We like this article. It points out some good strategies to maximize the potential of small kitchen footprints – Archisys Team
Thinking Big With Small Kitchens
There are many things we might say about the smaller kitchen, but here is a quick top ten list of things to review as you plan your efforts to think big in a smaller-sized kitchen space.
1. Prioritize. There are several layers to this process. The first occurs during the initial client interview when you’ll discuss food prep, serving and entertaining habits and inventory needed. This inventory must include items related to food prep utensils and gear, tableware and serving items, small appliances, cookbooks, items related to other kitchen activities and everything to be stored in the kitchen. The second phase of this prioritizing occurs when the conceptual plans have been reviewed and the client can use trace layered over the plan, or best, over elevations to identify where they might place the items they wish to store, which can help with the balancing process. This is the point at which decisions are made as to which items must be kept at the point of use and which items can be stored in auxiliary spots, or which items are redundant and might not be necessary. Gale Steves’ book, Right-sizing Your Home, has wonderful tips for this process.
2. Steal space. During this process, or really prior to this process, you will have been reviewing adjacent spaces in the home to see if and where inches might be stolen for additional storage. The big ones are obvious – taking down a wall, or a mud room, family entrance, back hall, or laundry that might be redesigned to include pantry storage – these are huge gains of storage. Beyond the big changes, it’s important to remember that inches really do make a difference. Canned goods can be stored in six inches or less, so a back hall that can afford a pocket, even between studs, might allow for some serious added storage where before there was none. Sometimes, areas where headroom has been cleared around stairs can offer additional storage – just remember that inches make a difference. Another recent wealth of storage for me has been in furniture pieces, whether used as hutches for a client’s dishes, barware or children’s items located just out of the main kitchen space.
Read the full article here. http://www.forresidentialpros.com/article/11677705/design-ideas-for-small-kitchens
