In the San Francisco Bay Area, tiny kitchens are the norm.
We are buying homes with ever-increasing price tags and fewer square feet. This means we are having to find new ways to add value to smaller spaces such as kitchens and baths. We’ve done a lot of this kind of work at DSM. Some of the smaller kitchens we redesign are not much bigger than the typical 5’x8’ bathroom.
In homes built in the early 1900’s, as well as in today’s condo and flat development in the City, the architecture is designed without meal prep in mind. Often, the focus has been eating out or ordering in. Think about today’s Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto or regularly visiting the farmer’s market down the street. We store less food and we prepare food in our kitchens less frequently.
To add to the challenge, sometimes these very small spaces have more than one door or layouts which prevent more than one cook in the kitchen at a time. For these reasons and others, when remodeling you need to be certain your design team doesn’t miss opportunities to make every inch count. Here are some examples from one of our projects.
Keep countertops clear of dishes to reserve space for the essential every day items and easy to access task space for meal prep.
De-clutter: Keep countertops clear of dishes to reserve space for the essential every day items and easy to access task space for meal prep. The last thing anyone wants to do at the end of the work day is to clear space so they can start the task of cooking. When using open shelving, be sure you’ll like what you see. Use all one color or go full Fiesta Ware. When what we see isn’t working together as artistic display, our tired minds can’t see past the mismatch for the sentimental value in the mug we may have received at an industry conference.
Create a “pass-through” to increase your view when standing at the stove or sink.
Make An Opening: Structural loads may prohibit removing walls entirely; try a budget friendly option. Create a “pass-through” to increase your view when standing at the stove or sink. Enjoy conversation with your friends and family as they play games or watch television in the next room.
“We store less food and we prepare food in our kitchens less frequently.”
Dishes can dry on a rack while veggies are rinsed and chopped all in the same 36”.
Create Flex Space: One of today’s kitchen innovations is the workstation style sink. This is usually one large sink that can hold pots and pans of all sizes and comes with a cutting board option as well as grids that can be placed are various heights to maximize flexible use. Dishes can dry on a rack while veggies are rinsed and chopped all in the same 36”. This Kohler Prolific undermount sink is one of our favorites. It has a few different sizes and all of the accessories are included in the price. Here’s a brief product video if you are interested in learning more.
Take advantage of roll-out shelves, rotating blind corners, and spice pull-outs.
Pull Everything Out: Cabinets with pull-out shelving has made the 21st century feel like the age of the Jetson’s has arrived! Ok, almost. Save your back for lifting the kiddos when they come in the door and take advantage of roll-out shelves, rotating blind corners, and spice pull-outs. These drawers hidden within the cabinets prevent lost pantry items from visiting the land of lost socks by gently gliding everything out to you where you can see it. They can be adjusted inside the cabinet if there needs to be more space for taller items unlike actual drawers, too.
These are just a few of the possibilities to consider when designing a small or tiny kitchen. We’d love to hear about your ideas and see what you have done. Feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.
Alisa Hofmann, Principal Designer, Design Set Match