10 tips for a small, functional and beautiful kitchen

At the risk of falling into a cliché, we will start by saying that the kitchen is the nerve centre of the home. It is the place where we spend most of our time. We cook, have breakfast, eat, chat, have a glass of wine and even work. So it is not just that it is the heart of the house. It can even be the brain and the lungs.

But what happens when we have a small kitchen? To begin with, it is necessary to banish the idea that a small kitchen cannot be functional or attractive.

We must focus on making the most of every square centimetre we have available. It is essential to opt for functional furniture, light colours, integrated electrical appliances and to exploit the verticality of the walls. All this always integrated in an order that promotes the idea of amplitude and spaciousness.

From Molins Design we would like to offer you 10 tips to achieve a small, functional and beautiful kitchen. Take note of our advice!

Natural light is the best option for illuminating a home. In the case of a small, functional and beautiful kitchen, too. If you are lucky and have natural light, make the most of it. If the lighting comes from artificial light, remember that a well-lit kitchen will always seem bigger.

Place lamps on the ceiling and remember to illuminate the worktop. LED strips on the underside of furniture are an excellent solution.

We start from the idea that we are dealing with a small kitchen, but it is worth examining all the possibilities. To begin with, you can replace the traditional hinged door with a sliding door. Also consider the option of removing a wall or installing a glass opening.

En el caso de que la cocina sea muy estrecha, la elección más inteligente es amueblarla solo en 1 frente. Y, un último consejo, si quieres potenciar la sensación de amplitud, coloca alguna lámina o fotografía en alguna pared. Procura que sea una perspectiva amplia y profunda.

Tidiness is essential in a small, narrow kitchen. It is essential to free up space and always collect the utensils we have used. Placing jars and containers of similar appearance and distributing them symmetrically on shelves and shelves conveys a sense of balance and cleanliness.

Leaving kitchen utensils on the worktop, cloths piled up on the counter or plates and glasses in an untidy pile creates a sense of chaos that dwarfs the kitchen.

Light tones are always flattering in a small kitchen. Starting with the tone of the floor, ideally it should extend the material used in the dining room or living room. If the choice is porcelain, it is interesting that it has some texture. Choosing a white or extremely light option will be a mistake because it will immediately look dirty.

The tone of the worktop should also be light. If it is, it will reflect the light it receives and enhance the brightness of the kitchen. Finally, a very useful tip is to use the same colour on walls, floor and furniture. That way, the uniformity of the area will reinforce the clarity of the space and make it look bigger.

Light tones are always flattering in a small kitchen. Starting with the tone of the floor, ideally it should extend the material used in the dining room or living room. If the choice is porcelain, it is interesting that it has some texture. Choosing a white or extremely light option will be a mistake because it will immediately look dirty.

The tone of the worktop should also be light. If it is, it will reflect the light it receives and enhance the brightness of the kitchen. Finally, a very useful tip is to use the same colour on walls, floor and furniture. That way, the uniformity of the area will reinforce the clarity of the space and make it look bigger.

Storage space seems to be the unfinished business in the design of a small, functional and beautiful kitchen. However, the key lies in making the most of every last centimetre, opting for multi-purpose solutions and giving it a personal and attractive touch.

Firstly, the cupboards in a small kitchen should always reach up to the ceiling. Forget about extra trolleys because they will always be in the way and get in the way in a small room. It is much better to opt for high, well-used cupboards.

That means you can fit pull-out units. Even if they are narrow, they will always offer storage space. Remember to make the most of the openings by installing accessible corner units and also use the space of the plinth by building a drawer to store things that you use occasionally.

A very useful possibility is to install shelves between the upper units and the worktop.

Our advice is to combine the deeper shelves for plates or dishes with the narrower shelves. On the latter you can place glass jars, cups or glasses.

Bars are a good solution for hanging kitchen utensils and there is an interesting collection of swivel or row hooks that can store anything from dishcloths to cutlery. Remember to compartmentalise drawers so that the interior is tidy and every item has its place. And do this with all the drawers, not just the one containing the cutlery.

You should bear in mind that functional designs are the most appropriate for a small kitchen. Look for options that contain more than one function. A shelf that includes hangers on the edge, an adjustable shelf above the microwave or a drawer that incorporates a cutting board.

The worktop is the main workplace in the kitchen. That is why it is important to take the time to choose the model that combines strength, durability and aesthetics. The fact that you have a small kitchen does not mean that you can fit just any worktop.

There are many different materials used to make worktops. They range from classic granite or marble to hybrid surfaces of different minerals. It is also possible to create worktops made of wood or natural stone.

In any case, it is always necessary to have a professional to help us with the design, measurement and installation of the kitchen worktop.

Undoubtedly, it is necessary to install a good quality material and recover the idea of functionality by placing hangers or accessories that increase the usefulness of the worktop.

Electrical appliances are indispensable in a kitchen and when there is little space, it is necessary to look for solutions. The first and almost essential option is to panel the electrical appliances in the same colour as the furniture. In this way, we will have a sense of continuity that will favour the effect of spaciousness.

Without a doubt, the ideal is to place them in a column and to acquire models that are somewhat smaller than the usual ones. For example, it will always be more appropriate to install a dishwasher with a width of 45 cm than the traditional 60 cm. The same applies to the refrigerator.

We would also like to talk about the extractor hood. Undoubtedly, in a small kitchen, the best option is to hide it in the cupboard and, if that is not possible, to acquire a very discreet model with moderate lines.

We return to the concept of versatility because it is vital to provide ideas for small kitchens. Installing electrical appliances and multifunction appliances is a good solution because it saves space.

In a small kitchen it is not suitable to install a double sink. The reason is that we will lose precious space that can be used for storage. There are very original single sink models on the market, with depth and in different materials.

If we decide to camouflage it with a wooden board, a small piece of wood will always be more attractive.

Whenever possible, it is advisable to have an office area in the kitchen. Firstly because it will be a space where we can add a certain personal touch that fits in with the order required by the size of the kitchen. However, this office area should have certain special features. It is advisable not to place tables and chairs, but to replace them with a bench and a folding table.

The bench can be converted into a chest and can also be used as a storage area. The folding table offers the possibility of quickly assembling and disassembling a pleasant corner where you can have breakfast or sit down to work with your laptop. In this office space we can place cushions on the bench with a pattern or bright colour that contrasts with the brightness of the area. You will achieve an original decoration in a small, functional and beautiful kitchen.

The last piece of advice we give you to achieve a small, functional and beautiful kitchen is to make the most of the walls. Faced with a shortage of horizontal space, it is interesting to occupy and make the most of the vertical plane. It is advisable to complement the storage space offered by the cupboards with vertical structures that allow you to place frying pans, casseroles or crockery.

There are metal or wooden models that attach to the wall and offer useful hooks, shelves or diagonal brackets.

From Molins Design we hope that these tips will help you to make the most of a small kitchen. Kitchen designs are varied and, by making the most of the space, they can have a magical effect on small areas.

If you need the help of a professional, contact Molins Design and ask for a made-to-measure quote, we will take care of your small kitchen until you get a great result!