Sensible Style: 10 Small Kitchen Tips

Sensible Style launched last month in this space, and on Kitchens.com, to answer your questions about how to get the most out of your kitchen. This second posting covers the topic of small kitchens, which so many of us have. Written by a professional designer who has worked on hundreds of condo and cottage kitchens, this will tackle the two most vexing issues associated with small spaces.

Part One covers how to maximize your storage capacity. Part Two covers the aesthetic side - i.e., how to make a small kitchen look great.


Part One - How to maximize your storage capacity

Small kitchens never seem to have enough cupboard space for all the items their owners want to store. After carefully culling to make sure you're only storing regularly-used cooking, meal preparation and clean-up gear in your kitchen, you can increase your storage capacity in several ways.

Tip #1 - Use your backsplash

Backsplashes offer dozens of square feet of untapped storage potential. Usually considered only for decorative purposes, these 18 inch spans between your countertops and wall cabinets can be put to great use as zoned, organized storage. For example, you can clear some counter space by installing a backsplash-mounted utensil crock near your cooktop. You could also mount a spice organizer in your meal prep zone, freeing up some cabinet storage.

Backsplash organizers, like these from Ikea, take advantage of untapped space in your kitchen and free up countertops and cabinet space.

Tip #2: Use empty walls or ceiling space

Even small kitchens typically have an unused wall or ceiling space above a peninsula that can be tapped for additional storage. By adding a pot rack to your kitchen, you can free up base cabinet space that would otherwise hold your cookware. There are racks available in almost any style and size to accommodate your needs. Small kitchens typically lack islands, but a peninsula housing a cooktop can be a good spot to tap into added storage potential.

This wall-mounted pot rack by Enclume lets you take advantage of unused wall space in your kitchen for both hanging and shelf top storage.

Tip #3: Use the back of doors

Another way to add organization and storage capacity to your kitchen is to install accessories on the backs of doors. For example, you can hang an organizer for your cleaning supplies on the back of the cabinet holding your sink. Additionally, you can add pantry capacity by putting a canned goods or food wrap holder on the back of its door. There are numerous options that can add to your kitchen's efficiency, as well as its storage potential.

This behind-door organizer by Rev-a-Shelf can be added to your pantry to increase its organization and storage potential.

Tip #4: Get Rollin'

Replace base cabinet half shelves with full-depth roll-out trays. Most builder-installed base cabinets have a shelf halfway between the bottom and top that is only about 12 inches deep. This means that a good amount of storage space is unusable. Replace this half shelf with a roll-out tray and you could gain close to 25 percent more storage capacity in that cabinet. This tip works best with cabinets 18 inches or wider. (Narrower cabinets can benefit from replacing the half shelf with one or two dividers to store flat items like trays, cutting boards, pizza stones or cookie sheets vertically.)

Increase base cabinet storage by up to 25 percent with roll-out trays. Shown here is one you can add to your kitchen from Rev-A-Shelf.

Tip #5: Add baskets

If you have at least eight inches between your wall cabinets and your ceiling, you can add storage capacity - and style! - to your kitchen with decorative baskets. Shelf baskets can easily accommodate small items that you want to keep in the kitchen area, but don't use on a daily basis. They can add a splash of color or neutral texture, depending on the look that works best with your space.

Baskets can add style and storage to your kitchen in a wide range of colors and textures. This selection is available at Michael's.

Part Two - How to make a small kitchen look great

Tip #6: Minimize contrasts

Compact kitchens tend to look smaller and choppier when there are too many colors and patterns running through them. Minimizing contrasts, on the other hand, makes them feel airier and spacious. You can achieve this effect by selecting solid-colored countertops, for example, and maple or painted cabinets, rather than oak, hickory or glazed finishes.

This New York City condo kitchen looks larger because its base cabinets match its flooring and its countertops, appliances and wall cabinet frames all coordinate to minimize contrasts.

Tip #7: Add glass

Replacing solid door fronts on your wall cabinets with glass fronts can also make your small kitchen look larger and brighter. To enhance the space-enhancing effect, you can paint the insides of your cabinets the same color as your walls.

This kitchen by Westlake Village, Cal. designer Laurie Burke looks larger and brighter, thanks to its glass-fronted wall cabinets.

Tip #8: Light it up

Kitchens look better - and bigger! - with great lighting. When I take on a kitchen design project for my clients, I always look for every opportunity to add lights to the space. This includes ceiling-mounted fixtures or recessed cans, under-cabinet lighting and, where applicable, island or peninsula lighting. Sometimes, above-cabinet and in-cabinet accent lighting are also applied. This layered approach to lighting makes working in the space easier and safer. It also enhances the beauty of your countertops, cabinets and flooring.

This small kitchen by Arlington, Va.-based Kitchen & Bath Factory features three layers of lighting, plus natural rays streaming in the large windows, to enhance its beauty and spaciousness.

Tip #9: Open it up

Open shelving can make a small kitchen feel larger, too. It also shows off your pretty serveware, making it a well-deserved element in your room's style. One other organization benefit offered by open shelving is making it quicker and easier to find things in your kitchen!

Small kitchens, like this one from the Kraftmaid gallery, look larger with open shelves, rather than closed wall cabinets.

Tip #10: Minimize countertop clutter

Countertops loaded with accessories and other items will make your kitchen look cramped and cluttered. That's why real estate agents always advise you to minimize what sits on your tops when you list your home for sale. Larger kitchens are more appealing to home buyers - and homeowners! The backsplash system, storage baskets and door organizers will help in reducing countertop population. So will prioritizing the small appliances that need to remain accessible. For example, if you only serve coffee when guests arrive, keep the coffee maker in a remote storage area when you're not entertaining.

Minimal countertop clutter makes this petite kitchen from the National Kitchen & Bath Association Inspiration Gallery look larger!

Visit the Sensible Style box on the right column for links to all the posts in this ongoing series.

KBIS 2009 - Kitchen Spotlight

Every year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association hosts the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show. At this trade-only event, manufacturers show off their new wares to kitchen designers, kitchen dealers, builders, architects, reporters and remodelers.

This year, the show was smaller because of the economy, but there were still plenty of great things to see. When asked by colleagues and reporters what I thought of KBIS this year, I invariably replied, "More evolutionary than revolutionary." What I meant is that while there were few "game-changers" that brought something new to the industry, there were some very nice additions and improvements.

There were also two distinct "green" trends: One, more products touting their eco-friendly virtues. Two, more products geared toward the recession -- i.e., costing fewer greenbacks.

Here are my favorite KBIS products for the kitchen. Check back next week for a KBIS 2009 - Bath Spotlight.


KOHLER TAKES THE STAGE

Kohler has created a combination sink/accessories/serveware/storage system called Stages that puts a range of kitchen essentials in one convenient location. It looks great, works hard and could be an ideal island or in-law kitchen option.




DRAWER VAC: HOW HANDY!

The very clever DrawerVac, (by a company of the same name), is designed to tie into -- and expand -- a home's central vacuum system. (Think of it as a DustBuster on steroids!). The unit installs in a base cabinet just below the countertop and pulls out when needed. This makes meal clean-up quicker, easier and more convenient. And anything that makes clean-up easier gets high marks from me!




GELPRO ON STEROIDS

Tile and wood have long been popular kitchen flooring options, but both can be very unforgiving underfoot. This contributes to muscle aches and fatigue when spending hours prepping, serving and cleaning up. GelPro produces cushioned mats that are ideal for a more comfortable kitchen session. There are great new designer colors, patterns and sizes to go with just about any decor. Now, instead of having one small mat in front of your stove, you can have an entire work aisle - up to 12 feet! - softened by this amazing material. (If only the whole convention floor could have been covered by GelPros, my feet would have been much happier trampers!)




INDUCTION SMARTS BY BOSCH

Bosch has made it easier for users unfamiliar with induction cooking to use this eco-friendly technology. Its AutoChef Induction Cooktop provides pre-programmed options for cooking a wide variety of foods-from pork chops to pancakes. I like induction cooking because of its inherent safety features, energy savings and easy cleanability. The Autochef makes easy learning a product feature, too, and even includes an induction compatible skillet. It's pretty darn sleek, too!



CORIAN - YES, CORIAN!

One of my biggest surprises at the show was Corian's new collection. If Corian conjures up images of tacky '80s tract home kitchens, you haven't seen its new lines! I always respected Corian for its simple virtues: (1) It's extremely easy maintenance; (2) It's warm and soft to the touch; (3) it's repairable; (4) It appears to be seamless, and (5) You can attach an integral sink. What I never liked was its attempts to imitate its richer rival, natural stone. This new collection has a beauty all its own, and deserves to be reconsidered. For another interesting Corian innovation, check out this posting, which includes its translucent Illuminations series. I spotted it last summer at the Southeast Builders' Conference.


SEAMLESS SMARTS

Affluence solved one of those gunky kitchen problems we didn't know could be solved. And they won a Best of KBIS product award for it, too! You know that ring around your kitchen sink drain that catches everything that goes into the sink and is a pain to clean? Some clever designer at this Ohio manufacturer figured out a solution for the problem... A seamless sink with no drain ring at all! Smart -- and stylish, too. (Sorry, flowers not included!)





TAKE IT OUTSIDE

If you've always wanted an outdoor kitchen, look no further than your closest Atlantis dealer. I first spotted this line in 2007 at the International Builders' Show. It's still the best outdoor cabinetry line in the industry, in my opinion. It's also the judges' opinion: Atlantis won a silver Best of KBIS 2009 kitchen award. Not surprising, since its parent company is top-notch custom cabinet maker, CWP. This year, Atlantis showed off its new bamboo series for those seeking a contemporary, eco-friendly option. (Call me old-fashioned, but my favorite Atlantis doors are still the teak series.)

ISLAND FEVER I - SIZING UP YOUR OPTIONS

This is high season in Hawaii, the Caribbean… and your kitchen. All three experience heavy traffic and potential burn-out during the holidays.

If you’ve got island fever, let me break out a few planning tips before you raid your piggy bank.


ASK YOURSELF WHY

Some clients want an island (or two!) because everyone else and every kitchen magazine has one – or more.




Even these clients need to figure out what they want to do with these structures, and how they want to equip them. There are wonderful reasons to add an island:

* Increase your kitchen storage
* Add an additional work zone
* Add a specialty function – e.g., baking center
* Facilitate a Kosher lifestyle
* Add an entertainment center

Decide what you want your island to help you achieve before you purchase or install one. Knowing your goals in advance will get you the best outcome.





SIZE UP YOUR SPACE

Not all homes were designed for islands, and trying to cram one (or more) into an inadequate space will make working in your kitchen worse, not better. You can, potentially, pull down a wall to make an island work, as some clients do.

If you’re not up for that scale of project, grab a measuring tape, use the National Kitchen & Bath Association planning guidelines noted below, and see if an island will fit into your existing kitchen.

Then, check out Jamie’s Proven Island Test.

6. Work Aisle

The width of a work aisle should be at least 42” for one cook and at least 48” for multiple cooks. Measure between the counter frontage, tall cabinets and/or appliances.




3. Distance Between Work Centers

No work triangle leg intersects an island/peninsula or other obstacle by more than 12”.


7. Walkway

The width of a walkway [behind an island] should be at least 36”.


8. Traffic Clearance at Seating

In a seating area where no traffic passes behind a seated diner, allow 32” of clearance from the counter/table edge to any wall or other obstruction behind the seating area.

a. If traffic passes behind the seated diner, allow at least 36” to edge past.
b. If traffic passes behind the seated diner, allow at least 44” to walk past.





NOTE: These are NKBA Planning Guidelines. State or local codes may apply, as well.


KEEP GOING

If you’re adding an island opposite a 36” single-door refrigerator and/or freezer, you’ll constrict your traffic flow dramatically in that area, even using the guideline.




Many folks like the idea of an island with seating. My emphatic recommendation is not to seat anyone between your island and work zone – particularly near a range or cooktop – even if that means giving up seating altogether.

If you can fit seating on the non-working side of your island, here are the planning guidelines that make sense and comfortable arrangements.

9. Seating Clearance

Kitchen seating areas should incorporate at least the following clearances:

a. 30” high tables/counters: Allow a 24” wide x 18” deep knee space for each seated diner and at least 18” of clear knee space.

b. 36” high counters: Allow a 24” wide x 15” deep knee space for each seated diner and at least 15” of clear knee space.

c. 42” high counters: Allow a 24” wide x 12” deep knee space for each seated diner and 12” of clear knee space.

In one of the showrooms where I used to work, my design clients used to regularly bang their knees on the back of my desk. It was 30” high and had barely a 12” overhang. I never had to justify following the guidelines to this clientele!

Here's another one to think carefully about:

2. Door Interference

No entry door should interfere with the safe operation of appliances, nor should appliance doors interfere with one another.

This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook such details in the fervor to fit everything in. I’ve seen it done.


JAMIE’S ISLAND TEST

When clients come to me wanting to add an island to their existing kitchen, I assign them this exercise:

Tape off the area on the floor where the proposed island will be installed. (Many lesser tests stop at this point – don’t!) Next, using weighted boxes, “build” a full-height, full-width, full-depth model of it in the planned space. Live with this structure for a week and see how it affects your work flow. If you’re planning island seating, add chairs at the desired spots. If it’s a comfortable fit, great – we’ll add an island to your kitchen. If not, we’ll look at other size, seating and storage options to achieve your goals.

Check back next for Island Fever II - Equipping your Dream




PHOTO NOTES (Top to Bottom by SECTION):

ASK YOURSELF WHY:

(1) The architect/home builder said, "one island is obsolete" about this $2 million beach home whose kitchen I designed.

(2) The island shown here from U-Line's website features the firm's fridge/freezer/ice maker combo that makes for a great entertainment center.


WORK AISLE

This kitchen on the CWP Cabinetry web site features two large islands with ample work and walk space between them.

TRAFFIC CLEARANCE AT SEATING

There's clearly no traffic crunch behind the counter stools at this sleek Kraftmaid island from the firm's web site.


KEEP GOING

This kitchen I designed for an active family featured side-by-side refrigerator/freezer that called for an extra wide walkway/work aisle between it and the island opposite.

JAMIE'S ISLAND TEST

The hard-working island I designed for this remodeled kitchen was made possible because of the client's desire to remove a wall where it now stands.

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL KITCHEN & BATH MONTH

October is National Kitchen & Bath Month. Betcha didn’t know that! Betcha don’t really care – except…

If you live in Central Florida, you could get a totally free, in-home kitchen or bath consultation from a professional designer!

These consultations are being offered to local homeowners by qualified members of Central Florida’s National Kitchen & Bath Association. Yes, I’m one of them. I'm also a member of the group's Executive Committee. Several of my Execo colleagues' firms are also offering free consultations this month. These include Signature Kitchens of Vero Beach, The Kitchen Director in Lakeland, S & W Kitchens in Longwood and Maitland, Duncan's Creative Kitchens in Bradenton and Deem's Kitchen & Bath Showrooms in Springhill, Homosassa and Ocala.

While I'm including all my fellow Execos' sites, I might as well include mine, too. I'm Tampa-based, but the zip codes I’m covering in this promotion are: 33647 (New Tampa), 33543 and 33544 (Wesley Chapel), 33617 and the Temple Terrace zips immediately surrounding it.

All of us providing this service will be looking for ways you can enhance your functionality, storage and style – and using NKBA’s highly-respected Design Guidelines to do it.

If you’re in one of my coverage zips, feel free to call me at (813) 810-0467 or email me to set up an appointment. If you live outside my coverage area, but want to take advantage of this month-long offering, click on the chapter’s NKBM page to find a provider near you.

If you're reading this outside the Central Florida area, visit the National Kitchen & Bath Association web site to find a local professional, request a Kitchen & Bath Workbook, read top-notch articles on design and remodeling and much more.

A local kitchen remodeled by NKBA member Jamie Goldberg.