Tell me the best things about your small kitchen

[BangingOn]

If you have a small kitchen and/or an awkward shaped room, what clever features does your kitchen have to make the most of the space? I’m compiling a list of things to try and incorporate into our design, like pull out drawers instead of cupboards for the base units and plinth drawers to make the most of unused space.

What from your small kitchen design would you recommend? Or anything you wouldn’t do again?

We had a corner press with a hinged door that opened back nearly flat. I know you can get pull outs and carousels but in a small kitchen I preferred having every inch of space. I did have to kneel to get to the bottom shelf but I used baskets which helps.

You can get corner drawers and I think I’d go for that if I had a small kitchen again.

I used under the sink for bins which meant I ended up with cleaning supplies on my window sill but I preferred that to a floor bin.

In some cupboards I moved the shelves and installed an extra one to take advantage of dead space.

Baskets on top and bottom shelves are helpful if drawers aren’t an option.

I think having less counter space forces you to be tidy and a bit more ruthless (I should speak for myself really)

I have a large open plan kitchen but had to compromise on no laundry room. So I converted the under the stairs cupboard.

Got IKEA hanging frames £5 each and drilled them to the underside of the stairs, added a dehumidifier and hanging unit got dyson / iron etc. Saves so much space and stops the ugly appearance of laundry drying

Also ensure you have work surfaces that can take heat etc - not wood

Previous kitchen was small (2x6m) and impossible to have more than one person moving around it, preparing and cooking food. The corner cupboards were an absolute pain to access (arms couldn't reach to the far extremes). Luckily we had a separate utility room to house laundry, hoover, iron, ironing board, bits and pieces only used occasionally. Best thing we found was an under sink pullout bin on runners, I blessed that bin daily! I just checked and they don't seem to do it anymore (Ikea).
If I were to improve on what we had, I would make sure the units were floor to ceiling so that all space was utilised (and you don't have to clean the tops of cupboards!). I would also think about choosing narrower work surfaces, at least on one side to give me floor space for manouvere.