70 Small Kitchen Ideas That Make a Big Style Statement
Is your home cursed with a cramped cooking space? Stricken by a small scullery? Youre not alone. In fact, kitchens remain Americas top renovation priorities, according to 2024 research from Houzz. If you rent or dont have it in your budget to embark on a kitchen makeover this year (the average project cost $24,000 in 2023a 20 percent jump from the prior year, according to Houzzs data), youll invariably deal with the usual frustrations that come with a small kitchenlimited 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 spaciouseven if youre the type of person who uses the oven strictly as wardrobe overflow. Always extend your cabinets to the ceiling no matter the size of your kitchen, advises Lauren Buxbaum Gordon, a partner at ELLE DECOR A-List firm 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 swapping a drab kitchen paint color for a light-and-bright one on your cupboards, in addition to countless other hacks. So weve rounded up 70 small kitchen ideas from our archive to show you precisely how its done. Read on to see gorgeous homes that make the most of their small layouts with above-cabinet decor, bold cabinetry, double-duty accent pieces, sleek lighting solutions, and more. Now, lets get cooking!1Pint-Sized and Pink KitchenWilliam Jess LairdThese 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 project in Connecticut. He took their brief to heartespecially in the pint-sized kitchen which got an appropriately Barbie-proportioned coat of pink paint. 2Color-Blocked Retro KitchenMaura McEvoyThis mid-century Maine home 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. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Work With WallpaperChris MottaliniA jazzy wallpaper can go a long way in a small space like a powder room or closetand the same rule works for kitchens. Here, ELLE DECOR A-List firm Hendricks Churchill shows us how it's done in an unexpected Manhattan apartment. (P.s. can you spot the gold range hood?) 4Think UpBen PentreathIf your kitchen is small but you happen to have tall ceilings, select tall shelves and cabinets to draw the eye upward. In a Viennese home designed by Ben Pentreath, the cabinets are painted in Farrow & Ball's deep Green Smoke to add additional emphasis. Andif you can squeeze it inyou can always add a meat slicer, like these Austrian clients did, at left. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5Install Eye-Catching LightingMax BurkhalterThere wasnt a single surface I didnt touch, interior designer Georgia Tapert Howe says of this once blank-box apartment she designed in Manhattan. Here in the kitchen, she gave the cabinets a wash of taupe paint (Farrow & Balls Elephants Breath) and installed dramatic pendant lights from Stahl and Band above the island. 6Design an Artful BacksplashGiulio GhirardiEvery square inch in a small kitchen counts, including areas you might forget about, like the backsplash. Here in a Paris apartment, designer Pierre Yovanovitch paired key-lime cabinets with a backsplash covered in darling hand-painted tiles by artist Matthieu Cosse.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7Try a Surprising MaterialDaniel SchferYou'd never guess, but this eye-catching small kitchen used to be this Lisbon home's 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.8Go MonochromeAdrian GautKitchens have been trending hyper colorful these past few years, but how is this look for a palate cleanser? In this Miami kitchen designed by Martin Brl, calming creams and clean lines rule the roost. The cabinets are by Boffi while the tiles that clad the backsplash andyesceiling are custom-painted by Matthieu Cosse. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9Bring in Hits of VibrancyKelly MarshallWhen 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. 10Make It DisappearDavid MitchellYour kitchen may be tiny enough to view only with the aid of a microscope, a fact you can choose to ignoreor embrace by hiding it entirely. In this kitchen, designer Omar Aqeel 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. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Skirt Your SinkRoger DaviesThis small kitchen can be found in ELLE DECOR A-List designers Eric Hughes and Nathan Turners ranch-inspired home in Ojai, California, but theres 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, theyve 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. 12Swap Your Cabinets for ShelvesRichard PowersAs 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 youre dealing with a small room. We love how designer Timothy Brown ditched heavy cupboards in favor of industrial stainless-steel shelving in his New York City apartment. 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. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13Dont Forget About Your DoorsMatthew WilliamsThis kitchen is as modern as it gets. But the designers at StudioDB wanted to add a fashionable edge too. In fact, this small New York kitchen was inspired by the color palette ofwait for itPrada 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! 14Hang a Cool Pendant Tim LenzAt first blush, this kitchen designed by ELLE DECOR A-List firm Pappas Miron might look like your standard-issue white kitchen. But its 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. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Bring in a PlantMaureen M. EvansIf youre sick of the all-white kitchen but still want the lightness and space-creating magic the look affords, take a page from designer Mark Grattans book: In his Mexico City apartment he specified all-white cabinets and tiles but refreshed the look with pops of gold and terra-cotta in the travertine countertops, golden rug, and earthy plant stand. And, if your space and light levels allow, why not include a tree? 16Paint It All Black Francesco DolfoThe black kitchen is the sexy antithesis to the ubiquitous all-white one. And here, in his Milan apartment, hospitality designer Eric Egan brought all the drama. Not only are the countertops made from an unusually textured Porphyry stone, but the back wall is entirely mirrored, making these pint-sized space feel positively cavernous. As for inky cabinets? Theyre from Ikea! Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17All-Day Diner David LandWhen the architecture firm Method Design and interior designer Nina Barneih-Blair teamed up on the design of this 490-square-foot Manhattan apartment, they needed to make the most out of every square inch. The solution? A kitchen island that serves multiple purposes over the course of the dayfrom ad hoc office to dinner party venue. An all-white palette of glossy cabinets and surfaces helps flaunt the flats greatest asset: natural light. 18Inky Black Backsplash Simon UptonWhen youre working with a 16th-century townhouse, like French designer Eric Allart did, you have to embrace the period quirks. This kitchen came complete with terra-cotta tiles. Rather than rip them out, Allart kept them in place and designed a quirky kitchen in unexpected hues to complement them. Here, an inky tile backsplash refracts sunlight, and a Pepto-pink shade on the walls and ceilings works to move the eye upward. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Zippy-Colored CabinetsAnnie SchlechterThis space, in a Beverly Hills house designed by Gary McBournie, might be a mere butlers pantry, but it offers plenty of inspiration for small kitchens. If its within your budget, opt for cabinets that offer a bit of Hollywood Regency glamour, like these ones here. If not, paint your existing ones in a vacation-ready hue like a bright key lime. The sunburst light fixture reminds us that its always happy hour somewhere! 20Towering Cabinets and White PaintKelly MarshallThe client of this Manhattan apartment doesnt use her small galley-style kitchen that often, but that didnt keep designer Lauren Buxbaum Gordon from making it a showpiece. Her signature move? To extend the cabinetry all the way up to the soaring period ceilings. Light countertops and a glossy white paint job let sunshine into the room, but its the gleaming gold hardware and accents that really make this small kitchen a winner.Anna FixsenDeputy Digital EditorAnna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of ELLEDECOR.com. 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.
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