skip to main content
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
  • PHOTOS
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen
    • Modular Kitchen
    • Dining Room
    • Home Bar
    LIVING
    • Living Room
    • Home Theater
    • Home Office
    • Staircase
    BED & BATH
    • Bedroom
    • Nursery
    • Kid's Room
    • Bathroom
    OUTDOOR
    • Garden
    • Patio
    • Terrace & Balcony
    • Courtyard
    MORE ROOMS
    • Puja Room
    • Wardrobe
    • Exterior
    • Swimming Pool
    • View All
  • FIND PROFESSIONALS
    DESIGN & RENOVATION
    • Architects & Building Designers
    • Interior Designers & Decorators
    • Civil Engineers & Contractors
    • Design-Build Firms
    • Kitchen & Bath Designers
    • Landscape Architects & Contractors
    • Home Builders & Construction Companies
    • Photographers
    • Specialty Contractors
    HOME IMPROVEMENT
    • Furniture & Accessories
    • Flooring & Carpet
    • Tile, Stone & Countertop
    • Bedding & Bath
    View All Pros View All Services
  • STORIES
    LATEST FROM HOUZZ
    • Houzz Tours
    • Kitchen Guides
    • Bathroom Guides
    • Bedroom Guides
    • Decorating Guides
    • Outdoors
    • Architecture
    HOUZZ TV
    HOUZZ RESEARCH
  • ADVICE
    HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
    • Design Dilemma
    • Before & After
    • Polls
    • Home Decorating
    • Kitchens
    • Living Rooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Dining Rooms
    • Exterior
    • Lighting
    • Paint
    • Building a Home
Kitchen Guides
Kitchen Guides
Is Granite a Better Countertop Material Than Engineered Quartz?
Top Ideabooks
Is Granite a Better Countertop Material Than Engineered Quartz?Pros & Cons of 5 Popular Kitchen Flooring MaterialsIs a White Kitchen Sensible?The Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
Kitchen storageKitchen Ideas
Houzz Around the World
Houzz Around the World
Unbelievable Italian Home Shows a Mirror to the Mountains
Top Ideabooks
Unbelievable Italian Home Shows a Mirror to the MountainsHouzz Tour: A 335-Sq-Ft Apartment Hides Storage and Surprises9 Architectural Elements of the Spanish Revival StyleTour the Historical Homes of Trailblazing African Americans
Appears in
Recent IdeabooksHouzz Tours
Kitchen storage
Kitchen storage
The Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
Top Ideabooks
The Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen StorageGenius Layouts & Smart Storage: 27 Super Clever Kitchen ArrangementsWant to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Bigger?How to Solve the Kitchen Corner Storage Problem?
Appears in
Kitchen Guides
Kitchen Ideas
Kitchen Ideas
7 Steps to a Kitchen Garden in a Small Apartment
Top Ideabooks
7 Steps to a Kitchen Garden in a Small ApartmentIs a White Kitchen Sensible?These 12 Items Deserve a Spot on Your Kitchen CounterWill a Glass Backsplash Work For My Kitchen?
Appears in
Kitchen Guides

Genius Layouts & Smart Storage: 27 Super Clever Kitchen Arrangements

Here are 27 inspired kitchen designs on Houzz

Georgia Madden
Georgia Madden16 November 2020
Senior writer, Houzz Australia
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
An awkward floor plan, a lack of storage, nowhere to squeeze in a dining table… no matter the size and shape of your kitchen, chances are that it presents some sort of design challenge. But where there are problems there are also solutions, as these 27 inspired kitchen designs from around the world illustrate.
Renotech Building Pty Ltd
1. Location: Leichardt, NSW
Designer: Renotech Building
Features
Compact lines, an understated colour scheme and an abundance of built-in storage to keep clutter at bay – a great solution for a small kitchen.
Katie Sargent Design
2. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Katie Sargent Design
Features
There’s much to love here; a cheery blue-and-white colour combination and a clever, stepped island design that perfectly accommodates a pair of bar stools.

Here’s how a kitchen island can be more than an island
Marino General Contracting
3. Location: Vancouver, Canada
Features
A practical kitchen-storage set-up that combines shelf and drawer storage for all your cooking and dining supplies.
Flatsdesign / Евгения Матвеенко
4. Location: Moscow, Russia
Features
Proof that a kitchen in a small apartment doesn’t have to be without personality. Here, the owners have chosen warm, timber cabinetry, groovy, white subway tiles and bold, black accents in the form of the oven and rangehood.
Mikasa Designs
5. Location: Perth, Western Australia
Designer: Mikasa Designs
Features
A forgiving timber- and-black colour palette (great for families) and plenty of custom shelves and cabinets specially designed to fit the owners’ cookbooks, wine collection and cooking paraphernalia – a great way to maximise storage space.
GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens
6. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: GIA Bathrooms and Kitchens
Features
A stepped-down kitchen island designed for dining; the sophisticated materials palette makes the area suitable for both casual meals and entertaining.
Platinum Fine Homes
7. Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Designer: Platinum Fine Homes
Features
A light colour palette and fine-lined materials, such as the slender benchtop, trick the eye into believing this compact kitchen is bigger than it really is.

These are the must-haves of a small open kitchen
Schmidt Kitchens Palmers Green
8. Location: London, UK
Features
Storing pantry items in pull-out drawers rather than cupboards you have to delve into makes them far easier to access. But the clever touches in this small kitchen don’t end there…
Schmidt Kitchens Palmers Green
…it boasts internal drawer organisers for cutlery and sharp knives…
Schmidt Kitchens Palmers Green
…and even a pull-out chopping board to provide extra prep space.
Masterclass Kitchens
9. Location: United Kingdom
Features
Beautifully considered touches, such as a neat little section of wine storage near the ceiling and deep storage drawers at the end of the kitchen island, make this two-tone kitchen sing.
Masterclass Kitchens
Note how the blonde timber shelves contrast with the graphite cabinetry and turn the owners’ simple collection of jars and kitchen paraphernalia into an eye-catching feaure.
GIA Bathrooms & Kitchens
10. Location: Brighton, Victoria
Designer: GIA Bathrooms and Kitchens
Feature
Raising the kitchen island maximises the floor space here and makes the room appear bigger. A marble-and-white palette and touches of brass add elegance.
Jasmin Latona Photography
11. Location: Hobart, Tasmania
Features
A half-height timber backsplash such as this one is a smart solution in an entertainer’s kitchen; it shields cooking mess from guests’ view while allowing the cook to remain part of the conversation.
Alpha Renovations
12. Location: Sydney, NSW
Designer: Alpha Renovations
Features
Including an overhang in your kitchen island design, such as the owners have done here, allows you to tuck bar stools neatly away when they’re not in use for an uncluttered look.
Style Precinct Interior Design & Decoration
13. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Style Precinct
Features: Feature wine storage – an appealing touch in an entertainer’s kitchen.

Check out these stunning wine cellars
Urban Design Interiors
14. Location: Boston, USA
Features
A fold-down kitchen table is a practical choice in a family kitchen; open it up when you’re dining or if you need extra prep space, and fold down the sides when it’s not in use. This one even includes handy drawers to store cutlery and napkins.
15. Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Features
Sleek, high-gloss cabinetry looks sophisticated and keeps the owners’ cookware neatly hidden away– ideal when your kitchen opens directly to the living and dining rooms, as this one does.
Ardent Architects Pty Ltd
16. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: Ardent Architects
Features
A durable, concrete floor and an easy-to-live-with grey-and-timber palette. An appealing combination for a family kitchen in a contemporary home.
Space Craft Joinery
17. Location: Strathalbyn, South Australia
Designer: Space Craft Joinery
Features
A forgiving colour scheme, plenty of bench space for prep and a pair of ovens at an accessible height concealed behind the timber section. A great kitchen arrangement for a keen cook.
Space Craft Joinery
…and here’s a view of that kitchen from the cook’s side.
Susie Hammond Design
18. Location: Cornwall, UK
Features
A pull-out pantry that disappears into a nook in the wall when not in use – genius.
Rebecca Lu Photography
19. Location: Sydney, NSW
Features
Taking the cabinetry right from floor to ceiling allowed the owner of this tiny kitchen to maximise their storage potential. Including open storage in the form of a shelf for cups and a rail for serving spoons ups the charm factor.
Bailey General Contracting Co, Inc.
20. Location: San Francisco, USA
Features
Thanks to its clever layout, this compact kitchen manages to squeeze in a bench seat for casual dining.
smarterBATHROOMS+
21. Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Designer: smarterBATHROOMS+
Features
Choosing matching containers for your open storage, as the owners have done here, gives the arrangement a smart and cohesive look.
smarterBATHROOMS+
We’re loving the fireplace at the end of the benchtop in the same kitchen – a dramatic feature and a great way to warm up the adjoining spaces.

Find a kitchen designer to help you design your own kitchen
Divine Design+Build
22. Location: Boston, USA
Features
This chic kitchen conceals a range of appealing extras that boost its functionality…
Divine Design+Build
…such as a pull-out recycling station…
Divine Design+Build
…and space-savvy, double-layer drawers.
Jenna Burger Design
23. Location: Boston, USA
Features
The owners of this family kitchen have made every bit of space count. A narrow wall makes the perfect spot to hold paperwork and post – all labelled for easy access.
Jenna Burger Design
…and they’ve made use of the awkward, little spots on either side of the fridge by adding in a pair of narrow, pull-out pantries. Utterly brilliant.
Woodale
24. Location: Dublin, Ireland
Features
A half-height, pull-out pantry right beneath the prep area is the perfect spot for oils and spices.


See these smart ways to store spices
Fisher & Paykel
25. Location: Orange County, USA
Features
One minute it’s a kitchen and the next it’s a bedroom. A slatted screen that slides across to hide the ‘working’ parts of this compact kitchen is a genius addition.
GRECO INTERIORS
26. Location: Toronto, Canada
Features
You don’t need a huge amount of space to create an eat-in kitchen, as this design demonstrates.
APE Architecture and Design Ltd.
27. Location: London, UK
Features
This flip-down table is another inspired dining solution for a tiny kitchen. Flip it up when you want to enjoy casual meals and fold it flat against the wall when you need floor space.

Read more:

Fresh Design Ideas From 20 Urban Indian Kitchens


Tell us:
Which one of these kitchens impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below.
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
See 25 comments
Explore Related Topics
Kitchen GuidesHouzz Around the WorldKitchen storageKitchen Ideas
Read Related Stories
Is Granite a Better Countertop Material Than Engineered Quartz?Is Granite a Better Countertop Material Than Engineered Quartz?
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·1
Kitchen Guides
Pros & Cons of 5 Popular Kitchen Flooring MaterialsPros & Cons of 5 Popular Kitchen Flooring Materials
By Sam Ferris·365
Floors
Is a White Kitchen Sensible?Is a White Kitchen Sensible?
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·1
Kitchen Ideas
The Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen StorageThe Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
By Steven Randel·180
Kitchen storage
These 12 Items Deserve a Spot on Your Kitchen CounterThese 12 Items Deserve a Spot on Your Kitchen Counter
By Charmean Neithart·132
Kitchen Ideas
Will a Glass Backsplash Work For My Kitchen?Will a Glass Backsplash Work For My Kitchen?
By Sarah Warwick·48
Kitchen Ideas
The Future of KitchensThe Future of Kitchens
By Rebecca Gross·17
Kitchen Ideas
How to Design a Kitchen That’s Easy to CleanHow to Design a Kitchen That’s Easy to Clean
By Victoria Harrison·112
Kitchen Ideas
The Most Popular Kitchens From Around The WorldThe Most Popular Kitchens From Around The World
By Julia Bolotina·73
Houzz Around the World
7 Sophisticated Blues for Kitchen Cabinets7 Sophisticated Blues for Kitchen Cabinets
By Neila Deen·121
Colour Guides
9 Kitchen Scraps That Will Give New Life to Your Plants9 Kitchen Scraps That Will Give New Life to Your Plants
By Ansoo Gupta·0
Kitchen Ideas
Kitchen Countertop Ideas: Which Counter-Edge Design is Best?Kitchen Countertop Ideas: Which Counter-Edge Design is Best?
By Rebekah Zaveloff·52
Kitchen Ideas
Genius Layouts & Smart Storage: 27 Super Clever Kitchen ArrangementsGenius Layouts & Smart Storage: 27 Super Clever Kitchen Arrangements
By Georgia Madden·25
Houzz Around the World
Want to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Bigger?Want to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Bigger?
By Lisa Frederick·50
Kitchen Ideas
How to Solve the Kitchen Corner Storage Problem?How to Solve the Kitchen Corner Storage Problem?
By Tanya Selever·23
Kitchen storage
People who liked this story also liked
Is Granite a Better Countertop Material Than Engineered Quartz?
Is Granite a Better Countertop Material Than Engineered Quartz?Full Story
Pros & Cons of 5 Popular Kitchen Flooring Materials
Pros & Cons of 5 Popular Kitchen Flooring MaterialsFull Story
Is a White Kitchen Sensible?
Is a White Kitchen Sensible?Full Story
The Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen Storage
The Big Guide: Know the 3 Zones of Kitchen StorageFull Story
These 12 Items Deserve a Spot on Your Kitchen Counter
These 12 Items Deserve a Spot on Your Kitchen CounterFull Story
Will a Glass Backsplash Work For My Kitchen?
Will a Glass Backsplash Work For My Kitchen?Full Story
The Future of Kitchens
The Future of KitchensFull Story
How to Design a Kitchen That’s Easy to Clean
How to Design a Kitchen That’s Easy to CleanFull Story
The Most Popular Kitchens From Around The World
The Most Popular Kitchens From Around The WorldFull Story
7 Sophisticated Blues for Kitchen Cabinets
7 Sophisticated Blues for Kitchen CabinetsFull Story
  • India
  • ABOUT
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FAQs
  • CAREERS
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms & Privacy
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.