8 Kitchen Cabinet Designs For Tiny Kitchens

Many people think their options are limited when it comes to a smaller kitchen, but thanks to creative kitchen cabinet designs for tiny kitchens, you can do a lot with that space.

With some simple customizations and utilizing commonly unused spaces, you can fit more dishes, pans and more.

The great thing is you’ll also make your kitchen feel less cluttered by not having to stack everything on your countertops. All it takes is thinking a bit outside the box.

1. Add Cabinets Above Your Refrigerator

Many kitchens have an open space above the refrigerator. You may also have space to the side of your fridge too. This is unused real estate that’s perfect for kitchens. Adding top cabinets above your refrigerator is ideal for items you don’t use often. If you have space, add a thin pantry cabinet to the side of your fridge. This is perfect for canned goods and even racks for plates.

2. Add Toekick Drawers

The baseboard around the bottom of your cabinets is nice, but what if you could use the space? One of the best kitchen cabinet designs for tiny kitchens is toekick drawers. These are tiny drawers under your cabinets. You’d be amazed at how many pans, lids, cutting boards and cleaning supplies you can get in those small areas. This frees up your other cabinets for other items.

3. Add Shelves Above Your Oven

If you have a large range hood above your stove, you might want to replace it with a smaller hood. This then frees up space above the hood to add shelves or cabinets. This is the ideal place for storing mixing bowls or even hanging smaller pots. If you don’t want a cabinet, adding hooks to hang pots and lids works well here too.

4. Add Storage In An Island

If your kitchen has an island or room for a small island, you’ll love these kitchen cabinet designs for tiny kitchens. Adding an open bin under the countertop gives you ample storage for cookbooks and cooking utensils. You could even store your most frequently used plates.

An island can also conceal your kitchen table. Adding a pull-out or fold-out table to your island saves you space, but still gives you room to eat. It also serves as an additional prep area.

5. Build Around Your Doorframe

For kitchens with space around the doorframe, take advantage of it. While you probably won’t want traditional cabinets, thin floor to ceiling shelving offers space for dishes, knick-knacks, herbs and more. Never underestimate how much you can store in even a tiny area. To prevent a cluttered look, you may want to install a door on the shelves to hide away your dishes. For more display-type items, glass doors work well.

6. Use Corner Cabinets

Corners serve as the perfect place for kitchen cabinet designs for tiny kitchens. Instead of losing space in the corner of a wall, continue your cabinets by adding a corner cabinet. For instance, in the picture for this post, the cabinets around the fridge could be turned into a corner-style pantry, offering additional space and storage.

7. Build Around Your Window

Typically, a window is avoided when it comes to adding cabinets. However, it’s easy to add a small shelf or cabinet above and to the sides of your kitchen window. You may want to consider simply adding open shelves to the outside of the cabinets near your window if you want to grow herbs or store often used items. A plate rack above the window works well to quickly grab the plates you use most often.

8. Utilize All Cabinet Space

Many kitchen cabinet designs for tiny kitchens don’t stop at the inside of the cabinet. You can get far more storage space out of your cabinets by utilizing all the space they provide. For instance, a cabinet that doesn’t set against a wall is the perfect place for open shelves or a rack for storing smaller items. You can hang items on the sides of cabinets with hooks or magnets.

The underside of your cabinets is the perfect place for small shelves and racks. For instance, you could store all your spices by adding a rack under a top cabinet.

Getting Inspired

Tiny kitchens don’t mean you can’t get creative. From the design to the storage space, you have numerous options. Some great places to go for inspiration include:

Now that you’re inspired to redesign your tiny kitchen, contact us today to get your project started with custom kitchen cabinet designs.

Image: Christian Mackie