65 Small Kitchen Ideas to Do More With Less
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Is your home cursed with a cramped cooking space? Stricken by a small scullery? You’re not alone. If you rent or don’t have it in your budget to embark on a kitchen makeover this year, you’ll invariably deal with the usual frustrations that come with a small kitchen—limited counter space, a postage stamp-sized oven, and scant storage.
Still, designers have a few tricks up their sleeves to make a small kitchen look and feel more spacious—even if you’re the type of person who strictly as wardrobe overflow. “Always extend your cabinets to the ceiling no matter the size of your kitchen,” advises , a partner at Nate Berkus Associates. “It will make your ceilings feel higher and your kitchen bigger.” The little things (ironically!) count, too, per the designer: “Invest in details that will add up visually and feel impactful. Whether beveling or adding a brass band to the face of the countertop or bringing in vintage hardware, use these little details to make your personal imprint.”
Other more budget-friendly hacks include a drab for a light-and-bright one on your cupboards, in addition to countless other suggestions. We’ve rounded up 65 small kitchen ideas from our archive to show you precisely how it’s done. Read on to see gorgeous homes that make the most of their small layouts with , , , , and more.
1
Milan Kitchen
Galileo Rocca
For the couple wanted a long-lasting tribute to Milan’s spirit, their love of design, and the people who inspire them daily. The kitchen was designed by Haug and fabricated by Diego Colombo. The table is Muller van Severn for HAY, the bowl (on table) is by Maria Jengilaska, and the light is Michael Anasstasiades for FLO.
2
Color-Drenched Kitchen
Kort Havens
In this small designed by Oliver Furth, the kitchen is color-drenched in a mint green. "That color is the envelope—that's what I call it," says Furth. "We kept it very tight by lacquering the floors, the walls, and the ceiling in that color. Even the cabinetry and the appliances are in that mint. It allows us to have this object-driven interior space by unifying everything with color."
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Meal-Free Kitchen
Matthieu Salvaing
No need for a giant kitchen if you're not a home chef. In , most meals are spent enjoying the restaurants Paris has to offer, she says.
4
Neutral Art Deco Kitchen
David Mitchell
Boston-based designer Nina Farmer crafted overlooking Central Park into a modern Art Deco gem, where neutral hues dominate the kitchen. “Everything had to fit the scale of the apartment,” Farmer says. “Even though the design is elaborate, there’s a simplicity to it as well—we wanted to meet in that sweet spot.”
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Tiny Breakfast Nook
Austin Leis
A sofa in the kitchen? Why not! In this , renovated by designer Emily Thurman, a Milo Baughman settee, 1960s chairs by Eleish Van Breems, and a Noir Furniture stone table create a breakfast nook.
6
Poolhouse Kitchen
Kelly Marshall
In designed by ELLE Decor A-Lister Joy Moyler, an outdoor kitchen in the poolhouse overlooks the tennis courts. The fixtures are by Moen; the counter in bluestone; and the countertop pizza oven is by Ooni.
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Pint-Sized and Pink Kitchen
William Jess Laird
“These clients wanted to have a lot of color, like what you would see in an English country house,” designer Clive Lonstein tells us of this recent . He took their brief to heart—especially in the pint-sized kitchen which got an appropriately Barbie-proportioned coat of pink paint.
8
Color-Blocked Retro Kitchen
Maura McEvoy
This had its original '60s-era kitchen. Designer Angie Hranowsky opted to keep it, but refresh its retro charm with a fresh lick of paint, carefully color-matched to the originals. Even if your kitchen cabinets are new, you can take inspiration from this quirky, color-blocked look.
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Work With Wallpaper
Chris Mottalini
A jazzy wallpaper can go a long way in a small space like a powder room or closet—and the same rule works for kitchens. Here, ELLE DECOR A-List firm Hendricks Churchill shows us how it's done in an . (P.s. can you spot the gold range hood?)
10
Think Up
Ben Pentreath
If your kitchen is small but you happen to have tall ceilings, select tall shelves and cabinets to draw the eye upward. In a , the cabinets are painted in Farrow & Ball's deep Green Smoke to add additional emphasis. And—if you can squeeze it in—you can always add a meat slicer, like these Austrian clients did, at left.
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Install Eye-Catching Lighting
Max Burkhalter
“There wasn’t a single surface I didn’t touch,” interior designer Georgia Tapert Howe says of this Here in the kitchen, she gave the cabinets a wash of taupe paint (Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath) and installed dramatic pendant lights from Stahl and Band above the island.
12
Design an Artful Backsplash
Giulio Ghirardi
Every square inch in a small kitchen counts, including areas you might forget about, like the backsplash. Here in a designer Pierre Yovanovitch paired key-lime cabinets with a backsplash covered in darling hand-painted tiles by artist Matthieu Cossé.
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Try a Surprising Material
Daniel Schäfer
You'd never guess, but this eye-catching small kitchen used to be this primary bathroom. Instead of ripping out the unusual blue marble, homeowner Elan Yifrach decided to keep it. The view of gardens outside is "a really nice backdrop to washing dishes,” he says.
14
Go Monochrome
Adrian Gaut
Kitchens have been trending hyper colorful these past few years, but how is this look for a palate cleanser? In this , calming creams and clean lines rule the roost. The cabinets are by Boffi while the tiles that clad the backsplash and—yes—ceiling are custom-painted by Matthieu Cossé.
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Bring in Hits of Vibrancy
Kelly Marshall
When designer Rayman Boozer designs a home, he wants it to feel like, "Oh wow, a nice person lives here," he told us. "Or at least that a nice person decorated.” We get precisely that feeling from this happy Harlem kitchen, which features hits of jewel tones via the green cabinets, red curtains, striped chairs, and plate-printed trompe l'oeil wallpaper.
16
Make It Disappear
David Mitchell
Your kitchen may be tiny enough to view only with the aid of a microscope, a fact you can choose to ignore—or embrace by hiding it entirely. In selected brushed stainless steel cabinets by Reform that practically melt from view. “I was trying to un-kitchen it as much as possible,” he says.
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Skirt Your Sink
Roger Davies
This small kitchen can be found in ELLE DECOR A-List designers Eric Hughes and Nathan Turner’s in Ojai, California, but there’s plenty of lessons to be learned here for indoor kitchens too. In lieu of a stainless steel faucet, for instance, they installed a rustic brass version. Instead of cupboards, they’ve hung their pots and pans on a rail. But our favorite detail is the charming skirt that conceals under-sink plumbing and other sundries. Simply ditch your hinges and doors, and pop on a cute curtain of your own.
18
Swap Your Cabinets for Shelves
Richard Powers
As much as we may love the way kitchen cabinets can elevate a cooking space, they can also take up a lot of visual real estate, especially if you’re dealing with a small room. We love how designer Timothy Brown ditched heavy cupboards in favor of industrial stainless-steel shelving in his . Not only does it provide a space for clip-on lights to illuminate chopping (or in this case, floral arranging!) it also allows him to flaunt his collection of vases and display small framed artworks.
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Don’t Forget About Your Doors
Matthew Williams
This kitchen is as modern as it gets. But the designers at StudioDB wanted to add a fashionable edge too. In fact, was inspired by the color palette of—wait for it—Prada stores. But nothing says “galley kitchen” like the pair of portholes in the pink pocket door. It conveniently can hide pre dinner-party chaos or simply serve as a style statement on its own. Ahoy, matey!
20
Hang a Cool Pendant
Tim Lenz
At first blush, this kitchen designed by ELLE DECOR A-List firm might look like your standard-issue white kitchen. But it’s the pendant light, as pretty and enticing as a peppermint, that takes it to the next level. If you have ceiling space to spare, install one that will similarly steal the scene.
Deputy Digital EditorAnna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of [SITEURL]. In addition to editing articles and developing digital strategy, she writes about the world's most beautiful homes, reviews the chicest products (from the best cocktail tables to cute but practical gifts), and reports on the most exciting trends in design and architecture. Since graduating from Columbia Journalism School, she's spent the past decade as an editor at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record and has written for outlets including the New York Times, Dwell, and more.
Social Media & News Editor
Julia Cancilla is the social media & news editor at ELLE Decor, where she oversees the brand's socials and covers design, pop culture, and emerging trends. She also authors the monthly ELLE Decoroscope column. Her work has appeared in Inked magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more.
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