Contemporary yet compact

Open plan living isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re the type who prefers to live in a home with defined rooms, chances are your kitchen isn’t a sprawling space with heaps of room to whip up oodles of culinary delights to share with your family.

Modern home planners generally favour larger living rooms and kitchens are often too small to accommodate dining space, let alone the whole family all at once. This is especially true for apartment living, however there are some space-saving solutions that will help you to love your cosy kitchen.

1. Install a breakfast bar- Your kitchen might be too small for a dining table but most spaces should be able to handle a little breakfast bar where you can enjoy snacks and coffee breaks without wandering too far from the kettle for those all-important top-ups in the morning. If you’re after something a little more substantial, why not install a folding table for occasional use. 
2. Double up on shelving- There’s often a lot of wasted space between shelves in kitchen cupboards. Piling crockery and glassware high can lead to breakages and disorganisation. Adding an additional shelf here and there is sure to maximise your space.
3. Get your ladder out - Most kitchen cupboards don’t reach the ceiling, leaving an awkward, wasted space at the top. This is a great place to keep items that are only occasionally in use. Invest in some matching boxes or baskets to keep your kitchen looking neat. Keep a little stepladder around to allow for ease of access. This is also a great place to keep your favourite cookery books and you might be surprised to find that you even have space to display a few pieces of art. 
4. Shelve it - Are you really making the most of your walls? Adding some shelving in unused areas like above your sink and above your refrigerator can really help to provide much needed storage in small spaces. 
5. Be clever with storage- Take a look around your local hardware store and we’re sure you’ll come across an abundance of nifty storage solutions. If you’re creative about it, storage needn’t cost the earth. Think a little outside the box and you’ll find things like vertical file storage boxes which can make great spice and herb caddies when attached to the inside of your cupboard doors. Alternatively some well-placed hooks will be perfect for pots

Overall, it is important to remember that you don’t necessarily need more space you simply need more creativity. As the saying goes, ‘the best things do come in small packages’.