Tiny kitchen tips and inspo

[WhoIsnt]

We live in a flat with a miniature kitchen - really tiny (the ones that are often advertised as 'small' in Ikea etc are twice the size of ours).

Do you have a little kitchen that's done up/works well for you? I need some inspiration...

Also, any info about costs of renovation for a small kitchen would be super useful. Trying to budget!

When I had a tiny kitchen (two people couldn't actually stand in it!) I made as much use of the walls as I could (high level shelves) and then simply changed the doors and tiles. It was a long time ago now, but it's really easy to spruce up. I went for light colours and just kept it as tidy as possible at all times. A small kitchen at least means less housework!

You can get Drawers which fit into the kickboards under the units..

Be ruthless with what needs to live on the kitchen. If an item isn't in daily use can it be kept elsewhere? I'm a big fan of islands on wheels that can tuck out of the way when not in use, can act as extra counter space when needed for chopping or serving, and have storage underneath. Also a big fan of floor to ceiling cabinets that store a huge amount of stuff and the middle shelf can also be a work surface if needed.
Buy a huge chopping board that will sit over the sink. Makes chopping and washing veg dead easy.

Don't skimp on the size of the sink if you can help it. Washing up in a tiny sink is horrible, especially if it's very deep. Good drainage board space also important.

Induction hob will mean you can use the surface for other things when you're not cooking.

I've always had fairly small kitchens which suits me really. My current kitchen is going to be, when it's remodelled a "jewel" kitchen. Really tall cabinets up to the ceiling hopefully, a small sink and a tall larder. With nothing in the counters. Might that work for you?

Pinterest is full of incredible ideas

How many units? 4, 8?...

Working triangle is important.

Remove absolutely everything out of the kitchen that isn't constantly used. Think keeping plates and cutlery near the dining table in a basket or inside closed storage, cans and dry goods in the dining room/living room in a closed bookcase e.g. Billy with doors on bottom half.

I'd consider selling, rather than units where you can. That way you don't need to allow for doors to open.

Floor to ceiling storage. Drawers.are better than cupboards, they use the space more efficiently.

Clear your clutter, put things like nice glasses/crockery on shelves in a dining space.

Do you have a floor plan so we can see?

We had a little corner, 2x2m at the absolute most and the back door on one wall and then straight through to lounge on the other, plus a sloped ceiling. Amd a large window! So small compared to an IKEA tiny kitchen I remember thinking that too. I used the understairs cupboard as a pantry. Can the washing machine go elsewhere? Baking stuff in a self contained box kept on top of the wall cupboards. Welsh dresser. Still cooked Xmas Dinner for 18 one year! And baked 3 puddings for 60 plus people another.

And a pan rack, 60x50 kitchen trolley and mugs on the wall.

Thanks so much for all those great suggestions - definitely like the idea of an induction hob. It’s totally separate from living room where we eat (down a corridor and up stairs) so might be a faff to store tins etc elsewhere… but plates is an option!

someone mentioned a working triangle - what does that mean please?

diagram was requested - sorry for the terrible quality but here… there are cupboards above sink and hob bit, the whole way round apart from where the extractor fan is.

up for a rearrange but obviously moving water sources etc is expensive! Would love love love a dishwasher if it can be squeezed in…

Is there one door only to kitchen?

If so and you’re happy to move cabinets, I would definitely move everything so the line goes straight down left wall next to boiler and then L shape at the bottom. Will
make it feel more open and longer worktop

Get bins built into drawer unit under sink. We have a full 4 bin recycling under normal 60cm wide sink unit

How big is your living room dining space?

Working triangle is the triangle between sink, hob/oven and fridge.
I can’t see a fridge on your diagram , OP.
What’s on the boiler wall - base units, wall units?
My suggestion is to place the washing machine elsewhere if possible.

In Italy they have a cupboard above the sink with the bottom as an open rack so washed plates go straight in to dry. If I ever get a new kitchen I’m getting this!

Do you really need a full size oven? I haven’t had one for forty years, we have a Panasonic combi microwave, which does roasts( quicker and more succulent on combi) cake and pastry baking as a fan oven. I’ve cooked for six at Christmas using it,,plus a four burner hob. It sits under the worksurface in an open unit.

If you can relocate the washing machine, have a four or five drawer base unit for cutlery, utensils, tea towels, mugs and glasses - the latter two often waste space in a cupboard. In fact, I intend to have far more drawers than cupboards in future.
Have a magnetic knife rack on the wall.
Like the above poster, I’d ditch a full-size oven.
There was an excellent thread a few months ago about repurposing items which might be of benefit to you. Could a sieve also work as a colander, the point of a potato peeler be used to hull strawberries? That kind of thing.

We are in a back to back house and only one person can stand in the kitchen at once.

We have a mini dishwasher that takes up half the space and keep the fridge in the cellar.

We also hang stuff off the walls as we don't have much cupboard space.

here I've turned the L shape around to give more space. Sink (S) has a small drainer and a 40cm wide dishwasher beside it. Induction hob on the main worksurface with a small combi oven under which means you've still got space for an extra drawer.

washing machine under the boiler if you can, or even better can you shift it to the bathroom or under the stairs?

Is there a door on the wall between the hob and the boiler as having a door and a window on the opposite wall suggests that’s an external wall. Can you provide a more detailed diagram, indicating what’s on the hob to boiler wall and on the hob to door wall?
Consider collapsible kitchen accessories - I’ve seen funnels, colanders, washing up bowls. There might be something in the range which helps you.

What’s the section where boiler currently is? Is that currently more worktop?

Hit the kitchen showrooms and look at all the clever storage they have. It’ll give you loads of ideas.

Someone I know has a small kitchen, and they have a piece of worktop (theirs is wooden so it just looks like a cutting board) propped up behind the sink, and when the sink is not in use it slots over the top for extra prep space.

Sorry for my delay in coming back to this thread! Yes only one door to the kitchen - I should have said, added complication is that the window is directly opposite the sink / washing machine, and starts from about knee height! Low radiator there below the window!

Living room / dining is quite big - doubles as living room and office

One of those roll up racks for across the sink, it creates a draining rack over the sink, get the cutlery holder that stacks at an angle and takes up less drawer space. Can you hang a pot rack from the ceiling? Kickboard drawers are a must. pull down shelf mechanism inside upper cupboards. Sounds really cool.