Small Kitchen Design Ideas to Maximize Your Square Footage

Turn your kitchen design into your happy place, no matter its size it’s the heart of the home, after all. From cooking healthy family dinners, sitting around the island with friends to organizing then reorganizing your limited cabinet space, you inevitability spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Just because your kitchen is small, doesn’t mean it has to feel small. To help you make the most of your limited space, we’ve rounded up the best small kitchen ideas whether your design style is modern, traditional or country.

Even if you’re redesigning on a budget, you deserve a kitchen that feels functional and stylish. Make use of every crevice, clear clutter from counters and decorate blank walls. As you explore this photo gallery of small kitchen decorating ideas, you’ll find fast and affordable solutions like hanging mirrors to create the illusion of more space, layering bold hues to brighten an interior and adding shelves to take advantage of vertical space.

We’ve included kitchen storage tips that’ll keep your counters clean and orderly like where to store liquor or the best way to organize a kitchen pantry. If you’re considering a full renovation, we’ve sprinkled in DIY projects like finding a fresh paint color for the kitchen, setting up a separate bar or swapping in chic backsplash tiles. Whether you live in an apartment, condo or your house is lacking kitchen space, you’re sure to find an interior to love.

1. Maximize Kitchen Corners

Learn to work with the space you have by capitalizing on every corner and nook. If your actual kitchen is small, there may be a small crevice or awkward nook that can be reworked into additional kitchen space.

2. Choose Floor-to-Ceiling Whites

We all know that light, bright spaces feel more spacious than dark, dreary areas. Stick with white cabinets, walls and trim for your small kitchen, then layer in wood accents and black cabinet hardware to keep things trendy.

3. Create Consistency

For a striking statement, bring the same paint color, wallpaper or wood paneling from the wall to the ceiling. Stick with lighter hues and smaller prints, so you don’t overwhelm the space.

4. Install a Pegboard Wall

Paint a pegboard in a cheery hue to create a functional focal point. Once attached, load it up with some of your kitchen must-haves measuring cups, wooden spoons, cast iron skillets and more.

5. Add Pops of Color

The brighter the space, the bigger it’ll feel. You can go with shades of white and gray, then layer in two tones of a bold hue to add intrigue.

6. Create More Counterspace

If you’re working with limited counter space, consider building another area that serves as an extension of the kitchen even if it’s a few steps away. You can use a sideboard and open shelving, like Kate Lester Interiors does here.

7. Get Smart With Floating Shelves

Don’t let windows get in your way. Stretch floating shelves across the entire wall, making sure to leave enough room between them to allow the natural light to come through.

8. Keep Most-Used Items on Shelves

While, yes, pretty dishware doubles as decor, it’s way more practical to load floating shelves with items that you use on the daily, like cookware and mixing bowls.

9. Go With a Striking Contrast

Mixing too many colors can overwhelm a small space. Keep the walls, cabinets and ceilings the same color, then incorporate contrasting accents, such as a colored hood range, pendant lights and decorative knobs.