Blog>Ideas>Space saving kitchen ideas: Maximise your square footage
Last updated: 25 October 2023
Space saving kitchen ideas: Maximise your square footage
Transform your culinary kingdom with these space saving kitchen ideas. With clean lines, ergonomic designs, and plenty of storage, no room is too small for some decluttering magic. Keep scrolling for our top tips on how to de-cramp your kitchen and make it spark joy.
Finding what kitchen space-saving ideas work for you is a matter of taste, style, and understanding your limitations.
The square footage and layout you're working with will determine the end result of your kitchen's transformation, so make sure you plan and measure your space before you get to work.
It starts with design planning
Your kitchen is the hub of your home. It's where cooking, eating, and socialising all convene to keep your household together (and alive).
As a result, it's one of the messiest spaces in your house, requiring regular cleaning to keep it free of rodents. Of course, the ultimate aim is to maximise your floor space to accommodate all the foot traffic while minimising the potential for mess and stress.
This is why it's so important to plan your transformation before you start it. You need to set a budget based on your design inspirations, and you need to create a plan that lets you build the kitchen of your dreams.
For example, do you have a galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, open, or open plan layout? Is there one you'd prefer? Are you totally out of your depth and looking for a professional to help guide and reassure you? Does your renovation fall under permitted development or do you need a permit to start work?
These are just a few key considerations you need to take into account.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
Space saving kitchen ideas
The best space saving kitchen ideas start with storage solutions
If you're blessed with a pantry or a really big cupboard, storage is more about cleanliness and accessibility than space-saving. However, if you have a kitchen with limited space, making the storage work both aesthetically and practically is the aim of the game.
The best space saving trick is to build upwards, not outwards. So, fill your walls with cupboards, units, and floating shelves wherever they fit to give yourself the most floor space possible. For floating shelves and units with glass fronts, use glassware and Tupperware to store your food items. Make sustenance a feature and your kitchen will never look cluttered.
Related content: Kitchen cabinet organisation ideas.
Incorporate a space-saving kitchen table to increase floor footage
If your kitchen has an under-utilised corner, consider making it a bespoke dining area. Add a seating bench with a fitted table and modular chairs, or opt for a collapsible dining table that seamlessly blends into your wall.
A tight layout is challenging to furnish, so consider hiring a professional who's able to create a perfect fit. Collapsible chairs are also good additions as you can neatly store them away when they're not in use.
On Checkatrade, you'll only find trades who meet our high standards and pass up to 12 checks.
Get creative with clever storage hacks to save space
Cabinet organisers and hidden shelves are great ways to store all the food items and spices you can't fit into a decorative mason jar.
Similarly, pull-out pantry shelves are great for deep cabinets (and bad backs) as they let you access items without emptying half your cupboard to find the Tupperware lid you threw in there last month.
Stackable bakeware racks – traditionally made from bamboo or wire – help save cabinet space as they're good for storing chopping boards, plates, and other flatter items vertically. Under-sink caddies and lazy Susans are also dynamic storage options made to ease storage fatigue and keep everything accessible.
Related content: Pretty and practical kitchen wall storage ideas.
Save space with wall storage and hookboards
Your kitchen walls are ripe for the taking when it comes to storage utilisation. For example, hanging pot and pan racks saves cupboard space, floating shelves with mug hooks make coffee o'clock easier, and magnetic knife strips stop you from stabbing your cutlery organiser whenever you put your blades away.
Another design hack is to hang a pegboard (such as this IKEA example pictured). Pegboards are a stylish way to store everyday items. So, save real estate by using them to hold anything from teatowels to chopping boards to baskets filled with fruit.
Related content: Space saving towel storage ideas.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
Space saving ideas for small kitchens
Add shelves to your small kitchen space saving ideas
Small kitchens benefit from using as many shelves as possible. However, this doesn't mean you can't get creative and add interest.
Pairing floating shelves with cabinets and tying the design together with a tiled splashback gives you storage and style all at once.
Keep it decluttered and homely by carefully choosing what to display on your floating shelves. For example, glassware, recipe books, herb gardens, fruit bowls, and crockery are all nice additions.
Related content: Kitchen shelf design inspiration
Opt for an economical space saving kitchen sink design
Your kitchen sink is a functional necessity in your home hub. However, it often takes up a lot of counter space and requires those with smaller kitchens to manoeuvre around it.
Installing a smaller, simpler design negates this issue. Choosing a sink you're able to cover with a chopping board or special lid also gives you extra room when you need it.
This is especially important for smaller kitchens where countertop real estate is in high demand. Cooking up a feast for your friends and family is much easier when you're able to spread your culinary wings!
Related content: The best kitchen sink ideas
Choose a modular space saving kitchen table and matching chairs
When considering the layout of your kitchen, choose a table and chair combination that fits together seamlessly. Modular designs are perfect for homes with less square footage.
Alternatively, extended counters like the island design pictured, with overhanging 'lids' for chairs to slot nearly underneath offer a clever space-saving design solution.
The same goes for the dipped wooden table that bleeds into the countertop to create an extended dining area – a clever design trick that results in an open-plan and clean aesthetic.
Consider ergonomic and space saving kitchen cabinets
Ergonomic design focuses on creating comfortable, efficient, and safe products. In your kitchen, this translates as clean, user-friendly, and space-saving furniture.
These white gloss cabinets are designed to use every inch of available space, limiting wastage with handles and hinges by having quiet push-to-open doors instead.
The clean and seamless design works perfectly in smaller kitchens, while the neutral decor expands the room by inviting the illusion of spaciousness.
Did you find this guide on space-saving kitchen ideas useful? Let us know in the comments! And don't forget to check out our other helpful ideas and trends on our blog.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
More Ideas
More Kitchen Fitters - Installation Articles
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job