Kitchen lessons - specifically for small kitchens!

[WhereToPutTheLaundry]

I would like to redo my kitchen this year, and I've read a few of the threads of lessons learned/things loved etc and I keep thinking 'lovely but I don't have space' as I'm reading them.

My kitchen is 3.8x2.4m. I am intending to have two straight runs opposite each other with nothing at the far end so no corner cupboards. I have a full height fridge which must go in one corner but the placement of windows/doors/boiler mean I can't get in any more full height units without making it feel oppressive.

So - does anyone have any small-kitchen tips, tricks, loves, lessons they'd care to share?

We did away with a radiator and had a hydronic under plinth heater installed instead. It comes on and off with the central heating and allowed me to run cabinets right up to the wall.

Go for extra tall wall cupboards. You will gain extra storage in all your wall cupboards.

Don't bother with wine racks unless you are an officianado of wine. They just end up a waste of storage space that could be used for something else.

Get floor cupboards with full height backs. It will save the woes of items falling behind your cupboards.

Floor to ceiling cupboards where you can spare the worktop space, and lower cabinets as deep pan drawers rather than cupboards

We had a narrow pull out larder cupboard (or called something like that) and I was amazed at how useful it was. Oils, salt and pepper grinders, all those things that hog up a wall cupboard that you can never find the right one were suddenly accessible. We only got it because we were maximising the amount of cupboards that we could fit but it was brilliant. Drawers generally over cupboards. Under plinth drawers.

Also think about what you don't mind having out. My most used pan is a big cast iron thing, and an unforeseen side benefit of it is that because of how it looks I'm happy to have it constantly on the hob rather than trying to find storage space for it.

You can get more in a set of drawers than a basic floor unit. Pull-out wire-rack shelves work well in a floor unit for food and actually give you more space and make it easier to see what you've got. Be ruthless with contents of cupboards and have a clear out now of what you've got - can you store larger things elsewhere (hall cupboard, top of wardrobe?)? My main advice - be ruthless!

Following as our kitchen is 3.5m x 3.5m and we are hoping to redo later this year. We also have a long thin afterthought of a utility that comes off at right angle and holds more than the kitchen so will be working out how to make the most of the space overall. Table is in the kitchen and it's quite cramped

Lots of good stuff here - thanks!

Good planning is key, mine is tiny, dishwasher included, only way

We have a very awkwardly shaped, narrow small kitchen (3.9m long, 2.3m at its widest and 1.7m at its narrowest). It also has two big windows and two internal doorways just to add to the complications. I designed our kitchen because when we went to Wren they said it was impossible to design a kitchen for a space like ours!

I really recommend designing it yourself and making a list of the stuff you own, and the way you like to cook, then matching that to the options available. I used the DIY kitchens planner but we ended up ordering from Howdens for a quick delivery.

We have an L shaped run with two tall units in the middle as they couldn’t go anywhere else. We used reduced depth base units (they’re actually wall units) on the wider section so it wouldn’t feel too tight but we could have two sides of units. It includes a washing machine, two ovens, a slimline dishwasher and a full size fridge freezer.

Some of the bits I really love are:

• pull out worktop by the oven so there’s more counter space if needed
• retrofitted brabantia sort and go bins so they’re stored away but I can fit laundry products at the back
• top box unit over one of our internal doors
• fridge in the under stairs cupboard (it opens into the kitchen)
• pull out shallow wire basket above the pots for lids
• a combination oven so we don’t need a microwave on the side

We’re in the process of putting in open shelves to give us wall storage without it feeling oppressive and retrofitting a corner pull out unit (we couldn’t afford this initially). It’s been quite labour intensive but we love to cook and we haven’t had to sacrifice anything we wanted!

Also, it’s worth thinking carefully about what you bring in to your kitchen. We have a multi cooker instead of a separate air fryer and slow cooker, stackable pans, a coffee machine with a hot water tap instead of a kettle out, etc. Every inch counts in our kitchen 😂

List out items you use and need to store on separate bits of paper and work out which cupboard they'd be stored in. Try to keep all the relevant stuff together - mugs, teabags near kettle etc - so when two people are in the kitchen, they don't need to be moving around it to grab stuff.

Use really tall wall cupboards for extra storage at the top for less frequently used items. Or do an ikea version and have wall cupboards running up to the ceiling (and buy a slim stepladder to store somewhere near!)

Edited with a link for example. I wouldn't go up to ceiling on both sides, would think that's too oppressive

https://clairemorandesigns.co.uk/lifestyle/how-we-designed-and-hacked-our-ikea-kitchen-and-what-it-cost/

You can get drawers which go in the plinths for things like baking trays

We put cupboards on top of our tall ones to reach the ceiling (victorian), did away with wall cupboards to make kitchen feel bigger. Drawers as the bottom units meant we have more useable space.

Our fridge and boiler are in cupboards, so we could hide the recycling below the boiler and put units on top.

Wine glasses and vases are kept on shelves in dining space.

Got rid of allllll extra clutter and zoned everything as much as possible.

Ours is a similar size. We have one very tall cupboard with the oven and microwave stacked.
I recommend smooth handleless cupboards in a light colour.
If it’s well designed the space doesn’t matter. Local kitchen company did ours and the design was great.
I quite like having a small kitchen because no one else can fit in when I’m cooking! it can be a drag when several of us need to be in there eg in the morning getting drinks/lunches/breakfast etc sorted.
think about storage in other areas eg cutlery in dining room if applicable , etc.

my kitchen is reasonably small so I did a bit of a declutter. However, I still have quite a lot of crockery that I don’t need to use on a daily basis but don’t want to get rid off, so I keep it in a cabinet in the living/dining area.

i try to have very little on my worktops - just toaster, kettle and coffee machine.

Stand in your space and pretend to open your doors and put away shopping or plates once you have a rough plan.

The difference between a double opening space you can stand in and and awkward end you have to squeeze into is very noticeable.

Try to avoid narrow cupboards unless the big pull out ladder kind. Wren tried to put in four 20cm cupboards which was daft (although mine is a U shape so trickier).

If you can't have a stacked type oven with in built microwave, consider where it will go. I have one built into a wall cupboard which still has a smaller cupboard above to tie in with height of other top cupboards as I really didn't want it on counter. I also went for an extractor that pulls out from a cupboard. There's only a small space either side of the flue but I have little tubs with the oil, gravy etc in - the type of thing that are a pain elsewhere because they require a bit of height.

Order a few extra shelves so you can have something just the right height for mugs or glasses and get in three shelves rather than one or two.

Don't forget cutlery drawers. My friend did this in a small kitchen!

I went for DIY because they do such a good range of cabinet sizes their 450mm helped avoid the narrow filler options elsewhere (though I do like the chopping board ones). I liked IKEA but the 20/40/80 just didn't suit my space.

Drawers drawers drawers. Even under the sink, you can get special internal drawers with a cut out for the plumbing.

In your kitchen I would have wall units on one side and shelves and wall lights on the other. Hide the extractor within a cupboard for a smooth upper run.

Consider handleless to save space and avoid something to catch clothes on.

Combi micro oven and full size oven. Stacked if you possibly can - could you fit in just one more tall unit?

Build in the fridge so there’s a cupboard above it - this can be good for storing baking trays, chopping boards and other large but slim things, using a rack like this or fancier version here

Yes to deep drawers in the base units.

I had tall wall cupboards put in (designed in a hurry) and they make the space oppressive. I might take one down and put in open shelves for my herbs and spices instead of constantly having to open two tall wall cupboard doors.

Try and resite the washing machine somewhere else in the house (upstairs maybe).

Deep drawers instead of base cupboards v useful! wall cupboards extra tall if you can. pull out bin in a cupboard (or under the sink). Ikea metal grid hanging storage on unusable walls (maybe a narrow bit on one side of the door?)

love pp suggestion of a pull out worktop, wish we;d done that!

We redid our kitchen last year and it's similar dimensions. We went from having two runs of worktops opposite each other to an L shape. The new kitchen feels far more spacious as you aren't hemmed in and other people can fit in there with you without it feeling like you are standing in a line.

Space saving tips, we put cupboards up as high as we could go, plus replaced the former huge Belfast sink with something less space occupying and nicer. Managed to also squeeze in a smaller french style fridge freezer and this has been a brilliant addition as it replaced two separate fridge/freezer units that were low down and under the work top. Also fitted in a spice rack that pulls out and a slimline dishwasher so winning on every front. Very pleased with it and there's nothing I would change. Every day I am delighted that we replaced the old kitchen!!!

P.s. and cupboards/drawers that are reduced depth depending on space and a drawer for saucepans!

Thanks so much for all the input - so useful! I intend to have wall units only on the side which also has the full height fridge, and a wall cupboard above the fridge.
On the opposite side I will have the hob and an extractor, and some wall lights but no upper storage. That wall has a window into the side passage, which isn't bright but is a significant additional light source since the sun shines down the passage in late afternoon. Currently there are wall cupboard on that side and they really diminish the light. I also hate having cabinets on the wall either side of the hob because grease collects there, and I also don't want toaster and air fryer under wall units because they currently are and they have ruined the units and the wall behind.

I really want to go for ikea carcasses and custom doors but the 20/40/60/80 limitation is frustrating.

I'm currently obsessing over the planner tool, and wrangling with placement of hob/sink/dishwasher so that they don't interfere with each other.

I keep ending up with sink and hob directly opposite, or oven and dishwasher opposite. I'm wondering if I should put sink and hob along one wall (3.8m wall) and keep the other side just a plain prep space worktop with wall units above it.

Sink and hob should always be in a straight line, or it is very dangerous moving pans of hot water/ other things around. Also, a hob should never be at the end of a unit run, where pans are more easily knocked off.

Thank you - that is helpful. The way my kitchen is means there are no ends that don't butt up to a wall or tall cupboard, but I hadn't considered potential safety issues of having sink and hob on opposite runs.

We have these and they’re really useful! We keep tea towels, cling film, etc in them - they blend in so well you forget they’re there.

Also not all kitchen brands make their units with the same depth. There was a 4 or 5cm difference between Wren and Howdens, if we’d gone for deeper units we wouldn’t have had the clearance for a corner unit, sink and dishwasher in our narrow bit.

I have an ikea kitchen, I love the inside drawers for spices/trays etc. We decided to add top cupboards as an addition, they literally sent them with a courier, so no waiting for them.
We got appliances from ao, and sourced handles/sink elsewhere so it adds character. It's worth visiting the show rooms to see all the space saving ideas.