Kitchen Guides
Genius Ways to Make a Narrow Kitchen More Functional
Does your slimline kitchen score low on function? Give it an ergonomic boost with these clever ideas
A slimline kitchen, characterised by an elongated shape, with cabinets along one or more walls, can sometimes be tricky to manoeuvre in. Unless you incorporate functional upgrades, that is. Here are some clever ways you can make the most of your narrow kitchen.
Non-consumables zone
Dedicate a zone to storage boxes, containers, crockery, cutlery and dishware. Situate cupboards and drawers near the sink, to put items away easily after washing. Use plate holders to store your dishes upright.
Seeking plate holder inspiration? Here are 9 kitchen organiser racks that ensure utmost order
Dedicate a zone to storage boxes, containers, crockery, cutlery and dishware. Situate cupboards and drawers near the sink, to put items away easily after washing. Use plate holders to store your dishes upright.
Seeking plate holder inspiration? Here are 9 kitchen organiser racks that ensure utmost order
Cleaning zone
The cleaning zone should house your dustbins, cleaning products and other hygiene essentials. Pull-out dustbins and concealed storage are ideal for this zone, to hide items that could otherwise serve as eyesores.
The cleaning zone should house your dustbins, cleaning products and other hygiene essentials. Pull-out dustbins and concealed storage are ideal for this zone, to hide items that could otherwise serve as eyesores.
Preparation zone
As an area for food preparation, this zone should be home to your utensils, knives and other food prep tools (more on smart storage for these later).
Cooking zone
Make the stove the heart of your cooking zone and keep your pots and pans in a drawer or rack nearby. Place a spice rack within hand’s reach to round off your ingredients and essentials.
As an area for food preparation, this zone should be home to your utensils, knives and other food prep tools (more on smart storage for these later).
Cooking zone
Make the stove the heart of your cooking zone and keep your pots and pans in a drawer or rack nearby. Place a spice rack within hand’s reach to round off your ingredients and essentials.
2. Bid farewell to over-the-counter cabinets
Floor-to-ceiling cabinets may overwhelm a slimline kitchen, swallowing corners, casting shadows and blocking light. Minimising the number of over-the-counter cabinets can be a good trick to visually open up your space. Try limiting your tall cabinets to just one or two, and consolidating your large storage to these. Reserve the rest of your wall for open shelves, for a look that channels openness and airiness. If you’re unwilling to commit to an open display, consider frosted door fronts for a look that lets you get away with a little clutter.
Floor-to-ceiling cabinets may overwhelm a slimline kitchen, swallowing corners, casting shadows and blocking light. Minimising the number of over-the-counter cabinets can be a good trick to visually open up your space. Try limiting your tall cabinets to just one or two, and consolidating your large storage to these. Reserve the rest of your wall for open shelves, for a look that channels openness and airiness. If you’re unwilling to commit to an open display, consider frosted door fronts for a look that lets you get away with a little clutter.
Also, make use of every inch of your lower cabinets with clever space-maximising solutions such as pull-up surfaces, roll-out shelves and door-mounted hanging racks.
3. Conjure a sense of space and light
Slimline layouts can feel dark and cavernous, so it’s important to be thoughtful about your aesthetic elements. As mentioned above, replacing tall cabinets with open shelving can be a spiffy way to free up wall space without losing out on function. Also, going for high-gloss finishes and neutral colours can help bounce light and create luminosity.
Slimline layouts can feel dark and cavernous, so it’s important to be thoughtful about your aesthetic elements. As mentioned above, replacing tall cabinets with open shelving can be a spiffy way to free up wall space without losing out on function. Also, going for high-gloss finishes and neutral colours can help bounce light and create luminosity.
4. Declutter your counters
Giving your counters a neat and tidy appearance can be a great way to highlight walls and maximise corners. Create concealed countertop appliance cubbyholes (with built-in electrical outlets and a sliding mechanism) to store your toaster, sandwich maker and other appliances. This will allow you to pull out heavy appliances swiftly during hurried prepping, and conveniently mask them from view afterwards. Appliance cubbyholes can fit squarely into your joinery, offering no hint of their heavy-duty contents.
Giving your counters a neat and tidy appearance can be a great way to highlight walls and maximise corners. Create concealed countertop appliance cubbyholes (with built-in electrical outlets and a sliding mechanism) to store your toaster, sandwich maker and other appliances. This will allow you to pull out heavy appliances swiftly during hurried prepping, and conveniently mask them from view afterwards. Appliance cubbyholes can fit squarely into your joinery, offering no hint of their heavy-duty contents.
Alternatively, consider having lift-up appliance counters fitted inside your lower cabinets, as pictured here, to bring your gadgets to countertop level without any heavy lifting.
Fire up your imagination with these 15 cleverly hidden kitchen storage units
Fire up your imagination with these 15 cleverly hidden kitchen storage units
5. Work around the golden triangle
The golden triangle – a time-served architectural theory that prescribes the sink, stove and fridge form an unobstructed triangle – is considered the holy grail of kitchen layouts. However, if you have a single-wall kitchen, this might not be possible. An excellent way to pull function into your cooking area without the work triangle, is to lay these three elements in a single row, and demarcate your counter into functional work stations (as described earlier). It’s best to keep a distance of at least one foot (up to three feet, if space allows) between your sink and cooktop.
Discover ways to incorporate the kitchen work triangle into different types of kitchen layouts
The golden triangle – a time-served architectural theory that prescribes the sink, stove and fridge form an unobstructed triangle – is considered the holy grail of kitchen layouts. However, if you have a single-wall kitchen, this might not be possible. An excellent way to pull function into your cooking area without the work triangle, is to lay these three elements in a single row, and demarcate your counter into functional work stations (as described earlier). It’s best to keep a distance of at least one foot (up to three feet, if space allows) between your sink and cooktop.
Discover ways to incorporate the kitchen work triangle into different types of kitchen layouts
6. Go for smaller appliances
Compact appliances can blend into your kitchen’s bijou aesthetic without seeming overbearing. The beauty of downsizing is you’ll save oodles of space and force yourself to be more organised. A small fridge, or a fridge with bifold doors, for instance, could free up lots of negative space and make your kitchen seem larger. Consider going for a convertible fridge to upgrade your storage and toggle between fridge and freezer mode as per your requirement. Likewise, choosing a counter-mounted cooking range over a freestanding one can save you precious vertical space, and a model with fewer burners can take up less room on your counter.
Compact appliances can blend into your kitchen’s bijou aesthetic without seeming overbearing. The beauty of downsizing is you’ll save oodles of space and force yourself to be more organised. A small fridge, or a fridge with bifold doors, for instance, could free up lots of negative space and make your kitchen seem larger. Consider going for a convertible fridge to upgrade your storage and toggle between fridge and freezer mode as per your requirement. Likewise, choosing a counter-mounted cooking range over a freestanding one can save you precious vertical space, and a model with fewer burners can take up less room on your counter.
7. Think smart storage
Limited space doesn’t have to equal limited function. Consider augmenting your storage scheme with smart devices like retractable racks, drawer inserts, pull-out chopping boards, pegboard hanging systems, lazy Susans, L-shaped corner drawers and magic corners. Also, embrace the inside (and outside) of your cabinet doors by adding storage hooks, or even a chalkboard for little reminders and notes.
Need more kitchen storage inspiration? Here’s your cheat sheet to maximising storage in this tough space
Limited space doesn’t have to equal limited function. Consider augmenting your storage scheme with smart devices like retractable racks, drawer inserts, pull-out chopping boards, pegboard hanging systems, lazy Susans, L-shaped corner drawers and magic corners. Also, embrace the inside (and outside) of your cabinet doors by adding storage hooks, or even a chalkboard for little reminders and notes.
Need more kitchen storage inspiration? Here’s your cheat sheet to maximising storage in this tough space
Read more:
A Guide to Galley Kitchens
5 Ways to Create a Semi-Open Kitchen
Tell us:
Do you have a narrow kitchen? If so, which of these ideas would work best for you? Tell us in Comments below.
A Guide to Galley Kitchens
5 Ways to Create a Semi-Open Kitchen
Tell us:
Do you have a narrow kitchen? If so, which of these ideas would work best for you? Tell us in Comments below.
With a slimline layout, creating functional stations for each activity can help promote an ergonomic flow. Consider breaking your kitchen into five standard zones – for consumables, non-consumables, cleaning, preparation and cooking.
Consumables zone
This zone is reserved for your grocery items, including your perishable and non-perishable food stores – the former by way of your fridge, and the latter by way of your cabinetry.
Take a look at these clever pantry-style solutions and put your dry-grocery storage woes to an end