Keeping wild aspirations in check can be difficult when viewing compact modern homes on the market. All can be going swimmingly until you walk to the end of a hallway and ask “Where is the kitchen?”, and the real estate agent opens out their arms and says “This IS the kitchen.” Before you head for the exit, consider that small CAN be beautiful. Limited dimensions set challenges in creating a functional and stylish space it’s true, but the two goals are achievable in tandem. These 50 small kitchen designs bring tips on how to make a shining gem out of restricted cooking space by thinking outside the tiny box.
Jazz up old kitchen tiles with patterned stickers. Our first small kitchen design is covered in intricate monochrome wall and floor tiles that draw you into the compact space. You don’t have to start from scratch to achieve this look though, tile transfers are a quick and cost effective way to transform an existing tiled backsplash. 
Free up drawer space and decorate the walls with useful kitchen tools. This magnetic wall mounted knife holder keeps kitchen knives out of limited small kitchen organization trays, and instead moves them up on display. In this small kitchen remodel, the display complements the sharp design of a geometric backsplash. 
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- Visualizer: aTng 糖 & Dunqiang Chen
Create a recessed kitchen nook. This one-wall kitchen layout is set within a dividing wall of a studio apartment. The recessed design hides the kitchen cabinetry away from the rest of the open plan space, resulting in almost a separate room. 
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- Visualizer: aTng 糖 & Dunqiang Chen
Source small kitchen appliances to maximise bench space. A two ring induction hob leaves extra space for dishes and prep in this small modern kitchen. The tiny extractor canopy leaves wall space looking more spacious too. 
Add luxurious finishes. This marble kitchen backsplash creates a look of sophistication through the centre of contemporary white cupboards. Larger wooden storage cupboards flank the end of the kitchen run and span the upper space, creating a warm frame around the cool scheme. 
Inject a little colour. Beautiful traditional tiles bring a stripe of joy into this L shape white kitchen design, complemented by a classic teapot. 
Install an eye-catching centrepiece to distract from limited room dimensions. A large kitchen clock is an ideal piece to draw the eye, and it also serves a practical function. The chunky retro analogue clock with calendar feature gracing these shelves is available here. This country style small u shaped kitchen also utilises wine decanters, storage jars, carafes and colourful dry foods to expand the display. 
Double bank wall cabinets to make the most of vertical real estate. Adding in an extra row of wall cupboards can drastically increase your small kitchen storage space. 
Give kitchen items a dual use. This hard working little space offers up a number of small kitchen storage ideas. Mini wine racks hold up ceiling skimming shelves, a glass mixing bowl doubles as a fresh egg holder, and a water jug sidelines as cooking utensil storage. 
Get creative with lighting. LED strip lights create a glow around these wall cabinets, causing a floating effect. The colour of your units can brighten too; yellow accent kitchens make an uplifting choice for a shady little spot. 
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! This fiery orange backsplash takes a grey small apartment kitchen up another level. 
Choose slimline seating styles. Sourcing small kitchen table sets can be a tricky task. There must be enough room for the whole family to gather round but high-backed chairs can eat up a lot of space. Consider stools instead; they can be pushed away completely beneath your table to maximise walkable floor area. Look at tables that open on all sides too so that they can be pushed flush against a wall whilst offering leg space under all three remaining sides. 
Go handle-free. A handless kitchen has a far less fussy finish. There are also no pesky sticking out pieces to accidentally hook clothes on whilst passing by in close quarters. Particularly useful in corridor-like layouts like this green kitchen that leads straight up to a doorway. 
Use the art of camouflage. This minimalist kitchen uses white cabinets against a white backdrop to blend in. A soffit takes the line of the cabinet fronts right up to the ceiling for a smooth seamless finish. 
Make awkward shaped spaces work for you. Install shelving below sloping eaves to squeeze out every last inch in small kitchen remodels. 
Another one below the eaves. This glowing small kitchen sink area is surrounded by bespoke grey kitchen cabinets that follow a sloping ceiling without a single gap. 
A small kitchen table and chairs can act as a partially dividing wall, like in this small galley kitchen. 
Go large on just one wall. In this wood and white small u shaped kitchen, tall larder units have been restricted to just one wall. The taller cupboards are plain white so that they fall away from attention too. 
Use glass doors to create a sense of added space. 
The best thing about a tiny cooking space is that a small kitchen remodel cost is a lot less than its bigger cousins! This means that you can opt for some high-end finishes, like the recessed ceiling lights around the perimeter of this tall but small kitchen layout. A couple of black kitchen bar stools anchor the lofty design. 
