10 Big Kitchen Ideas for Small Kitchen Remodels & Designs

Big Design Ideas for a Small Kitchen

Small kitchens can be quite the design or remodeling challenge, but with just a few kitchen design ideas such as those that I’ve outlined below you can visually and physically open up your small-sized kitchen to make it seem larger while at the same time optimizing your kitchen layout and cabinet storage space.

1. Take down a wall to open up the kitchen to the dining room or family room.  There is no need to push the kitchen out into the adjoining room, just simply taking the wall down and putting in a peninsula of base cabinets and countertop will make the kitchen seem much larger.
2. Add some floating shelves above this peninsula where dishes, serving bowls and platters can be stored would be a good idea to make up for the wall cabinet space that is lost by taking down the wall.
3. Use of a pot rack can conserve precious storage space in large base cabinets.
4. Reduce the depth of cabinets so that they can fit in tighter spaces, like behind doors or next to windows.
5. Explore sinking cabinets into walls where it’s possible in order to get some additional storage.  Make sure that the cabinets have layered storage such as spice racks or canned storage on the backs of the doors.
6. Order extra shelves which allow for more storage since typically there is much wasted space in cabinets due to too much space between shelves.
7. Using smaller, European appliances can help, for instance, a 24″ under counter oven that has a rotisserie in it from corner to corner for cooking a large turkey will save a lot of room.
8. Any size cook top can go above this oven with a little design innovation with the cabinets.  For the hood, you can use a combination microwave and hood which doesn’t always look the best, but certainly conserves space.
9. Smaller built in refrigerators are a great idea too, and, you can separate the refrigerator from the freezer by using under counter freezer drawers.  This will allow enough refrigeration space without taking up too much counter space.
10. Dishwashers can also be found in 18″ wide and based on the design of the racks, they can accommodate a lot of dishes and glasses.

To further help you visualize the transformation of a petite kitchen using some of the above design ideas, I’ve  included my design notes and some photos of my personal kitchen remodeling project – in which I transformed a not so large kitchen space into a fully functional, visually pleasing and much larger looking kitchen. My kitchen was an addition to the house which has floor to ceiling sliding glass doors in the family room side.  In the kitchen, I opted to not have any windows with the exception of the clear story windows above the pantry.  To be able to obtain the design, it was necessary to not have windows in the kitchen (not a good view on that side of the house as well). 

To make up for the lack of natural light in the kitchen, I added back painted full glass panels on the backsplash.  The color is a light yellow/green, so, when the hood and under cabinet lights are turned on, the entire backsplash glows!  In order to get outlets on the backsplash, I added a fairly high, about 9″ backsplash of the honed black absolute granite in which the black outlets were installed.

The island also has the same black granite, but, it’s also surrounded with wenge butcher block.  A sliding butcher block board can slide over the sink to increase counter space when needed.

The custom hood lines up with the ceiling beams and is very wide and spacious to accommodate the 36″ gas cooktop, deep fryer and grill/griddle.

The pantries not only store food but they also house the steam/convection oven and microwave.  When in use, the doors bi-fold and slide back so that the entire space can be opened and left open during food preparation.  Putting the counter inside this pantry allows me to store and use some countertop appliances in there as well.

My kitchen isn’t a really large one, yet, it stores all I need and functions beautifully.  A small to medium sized kitchen is all that one needs, and, they are more functional since it isn’t necessary to cover a lot of ground when preparing dinner and when cleaning up!

RELATED KITCHEN DESIGN ARTICLES

• Contemporary, Eco-Friendly Kitchen Design by Jennifer Gilmer
• Georgetown Kitchen Design Remodel by Jennifer Gilmer
• Jennifer Gilmer’s Clever Design Transforms a Trouble Space into a Spacious Contemporary Kitchen
• Jennifer Gilmer Style Maker Look Book & Designer Case Study: Award Winning Kitchen Design
• Small Kitchen Transformations: 7 Easy Kitchen Design Ideas for Big Impact

Casa Decor Interior Design Portfolio

 Designer Notes:  This transitional style living room was created with elegance and sophistication while providing serene surroundings. A presentation of beige and ivory hues was combined with the boldness of red and rust accented finishes to bring depth and dimension to the room. The custom upholstered sofa, with tailored lines, is filled with goose down and features a luxuriant, chenille fabric. { Location: La Quinta; Designers:  Ebba Lundberg – ASID Allied Member, Renee Wolfenson, Louise Lundberg }

Designer Notes:   In this kitchen, the counter and island granite surfaces provide spacious working areas, which were non-existent prior to renovations. The counter backsplash is tiled with tumbled stone and highlighted by rubbed-bronze metal keys and liners. The hood was handcrafted to resemble concrete with an embossed pattern and the island was custom finished with dark wood. Both were designed with the intention of providing significant accents to the kitchen. { Location: Halston Estates; Designers:  Ebba Lundberg – ASID Allied Member, Renee Wolfenson, Louise Lundberg }		Designer Notes:   A contemporary, unique open floor plan which incorporated the use of light and dark wood species, stainless steel sleek finishes, glass and art, to make a bold statement. The result was a free flowing feel, solid elements and good energy.  Location: Santa Monica; Designers:  Ebba Lundberg – ASID Allied Member, Renee Wolfenson, Louise Lundberg }
Designer Notes:   The design of this dining room was enhanced by the use of rectangular lit soffit, geometric furniture of high-lacquer, black finish and exotic Brazilian rosewood. The bright colors of the hand-painted screen are further pronounced by the sleek, crema marfil marble floor.{ Location: Mountain View; Designer:  Ebba Lundberg – ASID Allied Member }		Designer Notes:  A mixture of traditional and modern Asian influence results in this transitional room of significant merit. This was accomplished by the use of custom swag and drapery panel window treatments, light color on the walls with furniture that exhibits classic lines, soft edges and deeper hues for the upholstery. { Location: Marina Del Rey; Designer:  Ebba Lundberg – ASID Allied Member }

Designer Notes: This dining room’s large, floral art piece served as the main inspiration, giving the space a formal touch of classic and sophisticated tradition. Large floral arrangements serve as accents in this room as do the luxurious fabrics. The elaborate custom marble table also provides another dramatic focal point. {Location: Hidden Hills; Designer:  Ebba Lundberg – ASID Allied Member}

About Casa Décor

California-based design firm Casa Décor, LLC was established in 2002 and to this day, continues to grow as the leader in design excellence, by touching each of their client’s lives through exceptional design, service and unrelenting commitment to detail.

Casa Décor’s Lifestyle designers: Ebba Lundberg, Renee Wolfenson, and Louise Lundberg are recognized for designing custom luxury estates and multi-million dollar showcase homes. This highly qualified interior design team creates elegant environments, reflecting the client’s style while respecting the space.

Casa Décor’s comprehensive library consists of a vast array of exclusive world-wide resources. Their Lifestyle designers are available by appointment to provide the necessary expertise to complete a space exhibiting full design conceptualization.

About Casa Décor’s Design Team

Ebba  Lundberg, co-founder and lead designer of Casa Décor, LLC, has a unique approach to design and one that is most distinguished by her talents and European flavor. For the past fourteen years Ebba has been leading design teams throughout each project’s duration. She assures that every step of the project is done with utmost perfection to the highest of quality.

Ebba, an ASID Allied Member, was educated in the field of Architecture and Design at the Paris American Academy and in Interior Design at UCLA Extension.

A Co-founder of Casa Décor LLC, Renee Wolfenson continually strives for growth and perfection in her field. Her approach is to think outside the box and provide a different flavor to her projects. With over 15 years of experience in the design field and building industry, Renee provides strategic direction to the overall project. Renee graduated from the Art and Performance institute in Haifa, Israel and obtained her Bachelors of Art degree from Cal State, Northridge.

Louise Lundberg has over 14 years of Interior Design experience. She oversees the design operations, product research and new design trends, and also provides all hand drawn illustrations. Louise graduated from Santa Monica College, then proceeded on to UCLA extension where she obtained an Interior Design certificate.

Contact Information:

• Web: Casa Decor Photo Credits:
• Weldon Brewster Photography
• Martin Fine Photography

Clever Design Transforms a Trouble Space into a Spacious Contemporary Kitchen

Having designed thousands of kitchens has given award winning kitchen designer Jennifer Gilmer the insight and experience to tackle even the most daunting of kitchen design projects. Jennifer describes the design challenges and the solutions she and her design team used to create an amazing kitchen from what had previously been an awkward space (after photo shown below).

Jennifer Gilmer: The existing kitchen in this project was all wrong for the space.  It was jammed in the far corner where the breakfast table is now and a run of cabinets were on the left wall.  The table was placed where the box bay is now.  With those high cathedral ceilings, the entire existing space was totally out of proportion.  We decided that the best way to rearrange the kitchen was to move it to the center of the room, make a larger window with a box bay and to move the table at the end of the kitchen.

Downdraft cook top, cabinets and island.

Box bay, cabinets, sink and island.

Jennifer Gilmer:  The kitchen was not quite wide enough for the island, so, by putting in the box bay, it allowed us to push the cabinetry into that space giving just enough room for the island.  In order to get enough wall cabinets, we placed the downdraft cook top in front of the large window, this way, we could run the wall cabinets right over the main sink (if the cook top was on that wall, we’d have to raise the cabinets up too high).  Since getting to the cook top from the main sink was blocked by the island, the solution to this was to place a smaller prep sink on the island near the cook top. 

On the main sink wall, we needed to place the refrigerator, but, a large 36" one would have taken up too much space.  To resolve this, we used a 27" wide Sub Zero all refrigerator and then on the opposite side, we put under counter Sub Zero freezer drawers. 

Jennifer Gilmer:  In order to get pantry space, we placed a pantry above the freezer drawers which matched in appearance the all refrigerator.  To eliminate that awkward space above the wall cabinet which occurs because of the cathedral ceilings, we put laminated glass wall cabinets there with angled backs which raised the cabinet height to be more in proportion with the high ceilings.  The lighting inside these cabinets helps to create a nice ambiance. 

For the general space, we widened the doorway going into the kitchen from the foyer and filled in part of the cathedral ceilings in both the foyer and the kitchen which made the kitchen space more open, yet, more in proportion.  Lighting had to be dealt with since recessed lights would have been fairly ineffective, so, we used cable lighting to span the large ceiling spaces.

About Jennifer Gilmer

Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, is nationally renowned for her work in kitchen design. Over the past 25 years, Gilmer has designed more than 1,000 custom kitchens. Her award-winning designs span the spectrum from classic and traditional to sleek and contemporary.

She has won more than 15 national design awards for her work including the 2009 “Pinnacle of Design Award” from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), which is awarded to the designer of the year’s best overall design. She also swept two other categories.

Gilmer founded Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath in 2007. She previously was co-owner of Kitchen & Bath Studios in Chevy Chase, Maryland and also worked for 8 years with designer Richard Tunis.

In 2009, she launched KitchenDesignOnLine.net to serve a void in the marketplace – bridging the gap between high-end showrooms and the big box retailer. The online studio helps the homeowner, builder or architect achieve the best design by providing a full range of services, from floor plans and detailed elevations to 3D perspective images. With KDOL, a homeowner can get a custom design from a certified kitchen designer in two weeks for well under $1,000.

Her design and remodeling awards include: 2009 Southern Living Home Award – first place kitchen, 2009 “Pinnacle of Design” award  from NKBA, First place for Small Kitchens (2009, NKBA), First place for Medium Kitchens (2009, NKBA), Remodeling Design Award (2009, Remodeling), First place Regional Winner (2008, Sub Zero/Wolf Design),  First Place Classic Kitchen (2008, Washington Spaces), First Place Contemporary Kitchen (2008, Washington Spaces), First Place Medium Kitchens (2007, NKBA), Second Place Small Kitchens (2006, NKBA), and First Place Medium Kitchens (2003, NKBA).

She and her work have been featured in media that include Veranda, The Washington Post, HGTV, Women’s Day Kitchens & Baths, Southern Living, Remodeling, Home & Design, Washington Spaces, and Kitchen Trends.

All images copyright of respective owners.

Georgetown Kitchen Design Remodel by Jennifer Gilmer

According to Jennifer Gilmer, award winning kitchen designer and principal of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath in Chevy Chase, Maryland, “designing a kitchen [in Georgetown] can be a challenge due to a lack of space or poor original overall floor plans.”  A quick look at the redesigned kitchen (photos below) one can see that Jennifer was up to the design challenge posed by the long and narrow kitchen space of this classic Georgetown row house.

Jennifer’s client required that the new kitchen accommodate some typical kitchen appliances (range, microwave, refrigerator) as well as “a second oven, ice machine, wine cooler, prep sink, large hood, eating area and a desk.” Her client also wanted the option to close off the kitchen from the dining room yet keep the kitchen feeling light and open.

Jennifer details her design process for us:

Jennifer optimized the narrow space adding a writing desk at the far end of the kitchen and a built-in eating area that easily accommodates seating for three.	Jennifer’s design allowed artificial and natural light to flow throughout the kitchen via the addition of a tall, narrow pass through (by the sink) and a large window looking out to the client’s garden.

Jennifer Gilmer:  We left a tall narrow pass through to the left of the sink in order to maintain a more open feel and to allow light to come through.  The existing window was too small because this is where a lot of light comes in (a precious commodity in a row house) and because it overlooks her patio and garden.  We replaced this window with a much wider and taller three paneled casement where the main sink is centered.  Where there was a door which interfered with the kitchen design, we put a narrower window in, and, it’s near this window that we placed the built in eating area, large enough to accommodate three chairs.

Jennifer added pocket doors from the kitchen to dining room. Creating an open airy kitchen while allowing the client to close off the kitchen, if so desired.	The pullout pantry optimizes space while providing additional functionality. Adjacent to the pantry is the Sub Zero refrigerator.	To the right of the refrigerator and pull-out pantry is the client’s writing desk.

Jennifer Gilmer:  The space still needed some work by building a wall to separate the living room and dining room from the kitchen, but, in order to keep it feeling open, the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room had to remain wide and high.  Because she [the client] wanted to have the option of closing off the kitchen from the dining room, we added large pocket doors in that wall (a classic design element in Georgetown row houses).

On the opposite wall when coming into the kitchen, to the right is a built in "hutch" for additional storage and to serve the dining room.  We placed her desk in the corner and then to the left of this, the Sub Zero refrigerator, combined with a narrow pullout pantry looks like an old fashioned armoire which is easily viewed from the dining room.

Built-in microwave and stove.	Focal point created by centered range & hood.

Jennifer Gilmer: The ice machine is just to the left of the refrigerator, making it easy to get ice when preparing a beverage, and, the wine cooler and small sink is there too in order to create a wet bar when needed.  At the other end of this wall, we combined the oven cabinet and microwave with some open shelves and appliance garage for her toaster.

Finally, the range and hood are centered between the refrigerator and the oven cabinets for a gorgeous focal point complimented by carved wood and open areas for display items.  An antique fireplace summer cover was used under the hood to add more character and to blend with the carvings.  Three cabinet finishes were used to add interest and intrigue and we found the perfect granite countertop to blend it all together.

About Jennifer Gilmer

Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, is an award-winning expert on kitchen design. She has won more than 15 national awards for her work including this year’s “Pinnacle of Design” award for the best overall design in 2009 and swept two other categories from the National Kitchen & Bath Association. She has created designs for more than 1,000 kitchens in styles that range from classic to contemporary.

Her work has been featured on TLC, in The Washington Post, Veranda, Trends, Washington Spaces, Home & Design, Southern Living, Remodeling and more.  She is the principal of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath in Chevy Chase, Maryland and in 2009 launched KitchenDesignOnLine.net to bridge the gap between high-end showrooms and home improvement stores.

All images copyright of respective owners.

Contemporary, Eco-Friendly Kitchen Design by Jennifer Gilmer

Jennifer Gilmer, renowned kitchen designer and 2009 National Kitchen and Bath design winner, designed the stunning, Zen-like 276 square foot Bethesda, Maryland contemporary styled,eco-friendly kitchen pictured above.  Jennifer’s kitchen “Green” design focused on the usage of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials ranging from the custom mixed stain to the cabinetry. 

The Columbia Forest Products’ PureBond hardwood plywood used in this kitchen design project is manufactured utilizing:

… a formaldehyde-free adhesive derived from food-grade soy flour and a wet strength resin used in printed currency and milk cartons. This proprietary assembly system, known as PureBond®, is non-toxic and cost-competitive with urea formaldehyde based plywood products. There is absolutely no added urea formaldehyde in the adhesive or the components. (source Columbia Forest Products)

Jennifer used ML Campbell’s Aqualente finish which is a:

GREENGUARD Certified, low VOC, non-yellowing, self-sealing, easy sanding, pre-catalyzed water borne clear coating for interior wood surfaces. Agualente lacquer is based on breakthrough European resin technology that produces no hazardous off-gassing during cure. Its new technology provides trouble-free application as well as a beautiful appearance, mirroring its solvent-based counterpart. (source ML Campbell)

The other Green kitchen design products and services used for this project:

• The solid wood is domestic black walnut.
• The stain was custom mixed, using AFM  Safecoat DuroStain.
• The cabinet’s were created by cabinetmakers – Andrew Daum / Victory Woodworking of Canaan, New Hampshire.

About Jennifer Gilmer

Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, is an award-winning expert on kitchen design. She has won more than 15 national awards for her work including this year’s “Pinnacle of Design” award for the best overall design in 2009 and swept two other categories from the National Kitchen & Bath Association. She has created designs for more than 1,000 kitchens in styles that range from classic to contemporary. 

Her work has been featured on TLC, in The Washington Post, Veranda, Trends, Washington Spaces, Home & Design, Southern Living, Remodeling and more.  She is the principal of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath in Chevy Chase, Maryland and in 2009 launched KitchenDesignOnLine.net to bridge the gap between high-end showrooms and home improvement stores.

In the 2007 Solar Decathlon competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Gilmer served as a mentor to LEAFHouse, which placed second in the world. The Solar Decathlon is an unparalleled biannual competition of 20 university student teams to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered net zero energy home. In 2007, the “LEAFHouse” team from the University of Maryland placed first among the 17 U.S. teams and in 2009 received an Washingtonian/AIA Award for Distinctive Architecture.

All images copyright of respective owners.

Mia Cuciana Kitchen Inspires European Efficiency

Mia Cucina exemplifies the very best in modern kitchen design. The European style kitchen design shown above maximizes efficiency and style. We especially love the circular island replete with range, range hood, and sink and prep area. Smart design that makes cooking and clean up a pleasure.

Images copyright of respective companies.

Home Decor Buyer Resource: MiaCucina

Glamorous Modern Kitchen Bejeweled in Crystals

Spanish design firm Auro raises the bar on modern glam with it’s exclusive introduction of contemporary kitchen cabinets encrusted with Swarovski crystals.  Looks like the modern glam trend is here to stay –take a look at our 2009 trend picks for bathroom glam, and kitchen glam.

The deep purple walls also depict one of our top kitchen color trends for 2009 – purple.

Detail view of crystal embedded kitchen cabinet drawers below.

Very detailed, up close look at the lovely Swarovski crystal details on the black cabinet doors.

Images copyright of respective companies.

Home Decor Buyer Resource:  Auro

Classic Chic Kitchen Design

Studio Becker’s Traditional Kitchen Collection offers a well-balanced design mix of elegant, traditional furniture combined with all the modern conveniences of technologically advanced kitchen appliances. 

The overall warm tones of the cabinets and chandelier are kept from over-powering the kitchen / dining room through the introduction of cooler toned kitchen appliances like the range, exhaust hood and white toned counters.

Images copyright of respective companies.

Home Decor Buyer Resource: Studio Becker Kitchen Collection

Kitchen Galley Style Glam with Ergonomic Benefits

Clean lines, neutral colors sophisticated faucets and plumbing fixtures with just the right  touch of glamour combine to produce the well-designed, and ergonomic kitchen by Team 7 featured above.

Images copyright of respective companies.

Home Decor Buyer Resource: Team7

Kitchen Galley Design by HausScape

The HausScape designed kitchen (shown above) features a long galley design  with lots of counter surface space to prep meals. The kitchen galley design can be ideal since it reduces the distance between kitchen appliances, sink and refrigerator and keeps everything in a linear space instead of the more traditional (and possibly less efficient) kitchen triangle design.

Images copyright of respective companies.

Home Decor Buyer Resource: HausScape