Storage space ideas for small kitchens
13 Jun 2019
Maximum variety & convenience. Drawers and deep, drawer-type pull-outs really make an impression with their smooth operation and the convenience of mechanical or electrical opening and soft closing. An extra storage boost is provided, for example, by a high-fronted drawer-type pull-out with an additional internal drawer. Photo: AMK
Roomy kitchen-cum-living areas offer one thing above all else: plenty of space. But even small kitchens or kitchens with unfavourable floor plans should provide a sufficient degree of convenience and storage space. “Small kitchens especially should offer plenty of convenience and just as much functionality and ergonomic design as larger ones,” says Volker Irle, Managing Director of German kitchen industry association AMK (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Die Moderne Küche e.V.). With the following storage space ideas, we aim to show you what is possible in small kitchens.
This tall unit solution with sliding doors highlights the variety of the storage options: a mix of shelving and smooth-running drawers, which take advantage of the existing storage volume available in the full depth of the tall unit and make it easily accessible. Photo: AMK
For example, wall units with sliding doors or hinged flaps can be used instead of cupboard doors, which often get in the way, especially in confined spaces, and also pose an injury risk – a consideration that also applies in the case of larger kitchens.
Not only can tall units incorporate several compact built-in appliances – such as ovens, steamers, microwaves or automatic coffee makers – drawers have now also become one of their key features. They make optimum use of the full depth of the available storage space and also make it accessible from three sides.
A corner cupboard becomes a convenience zone in which the entire contents are brought into easy reach of users. The two shelves can be moved in and out independently of each other without blocking access to the neighbouring cupboard. Photo: AMK
In kitchens that can’t accommodate a tall unit – perhaps because a sloping roof is in the way – there are many different types of base unit that also offer variable storage space solutions. Depending on the space available, base units with several narrow pull-outs may be an option. They can also be combined with extra-wide or extra-high pull-outs, which is also visually attractive. Drawer-in-drawer pull-outs make optimum use of the available storage space on two levels. And everything is easy to find and secured against slipping – from cutlery to cookware.
Even the space directly behind the sink and the strip of wall above the countertops present a stowage opportunity for all kinds of items, from cleaning and cooking utensils to kitchen herbs. Or how about a slim, metallic shelf? These also look great on other walls. Photo: AMK
The area directly behind the sink is ideal for a narrow storage rack. With the countertop below and cupboards above, the wall itself also has potential: additional storage space can be created here with slim wall shelves. Unused storage space such as “dead corners” can be transformed into convenience zones by harnessing imaginative solutions such as corner base units with racks that fully swing out.
New, attractive shelving systems present further possibilities. For example, they make it easy to conceal wall projections and angular floor plans. In small kitchens with high walls, even the ceiling can be part of the design – in the form of a suspended shelf.