When working with smaller areas such as units or apartment kitchens for example, every inch of available space needs to be used strategically in order to create a well-functioning kitchen. It is important to take the time during the design and planning stage of creating your new kitchen to carefully consider your options in terms of storage, lighting and of course, your colour and materials palette to ensure a high quality finish that will make the best possible use of the available space. In this post, we look at the different ways you can ensure your small kitchen design will meet your needs while also being a beautiful and comfortable space in your home.

When designing a small kitchen, it is absolutely crucial to take some time during the planning stage to carefully consider your storage needs and options. Thankfully, there are many exciting kitchen storage solutions available that will help you to create the perfect design and layout. The key to creating a well functioning small kitchen design is to include flexible storage options that will allow for complete ease of accessibility. These can include kitchen corner storage options, pull-out cabinets that will allow for full view and access of all stored items, kitchen drawers and more.

Shallow drawers can be tucked behind larger drawer fronts to create a double layer of storage in your kitchen while allowing you to keep uninterrupted consistent horizontal lines in your new cabinetry design. These shallow drawers can be used to house your cutlery trays, utensils, spices or kitchen towels for easy access while cooking

In the past, kitchens with corners for example would often include a corner storage cabinet that would usually have a simple bi-fold door covering a shelving unit. This posed an issue as items would be stored in this cupboard and then become quite difficult to see and access. Modern kitchen design solutions however offer creative options that will directly address this issue. Corner storage options for the kitchen now include revolving corner cupboards, pull-out shelving units and much more, allowing you to have complete access to all your stored items without needing to rummage in the far corners of your kitchen cupboards!

During the process of designing your new kitchen, our team will recommend the most suitable kitchen storage solutions to suit your needs. Our stylish German designed and made kitchen cabinets are created using premium materials with hardware solutions that are based on years of research and testing to ensure the highest quality finish for your home.

A great way to further maximise your storage space in a small kitchen design is to make use of any available vertical space. Traditional overhead cupboards in the kitchen are of course, an excellent use of wall space that will add a huge amount of storage in a small kitchen however, you may also like to consider other options as well. Open shelves for example, offer an excellent means of storing items that are frequently used such as coffee mugs or spices and oils. Wall mounted wine racks, wall hooks or even magnetic strips for holding your kitchen knives can all be incorporated in a small kitchen design scheme to make the very best possible use of any available vertical space, effectively adding a further layer of storage and maximising your new kitchen's practical and functional characteristics.

This stunning black kitchen designed by our fabulous London team includes open shelves and a wall mounted bottle rack, adding a highly functional and easily accessible layer of storage in the space. This area is used as a breakfast prep zone in the kitchen with the toaster and kettle sitting atop the benchtop and all the necessary bits and pieces being stored in the open shelves above where they are easily accessible.

Planning your new kitchen's lighting layout is a crucial step in the design process. Effective kitchen lighting should ideally be layered, using a combination of natural and artificial lighting solutions that will ensure safety in the kitchen while also creating a well-functioning space that is a breeze to use! LED lights can be installed directly beneath your kitchen overhead cupboards to light up your benchtop when you are using the kitchen. This will ensure that you are not casting a shadow across your kitchen worktop while you are using it, making for a safer design while also effectively illuminating your benchtop. These types of lights are also often used as mood lighting in the kitchen, creating a soft and warm atmosphere in this part of the home.

Our stylish German kitchen cabinets are available in a wide array of elegant options to suit every taste and budget! Our elegant range of overhead kitchen cupboards can be fitted with built-in LED lighting which can not only be used to create a luscious layer of ambient lighting in your home but also to illuminate your kitchen benchtop as you prepare your meal.

Lighting solutions can also be integrated within your kitchen cupboards to make the space easier to use. You can add LED lighting within your pantry unit for example, allowing you a better view of all your stored items. You may also choose to include LED lighting within cabinets with a clear or frosted glass cupboard door, creating a wonderful source of warm ambient light for a dramatic finishing touch in your kitchen's design scheme. Incorporating a variety of lighting solutions in a small kitchen design will not only add a layer of function and practicality in the space but will also create a breezy, light-filled look that can actually appear larger than what it is; an excellent strategy for creating the illusion of more space in a smaller room.

When creating a design for a small kitchen, it is of course very important to take the time to carefully consider your options in terms of colours and finishes. By using lighter colours in your new kitchen design scheme, you can further enhance the perception of space and make the room appear larger than what it is. Traditionally, white kitchens are the most popular solution however, you may also choose to consider other options such as a soft, warm beige, light mint or even a playful blush tone to create a light-filled aesthetic. Take your kitchen colour scheme a step further by adding  reflective surfaces in your design that will allow light to travel throughout the room and once again create that feel of a larger space. This can be achieved with the use of mirrors, reflective glass or metallic finishes in your kitchen colour scheme, allowing you the perfect opportunity to get creative with the way you choose to use colours and finishes in your home.

When designing a small kitchen, there are many different techniques you can include to create the illusion of a larger room, from choosing lighter and brighter colours to adding layers of functional lighting. Create a super-functional small kitchen layout by adding carefully planned storage solutions that will meet your needs and allow you to use the space to its full potential, ensuring a comfortable and well-functioning kitchen. Our team at Premium German Kitchens can help you create the kitchen design of your dreams using our stunning range of luxurious kitchen cabinets! Our Melbourne kitchens showroom houses an extraordinary collection of kitchen cabinetry solutions to help you better visualise your new design; reach out to us to schedule a visit where our team will create a free kitchen design for your home that will make the best possible use of your layout!