• By Paul Knapp
• In Kitchen & Bath

Small Kitchen Remodeling Tips & Ideas

Now with more families having both spouses at work, it makes more sense to live in the city hub to save time and pool resources. However, the downside usually means living in small apartments with cramped kitchens. At the end of a long, tiring day, we would want our kitchen to be cozy so that instead of avoiding it, we would want to be in it. But who says you can’t have a small kitchen that is cozy and functional as well, right? Even with budget and building restrictions, there are many options to transform your kitchen into that space that you’ve always dreamed about.

Have a look at these five simple, do-it-yourself (DIY) tips for remodeling your small kitchen without compromising on style or functionality:

• The right kind of lighting: 

  Instead of using stark/harsh fluorescent lighting, create an illusion of space with the proper type of lighting. Low hanging ambient lights, spotlights, lights under the cabinets and counter make the kitchen look more pleasing and homely. 

• Shelves, Shelves and More Shelves: 

  Unleash your creative side and make the most of your kitchen’s wall space by adding cabinets and shelves of all shapes and sizes.  Be bold and show off your pots and pans by hanging them up on customized utensil racks. It’s the perfect way to free up cabinet space.

  Cabinets with glass doors also tend to make a kitchen look larger, and dish racks above sink, electric appliances on wall shelves, open spice racks on door mounted shelves are a few innovative ways to free up counter space and reduce kitchen clutter.

  If you are short on pantry space, use sliding wall shelves to create a mini pantry in your kitchen.

• Use the center of your kitchen: 

  Creating an island in the center of the kitchen can provide storage that is also convenient to reach from any spot in the kitchen. Adding a center table top stove/burner is also a great way to free up wall space. Or extend a counter in an L shape to create a divider or a side counter – add a few comfortable bar stools. And, voila! You have a mini dining/snacking space too. 

• Creating illusions of a larger kitchen: 
  There are a number of ways to remodel a kitchen to look larger than it actually is. Large windows that allow light to enter, bright hanging ambient lights, kitchen themed wallpaper – these are a few examples to give that retro feel to your kitchen. Adding mirrors and reflective surfaces (steel) are a great idea to make your kitchen look sophisticated. When adding cabinets, keep the top space open, or add shelves instead of cabinets. This can trick the eye into making a kitchen look more open.

• Compact and Sleek Appliances: 
  Compact and space-saving appliances are now all the rage and make small kitchen remodeling easier, such as refrigerators that are 24 inches deep instead of 30 inches deep.