Whether you have a galley or corridor-style kitchen in a high-rise condo complex or a small kitchen in an older Cape Coral home, remodeling it doesn’t have to be a headache.
Yes, you’ll have less design freedom than a large kitchen offers, but you can create a dazzling and effective cooking environment, even in your small space.
One advantage you will have over people with huge, luxurious kitchens is that remodeling a kitchen can be expensive, especially a large one.
There’s electrical work, plumbing, and ventilation to think about, as well as extra lighting and other needs. Kitchen materials can also be pricey, such as granite, marble, custom or stock cabinets, and so on. But less space means lower cost.
Following are some tips for increasing the visual size and functionality of your small kitchen, from layout and design to color.
- Size-appropriate appliances – Most small kitchens are longer than they are wide, e.g., galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, one-wall-style. Re-think squeezing in a side-by-side fridge and commercial oven. Instead, look for scaled-down appliances that won’t eat up so much space.
- Surrender some cabinet space. Installing kitchen cabinets all the way to the ceiling may give you more storage space, but they often overwhelm the room. And can you even reach them? Think about dropping cabinets down several inches to a more user-friendly level. Add some interesting lighting above them. And maximize any wasted space at the rear of the cabinets by installing roll-out shelves.
- Lighten up. Lighter, neutral colors can make the kitchen look and feel larger. Consider light-colored woods for the cabinets, neutral countertops, and light colors for the walls. This will also help increase the reflected light in the room – another way to make the space seem larger.
- Expand with glass. Incorporate glass to give the illusion of more space. Think glass door cabinets. Being able to see past a solid cabinet door makes the walls look further away. Of course, you’ll need to keep what’s inside the cabinets orderly and color-coordinated. If you don’t want anyone to see clutter, opt for frosted glass.
- Brighten up. Many of us have fluorescent lighting in our kitchens, which gives everything a cold bluish tint. Hanging pendant lights can counteract this, and try placing incandescent lighting (more yellowish) underneath upper cabinets and shining down on countertops. Another great way to warm up the room is to light your glass-front upper cabinets from within. Just remember that natural light enlarges any space, so use your windows to your advantage.
- Look down. Flooring in small kitchens is important. Our first inclination when entering a room is usually to look down. An eye-catching floor can make a big difference. Linoleum can still be chic, and it’s inexpensive. Or try a beautiful Travertine stone. When properly sealed, it’s a good choice and is soft underfoot. If you love tiles, consider large floor tiles to make a small kitchen appear larger.
Let Sunrise Remodeling help you breathe new life into your kitchen.
We have more than 30 years of experience in the industry and are the leading remodeling company in Cape Coral, Lee County and Southwest Florida.
We are big enough to get the job done and small enough to listen. Get in touch with us at (239) 246-9315 to get a Free Consultation.
