Do you live in a micro-apartment and have constraints with cooking space? Or are you experiencing difficulty setting up a food preparation area? Fret not! Here are five ways in which to attain both form and function even in the narrowest of kitchens.
- Cut the clutter
More often than not, kitchen clutter stems from an excessive collection of electrical appliances and cooking accessories. Be it that spanking-new coffee machine or an assorted host of pots and pans, precious kitchen space can be easily gobbled up by a glut of cookware. Consequently, the first step to creating more elbow room is to cut the clutter. This involves getting rid of any tableware that is used infrequently. The ornamental teapot which nobody makes tea with? Or that dented frying pan? Throw them out.
Image credit: IKEA
- Keep it light and bright
Apart from getting rid of extraneous cutlery, another way to reduce visual clutter in a kitchen would be to opt for a more simple appearance. In addition, make use of both natural and overhead lighting to create a brighter and (seemingly) more spacious environment. Having a heavy focus on white, glossy surfaces and fittings also helps in opening up the cramped look of a small kitchen.
Image credit: IKEA
- Go over and under
Already tried clearing out unwanted utensils and kitchenware, but find yourself staring down a hodgepodge of extras? The solution: make use of the surrounding space. Be it the surrounding walls, ceiling or the ground, maximise your kitchen storage by installing additional fixtures which can help augment existing shelves or cupboards.Possible options include wall hooks, ceiling-mounted utensil racks and magnetic knife holders. Given sufficient clearance space from the kitchen ceiling, even the top of low-hanging cabinets can be used for storage purposes. Likewise, movable trolley racks can serve as extra space to deposit accessories and smaller utensils, while allowing kitchen owners to fully utilise the gaps between permanent fixtures.
Image credit: Kitchen Lifestyle
- Make versatility a priority
Making prudent choices when selecting utensils and appliances also help in preventing a kitchen from falling into disarray. Multipurpose cutlery such as a combined cutting board-and-tray set can help reduce the number of specialised equipment fighting for limited kitchen space.
Image credit: IKEA
- Create sufficient countertop space
While installing a counter or island in a small kitchen might seem counterintuitive, these structures are more likely to help conserve space as opposed to putting a strain on a small cooking zone. Consequently, this can be attributed to the convenience offered by counters and islands. For instance, most counters can double as a food preparation area as well as a bar table, thus eliminating the need for separate pieces of furniture.This space-saving effect is compounded in the case of customised counters or islands, which meld multiple kitchen fixtures into one. For instance, they can incorporate bookshelves, sinks and a dining table into a compact structure for easy accessibility.
Image credit: IKEA
This was adapted from an article originally written by Stanley Lim published in Key To Your Home 2018
