Sergei Kaminskiy owner of Kaminskiy Design and Remodeling of San Diego has some tips for small kitchen remodeling. If you have a small kitchen in your condo or suburban home, there are still a lot of things you can do to make it look bigger and more functional. Here are just a few ideas that can turn even the smallest kitchen into an open, inviting, and functional space.
Open Things Up
The biggest obstacle when remodeling a small kitchen is the lack of space. There’s usually not much you can do to make a space bigger, but you can open it up and make it look bigger and more inviting. The best way to do this is to eliminate large overhead cabinets and switch to open storage. Large cabinets can make a small kitchen feel even smaller and claustrophobic, so they should be among the first things to go. Replace the upper cabinets with shelves, pot racks, hooks, magnetic spice holders, and spice racks. Not only will everything you need be immediately accessible, but you can show off some of your fancier cooking utensils when you have guests.
Keep Things Simple
A small kitchen cannot accommodate large appliances such as a gigantic stove or an equally gigantic washing machine, so what you should have should be small and relatively simple. A stovetop with only two burners will work just as well as one with four, and you can do your dishes in your sink if you only have a few of them. You can also get by with a smaller microwave and a toaster for quick meal preparation. These smaller appliances will free up plenty of counter and floor space, which is far more valuable than a large state-of-the-art oven.
Add Some Glass Elements
A great way to open up a small kitchen and create the illusion of space is to add some glass elements. This includes glass countertops, glass cabinet doors, and even glass doors leading out of your kitchen. Being able to see through some of the objects in your kitchen creates what designers call “negative space,” and it can really brighten up a room and make it seem bigger than it actually is.
Get Creative with Lighting
Kitchens typically have fluorescent lighting, which makes things easy to see but casts a bluish light that impacts the color of the room. It’s also incredibly harsh and doesn’t feel natural in any way. If you have fluorescent lights in your kitchen and want to counteract their effects, hang some pendant lights to provide some softer lighting and give everything a more pleasant color. You can also install some incandescent lighting to create the illusion of space. When installed properly above countertops, these yellowish lights increase the shadowing of the space and give the appearance of a larger space.
These are just a few ideas that you can use to remodel your small kitchen. As much as you may believe that you need to increase the size of a room to give it a proper remodel, all you need to do is create the illusion of size. In the end, you really don’t need a large space to have a beautiful, functional, and welcoming kitchen.
Kaminskiy Design and Remodeling was founded in March 2005 by Sergei and Elena Kaminskiy. They are dedicated to providing you with the best, top-quality service in San Diego. Our desire is for you to be a satisfied client from the moment you call until your final home remodels walk through.