Sunday, December 1, 2013

Small Kitchen Remodels That Are Bigger Than Life

By Kathy M. Paris


Have you always wanted a big kitchen? The dream of having plenty of counter space or entertaining friends while you cook might be an elusive one. Short of knocking down walls and taking space from an adjoining room, you're stuck with the space you have. What can you do to make the most of what you have? How can you make your small kitchen bigger than life?

Denying that you have a small kitchen will get you nowhere while accepting what you have to work with is necessary as your first step in remodeling your kitchen. You can still dream about having those big stainless steel appliances and that center island as big as a Broadway stage someday but for today, acceptance is the name of the game. Accept your kitchen as it is and love it for being cute and cozy. Imagine how many miles of walking you you avoid by having a little kitchen and the amount of time you save cleaning thanks to the small space you have.

Next, comes the planning phase of your kitchen remodel. Again, your smaller kitchen is going to be much less expensive to remodel than a larger kitchen so thank your lucky stars. One of the great things about having a small kitchen is the fact that you can afford high quality materials. Often you can find small quantities of high quality materials like stone counter tops, tile flooring and lights that have been discontinued or are leftovers from previous jobs. High quality materials will make you proud of your small kitchen. Don't skimp on quality or getting what you really want. It makes a big difference when you're all done.

Lighting can make a big difference in your kitchen. Little things like accent lights, under cabinet lights and nice lighting fixtures can make a big difference in your petite kitchen. Having two lighting designs might be a good idea. You can have one lighting design for when you're in the kitchen and another ambient design for night. Accent lights above or under cabinets and some inexpensive track lighting can make your midnight snack more romantic and more pleasant.

When choosing patterns for floor tile, wallpaper and fixtures, remember that a small pattern will feel more natural in a small area. Small floor tiles and small patters for wallpaper won't overwhelm a room. The same holds true for fixtures and appliances. Smaller fixtures, such as light fixtures, will blend in more easily. A smaller refrigerator, mixer or coffee maker will seem more in scale with the kitchen than it's giant stainless steel counterpart.

Storage is always a problem in any kitchen and having appliances lined up on the counter top is how most of us showcase our smaller appliances. Under cabinet appliances, such as coffee makers, can openers and microwave ovens can save counter space. Another option is to find storage space for those appliances that we don't use every day such as mixers and blenders. It might take a few moments to retrieve these appliances from under a counter or in a closet but less clutter means more space in your small kitchen.

While these are only a few ideas to enhance your small kitchen, there are no hard and fast rules for kitchen remodeling. Break the rules if you want and see how you feel. After all, it's your kitchen and you should feel happy when you walk into your own kitchen. Cooking in a small kitchen can be enjoyable so let your instincts dictate what you surround yourself with as well as where everything needs to be. A small kitchen doesn't have to bring shame upon your home. A small kitchen can be cozy and quaint if you show it the attention it deserves as one of the focal points of you home.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

ShareThis