Big Dreams for My Small Kitchen
When kitchen makeovers are shared online, most are of spacious kitchens that were done with huge budgets and the latest and greatest of appliances and decorating trends showcasing $10,000 ranges with ornate hoods and islands the size of Manhattan.
Shared less, are small kitchen makeovers that focus on how to make every inch highly efficient and attractive on a smaller budget.
This is what I need to find more – finding great ideas for small kitchens. Since I am not finding the inspiration I seek, I am going to do it myself which is to share doable smaller kitchen layout and design ideas in a series of posts about the dreaming stage for my small kitchen that overall measures 10′-0″ x 24′-0″ and this includes a 3-foot hallway. Then if the stars align, putting the plan into action.
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When we first moved into our house, I made over every inch of the early 1970’s era kitchen cosmetically. You can see how I did it in my Budget DIY Kitchen Makeover post.
In my previous house I had a large pantry that stored quite a bit and I got pretty used to it. In my house now, there is a Small Pantry Closet that I made over to make more use of the space.
Both the kitchen and pantry function for us, but they could be so much better as kitchen layout and design has evolved quite a bit since 1970.
Over the 7 years we have lived in the house, Ed and I have mostly thought about adding an addition off the the side of the house shown in the above photo.
Doing this would double the size of the kitchen and give us a walk-in pantry, but after a lot of thought, the expense of that doesn’t make sense for us in this stage of our life.
We are content with the space, but the custom-made cabinets and drawers that are original to the house which is going on 40 years are not opening and closing as well as they once did.
I also painted the countertops to look like Carrara marble a few years ago. They were brown formica and came out great and still look fine, but I would love to have the real thing or some kind of stone counters.
So now I am looking at how to use the existing kitchen footprint and designing it to function for the way we use and work in the space.
I drew a basic layout of the kitchen for you to see. It is not to scale, but will give you an idea of what I have to work with.
What I would like to remove – the awkward peninsula, the U shape counter and replace with one long section of cabinet to make room for a larger island. Also remove the far wall cabinets that are not on a wall, but hung from the ceiling that blocks the light to the hallway beyond the kitchen.
Looking from the work area of the kitchen over the peninsula view to the dining area and view out to the lake. (I darkened this photo on purpose so you could see out the sliding glass door. In normal light photos, the light coming in the glass doors always washes the doors and view out.)
Other Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas I Like
- Get a range/oven in one and use the floor to ceiling space where the double ovens and microwave are now for easy to access storage.
- Get a better designed refrigerator. The current one takes up too much space.
- We had a banquette in the kitchen in our previous home in Pennsylvania. We loved it and I do miss having one. I would like to create a smaller one on the wall under the window by the kitchen table.
- I would like an island with open storage underneath-more like a work table and painted or stained a different color than the cabinets.
I am thinking of taking my plan to the kitchen designers at Lowes or Home Depot to see what they come up with. Has anyone used them to help plan out and remodel a kitchen?
But even better for kitchen ideas is asking you for ideas. If who have remodeled a kitchen, what did you change, add, love or found you didn’t use or need at all. I would love to hear what you did.
If you haven’t remodeled a kitchen, but are like me, in the dreaming stages, what would you love your dream kitchen to have?