Minimalist design can make a small kitchen look bigger and function better. And who doesn’t want that? Below you’ll find some of the most important ideas and details to consider when designing a small, minimalist kitchen.
Nic Owen Architects
1. Repeat materials. People sometimes think minimalist design is all about being cold and austere. But it’s more accurate to say minimalist design is about careful editing and planning to make an entire space feel harmonious and seamless, without any unnecessary clutter or discord. Taking some time when you start your design to settle on a material palette will help ensure that the final result appears well-coordinated, which can also help it look bigger.
The Melbourne, Australia, kitchen shown here essentially just uses white and wood (in one matching stain carrying from floor to cabinets), with small accents in a single metal tone. The seamlessness between different finishes tricks the eye into seeing the kitchen as being a bit bigger than it really is, which goes a long way in a compact layout.
Francesco Dolce Architetto
2. Play with neutral shades. White is a powerful color choice for making any kitchen look bigger, and you will see a lot of it in this article, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only option. In fact, using differing shades can emphasize the changes in depth of a room, which can also create a larger appearance.
Mesure
To get the largest look, pair subtle grays with white for the main finishes, and use a bit of dark gray or black on the backsplash or above the upper cabinets to give the illusion that the back wall is farther away than it really is.
Or, if you want a little more drama, use dark colors for horizontal surfaces like the floor, countertops or lower elements like island cabinets, because these elements won’t stand out as much as the vertical surfaces at eye level.
co.arch studio
3. Use an interesting floor finish. The floor is a great place to add a little interest to a minimalist kitchen, especially in one where the open floor isn’t a lot of square footage. A monochromatic cabinet finish will allow a patterned ceramic tile or rich textural stone to be the star feature, but the small surface area will ensure the material doesn’t make the space feel too busy or break the budget.
4. Consider how much countertop you really need. In a compact kitchen, you can’t have both endless counter space and sufficient storage. But if you keep your counters decluttered, you won’t need all that space.
A good 48 to 60 inches of unbroken counter space is plenty of room, so if you can work that in (especially easy in a space with an island or peninsula), you don’t need much more. Trade away some of the remaining potential counter space and use full-height pantry cabinets instead to get much more storage.
Insight Vision
5. Mix deep and standard upper cabinets. If you have some vertical space to work with, build your cabinets all the way up to the ceiling with a mix of standard 12- to 16-inch uppers above the counter and counter-depth uppers above those. This gives you breathing room around eye and elbow height, with some extra depth to stash large items or seasonal pieces. Just be sure to also include a step ladder tucked away nearby so you can get items down safely from the highest cabinets.
See how to get more storage with counter-depth upper cabinets
Upscale Construction
6. Add storage everywhere. High uppers aren’t the only place where you can add a little extra storage in a minimalist kitchen. Consider adding storage to the side walls above your counters, especially above a peninsula or beside an island. This can be a great place to include an “appliance garage” that houses countertop appliances (such as mixers and toasters) so they don’t have to be lifted down from a high cabinet but also aren’t on display when not in use.
Find popular kitchen storage ideas
Francesco Dolce Architetto
7. Include undercabinet lighting. When packing in many cabinets like in the previous few examples, or even when not, including undercabinet lighting gives your room a modern, almost ethereal glow while helping the area feel a little more airy and open.
When facing toward the cabinets during prep work or cooking, the extra brightness will alleviate the sense of feeling crowded in and will illuminate your work surface for better comfort and safety.
Olivia Lind Interiors
8. Use integrated reach-in pulls. Using doors and drawers with integrated grooves instead of attached hardware gives a kitchen a modern look and saves a precious few inches of room. This style also means you won’t hook your clothes or bump your knees on knobs or pulls while moving around your compact kitchen.
It also means you can avoid the common issue of trying to coordinate different pulls for different types of cabinets, which in a small space with few cabinets can sometimes create a mismatched effect. Instead, the effect is subtle and seamless as each door and drawer has the same matching pull built in.
Lion x Lamb
9. Hide everyday mess with a bar counter. A compact kitchen is often part of a small, open-concept home. And while it has its advantages, it can sometimes mean feeling like you constantly live with dirty dishes. Unless you can keep your kitchen pristine at all times, you may want to consider including a bar-height island or peninsula counter to provide just a bit of visual coverage.
Neue Räume - Die Küchen Schreiner
10. Use a paneled fridge. A beautiful fridge or dishwasher can be an attractive feature, but in a small minimalist kitchen, choosing panel-ready appliances that are covered with a false cabinet door avoids breaking up the cabinets more than necessary, which can make the kitchen seem much bigger.
If the kitchen shown here had a visible fridge on the back wall, the entire composition would be busier, and asymmetrical, which isn’t necessarily bad. It just wouldn’t have the same minimalist crispness.
P.Built Constructions
Alternatively, you can “box-in” a fridge by surrounding it with a deep cabinet above and pantry cabinets on one or both sides. This works especially well with a counter-depth fridge, leaving the fridge looking integrated into the cabinetry even without a panel or trim kit.
Galleria del Vento
11. Include a breakfast bar. If your space is too narrow to include an island or peninsula with seating, you can still add a few stools for quick bites. A breakfast bar counter like this one gives you a place for casual meals but also an extra work surface when needed for busy prep time. Just be sure to choose seats that can fully tuck under the counter so they aren’t in the way when not in use.
12. Use plenty of ceiling lights. Pendants can be a beautiful addition to a kitchen, but minimalist kitchens are more likely to benefit from simple ceiling lights that don’t protrude. This creates a clean, architectural look but also keeps sight lines clear so the room feels a bit bigger and less busy.
If you’re working with a concrete ceiling or otherwise can’t easily add overhead lights, consider using a dropped panel to allow for pot lights to tuck away, or an LED cove light to be added for an all-over modern glow.
Lima Kitchens
13. Install smart interior organizers. In a compact kitchen it’s especially important to use modern organizational technology to use your storage as effectively as possible.
While a lazy Susan and other simple options can help a corner cabinet or other hard-to-reach area be a bit more reachable, fully extending shelves like the ones shown here are even better for helping you access every piece in a cabinet.
Parkett Strehl GmbH
14. Merge your counter and backsplash. Earlier we mentioned repeating materials, and one of the best places to do this is the countertop and backsplash. Using one material for both surfaces creates not only a minimalist look but also a sense of seamlessness that makes both surfaces appear larger. Plus, a single slab of material is often large enough to create both surfaces in a compact kitchen, avoiding wasteful off-cutting.
Architekturbüro msm Schneck
15. Add a storage rail. Even in the most minimalist kitchen there are often certain cooking essentials you wish to keep at the ready, rather than tucked in a cabinet or drawer. To keep your countertops free, add a shelving rail or hang-bar to your backsplash. This way items can be perched or hung nearby but off your surfaces. The look is less-cluttered and keeps the counter free for setting down a cutting board or platter.
Lucy Harris Studio
16. Don’t be afraid to add personal touches. As I mentioned in the first photo, the point of minimalist design is not to hold yourself back with rules and create a space that feels cold and impersonal. The key is to make considered choices and use the minimal amount of elements you need, so nothing unnecessary detracts from the overall picture.
If you want to add a pendant light, a piece of art or another personal touch, go for it. The simple palette will make each of these choices stand out even more and feel extra special. And in a small kitchen, even one personal touch can make a huge difference.
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