The most interesting ideas on optimizing kitchen space in this article. More than 90 photos and detailed descriptions of 25 ideas!
Today we will look at 25 original ideas for the kitchen, which will help you optimize your kitchen space. If the kitchen is still under development, then you have the opportunity to play with the arrangement of furniture and appliances. And on this topic our first non-standard solutions.
Idea 1. Logic of furniture arrangement
Let's remember how food is usually prepared. First we go to the refrigerator and take out the food. Some of them require washing and cleaning, which means that the countertop and sink should follow the refrigerator. It is logical to place it after the sink work surface for slicing and other food preparation processes. At the end, the semi-finished products go to heat treatment, that is, on the stove, in the oven or in another household appliances, which logically should be at the end of the kitchen unit.
Pay attention to the diagram below. All pieces of furniture and appliances are priced in accordance with those proposed above and, in our opinion, convenient plan placement.
Idea 3. Built-in technology
You need to think about this in advance and, if financial resources allow, put all the equipment into the “body” of the headset. The space savings are obvious.
Alternatively, use the apron space to create shelves.
Idea 5. Open shelves are better than closed ones
Don’t be afraid to deviate from the templates and install metal shelving systems instead of standard wooden cabinets or shelves.
Idea 6. Arrangement of the pantry
Cabinets, shelves, racks... If space allows, combine all these elements and entrust the storage of utensils and products to one room. Create a small pantry in your kitchen space. And you no longer need to pile up a system of cabinets and shelves above the work surface.
Move everything that does not require constant use to the pantry. Not sure that there will always be order there? Make the room closed.
You can close the pantry not only with classic doors, but also by using sliding doors.
Do you like open spaces and have the strength to keep order? Then let your pantry be in the public domain.
Idea 7. Transformable furniture
A hot topic for small spaces. There may be several variations in this case. How do you like the option with a folding table?
Or maybe you will be interested in a variation with built-in kitchen set and seats?
An additional work surface in the form of a roll-out table is also an interesting alternative for maintaining spaciousness in the kitchen space.
Folding chairs, which can be easily stored right here in the kitchen, hanging on a hook, will good helpers in optimizing space, as well as when cleaning the kitchen floor.
Idea 8. Large window sill
If in your small kitchen wide window sill, then why not, thereby saving space and money.
Idea 9. Storage near points of use
And now about the important idea that underlies all the others - keep all the necessary things at hand. This way you will avoid the need to rush around the kitchen looking for the right item.
Agree, when pots and pans are stored next to the stove, and bottles with vegetable oil and spices, cooking will be much more comfortable.
Same with all other utensils. Detergents and towels - near the sink, frequently used products - next to the work surface, ladle, spatulas - again next to the stove. Spoons and forks can be hidden in dinner table with a secret.
Idea 10. Drawers in the set
In optimizing the kitchen space, the second place after the proper arrangement of furniture is the equipment of the kitchen unit. After all, he bears the main burden of storing dishes. Do you want to optimize your space as much as possible? Puzzle interior arrangement wardrobes with retractable systems.
It will be more expensive than just having a cabinet with one shelf, but the effect and pleasure from such a system will more than pay off.
Idea 11. Options for storing dishes
Once again we will speak out in favor of drawers and share tips for storing dishes. Convenient drawers for plates different ways separating and securing stacks of dishes. A couple of ideas below.
Pots, ladles, colanders can be stored in the following retractable systems with wooden pallets:
It is convenient to store pans in special retractable metal structures.
If you have a lot of them, you can give a whole box to baking dishes.
Baking sheets, boards and a couple of light forms can also be hidden in a vertical pull-out cabinet.
Idea 12. Corner storage systems
If you are supposed to corner kitchen, then it will be useful to provide all the space in the corner with special storage systems. It is usually convenient to store large dishes (pots, pans, etc.) there.
Corner systems can be of the common carousel type.
A more expensive type of corner storage system is a retractable one, which makes access to your dishes as easy as possible.
You can provide a set and other furniture in the corner, for example, narrow drawers for storing working kitchen tools.
Idea 13. Pull-out vertical cabinets
Such cabinets can be placed in any narrow kitchen space. Very effective method storage It takes up little space, but takes on, or more precisely, a lot of objects and products.
Idea 14. Pull-out cutting boards
Convenient to store, convenient to use, and space saving, as they say, is obvious.
Idea 15. Urns and solutions with them
Let's start with the retractable option. What is he better than that, where the trash can just sits behind the door? We answer: the retractable one is easier to control; you don’t have to bend under the tabletop to access it, since it rolls out right under your hand.
It can be done simpler, but just as effective. Purchase an urn with a special mount and lever. When you open the door, a trash can appears from the cabinet, and a lever automatically opens its lid.
With the same success, you can use another version of a hanging urn, which is attached to inside doors.
Idea 16. Built-in bread bins
The bread box that we see most often in our kitchens is a tabletop box that takes up a lot of usable space. So why not move your bread storage to a storage compartment built into the work surface?
You can make it simpler and find a place for bread in drawer kitchen set.
Idea 17. Built-in tool storage systems
If we're talking about about storing all kinds of openers, corkscrews or special knives, this can be arranged using a special folding panel, where each tool will find its place in a personal “nest”.
A similar panel can be made to store knives.
If your kitchen set is no longer subject to radical changes, purchase for knives wall option magnetic holder.
Spatulas, ladles, whisks can be placed on rails or right at hand in a drawer.
Idea 18. Use roof rails
Railings are convenient system storage of the most frequently used items when cooking. They are located in the kitchen “apron” area, allowing you to place any items on them - from spices and bottles of oil, to spatulas, towels and dishes.
Idea 19. Walls and their use
“Houses and walls help.” Have you heard this expression? A universal formula that also works in the kitchen space. Place on a free wall or part of it perforated panel for tools and hang all kitchen items on it. Budget method storage of household utensils is ready.
The second option for using a wall is to combine different elements racking and railing systems. A pair of metal shelves, a pair of roof rails and one or two magnetic holder- And necessary items found their place.
Idea 20. The ceiling will help you
We are talking about using the air space of the kitchen for the benefit of its owners. How? By using suspension system for hanging pans and various kitchen utensils.
By the way, the top of the grill is a very convenient place to store items that you don’t use often.
Idea 21. More shelves among shelves
When you add additional shelf into space, you increase usable area for storage 2 times! Add metal shelves with fastening or free-standing grates, and another portion of the necessary things will find its optimal place in the kitchen.
There is a common misconception that everything in life comes down to timing. We use these phrases every day:
"If only I had more time"
"I need a few more minutes"
“A couple of hours of work, that’s all.”
We believe that everything could be achieved if we had a little more time. We mistakenly believe that it's all about the quantity, but our working day is already too long. How to manage everything without “burning out at work” - read our article today.
The shackles of freedom
From childhood, we are taught the importance of time-based routines. The school day lasts 8 hours, and the structure of the lesson is governed by time, not by how much is to be learned. We are taught that it is more important to meet deadlines right time than to finish the job.
However, we are now increasingly moving away from this generally accepted practice. More and more people are working remotely, part-time, on contract or on a rotational basis. The eight-hour workday is disappearing, but is it the end to time constraints we were hoping for?
The freedom to carry out our professional duties wherever and whenever we want gives us the opportunity to work in any way convenient schedule. This means that we can meet short time or spend a lot of time on tasks - the main thing is that the work gets done. However, research shows that those whose schedules allow them to work less end up working significantly longer.
A study on working time and productivity by the International Labor Organization found that the average flexible worker works 54 hours a week, compared with just 37 hours per week for those subject to a rigid schedule. These 17 extra hours are a consequence of the "freedom" to set one's own schedule. schedule, but what’s even worse is that these hours do not affect the quality and productivity of work.
When the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development studied the impact of job duration on productivity in 18 European countries over a 60-year period, it was found that productivity per hour always decreased as working hours increased. In addition, it was noticed that the result deteriorates in proportion to the increase in working time.
After a certain point, things only get worse, because the next day hours will be spent trying to find and correct the mistakes made the day before.
Why does this happen?
We all know the situation when, feeling extreme fatigue and mental exhaustion, we continue to do the work - just to redo most of it with a fresh mind. Perhaps it’s pride or a sense of responsibility, although Parkinson’s law seems more correct: “Work takes exactly as much time as it’s allotted.”
This “law” was voiced by Cyril Northcote Parkinson in a humorous essay in The Economist magazine. Parkinson gives this example:
“An old lady with plenty of time on her hands could spend a whole day writing and sending a card to her niece in Bognor Regis. One hour will be spent looking for a postcard, another hour looking for glasses, half an hour trying to remember the address, an hour and a quarter writing, and twenty minutes deciding whether to take an umbrella to walk to the mailbox on the next street. All the work that busy man would take no more than three minutes, could cause another to drop dead after a whole day of doubt, worry and toil.”
The more time we spend on a task, the more time we spend on it, and the more time we spend, the worse we end up doing the task itself. It is impossible to work at full capacity for several hours at a time. Motivation, willpower, and focus are limited resources that must be used sparingly throughout the day. Spending more time only kills motivation and makes the work done worse.
So, if you work less, you can be more productive?
It often feels like we don't have enough time to spend with friends, maintain relationships, and all the things that make us happy.
Even though relationships with family and friends are fundamental values, this issue is still relevant for most.
Being able to work less gives you time to socialize and do all the things you need for personal well-being. Sounds perfect, right? Spend less time working, and you will have more time for leisure and meeting with those you love.
However, it is not.
A study by Cristobal Yang and Shayun Lim of Stanford University found that out of 500,000 workers, the majority's happiness levels depend on the length of the work week. We feel absolutely happy on the weekend and least happy on Monday and Tuesday. Obvious, right?
Surprisingly, the same trend exists among the unemployed: even those who did not need to be present at work during the week still felt less happy on weekdays. Yang and Lim attribute this to the fact that connecting with other people is more important to our well-being than just free time: You won't fully enjoy your day off if you spend the day just on yourself.
Spend time only on work that is important
So, we won't perform better if we spend more time working, and we won't be happier if we have more free time.
Focusing on productivity rather than the end result is our goal.
By justifying work by the resources and time spent, we fall into the trap: for example, “I spent 60 hours/4 months/8 years on this. I deserve success."
A modern saying goes that it's not the time, but the work itself. For many remote or flexible workers, this means getting it done at all costs, but being happy with X amount of time instead of much more is ridiculous. If we only think about what's done, without thinking about how much time was spent on a task and how productive it was, we won't see the full picture.
As Lynn Wu of the Wharton School of Business explains, measuring productivity by its results is pointless. Productivity is not just about what gets done, but also about how effectively you worked on a task.
A recent study by Julian Birkinshaw of London Business School found that most knowledge workers—engineers, writers, and those who “think for a living”—spend an average of 41% of their time doing work that could easily be done by others.
We instinctively stick to tasks that keep us “busy” (and therefore important). We feel good when our schedule is scheduled minute by minute and we have to wait for it to get easier and have time for our life needs. Paradoxically, we all want more free time and yet hold on to things that take it away.
The desire to work more efficiently is very difficult to track. Investing in skills, planning, or training others to free yourself frees up time to truly important work— not just for things that keep us “busy.”
Rethinking work and life
In all aspects of life - both work and personal - it's not about the amount of time. We have no control over this: there is no way to add hours to the day. However, the combined effect of long working days and sleepless nights is that you almost always perform poorly.
It's about quality, efficiency, the ability to determine how much time to spend on work and decide how to use this time more effectively. When we think this way, we stop perceiving time as a unit of measurement for our day.
There are several ways to decide how to be more productive with your time—each of which can be used as an indicator of your effectiveness.
1. Plan tasks, not time.
In his essay, Paul Graham suggests that the unit of time for professionals such as writers and programmers is at least half a day, rather than the hourly or half-hour intervals of the standard schedule.
Work works best when it doesn't require strict deadlines and schedules. Reading, writing, editing - all these activities are better if you don't have to stretch out time or, conversely, rush to meet deadlines.
Working for results gives you a feeling of success and helps answer the question of whether you are working effectively.
2. Once the meaning is found, keep working.
Motivation and energy are limited resources; wasting them ruins our chances and makes work meaningless.
Dr. Steele's experiments on motivation and procrastination showed that significance is the most important aspect to maintain motivation. When the work we do feels important, we are most motivated to complete it. So why stop? Meetings can be rescheduled, but the excitement of work is not so easy to restore.
3. Get Better, Faster, Stronger
As Henry David Thoreau said, “It is not enough to be busy: so are ants. The question is what are you doing."
We need to learn to focus on something significant every day, this will make us feel accomplished.
Don't go to work just to get through the day and pat yourself on the back - focus on doing your job and feeling satisfaction from it, and only then leave.
We can only change the way we work if we change the way we think.
4. Ask for help
We often get so immersed in our work that we forget about the opportunity to ask for help. Especially in small companies, where it seems that every employee is loaded with work to the maximum, the very idea of interrupting someone's work process with your request seems strange.
However, one small question or small conversation can determine whether you spend 5 minutes or an hour on a task.
Use the knowledge of those around you so that you can work together effectively.
Instead of a conclusion
You don't need more time - you need time spent wisely.
This comes only with the understanding that long hours spent on work does not make it good.
As Seth Godin so clearly stated, “You don't need more time... you just need to learn to accept right decisions" Time is almost always a matter of quality, not quantity, so set goals and achieve them.
I love optimizing my living space. Considering that my apartment, although it is a three-room apartment, is quite small in area, optimization is also a necessity.
Don’t feed me bread, give me something to hang on the wall or attach to the ceiling. And with the advent of a screwdriver and drill in the house, the process became irreversible :)
The layout of my apartment is “helicopter”, who knows. That’s why there is such a room in it, formally a corridor. But its size is 120 by 180. And there is a door on each side. Four doors. And you think it’s idle for me? It turned out to be an excellent library, where all the books, and there were about fifty of them, archives of magazines, folders, CDs and DVDs. If you really ask, maybe I’ll film this miracle and post it. In general, I'm crazy about wall hung bathtubs, fireplaces, especially if they can be raised to the ceiling, are not needed yet. And also - from all sorts of drawers, shelves and other things. I would probably make a good interior designer for motorhomes or yachts
And so, once again entering the kitchen, in which, by the way, I can reach from wall to wall with my hands :), I see that my young ladies have again cluttered the top of the refrigerator. Although I warned them many times that it was impossible, that the compressor was overloaded and the refrigerator could be damaged. I was obviously boiling, but then I suddenly realized that there was room for an excellent shelf above it! Why I was stupid before - I don’t know. If there is a place, then there must be a shelf, it cannot be otherwise :)
By the way, the photo shows another of my know-how. Pots take up a lot of space, and curtains and curtains are not needed in a small kitchen. Therefore, we build such a structure on four fasteners, provide it with hooks, and hang pots and pans :)
We will hang the shelf on the wall to the right above the refrigerator.
As you can see from the photo, we don’t care much about beauty, we would rather be more functional.
Therefore, one long shelf was planned, in fact, the so-called suitable size is purchased. furniture panel and wall mountings for it.
So I last time Before that I made a shelf for myself above my computer. 80 cm long, it cost me, for everything about everything, about 300 UAH. in a construction supermarket. Out of habit, I decided to go to the nearest one, but then I remembered that I had recently seen a review of an online supermarket.
The name, like an old iPhone driver, I couldn’t help but remember - ibud.ua. Ok, let's see what they can offer us.
First of all, ibud.ua turned out to be not exactly an online store - it is a platform, or, more simply put, a platform where different companies from all over Ukraine place their products.
Just don’t confuse the site with a price list, which only contains prices and product names.
There is detailed descriptions and selection is possible based on them, as well as selection according to parameters, as in a regular online store.
At the same time, some products are available from several suppliers - go to the product card and choose where it is more profitable.
Let's go.
Initially, I planned one long shelf of one and a half meters, because the protruding part of the ceiling panel makes it difficult to place tall things.
But two meters is two meters. And you don’t have to stand on a stool to get something from the far edge. And 134 UAH. (The second seller had a price of 200). Option with furniture board and the fastenings disappeared immediately, I didn’t even bother looking :)
Ok, I'm placing an order. After some time, a representative of the supplier calls me back and we discuss the terms of delivery - everyone has their own, but if something doesn’t work, no one is stopping you from canceling the order and, if desired, re-ordering from another supplier.
Delivery costs 150 UAH - more expensive than a shelf, I don’t want it. You can wait until the car passes me and then they will deliver it for free, an option - because I’m not in a hurry. But it turned out that their pickup was not far from one of their regular routes. Ok, the next day I have the shelf.
Frankly speaking, for that kind of money I did not expect anything other than the panels themselves, but the kit included not only all the fasteners, but even a key and PVA glue. Production - Ukraine.
I won't bore you with the assembly details, there's nothing to do there. Ten minutes later the shelf was assembled. Then I had to wait for the screwdriver’s battery to charge, and it took another ten minutes to hang it. :)
So this is what happened - things moved onto the shelf not only from the refrigerator, but also from other places, where, in turn, large items from the shelf went.
As a result, there is more space than there was, and now there is nothing on the refrigerator. Great!
Choosing a shelf on the Internet is much more convenient. In an offline supermarket, you only have the dimensions of the free space with you, and if you see something non-standard - like I did this time - I planned it on one “floor”, but it turned out to be two, then you just try to imagine how it will fit . And at home, I went and looked, tried them on - for one shelf, for another - in the end it was more convenient, 100%. Not to mention the fact that such prices are simply not available in off-line supermarkets.
Have you improved your home or dacha, preferably in a non-standard way?
A fully comfortable environment in the home directly depends on the properly thought-out organization of space. At home, everyone is looking for a calm, relaxed atmosphere. And nothing in the interior should cause irritation or tension.
Organization of space
To make your apartment look like this, try to optimize its space as much as possible.
Look at your apartment as a stage. As a director, you need to determine the location for each action.
Remember the habits, lifestyle, hobbies of all family members. Think about who and where it will be more convenient to do their business, how often you get together, where this happens. Important point- how often do you throw parties and what nature are they - relaxed dinners for a few people or fun parties with a couple of dozen guests. You need to decide for yourself where the public area ends and the private part begins. It may well turn out that the traditional division of home space into a kitchen, living room and bedroom does not suit you.
Try to evaluate the space of the house as a whole, without dividing it into rooms. Consider several optimization options to suit your needs. And depending on this, you can decide on the placement of furniture and things in your apartment.
Storing things. Where to begin
A well-thought-out storage system relieves stress, saves time, and makes the room freer.
Think about how often you use things and their priority. Based on this, you can already determine their reach in your storage system. Things like silverware or crystal glassware for dinner parties are not needed every day or even every month. Therefore, they should be removed away.
Set up a separate place for out-of-season clothes and shoes. Move them away too. This will simplify daily access to seasonal items and save you time when getting ready for work in the morning, for example.
Every home has things that you want to show off and things that you want to hide from prying eyes. Think about what and how much you expose to everyone's attention. Don't forget about the specifics of Russian conditions. Dust accumulates in our rooms very quickly. And how quickly you will get tired of wiping it off your favorite figurines, and, especially, books. Maybe it's worth hiding a vast and valuable library in glass cabinets?
Organizing storage spaces
When selecting furniture and containers in general for placing things, always start with the largest item, for example, wardrobe. Even if at first it will be partially empty. Free place cupboards have a habit of filling up quickly. When organizing storage, you should always think ahead several years and allocate space with a significant reserve.
You can make more efficient use of the space in your apartment if you build tall cabinets under the ceiling. There is always something to clean on the mezzanine.
When calculating the height of the cabinet, you need to take into account the design of the ceiling. There are nuances.
In the case of tension or hemmed plasterboard ceiling for a built-in wardrobe it is necessary to lay additional timber. This is necessary to strengthen the structure. There are several ways to solve this issue. In each individual case, it is worth consulting with specialists before installing ceilings. And, of course, know in advance the space intended for the cabinet and the dimensions of the cabinet itself.
If there is no need to lift the cabinet directly to the ceiling, then when suspended ceiling There must be space left from the closet to the ceiling. Manufacturers of cabinets and ceiling installers quote numbers ranging from 15 to 30 cm. This is necessary for installers to access the ceiling mounting in emergency cases, and for cabinet assemblers to assemble the cabinet without the risk of damaging the ceiling
Having decided on the main storage space, you can safely move on to smaller pieces of furniture. It is best to make a large closet to match the walls so that it blends in with them and does not create a visual clutter. And next to it you can put a spectacular chest of drawers or a bookcase for small things that would attract attention and, in contrast, distract the eye from the large closet.
Techniques for visually clearing space
It can be convenient to place shallow cabinets along the walls. They take up little space and can accommodate a lot of small things. And it's worth hanging them up. Then it will appear that they are floating above the floor. With this simple technique you will visually increase the area of the room.
All cabinets and shelves hanging at eye level visually occupy more space- they catch your eye more often. Lower or raise them from eye level and the room will appear larger.
Glass is often used as visual reception to increase the area. Transparent shelves and tables seem to open up the space. But think about caring for them. Fingerprints and dust are best visible on glass (this is a problem with all glossy surfaces). To glass furniture looked impressive, it will require more effort in caring for it. Are you ready to always maintain it in proper condition? Or you should abandon glass in favor of easier-to-clean materials.
Stumbling over objects and hitting furniture in a tiny apartment is, of course, an extremely unpleasant thing. But what to do if you have to live on very modest meters? The main thing is not to despair!
Read this publication, look at the photographs and you will own several secrets on how to use it efficiently. limited space your home.
Shelves. As many shelves as possible! First of all, it's just convenient. Secondly, their diversity creates a certain psychological effect. It seems like there are a lot of items. And such a quantity, by definition, cannot be located in a small area.
Make full use of horizontal planes. For example, put more books on the table. Just don't overdo it. It should be a neat exhibition, not a chaotic jumble.
It is better to select furniture with clear lines. The simpler its shape, the more rationally it will fit into the dimensions of the home. Bulky objects with non-linear outlines will only weigh down the space, making it visually smaller.
Various household items can be stored on the walls. The convenience of their everyday use will not suffer, and the apartment will acquire a unique style.
Consider partitions carefully. The feeling of open space is very important for small apartments. For example, curtains are convenient. They are able to create both a private atmosphere and expand the room when needed.
Sometimes less is more. This abandoned the traditional approach to upholstered furniture. There are no chairs or sofa here. But there are free meters. And it looks beautiful.
Hidden drawers for storing small items, combined with furniture, will significantly save space.
Household appliances do not necessarily have to be the usual sizes. For small apartment It is advisable to choose a miniature refrigerator and stove. And what? Such “gnomes” will create their own version of home comfort.
The same thing can have several functions. For example this one kitchen table turns into a worker.
We have already talked about horizontal planes. Don't neglect either vertical space. A little worldly wisdom, and the apparent uselessness of the angle is shaken. It is decorated with a spacious shelf.
When planning a small apartment, you just need to think a little more carefully about the number and arrangement of items. You'll see, there will definitely be something that you can completely refuse without compromising comfort.
The situation on limited meters should not be “dead”. Oversized furniture that can be easily moved will help. With this choice, the space is quickly transformed, for example, when guests arrive.
Each element has its own everyday purpose. These ceiling beams adapted for bookshelves.
Try using light chairs. Even if they are transparent. As if dissolving in space, such objects will make the room larger.
Similar or exactly the same items are also appropriate. Then it seems that there are not many of them in the room. And the effect of an open, uncluttered room is obtained.
A godsend would be flat cabinets placed against the wall. Precious meters are saved significantly.
fall in love White color! And in order not to create a hospital interior and give your home individuality, dilute light colors with bright details.
Remember the popular wisdom: kill two birds with one stone? Keep it in mind when choosing and arranging furniture. You can achieve multifunctionality from objects. Here is an example of a bedside table as a work table.
Sometimes it is worth neglecting the traditional approach to things. Then even the staircase can become a bedroom. The steps have pull-out shelves, which create an unusual cozy bed.
Small elements can be pushed under taller ones. This ottoman is easy to hide when no one is using it. And additional seating is always at hand without cluttering the room.
Any mirrors visually expand the space by reflecting light.
Square meters of housing serve different purposes. This one successfully combines and at the same time clearly demarcates three zones: bedroom, living room and study.
A staircase in the room, if there is one, should also be in the service of free space. Its steps are good storage for household items.
In a small apartment, you should be careful about the windows. There is no need to block them or keep them curtained. A lot of natural light adds space.
Where possible, try to place furniture on the wall rather than on the floor. A miniature room really needs a free floor. There are many options. There are plenty to choose from.
But the main advice: don’t look back traditional style, imposed over the years! Create your own unique one. And then you will be warmed by the thought that you are the owner of not only a small apartment, but also a delicate taste.
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