How to organise a small kitchen
Idea
My kitchen may be small, but it has everything I need. Here’s how to find the joy in small cooking spaces.
Emily Heil
All my life I’ve dreamed of finding rooms in my house that I didn’t even know existed. And because they are dreams — when I often engage in unexpected behavior, like talking to Hillary Clinton or conducting spy missions — I greet these previously secret parts of my home not with the kind of oh-my-god, I’m-in-a-horror-movie terror that I would in real life, but rather with pleasant surprise.
My unscientific online research tells me that these recurring visions probably mean I’m discovering untapped potential or lost aspects of myself, which may well be true – and this kind of analysis is definitely worth the money. But I think it might all have to do with the fact that I’ve lived in small spaces my entire adult life. A small studio, a one-bedroom apartment and a narrow, historic terrace for the last 20 years.
Maybe I subconsciously long for larger living spaces. I have to admit, maybe it would be nice to have a larger guest room for friends or a secluded media room where my husband could watch football games and I couldn’t hear his swearing. When I’m actually dreaming, I think I wouldn’t mind a library, a home gym, or a wine cellar. But one room whose tiny size I really love and appreciate is our kitchen.
A modest space; A kitchen that is less than three meters long and has no upper cabinets on a windowed wall. I love that I don’t have much distance from the refrigerator to the sink and stove. That coveted “work triangle” connecting the three points you hear about in kitchen design is simply built-in.
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Over the years, having so little counter space has encouraged me to develop good habits like cleaning up while I’m cooking (I’m always just inches from the trash can, so throwing things away is a breeze), putting away ingredients in the fridge and pantry as soon as I’m done, and generally being more efficient.
When our people come over, they’re usually crammed into the kitchen, even though it’s not specifically designed for entertaining.
And I’m not a very meticulous cleaner, but it’s much easier to keep a small kitchen clean.
I often re-appreciate my comfort zone after years of cooking on the beach we visit or in other people’s kitchens. As I walked around these large spaces I realized how distracting they could be. It’s harder to multitask when the pot you need to stir in is far from the area where you’re chopping vegetables. It’s easier to throw your leftovers in the trash instead of carrying them there. I love doing my daily step count, but I prefer not to do it when I’m making dinner.
Over the years, we’ve made our tiny kitchen our own, including installing refinished hardwood floors that I painted in a checkerboard pattern. We replaced the gray faux stone benches with honed marble benches that developed a patina like a centuries-old bistro bar. That’s another thing to like: Because of their small size, the cost of these updates is relatively low.
When our people come over, they’re usually crammed into the kitchen, even though it’s not specifically designed for entertaining. As the conversations and cocktails flow, no one seems to care that there is no island or coffee station.
Our setup works for my husband and I, and I know people with kids and larger families probably live and cook very differently. Usually one of us cooks alone, and when we’re both there together we usually have no problem doing so. We even bought a small stool so we could keep each other company (it also doubles as an extra surface to put food or plates on when entertaining). The double island in a renovation show might not (seriously, who needs it) them stuff?), but it gets the job done.
A small kitchen may not be for everyone, but here are a few ways I’ve found that less can truly be more.
Embrace the limitations
Just using the space I have keeps me from accumulating unnecessary things. There’s only one drawer for tea towels and oven mitts. A shelf for storage containers. A drawer for spices. If there is overflow, something has to go; Whether it’s a three-year-old cinnamon shaker or a burnt pot holder, something can always go. I don’t keep many things like glass jars or insulated drink carriers; but I have room for one or two of each (and that’s okay).
make it fashionable
Since the visual impact of visible storage in narrow spaces is great, I try to make both aesthetic and functional choices as much as possible, and this gives me pleasure. Instead of a regular pot, I use an antique pot next to the stove to keep my most used tools close at hand. I love the wall-mounted knife holder for its space-saving features, so instead of using a plastic or stainless version with visible magnetic strips, I found a smooth wooden knife holder on Etsy. We display a cut glass bowl for the fruit and a small silver-plated plate for the garlic and shallots. (You can find many of these at op shops for a few dollars.)
Think beyond the kitchen
If you need something for cooking or eating and you really don’t have room in your kitchen, you can usually find a few inches elsewhere in your home. I keep all of our fun supplies, including serving pieces and extra cutlery (antique and vintage, which I store vertically in vases) in a cabinet in the dining room. Having to think creatively about the entire space can help you prioritize the things that really matter, in the kitchen and outside.
Use this as an excuse
So you don’t want to inherit your great-aunt’s casserole dish or your parents’ wedding china? “Oh, I’m so sorry, we don’t have room!” an undeniable reason not to bring them home. It may even dissuade your family members from giving you impractical kitchen gifts, and if they do, it gives you the emotional freedom to donate them without guilt or hesitation.
Washington Post
