Having a small kitchen is like cooking on hard mode. It can be tricky enough to follow a recipe without having to ration your limited counter space and battle for elbow-room. Short of building an addition or expropriating space from the dining room, you can’t do much to increase your square footage — but you can make a small kitchen feel larger.

These tricks can help you maximize small kitchen space for a more functional and beautiful home.

1. Reclaim Your Counter Space

Countertops are meant to be a workspace. When space is at a premium, you want it to be open for food preparation; not cluttered with appliances and other kitchenware.

One of the easiest ways to make a small kitchen larger is to declare war on countertop clutter. Move your microwave oven onto an open shelf above the counter (the same goes for slow cookers, blenders, and standing mixers). Store your knives on a wall-mounted rack instead of a knife block (which is also way more sanitary). Swap your dish dryer rack for a tiny, portable dishwasher you can stow under the sink.

2. Embrace Open Shelving

Kitchen cabinets come with pros and cons. On the upside, they protect your dishes and cookware from dust; on the other hand, they close off a lot of space in the top half of your kitchen. When your kitchen is small, the airiness of open shelving often outweighs the benefit of keeping things behind closed doors.

The key to succeeding with open shelving is organization. Place your most-used items on the lowest shelves, occasional items in the middle, and things you rarely use on the very top shelf. You can add decorative items here and there, like vintage canisters or cookbooks, for visual appeal.

Not sure if open shelving will work for you? Try removing a few cabinet doors as a temporary test-run. You can always re-attach them if you find it’s not for you.

3. Leave Room to Breathe

Don’t underestimate the power of negative space. The gaps between appliances and décor items can speak volumes, especially when it comes to small spaces. Leaving room to spare gives you more breathing room, but filing every inch of space makes your small kitchen feel even more cramped. Taking a page from the Scandinavian design book is one way to make your small kitchen larger.

4. Downsize to Apartment-Size Appliances

You can’t get around the fact that the refrigerator occupies a big slice of your small kitchen…or can you? When you’re working with an apartment-size space, it pays to downsize apartment-size appliances.

Thanks to the tiny house movement, small appliances are more functional and stylish than ever. It might be a bit of an adjustment but switching to apartment-size appliances gives you so much more room to work with!

5. Light It Up

If your kitchen is small to begin with, dark corners will make it feel even tighter. Use ample lighting to ensure the room is both functional and welcoming! If installing additional lighting is not an option, make the most of what you have by keeping your windows and light fixtures clean. You could also add mirrors to the kitchen to help bounce light around the room.

Shop Danby at TA Appliances 

There are two ways to set up your grill for grilling. For foods that takes under 20 minutes (think burgers, steaks, fish, chicken breast) you will use a method called direct heat. The direct heat method means that food is cooked directly over the burner tube. 

So how do you set up your grill for direct cooking? 
• Open the lid of your gas grill and make sure all control knobs are in the off position.
• Slowly open the valve on your propane tank all the way or turn on the gas at the source and then wait a minute for the gas to travel through the gas line.
• Light each burner individually, from left to right, following the owners guide instructions for your grill model.
• Close the lid.
• Preheat the grill for 15 minutes, or until the grill’s thermometer registers 500° to 550°F.
• Brush the cooking grates with a stainless steel grill brush to remove any leftover debris.
• Adjust all burners to the temperature noted in the recipe, close the lid, and allow the grill to come to the proper temperature.
• Place food on the cooking grate.
• Close the lid of the grill and lift it only to turn food or to test for doneness at the end of the recommended cooking time.

We are excited to continue celebrating stunning kitchen design with the latest installment of our Designer Spotlight series! This week, award-winning interior designer Beth Dotolo and accomplished interior designer Carolina V Gentry from Pulp Design Studios® dish on what inspires them inside and outside of the kitchen!

Pulp Design Studios® is a national interior design firm with studios in Dallas and Seattle that specializes in defining clients’ personal styles and transforming their homes into spaces that feel uniquely personalized. Luxurious layers and a flare for the unexpected make up Pulp’s signature style and result in brag-worthy spaces. Read about Beth and Carolina’s exceptional design inspirations below!

Kitchens are the most used and most popular room of the home. I swear, whenever we host, our guests hang out more in the kitchen than anywhere else. We sometimes even end up sitting on the counters like they’re chairs! I’ve shared a look into our kitchen with you, but wanted to revisit why we chose what we chose for this space.

When we first moved into our home, we knew that we wanted to create a kitchen that was a little more unpredictable than safe. Being an interior stylist, creating something unique is very important to me. I knew that I wanted to go dark with the counters and cabinets. I also knew that I really wanted to go darker with the appliances. When I first saw the KitchenAid® Black Stainless Appliances, I fell in love! And that began this lovely kitchen design.

When I first started designing this space, I knew the Black Stainless Steel Appliances would finish off the look perfectly. And besides looking awesome, KitchenAid is known for quality and consistency. The KitchenAid® Dishwasher is quiet as a mouse, but cleans everything and anything that I need. It’s both functional and beautiful… yay for that!

I’m pretty sure that every single client that I currently have owns a KitchenAid® Refrigerator. I chose the KitchenAid® Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator. It’s sleek, modern, and has plenty of space to store food. I also love the Full-Width Pantry, it is great for storing cheese—so brilliant!

Because the counters, cabinets, and appliances are all dark, I chose to paint the floors and walls white. I love contrast, and this was exactly the look I was going for. It also allows the dark tones to pop.

Let me tell you that I LOVE my KitchenAid® Electric Cooktop. It’s so easy to use and even easier to clean! I also love that it provides consistent heat and doesn’t burn my food. The look of this Electric Cooktop is great for minimalist kitchens and traditional kitchens. In addition it doesn’t intrude with the look of your counters. The KitchenAid® Island-Mount Canopy Hood compliments the Electric Cooktop with its minimal lines and clean look.

I’m not the family baker, but my daughter could bake all the time! She is constantly trying out new recipes and sometimes has two recipes going at the same time. The KitchenAid® Double Wall Oven is easy to use and very functional for our needs.

Each one of these appliances has been a needed asset for our lifestyles, but all work magically with the design of the space. I think that’s the best compliment an appliance could receive!

*The Contributor of this post has been compensated by KitchenAid for this post, but this post represents the Contributor’s own opinion.*

Style trends come full circle, and mid-century modern design is currently doing exactly that. The use of sleek lines, interesting colors and a mix of both traditional and non-traditional materials is the essence of mid-century modern style that harkens back to the mid-1930’s to mid-1960’s. So, what has sparked the current resurgence of this design trend?

Shows such as Mad Men have no doubt helped this style gain new popularity. In addition, today’s homeowners – busier than ever – appreciate the timeless look and minimal effort required to maintain mid-century modern style. And, then there is the added bonus of infusing our dwellings with a little nostalgia from a bygone era.

Breath of Fresh Air

Mid-century modern style is understated and uncluttered – providing a sense of stability in a chaotic world. This versatile aesthetic blends clean lines and gentle, organic curves with geometric forms and fun shapes to provide a minimalist look that’s both functional and stylish. There’s no unnecessary ornamentation collecting dust and dirt here. A simple wipe down will keep things looking crisp and new.

Bridging the Generation Gap

Millennials are the largest demographic purchasing new items for the home, and many are opting to furnish their homes with mid-century inspired items, including kitchen appliances. Mid-century modern is fresh to them and a welcome departure from the dusty pastels and beige overstuffed sofas that they likely grew up with.

Their parents, Gen Xer’s and retiring Baby Boomers – a growing number of whom are looking to downsize – are embracing mid-century modern as well. They too are looking for the perfect mix of “stylish, easy to clean (a.k.a. time-saving) and doesn’t take up too much space.”

But, there’s more to it than that. Age tends to make us more reflective, and memories are powerful. We all long for tangible bits of our past, and movies, music, and even furniture – in this case, brass tipped feet on an end table, an Eames-esque chair, or a barrel lampshade – can (re)connect us with the magic of another time.

Get the Look

So, how can you incorporate a touch of the mid-century modern design trend into your home?

Start by finding pieces that reflect the distinguishing features of the style. If there is a specific era you’d like to emulate, you can buy vintage furniture or an iconic piece that has been made new to suit your needs and budget. Try visiting antique markets or an online site that sells vintage and refurbished furniture.

Another way to get the look without breaking the bank is to build around current pieces. Just make sure to avoid using too many patterns, and stay within a designated color range.

Whichever direction you choose, don’t feel overwhelmed – the goal is to have fun and incorporate small elements that ultimately tie the look together and give the perfect mid-century vibes!