Although I’m sure many of us dream of having a huge, open, airy kitchen in which we can cook culinary masterpieces and comfortably seat a small army of friends and family, sometimes the practical–and budgetary–realities say otherwise.
When DIY blogger ADD and her husband embarked on a renovation of their 75-square-foot galley kitchen, they came to the realization that because they didn’t want to move the kitchen elsewhere, they would need to work within its existing size. Yet instead of allowing themselves to be constrained by the small space, they made several thoughtful decisions that enhanced the kitchen’s layout and created a fun, functional space. ADD’s tips?
Learn the art of compromise.
Although ADD and her hubby didn’t move the kitchen, they did opt to raise the ceiling and build cabinets “sky-high” for additional storage. Consider your own space and, if your budget or other practical factors don’t allow for exactly what you want, look for other creative ways to get more of what you want out of your kitchen.
Prioritize your wish list.
In order to maintain a streamlined kitchen, ADD chose to splurge on custom appliance panels “so that they would disappear into the cabinet wall.” Because this ate into the overall budget, she implemented some less expensive projects–such as painting instead of installing a tile backsplash–so that the costs remained even. Before you begin your kitchen renovation, outline the few things that you feel are splurge-worthy–and where you can save additional money in order to stay within budget.
Choose fixtures, finishes and other design elements carefully.
As ADD wrote, “Our cabinets and hardware, for example, are deliberately simple.” This isn’t to say that you can’t inject a bit of creativity, color or other design flair into your space, but if you overload with patterns, textures, ornate drawer pulls and other design accents, you could end up with a cramped space that feels too visually cluttered.
Are you limited by a small kitchen? And if so, what tips and tricks do you use to enhance your space?
Photo by Moya McAllister, courtesy of DIY with ADD
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