Small Kitchen Ideas | Home Beautiful

3 tiny things that make a big difference to your small kitchen

Teneal Zuvela — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:36 +0000

If you’re struggling with space at home, doing a good declutter is always a great way to free up more space. But have you considered downsizing your cookware and appliances to make more room?

Regaining usable bench space can often be as simple as rethinking how you’re currently using your surfaces on a daily basis. When space is tight, replacing some of your most-used items in the kitchen with smaller versions can free up your worktop.

Here are 3 everyday kitchen items to tackle first:

1. Tiny chopping board

We all love a great big roomy chopping board, but if it’s taking up all the available bench space and leaving other items stacked around the corners, you’re not making the best use of limited space.

Downsizing to a smaller, quality version frees up space around your prep area and takes up less real estate in the sink and storage spots when you’re finished.

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(Photography: Natalie Hunfalvay | Styling: Lisa Burden)

2. Tiny toaster

We think there are some seriously beautiful toasters on the market, but size isn’t everything. While we understand the attraction of a 4-slot wonder to save time each morning, choosing a model for its streamlined size will free up space on your benchtop. Opting for a 2-slot toaster with a smaller footprint may also allow you to pack the toaster away after use, meaning you’ll gain space for lunch and dinner meal prep.

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(Photographer: John Downs)

3. Tiny frying pan

If you’re always juggling pans on the cooktop, a small frying pan will make your job easier. Frying eggs, omelettes or onions before adding them to a casserole is quicker and more efficient in a smaller pan, as the heat is more concentrated over a smaller surface area.

A cast iron pan will give a smoky grill touch to your steaks and sausages, too, so perhaps you can ditch your seldom-used barbecue. Bonus points if you choose a cute pan to hang above your stove and do double duty as decor, freeing up even more cupboard space!

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11 small kitchen design ideas and how to make them work for you

Tahni Mesann — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 01:55:24 +0000

Cooking and cleaning in a tiny room can sometimes feel like an exercise in futility. But don’t be disheartened– there are plenty of easy ways to transform your small kitchen into a stylish and efficient space. There are particular kitchen designs that work better for small spaces and many methods for making your small apartment kitchen feel enormous.

Here are some of the best small kitchen layouts and tips for designing your space effectively.

1. Minimalist

When it comes to small kitchen ideas, keeping it simple is your best bet. Embracing minimalism in your kitchen design can help establish a feeling of order and create the illusion of space. Opt for light colours, clean lines, similar textures and tones, and simple accessories.

Luxe Carrara marble and secret storage behind 2-pac cabinetry make for a streamlined kitchen in this renovated bayside home in Melbourne. (Credit: Photography: Armelle Habib | Styling: Julia Green)

2. Concealed

One of the biggest emerging trends in small kitchen design is concealed kitchens. The cabinets are so stylish it’s easy to forget they’re designed for storage, appliances that disappear before your eyes, and touchable textures that make you think you’re in the living or dining room.

More and more, designers are giving us the ability to hide or camouflage parts of the kitchen at our own choosing. There’s a big push towards creating concealed work areas, like the Inside System by Ernestomeda and Logica Celata by Valcucine, which boast sliding doors that close and hide the entire kitchen structure.

Timber is the hero of the kitchen in this heritage home in Melbourne, allowing functionality to take a back seat. (Credit: Photography: Alex Reinders | Styling: Sarah Elshaug)

3. Freestanding modular

Flexibility in the kitchen once meant a butcher’s block on wheels. But with renters on the rise and homes getting smaller, there’s an increasing demand for modern, multifunctional, flexible kitchens. Opting for a custom creation will give you the ideal kitchen design for your small space.

4. Galley

The galley kitchen was originally designed for compact cooking zones on boats, so it’s ideal for smaller homes. It’s made up of two parallel countertops with a walkway in between.

Bespoke joinery in this Federation-era home on Sydney’s North Shore was fashioned from carcasses from the old kitchen and finished with new doors. (Credit: Photography: Ran Linnegar | Styling: Fiona Gould)

5. One wall

Careful planning is required, however, to ensure that adequate room is available for food prep, as the sink, cooktop and refrigerator can take up most of the space. One solution is to use the dining table for extra workspace or include a wheeled butcher’s block.

The cooking and casual dining zone appears forever clean and uncluttered thanks to an abundance of concealed storage in this weekender on the Mornington Peninsula. (Credit: Photography: Eve Wilson | Styling: Beck Simon)

6. Cut clutter

Minimalism may be the word on everyone’s lips but the concept behind living with less is the key to not only a stylish home but a sustainable one. Buying only what you need is the best way reduce your footprint and save time, stress and money.

Cull unwanted items and from your drawers, cupboards and pantry and make a rule that moving forward items only come in to your kitchen to replace something that breaks or runs out.

A place for everything in the sleek kitchen of this northern beaches retreat. (Credit: Photography: Rebecca Lu | Styling: Rachel Peters)

7. Savvy storage

Use your space wisely. Built in storage makes the best use of available space and wherever possible, try to make spaces do more than one job:

fix racks to the inside of cupboard doors to hold spice racks or pots lids
fit shelves into corners and take them right up to the ceiling for seldom-used items
use your island bench as a breakfast bar and store mugs or cutlery in drawers beneath

8. Utilise utensils

Make your kitchen stylish and functional by investing in cookware, utensils and appliances that are nice enough to leave on display. Mount knives together in a block or on a magnetic wall strip.

Seek out a matching set of mixing bowls in commercial stainless steel or colourful ceramic that stack inside one another neatly and look attractive when stacked on open shelves. Take inspiration from professional food preparation space and have everything close at hand.

Open shelves are decorative and efficient in this Cape Cod-inspired beach house on the Sunshine Coast. (Credit: Photography: Anastasia Kariofyllidis)

9. A cohesive colour palette

Choosing all one colour to create the illusion of space doesn’t have to mean white everything.

Borrow from surrounding spaces by continuing kitchen colours to finishes in adjacent zones, extending them to create a combined footprint.

10. Keep it light

Adding a skylight or window splashback can give your small kitchen a bright, airy feel and create the illusion of a larger space.

Light floods the kitchen via the window splashback in this contemporary prefab home, making it appear larger. (Credit: Photography: Simon Whitbread | Styling: John Mangila)

11. Creative shelving

Not everyone with a small kitchen is blessed with built in storage. If you fall in that camp, it’s important to ensure you have ample and effective shelf space.

Floating shelves make for a modern and minimalist storage idea, while utilising wall space with creative cabinetry can help.

Recycled timber shelving creates texture and interest as well as useful storage in this Hervey Bay oasis. (Credit: Photography: Louise Roche | Styling: Kylie Jackes)

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5 zones to consider when planning your dream kitchen

Franki Hobson — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 02:21:49 +0000

For years, the ‘golden triangle’ – referring to a triangular placement of fridge, stove and sink – was considered the most efficient way to design a kitchen.

It worked, but times have changed and we’ve realised not everyone wants the same thing from their kitchen space. Just as some people love to entertain guests and others happily spend hours baking up a solitary storm, so too will their dream kitchens have quite different needs.

Enter the ‘zone’ method, a more versatile approach that allows a kitchen to be customised to suit the specific needs of each home chef. If you’re planning a kitchen layout, zoning is a practical way to go. Here are five different zones to consider, plus the top appliances and tricks to tailor them to your exact needs.

The cooking zone

One of the fundamentals of every great kitchen, the cooking zone usually comprises an oven, cooktop and microwave. You might stack them vertically with the oven sitting under the cooktop, or you may prefer to separate them so the oven can be mounted at a custom height. Either way, allow plenty of bench space around these appliances and keep frequently used cooking utensils stored within easy reach.

When planning your cooking zone, be realistic about the type of food you cook and how you like to prepare it. For example, if you enjoy chatting to other members of your household while you cook, consider positioning your cooking zone appliances in a kitchen island, instead of around the perimeter. The Westinghouse WHI955BD 90cm Induction Cooktop is ideal for this, as it heats up quickly but the safer induction surface doesn’t feel hot to the touch. Home chefs also love the cooktop’s cutting-edge BoilProtect feature, which detects rising bubbles in boiling water and automatically reduces to a low simmer to prevent boiling over (BoilProtect applies to stainless steel and enamelled pots filled with water only).

Alternatively, a freestanding cooker offers extra versatility and generally boasts a large cooking capacity that’s brilliant for bigger households. The Westinghouse WFEP9757DD 90cm Freestanding Electric Cooker combines a safe and efficient 5-zone induction cooktop with a spacious 125-litre oven complete with 10 innovative functions to take your cooking zone to the next level. These include an AirFry function to cook crispy, crunchy foods with less oil, and Roast +Steam for the juiciest roast dinner you’ll ever cook.

The cooktop and oven in your cooking zone can be stacked vertically or separated to allow the oven to be mounted at a custom height. The dark stainless steel finish of Westinghouse’s new Kitchen range gives a pleasingly unified style to all your appliances. (Credit: Photo: Supplied.)

The baking zone

The right oven is also a centrepiece of this zone but if you take baking seriously, you’ll want to kit out the area with some specific features. Be sure to install additional powerpoints and extra bench space in your baking zone so you can use a mixer or food processor. Store other tools – such as measuring cups, whisks, rolling pins and baking pans – nearby so you can seamlessly transfer your mixture from bowl to pan to oven.

Speaking of the oven, Westinghouse is always happy to help bakers achieve their very best results. The new Westinghouse WVEP6918DD 60cm Pyrolytic Oven boasts 19 different cooking programs including a Bake +Steam function that gives bread, cakes, pastries and scones a crispier crust, fluffier centre and the perfect rise.

The Steam +Bake function in Westinghouse’s 60cm Pyrolytic Oven turns out baked goods that are lighter in the centre with a crispy crust. The telescopic runners make it easy to draw out the racks too. (Credit: Photo: Supplied.)

The consumables zone

Having a well-organised space to store food keeps every kitchen running efficiently. Ideally, your fridge/freezer and pantry should be grouped together so you can easily move between the two when preparing food. Adding bench space nearby makes the consumables zone even more practical when you’re unpacking groceries.

The drinks zone

Ready to get creative? A drinks zone can be adapted to suit your beverage of choice. Ice on tap? No problem. The Westinghouse 564L French door fridge in matte charcoal black (WQE5650BA) has an automatic icemaker. If you’re a coffee devotee, set aside space to create your own barista-style hub, complete with espresso machine, bean grinder and an airtight container to keep your beans fresh. Position your favourite mug nearby so everything is exactly where it should be to brew the perfect cup.

If cocktails are more your speed, set up a dedicated cart or cabinet to house your preferred spirits plus a set of bar tools such as a shaker, strainer and muddler. Give this zone extra flair by adding your favourite decorative cocktail glasses.

The cleaning zone

Just as important as your cooking areas, a well-planned cleaning zone allows you to scrape and stack dirty dishes with ease. Ideally it will be ordered from left to right, moving from garbage and food waste bins to the sink and then on to the dishwasher. Fast wash cycles make for entertaining or high-rotation use dishes is made easy with the Westinghouse Freestanding Dishwasher in Dark Stainless (WSF6608KXA).

One appliance you don’t need to worry about scrubbing clean is your oven, thanks to the pyrolytic self-cleaning function in Westinghouse’s new Kitchen range of electric ovens. Simply tap the button and leave the oven to heat to an incredibly high temperature, turning grease and splashes into ash that is easily wiped away.

The Westinghouse freestanding electric cooker also features an incredibly convenient pyrolytic self-cleaning function. (Credit: Photo: Supplied.)

The post 5 zones to consider when planning your dream kitchen appeared first on Home Beautiful.

11 small kitchen design ideas and how to make them work for you

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 01:23:00 +0000

Cooking and cleaning in a tiny room can sometimes feel like a exercise in futility. But don’t be disheartened– there are plenty of easy ways to transform your small kitchen into a stylish and efficient space. There are particular kitchen designs that work better for small spaces and many methods for making your small apartment kitchen feel enormous.

Here are some of the best small kitchen layouts and tips for designing your space effectively.

1. Minimalist

Luxe Carrara marble and secret storage behind 2-pac cabinetry make for a streamlined kitchen in this renovated bayside home in Melbourne.

2. Concealed

One of the biggest emerging trends in small kitchen design is concealed kitchens. Cabinets so stylish it’s easy to forget they’re designed for storage, appliances that disappear before your eyes, and touchable textures that make you think you’re in the living or dining room.

Timber is the hero of the kitchen in this heritage home in Melbourne, allowing functionality to take a back seat.

3. Freestanding modular

Rather like a modular sofa configuration, iconic kitchen design company Boffi uses mono blocks and worktops in different shapes and sizes so that you can personalise your working space to how it suits you, while extractable tables let you create fixed or extendable dining zones to suit your guests.

4. Galley

The galley kitchen was originally designed for compact cooking zones on boats, so it’s ideal for smaller homes. It’s made up of two parallel countertops with a walkway in between.

Bespoke joinery in this Federation-era home on Sydney’s North Shore was fashioned from carcasses from the old kitchen and finished with new doors.

5. One wall

One-wall designs are particularly popular in smaller apartments and homes. As the name suggests, all of the appliances and cabinetry run along one wall, giving the kitchen a greater sense of openness. However, careful planning is required to ensure that adequate room is available for food prep, as the sink, cooktop and refrigerator can take up most of the space. One solution is to use the dining table for extra workspace or include a wheeled butcher’s block.

The cooking and casual dining zone appears forever clean and uncluttered thanks to an abundance of concealed storage in this weekender on the Mornington Peninsula.

6. Cut clutter

Cull unwanted items and from your draws, cupboards and pantry and make a rule that moving forward items only come in to your kitchen to replace something that breaks or runs out.

A place for everything in the sleek kitchen of this northern beaches retreat.

7. Savvy storage

Use your space wisely. Built in storage makes the best use of available space and wherever possible, try to make spaces do more than one job:

fix racks to the inside of cupboard doors to hold spice racks or pots lids
fit shelves into corners and take them right up to the ceiling for seldom-used items
use your island bench as a breakfast bar and store mugs or cutlery in draws beneath

Utilise space from elsewhere in small kitchens, like the built-in storage behind the scenes in this Nordic-style new build in Melbourne.

8. Utilise utensils

Make your kitchen stylish and functional by investing in cookware, utensils and appliances that are nice enough to leave on display. Mount knives together in a block or on a magnetic wall strip. Seek out a matching set of mixing bowls in commercial stainless steel or colourful ceramic that stack inside one another neatly and look attractive when stacked on open shelves. Take inspiration from professional food preparation space and have everything close at hand.

Open shelves are decorative and efficient in this Cape Cod-inspired beach house on the Sunshine Coast.

9. A cohesive colour palette

Choosing all one colour to create the illusion of space doesn’t have to mean white everything. Borrow from surrounding spaces by continuing kitchen colours to finishes in adjacent zones, extending them to create a combined footprint.

Sticking closely to the colour palette unifies the kitchen and dining room in this seafront Sydney apartment.

10. Keep it light

Adding a skylight or window splashback can give your small kitchen a bright, airy feel and create the illusion of a larger space.

Light floods the kitchen via the window splashback in this contemporary prefab home, making it appear larger.

11. Creative shelving

Not everyone with a small kitchen is blessed with built in storage. If you fall in that camp, it’s important to ensure you have ample and effective shelf space. Floating shelves make for a modern and minimalist storage idea, while utilising wall space with creative cabinetry can help.

Recycled timber shelving creates texture and interest as well as useful storage in this Hervey Bay oasis.

The post 11 small kitchen design ideas and how to make them work for you appeared first on Home Beautiful.

5 ways to create a happier kitchen you love

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 17:12:23 +0000

A beautiful kitchen can sell a house, and property walkthroughs often sell the dream of an oversized kitchen island surrounded by friends and family as they share a grazing platter, glasses of bubbly while preparing a delicious meal together.

But even the most beautiful and well-equipped entertainer’s kitchen can start to feel uninspiring when you work in it every day, preparing mid-week meals, kids’ lunches and stacking the dishwasher at the end of a long day.

With a constant whirlwind of activity going on in the kitchen, it’s easy for things to become a little chaotic and disorganised. We talked to interior designer and Electrolux Ambassador, Anna-Carin McNamara for her top tips on how to reclaim your kitchen.

1. Never go to bed with a dirty kitchen

Clean the sink every night clean (and even polish it), so the next morning things are tidy for the start of the day. There’s nothing worse than waking up and seeing a messy kitchen.

If you entertain, cook for a large family, or regularly batch cook, investing in a dishwasher that can accommodate all of your dishes is a worthy investment. It will prevent you from running multiple loads, hand-washing those items that don’t quite fit into the machine (or leaving them to sit on the sink until the morning).

The kitchen’s prep space blends past and present in this refreshing Federation-era home on Sydney’s North Shore. (Credit: Photography: Ran Linnegar | Styling: Fiona Gould)

2. Organisation is key

Organise and plan your kitchen so the tools you use all the time are easily accessible, so that using them becomes second nature and you’re not spending time looking for specific utensils such as bowls, graters or crushers. Purchase good quality utensils so you’re not having to replace them often.

Bespoke kitchen joinery delivers functionality and plenty of storage in the butler’s pantry and kitchen of this idyllic waterfront home on the Gold Coast. (Credit: Photographer: John Downs)

3. Add sentimental items

Bring your personality into the kitchen by using open shelving to display artwork and treasured items that bring you joy when you see them. It will make being in the kitchen feel like less of a chore to have touches of items you love.

4. Make each meal an occasion

Always set the table when you eat, don’t just save the tablecloth, place mats, candles and flowers for when you have guests over. It brings a sense of occasion to every meal, including breakfast, and can help build connections with loved ones while you’re self-isolating.

The vast kitchen dining table in this Cape Cod-inspired home on the Sunshine Coast is the perfect place for the family to gather. (Credit: Photographer: Anastasia Kariofyllidis)

5. Integrate appliances

Where possible, integrate appliances to create a seamless look in your kitchen design. If they’re on display, make sure you coordinate with the joinery – it makes a big difference and since the kitchen is an area you’re likely to be in every day, you will notice the little things.

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