Small Kitchen Remodel Ideas You Will Absolutely Fall In Love With

Small Kitchen Remodel – Are you blessed with a “space-challenged” kitchen? Hopefully. Small kitchens help you make quick work of your food prep, and tend to be more ergonomically correct. Not only that, you save energy and money.

Here are some ideas you can implement for your own home. They help you to maximize space, improve aesthetics and ergonomics, and generally make your small kitchen a better, happier place.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Squeeze the Fridge and Push It Up

So, imagine the space-sucking French-door or counter-depth refrigerator. Problem: it’s low and fat. Squat like a sumo wrestler.

What’s the real problem? Every inch occupied by that fridge means one less inch of counter space to prepare your meals.

So-called slim-line refrigerators are becoming a bigger seller for appliance manufacturers, as more people live in urban condos and even postage stamp-sized apartments (micro apartments or apodments).

The model shown here is a mere 24″ wide and holds 9.7 cubic feet in the cooling compartment and 3.3 cubic feet in the freezer. Small and stylish, it’s from Liebherr.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Keep Floor Tile Large and Light

It’s a visual illusion. Tiny floor tiles make your kitchen feel busy and cramped; large tiles make it feel airier and larger.

One reason is that, with the large tiles, you’re reducing the number of grout lines. Go for nothing smaller than standard 12″ x 12″ tiles, but preferably larger. Shown here are 18″ x 18″ tiles from American Olean (Carriage House Straw Sky).

One admonition: galley kitchens, with their very narrow center floor, will look odd if you lay large tiles, especially if they are parallel to the cabinets.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Go All Out With the Backsplash

You don’t have a lot of spaces to adorn. So, those that you do adorn should be sumptuous. The backsplash is the perfect place to start.

It’s not a lot of square footage, so if you want lavish limestone, glistening glass mosaic, or antique tin tile backsplash, chances are good that your budget can support it.

A fancy backsplash livens up the entire kitchen.

Shown here, from Stonepeak, is limestone 4″ x 12″, colors: Walnut, Honey, and Ivory.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Let There Be No Wasted Space

Storage is problematic in limited-space kitchens: the instant you increase your storage, your work area shrinks.

Fortunately, kitchen cabinet manufacturers have gotten smart recently about how and where to create storage space. Filler cabinets with sliders–as narrow as three inches–help you store baking pans, spices, utensils, and other smaller items.

Another idea is to install pantry cabinets and wall cabinets that reach to the ceiling. The gap at ​the top is visually appealing–it does make the cabinets feel less imposing–but it’s still wasted space that collects dust. Fill it in!

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Embrace the Galley

If you’ve got a small kitchen, it’s 90% certain that you’ve got what is called a galley kitchen.

A galley (sometimes called corridor kitchen) is little more than a hallway with counters on either side. Typically, one counter has all of the services (sink, stove, dishwasher, etc.), with the other side comprising cabinets and counters.

In other cases, this “second side” is merely a wall.

So, one of the best ideas is to learn how to work with the compact specifications of galley kitchens.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Pull in the Pendants

Pendants lights are a great idea–but keep those lights light and airy (believe it or not, it is possible to weigh down your kitchen with pendants). These AXO Lighting pendants are a prime example of the way to go. The lights are wrapped in dark wenge finish bamboo lampshades for a fresher feeling.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Make the Space

Sometimes, you just don’t have enough space. In this efficiency apartment, with nothing more than one bedroom, one bathroom, and a generalized living/eating area, there wasn’t much space for a kitchen.

So, the best idea–for this non-existent kitchen–is to pull in the free-standing kitchen furniture (from places like IKEA) to minimize the weighty feeling of traditional built-in kitchen cabinetry.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Shrink the Sink

We’re all so accustomed to the 12 foot-long sink/counter combination that it is easy to ignore the alternatives.

Sequester the sink in its own area, freeing up other parts of the kitchen for food prep. Shown here is an otherwise unusable kitchen corner that the homeowner has wisely packed with a practical use.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Keep It Light

If you’re hankering for dark paint colors in your kitchen… save them for your next house. The first piece of advice is always to lighten up your kitchen paint colors. With this, you instantly add the feeling of space.

Shown here are Chai Latte, Apple Crisp, and Popped Corn paint colors from Behr.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Open and Airy Kitchen

This corner kitchen takes advantage of its snug parameters by opening up to the adjoining breakfast area, which is lit by tall glass windows and doors. A spacious center island grounds the space and provides additional counter surface for food preparation and storage. The room’s palette of white and powder blue keep the mood light and fresh.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Country Chic Kitchen

A recent remodel inspired the new palette of blue and airy whites, giving this cozy kitchen a fresh, country-chic look. New painted cabinets with a mix of open shelves and glass-front doors were added. A vintage-looking apron sink with bridge-style faucet blends easily with a modern stainless-steel stove, vent hood, and dishwasher. The blue-and-white color scheme is warmed by coral accents.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Black-and-White Kitchen with Island

Clean white molding against crisp black granite countertops keep this kitchen feeling fresh. The black-and-white scheme culminates on the checkerboard tile flooring to lend interest underfoot, while contemporary light fixtures from Vaughan Designs lend a mod flair.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Kitchen with Walkway and Breakfast Room

A recent addition to this home bumped out the kitchen several feet on one side and allowed for a large center island. The walkway through the kitchen leads to a breakfast room with more seating. Wine is stored in cubbies below the island and across from the bar area.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Kitchen with Walkway and Breakfast Room 2

Counter seating at the kitchen’s island provides an area to chat with the cook. The woven rug ties the room’s colors together.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Kitchen Island as Hangout Space

The island in this active family’s kitchen serves as a dining table, homework area, and casual hangout spot for their three boys. “The boys eat a lot of their meals at the bar,” says homeowner Dana Porter, but a table with modern metal Windsor-style chairs near the island is also available for everyday family dining. Built-in features like shelving and a recessed range save space.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Glam Galley Kitchen

Beautiful neutrals and Calacatta marble countertops give this galley kitchen an undeniably glamorous edge. “The driving force was a kitchen that was classic, timeless, and practical,” designer Gerald Pomeroy explains. Cabinets run to the ceiling for maximum storage. Elegant crown moldings stand out against a taupe-toned ceiling. “When you go dark on the ceiling, the moldings pop,” he says.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Galley Kitchen with Striped Window Seat

A narrow galley kitchen ends with a window seat below tall windows. The bench is built into the wall to save space, and provides extra kitchen storage below. The cushions feature black-and-white stripes from Calvin Fabrics.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Black-and-White Kitchen

This cozy kitchen redesign included moving a laundry room to another end of the apartment to allow for a charming breakfast area. A graphic black-and-white color scheme and checkerboard floors visually expands the space. The island’s length provides plenty of counter space without sacrificing any area of the narrow walkway between the kitchen and breakfast area.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Breakfast Area

The breakfast area carries the same graphic black-and-white scheme, this time with chair and bench fabric from Fabricut. A built-in banquette provides ample seating on three sides of the table while also saving valuable space. Wall sconces are a smart lighting feature.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Modest Kitchen with Aga Stove

A traditional English-made Aga stove replaced the previous cooktop. The wall behind is set with a bold pattern of white and green tiles with chamfered edges for texture and color.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Chef’s Kitchen

A simple kitchen with plenty of storage is appropriate for the home of Los Angeles chefs and culinary personalities Suzanne Goin and David Lentz. A stone backsplash in warm gray tones and pale sage cabinets visually counteract the visual coolness of the stainless steel, says architect William Hefner.

Small Kitchen Remodel Idea: Corner Kitchen with Updated Features

Brand-new amenities and a cushy cork floor are sharp updates in this Atlanta kitchen. “The cork is soft and never shows anything,” says homeowner and designer Bill Murphy. “It has a grayish cast that is nice with the stainless finishes.” Mirrored backsplashes and a stainless-steel panel behind the range hood reflect the light and make the room feel open. Tall cabinetry and the range hood add verticality to the space.

Small Kitchen Idea: Yellow-and-White Galley Kitchen

This kitchen’s white-and-yellow palette retains the ample light that floods through the adjoining breakfast room’s soaring windows. Recessed-panel Shaker-style cabinetry provide continuity along the kitchen’s narrow length, while a limestone floor underfoot extends into the breakfast area.

Small Kitchen Idea: White and Bright Kitchen

Elegant Carrara marble counters and a limestone tile floor give this kitchen a sophisticated yet hardworking feel. Its airy white palette helps to make it appear larger.

Small Kitchen Idea: Great Cabinetry

The efficient galley-style kitchen features handsome SieMatic cabinets in two finishes and manufactured with sustainable materials. One wall of cabinets houses wall ovens and conceals the energy-efficient refrigerator and freezer. Barry allotted plenty of work space for multiple cooks, with long stretches of elegant Eco by Cosentino countertops.

Small Kitchen Idea: Casual Kitchen in a Summer Home

This summer home’s kitchen opens up to the living space to promote a casual and inviting atmosphere for conversation. The kitchen’s work area has views of the porch and outdoors beyond, so even the chefs can feel included in the summer festivities while working on dinner. “This is an Italian family cooking, so the kitchen was central to that experience,” Footer says. A massive 10×4-foot island is topped with a solid slab of two-inch-thick Calcutta Gold marble, providing visual weight.

Small Kitchen Idea: Sophisticated Kitchen-Dining Room Combination

The kitchen of this home doubles as a dining room to save space and keep the clean-up simple. “Everyone loves an eat-in kitchen, especially in a second home,” says designer Larry Laslo. “If [homeowner Ken Wyse] needs additional space for entertaining, he can easily set additional tables in the entry hall that we purposely kept bare.”

Small Kitchen Idea: Youthful Eat-In Kitchen

White paint, marble countertops, and a sparkling blue backsplash give this kitchen a youthful glow. A large center island doubles as a dining table, while the simple molding on the cabinetry and windows keep the space feeling fresh.

Small Kitchen Idea: Showhouse Kitchen-Dining Room Dressed in White

Designer Beverly Balk created this combination kitchen and formal dining room for the Mansions and Millionaires Showhouse in Mill Neck, New York. Dramatic fittings are used to create visual interest against the white background. Red accents provide warmth.