There’s Beauty in Small Kitchens

We understand that not all homeowners in the Shenandoah Valley area have the footprint in their kitchens for long islands, endless countertop space and walk-in pantries. That does not mean that homeowners can’t create the kitchen of their dreams. In fact, smaller spaces can outperform their larger counterparts, because smaller kitchens tend to maximize every inch of space. Designing a high-end small kitchen requires determining how to best use cabinets, maximize countertops and develop a flow that makes it easy to use the kitchen for multiple purposes.

Smaller kitchens by their very nature tend to be more efficient spaces. Efficiency translates to less waste. Because storage is typically limited, food in the fridge or pantry areas does not get overlooked, misplaced or allowed to go bad. Similarly, smaller kitchens required homeowners to prioritize their tools, gadgets and countertop appliances. Every item in smaller kitchens tend to be used frequently. You may not have space for the sandwich press or apple slicers.

Less clutter is another benefit of a small kitchen because most of the items in the kitchen have been curated to maximize their use. Smaller kitchens also tend to be cleaner, because there just is not room to stack dirty dishes, groceries or cookware.

A smaller space does not have to appear or function as small. Open shelves provide the flexibility to change the look and feel of the space whenever you want, thereby maintaining a fresh new look all the time. We often recommend to homeowners in the Harrisonburg area who opt for open shelves to paint them the same color as the wall. This allows them to create focal points with the items they place on shelves.

Eliminating cabinet hardware is another technique to make smaller space function and look larger without compromising functionality. Drawers and cabinets can be opened using a lip or touch latch. You also don’t have to worry about bumping into a knob or pull in tighter quarters.

Maximizing the use of corner spaces can help enhance the look and performance of a smaller kitchens either for storage or as the location for sinks.

Other techniques to make smaller spaces appear and function as larger is to use light colors for cabinets, patterned floor covering and running backsplash from the counter to the ceiling.

If you would like to know how you can create a high-end small kitchen design, please contact us or give us a call at 540-437-1990 or make an appointment to visit our showroom located at 1930 Deyerle Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.