutral color palette. Use those dark woods to harken back to nature, but don't be afraid to use other colors like these blues in your rustic design. If you feel like that doesn't call back to rustic style enough, look at your hardware; using metals like brushed bronze and copper is another key component of rustic design, and adding them to your kitchen is a subtle way to add a more rustic feel.
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When decorating a small kitchen, don't work too hard to create a focal point if there isn't one. Every element of this room is simple and balanced. The white cabinets and wood accents create a graceful, understated space that's timeless. A soft, muted abstract rug can bring everything together without being too busy. Decorative elements are limited and in the same restful color palette.
If you think you can't put an island in a small kitchen, think again! Strategic placement of a small kitchen island can yield much-needed counter space and define the room's parameters. Here, the breakfast bar on one side adds both a prep and dining area. A traditional rug in creamy shades invites guests into the kitchen and unifies the island with the rest of the kitchen.
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While the wood cabinetry may be the star of this traditional kitchen, it's not the only thing that creates the rustic tone. There are natural materials all around this kitchen: the cabinets, the marble backsplash, mixed wood furniture, and wood floors are the big ones. However, this look wouldn't be complete without the iron features in the handles, pulls, and light fixtures. To tie together the rustic look in your kitchen, add in more natural elements than just wood: think of your backsplash, for one thing. If you go with simple wood and countertops, you can let your backsplash shine by having a marble texture. Then tie it all together with those iron features to make the space feel traditionally rustic.
When the entire kitchen is white from floor to ceiling, use a bold rug to ground the room and create a focal point. This graphic rug in gold and cream is the core of this room. The radiating pattern pushes back the walls to enlarge the space. Use honey toned butcher block counters and a rolling cart to echo the rug and break up the white surfaces. Tuck a tall plant in an corner to add freshness.
You can make even the smallest kitchen seem expansive if you use contrast to add depth. This kitchen has layers of contrast. Sleek, modern cabinets unbroken by any hardware play off the rough texture of an aged plank ceiling. Choose an area like the breakfast bar to add a dark color to break up the sameness and define the seating. As a final touch, toss down a rug that pulls colors from the paint and wood, creating color balance.
Choose a rustic esthetic for your small kitchen. This room looks spacious because the individual elements are on a simple, petite scale. Use open, wood shelving instead of cabinets with doors to push the walls back. Choose a rustic table mixed with cane chairs for a relaxed atmosphere. When your small space has high ceilings, highlight them with beams, drawing the eye upward. A tonal rug with a subtle print can define the dining area without boxing things in.
In a long, narrow kitchen, you can visually broaden the space with glass-fronted upper cabinets. The addition of small, floating shelves will give you the chance to add decorative elements and small plants without cluttering valuable counter space. Use dramatic, oversized pendant lights to pull the focus away from the narrow space and toward the island and the room beyond.
Galley kitchens can be challenging, but if you work with instead of against the length of the room, the results can be striking. Choose an elaborately detailed runner rug as the starting point, then opt for restrained cabinets. Find creative ways to use the room effectively, such as the wonderful bench seat here. Choose upholstery in a dark, earthy hue like this green, then repeat it throughout the room with pottery and plants. Landscape paintings can create depth and connect your kitchen to an adjoining living room.
Invest in spectacular light fixtures as the focal point of a small kitchen. Placed over the breakfast bar/island, these stylish chandeliers define the kitchen area and contrast with the dining room light fixture. Create additional counter space and a charming breakfast area with an island of richly grained wood. Add warmth with a rug in toasty shades touched with peach and coral.
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