Small Kitchen Ideas: 15 Apartment Kitchen Layouts That'll Inspire You to Makeover Your Cooking Space

Is your cooking space feeling a bit cramped? When it comes to small kitchen design, a clever layout can make all the difference. Even if your square footage is on the smaller side, there’s plenty you can do – from subtle organization tweaks to smart kitchen remodel ideas – to make your kitchen feel more spacious and inviting. Here are 15 small-space and apartment kitchen layout ideas to get you started.

small kitchen with black cabinets and small island

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Add a (Little) Island

Limited counter space is one of the main challenges of a small kitchen. No matter how teeny your appliances may be, a lack of space to chop, mix and prep your meals can make any kitchen feel claustrophobic. Adding a compact island to an L-shaped kitchen instantly transforms the room by providing space and making it easier for more than one person to cook at a time. Find more show-stopping kitchen islands you’ll want to replicate.

mall kitchen with black and dark shelves and marble table as island

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A Tall Table

Similarly, if your small kitchen is low on counter space and dining space, you can use smart furniture selection as a two-for-one solution. A higher-height kitchen table placed centrally in a compact kitchen serves as meal-prep space when you need it – and then doubles as a chic, space-saving dining area when it’s time to eat.

interior of a tiny house with large glass windows, showcase the kitchen, part of the living room and loft bedroom

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Let in the Light

Even the most compact kitchen design can feel surprisingly spacious when there’s lots of light flowing through. This tiny home makes the most of its L-shaped layout by placing the sink under a window. Glass doors behind the kitchen area play up the airy feel of the light-toned cabinets and white backsplash.

white and wood kitchen with angled roof on one side

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The Right Angles

Small spaces

are often at the mercy of their angles. While tiny nooks and pitched ceilings definitely add architectural interest and character to your cooking space, they can also make a tight space seem tighter. By arranging appliances to fit the angles (like a countertop microwave in a small nook) and adding upper cabinets at the highest point, you can maximize the space you do have – without wasting an inch.

small kitchen with book storage above fridge and open shelves

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Look Up

Low on square footage, but high on ceiling height? Think tall and make use of vertical space for storage. Open shelves and above-the-fridge cookbook storage keep less-often-used items off your counters for a roomier feel.

small white kitchen with hanging utensils

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Hang Ups

Another way to use vertical space to your advantage in a small kitchen design? Hang things up. A mix of hanging utensils and magnetic knife storage puts essential tools (and a few herbs for a touch of green) on display.

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Float On

Having enough kitchen cabinets for storage is essential to keeping your cooking space neat and organized, but many small kitchens don’t have the wall space to meet those needs. Adding a few smaller, floating-style cabinets in the same colour palette is a good way to sneakily enhance your kitchen storage without a major renovation.

apartment kitchen with beige cabinets and neutral table

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A Clever Disguise

In a smaller apartment, it’s important that all your spaces work together, visually, as a team. A small kitchen design that blends in with the home on the whole – through neutral-toned cabinets that coordinate with the wall colour – can make a compact space feel larger than it actually is.

grey loft apartment kitchen with red fridge

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Red Hot

You can also use colour to enhance a small kitchen design by creating a colour-pop accent. Using similar tones of grey throughout this compact kitchen layout give the illusion of a larger space, while a bold red refrigerator at the edge of the wall makes an artful design statement.

small brown and white kitchen with table on wall

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Tiny Table

You need a place to sit down and enjoy your home-cooked meals, but there are ways to take up less space with seating in a small kitchen layout. Installing a bench or table right up against the wall serves up saved space in a petite apartment kitchen.

black and white kitchen with checkered floor

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It’s Black and White

When you’re working with a narrow kitchen, use colour and design to makeover your space. Two-toned cabinets – with bright white cabinets on top – and a checkerboard floor play with the eye for the illusion of a larger layout.

small kitchen with white round table and green feature wall

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Artful Accents

Another way to use colour in your small kitchen layout is to incorporate a feature wall in your design. When your cabinets and appliances are all situated on one wall, use a rich paint colour to highlight the area, while keeping the rest of the space neutral.

apartment kitchen with yellow shelf unit

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Colour Pop

When storage is lacking in the kitchen, you don’t always have to go the total kitchen remodel route to enhance the layout. Adding a living room shelving unit that fits just-right into a nook is a cost-effective way to boost your organization – and it’s also an opportunity to bring in a pop of colour or unique design.

small kitchen area with forest-green lower cabinets and partial backsplash

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Just Enough

If you don’t need a full prep kitchen (as was the case in this Save My Reno basement guest suite), a single-wall kitchenette area keeps things compact – and stylish. Incorporating a row of tiles instead of a full backsplash is a great way to ensure function without overwhelming the overall space.

small white kitchen with cabinets and shelves

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Mix Things Up

Need kitchen storage, but your space is so small that upper cabinets are too much? Design your upper kitchen space with a mix of open shelves and cabinets for a more-open look that delivers storage solutions.