For one thing, kitchen services "like" to be close together. Dishwashers need to be near water supply and drain areas (i.e., sinks). Fridges with automatic ice makers need a water supply. Kitchen cabinetry tends to be clustered together into cohesive units, rather than spread out. So, pulling together a tight kitchen really makes sense.
- Realize that kitchen islands are space hogs and are not always as useful as they may appear. Try to craft a design that doesn't include an island.
- Push cabinetry to the ceiling. Often, kitchen cabinetry has an open space at top. While this does create a more airy feel, it's a luxury you cannot afford in the small kitchen. After all, would you rather have a dead space...or 12 feet more of shelving room?
- The downside of pushing cabinetry up is it feels more claustrophobic. Cure this by installing glass cabinet doors.
- Go for neutral colors. Darker colors will make the small kitchen feel oppressive and smaller.
- Larger floor tiles. Counter-intuitive, yes, but small flooring tiles make a room feel smaller.
