Kitchen by Indoor Outdoor Guy Renovations Inc.
Magic Corners
Magic Corners are one of the coolest kitchen features on the market today. The kitchen corner dilemma comes to play in almost every remodel and new build, except for the galley kitchen. That corner is valuable real estate in a small kitchen. A lazy susan is definitely one option, but that requires kneeling or bending down and spinning the lazy susan until you find what you’re looking for. Whereas a magic corner does all the work for you. You may not fully utilize every inch of space in that corner, but you will be able to easily access all of it with your magic corner.
Kitchen by Indoor Outdoor Guy Renovations Inc.
Cool Built-Ins
There are a great number of space saving, built in options for small kitchens on the market currently. A built-in spice rack can utilize a couple of inches of otherwise wasted space next to your refrigerator or cabinet. Plus, you will be able to see and access every single spice you have whenever you want to. The poultry seasoning is usually tucked away in the back of a cabinet along with the other rarely-used-herbs we find in most kitchens. You cannot for the life of you recall what recipe called for the use of cayenne pepper, but nevertheless, you have a jar in your cupboard. Spoiler alert – if you made squash soup or a fancy Mexican dish, cayenne pepper may have been deployed.
Built-in, slide out pantries are wonderful at using up any gaps in the kitchen. And best of all when you slide them out, you can see exactly how many boxes of crackers you have. However, if you have teenagers in the house, you likely have no crackers whatsoever. We recommend hiding crackers in boxes of bran cereal so you may once in a while snack on them yourself.
A built-in paper towel holder can save precious counter space. That space in front of your kitchen sink may be the perfect depth for a paper towel dispenser. That is certainly saving some space on your counter and it looks much cleaner, too.
Toe-kick storage cabinets are fantastic storage options for small kitchens. That space under your kitchen cabinets, just above the floor is usually viable space that is up for grabs. Toe kick drawers are perfect for tough to store items such as serving platters, cookie cooling wire racks, baking sheets and more. Now, you do not actually kick the drawer to get it to open. We want to be clear about that! You tap your foot against it, and it glides open. You don’t have to bend down and open it with your hands. This is perfect if you are drying a muffin tin and want to put it away. The muffin tin is in your hands, so you tap the toe kick drawer with your foot, place the muffin tin inside, and push it closed with your foot. Some people even use it to store their dog dishes! When it is feeding time, they tap the drawer and it opens up to reveal a doggie dining area. Close it back up when chow time is over so your kitchen is prim and proper once again.
Kitchen by Diamond At Lowes
Drawers, Drawers, Everywhere
Repeat after us: drawers are good, doors are bad. There are a few instances where doors are needed – such as if one is traveling to Narnia via a wardrobe – but the majority of stored items can be more easily accessed in drawers.
Think about the cupboards that are beneath the countertops. The items stored in those cupboards are hard to reach and likely unorganized as a result of you needing to be on your knees to reach them. Drawers simply slide out and you can see and access every single thing in them. More and more kitchens today are being designed with upper doors and lower drawers. With a smaller kitchen where every bit of space is needed, drawers are an absolute must.
Kitchen by Indoor Outdoor Guy Renovations Inc.
Rolling Island
Rolling islands are incredibly versatile. They can be tucked away under a counter top or situated at the end of a counter top to increase that counter space. They can be pulled out into the middle of the kitchen and be used as – wait for it – and island. They can also be rolled into a nearby room and be used for folding laundry, paying bills, homework and many other things.
You have the extra counter space when you need it, but not when you do not need it. The best of both worlds, and an absolute asset in a small kitchen.
Kitchen by Indoor Outdoor Guy Renovations Inc.
Lots of Lighting
A small kitchen can look larger with the right lighting. Fill your kitchen with lighting. Under the counter lighting, over the sink, pot lights in the ceiling, task lights over food preparation countertops. There are generally three different types of kitchen lighting.
- Pot Lights – These can be placed almost anywhere in the kitchen ceiling. They come in several sizes and can be dimmable, which we highly recommend. On cloudy days and in the evenings when it’s dark out you may want to have the pot lights on the brightest setting. On sunny days when simply looking out the window can blind you; you may need a little bit of light from the pot lights, but not very much.
- Under Cabinet Lights – These lights are, as the name suggests, situated under the cabinets. The counterspace against the wall, under the cabinets in a kitchen does not need to be dark and gloomy. Install a series of under cabinet lights to take full advantage of every square inch of your counter.
- Task Lights – to direct the stream of light where it is most needed. Task lighting is generally installed over sinks, islands and food preparation surfaces. Pendant lights with LED bulbs are fine choices for this type of lighting, as are track lights, powerful pot lights and other kitchen lights. The goal is to light your workspace area so you can get your task done as efficiently as possible.
Kitchen by Indoor Outdoor Guy Renovations Inc.
Kitchen Too Small? Take Out a Wall!
A very common kitchen renovation today is to remove a non-load-bearing wall in or near the kitchen. Gone are the days where families want private, formal dining rooms. Today’s couples do not want to be sequestered, alone in the kitchen while their guests dine in the next room. The walls are coming down and the kitchen is opening up to the dining area or the family room area. With that wall gone there is more space for the kitchen. There is likely now room for an island or a peninsula with bar stool seating. Many families choose this type of small kitchen renovation to help connect their family together. The kids grab breakfast at the island or peninsula while mom or dad is making coffee or tea. The kids may park themselves at the same place to work on homework in the evening. This allows them to connect with mom or dad while supper is being prepared.
Kitchen by Indoor Outdoor Guy Renovations Inc.