Make the Most of Your Kitchen with These Space-Saving Ideas

We’ve all had to adapt to change over the last few months. And with that change, the focus on our home as a place that offers comfort, security and joy has become increasingly important. Moving house at this time is a challenge, both logistically and, for many, financially. Therefore, let’s take the opportunity to make the most of the space we currently call home, creating rooms that are as functional and attractive as possible in a way that is kind to our finances and equally kind to the environment. In this article, Granite and TREND Transformations share some clever space-saving kitchen ideas that will help you to love the space where you live.

Time to get smart with small kitchens

As needs change and families grow, what was once a suitable kitchen space may seem small, cluttered or impractical. Our first thought may be to take everything out and start afresh with a blank, expensive canvas. Some might even consider relocating to a new home with a larger kitchen. But there is another option; one where small kitchens become clever kitchens, rooms that offer all the space-saving solutions we need and can remain the heart and soul of our home.

A sustainable alternative to renovating

Granite and TREND Transformations can help you in achieving a new, intelligently spacious kitchen look without the upheaval of renovation or even relocation. Our more efficient, more sustainable options can transform your kitchen and your home life.

Renovation of a small room will quickly put the whole house into chaos, as the old is removed, temporary storage space is sought, and alternatives to home cooking are called upon. It can be a prolonged and sometimes testing wait for a new kitchen to be ready for use. Refacing is the perfect alternative and can be undertaken in a fraction of the time. Without the need for demolition, this method avoids large volumes of debris, making it much more convenient and much less hassle. If you don’t like the idea of being without a kitchen for a considerable time, then refacing is the solution.

When refacing your kitchen, we utilise our unique, ‘top that fits on top‘. These kitchen worktops are designed for installation over existing work surfaces with little need for disruption and complex logistics. Known as our etherium™ by E-stone surfaces, only the highest quality materials are used, making them durable, versatile and beautiful for your new kitchen look. By combining pioneering up-cycling techniques with an ethos of sustainability, we manufacture and install these products that look stunning, last a long time and reduce environmental impact.

Small kitchens often rely on storage space. You can give your kitchen units a new life too by refacing as a fuss-free alternative to expensive and often wasteful renovation. Granite and TREND Transformations are specialists in kitchen makeovers and can help you transform your kitchen with these simple door replacements. Choose the style, colour, finish and handles to fit your new-look kitchen perfectly.

Designing clever kitchens

If you are working with a smaller, more compact space, then it’s essential to consider the layout carefully. Tall cabinetry or a bank of storage space along one wall can both be incredibly useful if your small kitchen is prone to clutter, providing concealed storage and freeing up the space you need to create the aesthetic you want.

Taller units are well-suited to narrower kitchens, where efficiency and layout are essential. They can open up the space you already have, which may be swamped with conventional cupboards.

Pantry (or larder) cupboards can do something similar, allowing plenty of concealed space for storage and freeing up the walls in a small kitchen for other uses. Consider displaying attractive artwork here to help create a more relaxing, versatile feel, or leave the area empty to create the illusion of more space with a more minimal look.

Larder storage has been a sought-after feature of smaller kitchens for centuries, and these invaluable storage spaces have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent times. Having a single area for so many different items also saves time and the hassle of searching for scattered ingredients, making cooking, food planning and preparation much less hassle.

Integrated, eco-friendly appliances

Kitchen appliances are the working cogs that power our lives at home. Often, we use them without a second thought and have done so for many years out of habit. However, by taking them for granted, a lot of people don’t realise that their older kitchen appliances can be a considerable drain on the energy needed to power them, and that results in higher energy bills. With these older appliances often being bigger and stand-alone, they take up much-needed space in a compact kitchen. Invest in modern, more slimline versions, and you’ll not only save on space, but you’ll also get a return on your investment when you start saving money on your bills.

Integrated ovens and hobs

If you are accustomed to older ovens and hobs, the first thing to strike you will be the sheer range of features that now come as standard. Enjoy intuitive control, and user-friendly LED displays that make these kitchen appliances simple-to-use and often do what an older device did in far less time. These new appliances also come with the benefit of far easier integration into the existing lines of your kitchen, making them a vital component of a small kitchen design.

Extraction

State-of-the-art kitchen extractors are stylish, sleek and space-saving.  They keep odours and humidity from cooking to a minimum, improving air quality with a fraction of the noise of older appliances; vital for making a smaller kitchen a pleasant environment in which to work.

Modern extractors offer some excellent space-saving solutions; popping up from your work surface, built-in or wall-mounted in an innovative way to create a more spacious feel to the room. With options in glass or stainless steel and a range of colours, you can choose the style that works best for your kitchen.

Integrated refrigeration

Modern fridges and freezers deliver all kinds of benefits; intelligent design allows seamless integration into the existing lines of a small kitchen while maximising interior storage space. There have also been leaps forward in efficiency, meaning significant savings on energy consumption. Furthermore, with advanced cooling systems that prevent odours from mixing, optimises the temperature and maximises humidity, food is kept fresher for longer and waste is reduced.

Integrated laundry and dishwashing

Modern washers and dryers are built to be eco-friendly, doing more than older machines while using less power and water. Many are also designed to integrate into your existing kitchen, giving a space-saving aesthetic value that a freestanding machine could never hope to match.

Better design and more advanced performance mean less need for hot washes. There are other benefits too, such as a wider range of washing cycles and a virtually silent operation compared to the thunderous, freestanding machines of previous generations.

Dishwashers have also benefited from the revolution in technology and design, much like washer-dryers, they can now convincingly outperform older appliances, using less water and energy while integrating seamlessly into your existing kitchen.

The perfect finishing touches

Modern space-saving appliances can transform the functionality of a small kitchen, but what else can we do to enhance these spaces?

Finding your perfect colour scheme can showcase these new appliances and refaced surfaces. The right shade can also add light and space to a small kitchen, helping it to feel brighter and more open. Painting is a budget-friendly and relatively simple way of giving a fresh, perfect finish to your small kitchen design plan.

Lighting can do the same, adding an elegant final touch to a new kitchen design. When considering your lighting options, giving some thought to how you use your kitchen space is vital. Brighter light might be great for cooking, reading or even working from home. However, if you want to use your kitchen in the evenings, to dine or entertain friends, then you might want to have flexible options, where another mood can be created with more ambient lighting.

If you love this idea of dining as a family or enjoying evening entertaining, but space is at a premium, then there are options. Consider investing in a floating island or extendable table, combined with benches, or stools for a breakfast area. With little details of decorations, such as placemats, elegant dinnerware and candles, this vision of a relaxed gathering over food can be enjoyed in a kitchen of any size.

Remember, even if you have a small but perfectly formed kitchen, it is full of potential. Renovation might be an option and relocation surely a last resort because, as we can see, there is a whole range of other space-saving options that might be even better.

For advice and help with your small kitchen design, visit our website, or get in touch with one of our team. We’d be delighted to help.