Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your house.

The fact that it is small doesn’t mean that it can’t be just as cozy and functional as a larger kitchen if you take the right steps.

In this article, we are going to uncover 21 of the best kitchen ideas you can implement in 2019 to jazz up your tiny kitchen so you can cook in style.

So here we go.

1) Get it Lit

Poor lighting can make a kitchen feel washed out and uninviting.

Decorative lightening in your small kitchen immediately adds personality and a touch of comfort when cooking.

We especially like the idea from Lonny. In the picture below, you can see how the pendants add a fantastic touch to the brightness of the kitchen.

That is what you want to emulate. Make your kitchen bright but not too bright (you get the idea).

Steps:

• Get kitchen pendant lighting
• Fix them at the top of the kitchen cabinet or places you deem fit.
• Get lit!

2) Keep it White

I know you know the drill here – Whiter = Brighter, right?

Small kitchens are more likely to be dark than large kitchens, and there’s only so much artificial light you want to shine in a kitchen before you feel overwhelmed by it.

If that’s your situation, the solution is an easy one, keep the critical components white. 

White cabinets will add brightness without it having to come from excess lighting. 

The same goes with white appliances, white plates, and light colored counter tops.

Steps:

• Evaluate the natural light coming into your kitchen
• Is the kitchen naturally too dark, as many small kitchens are?
• Make it White!

3) Add Color Back in through Enhancements

I know many of you are reading idea number 2 and thinking to yourselves, but I’m not a white person. I love color. Does the fact that I have a small kitchen really mean I have to give away my love of color?

Absolutely not. 

The amazing thing about color is that a little bit goes a long way, especially on a white background. Think of a splash of paint stands out on a white canvas, colors you add to your kitchen will really pop on white cabinets, and bring in the color you love without taking away from the brightness of the kitchen.

There are a million ways to enhance a kitchen and add color and personality back in. 

You can use figurines, tiles, backsplashes, drawings, etc. But our favorite way (OK, we know we’re biased) is with cabinet knobs and pulls. 

Imagine how this Blue Crystal Knob by  Top Knobs Hardware would bring color to a white kitchen.

Steps:

• Find Colorful Enhancements to bring your white cabinets to life without sacrificing brightness
• Try Knobs, Pulls, and Colorful Tiles for sources of color

4) Wood Shelving

Reclaimed wood shelving free us space in your kitchen, add tremendous personality, and can also add a needed contrast to white cabinets

You should definitely try this out.

Steps:

• Get a kitchen wood shelve
• Fix it at any to corner (I prefer right top corner)
• Stack up your serving ware
• And watch your kitchen smile

5) A Functional and Effective Kitchen Island

A functional kitchen island must have the following;

• Storage rack or cabinets underneath the island
• Towel rack
• A little shelf

Take a look at the picture and see how Lark & Linen did it.

Steps:

• Get a kitchen island.
• Attach a Towel rack and a shelf if they don’t already have one 

6) Conjuring up a Dining Space

You don’t need to be a world-class designer or architect to create a little dining area for one or two in your small kitchen.

In fact, all that is needed are just two or three barstools and a shelf.

The design below by Ladny Dom describes perfectly what we are talking about.

Steps:

• Get 2 or 3 Barstools
• Get a shelf
• Put them close to the entrance of the kitchen or the cabinet.
• You’ve just got a dining space!

7) Open Shelving

Open shelves are the flavor of the season as open shelves not only allow you to showcase the beautiful kitchenware you possess but also lets you find your utensils easily.

Open up your upper cabinet and convert them into open shelves for a smarter look. Opt for wooden shelves with texture to lend a rustic feel to your kitchen.

Open shelves also provide more space than closed cabinets. Take a hint or two from Make+Haus for wonderful open shelving ideas.

Steps:

• Open up your upper cabinet
• Get wooden shelves with texture
• Now convert them into open shelves by installing the wooden shelves one after the other

8) Hang Them Up

Keeping a small kitchen clutter free is no mean task and hanging your pans, pots, and ladles save a lot of space. Our favorite new tool for doing this is the  Smart Rail System recently released by Hardware Resources. 

The Smart Rail can literally be configured hundreds of different ways. 

Its thin design means that it hugs the wall, allowing it to be used in areas with limited space, such as over an oven as pictured here.

The combination looks smart and makes your small kitchen that much more effective. 

Finding your utensils is a lot easier when they are well organized.

9) Turn Open Shelves into Open Pantry

An open pantry is essential in any small kitchen as it allows the cook to easily find the required ingredients. 

Moreover, you can see the amount of ingredient left in the pantry and make a note of getting it from the market.

Open shelves along a spare wall in your kitchen not only help you to keep your spices and dry ingredients organized but also give your kitchen a cozy feel.

This open pantry by HGTV looks stunning and is so very functional.

Steps:

• Get an open pantry
• Fix it at an appropriate place in your kitchen
• Place ingredients you need the most on the pantry
• Enjoy the organization

10) Make it Cozier

I especially love what Erin Gates Design did here. In a small kitchen, the smaller, the cozier.

The cushy rug further down completely buries it.

Steps:

• If possible, get a cushy rug
• Place it in the middle of the kitchen
• Ensure the rug matches up with the color texture of the kitchen cabinet and floor of the kitchen
• Enjoy the coziness!

11) Replace Cabinets with Drawers

Cabinet doors take up space and it is not ideal in a small kitchen. As suggested earlier you may convert your top cabinets into open shelves. 

You may also consider converting your lower cabinets into drawers as operating a drawer is much easier than operating a cabinet in a small kitchen.

Add drawers below your kitchen island for convenient storage and a clutter-free kitchen. 

This drawer by Classic Cabinetry shows you just how to optimize available space.

Steps:

• Get a kitchen drawer at Amazon or a major kitchen store in your area.
• Remove the kitchen cabinet and
• Replace it with the kitchen drawers

12) Incorporate a Dish Rack

Attach a steel grill to the lower rack of your cabinet and use it to store washed dishes. 

Making a dish rack in your cabinet helps to save space and also lets you keep your dishes organized.

Take inspiration from this rack done by dornob.com.

13) Get Hooked

Hooks are a great way to maximize space in a small kitchen. Attach hooks to any free space like unused walls, cabinet doors or the sides of your counter. 

You can hang towels, spoons, mugs among other things, from the  hooks. 

Check out this image from DHgate and try it in your own kitchen.

14) Wicker Kitchen Design

All homeowners hate overly cramped and crowded kitchen. You cannot afford to make your already small kitchen become a cubicle.

That is why I love wicker furniture. Its open design makes the kitchen room feel so light and airy.

You’ve got to try it out.

Steps:

• Get wicker furniture
• Re-arrange the kitchen and keep open spaces
• Now enjoy its comfort

15) Tiered Racks

Tiered racks like this one from Amazon.com is extremely convenient to store fruits as can be seen and vegetables as well. 

The racks save space, look quite stylish and gives you an idea of the number of fruits and vegetables left. 

What’s better is you can use the aforementioned hooks to hang these racks up practically on any free walls, thus providing you with ample storage space.

16) Store Consumables Effectively

Consumables such as tissue paper or waste disposal bags can be stored below the kitchen sink or the island, if you have one. 

Place the wastebasket below the sink. You can even free up a bottom drawer to store all your cleaning utensils and chemicals.

Take a cue from simplyorganized.com.

17) Divide and Conquer

Do not keep your utensils and other items strewn around in your cabinets or drawers. 

Not only does it make finding things complicated but also makes a small kitchen look even more congested.

Separate your cabinets and drawers into compartments using blocks as shown by The Container Store and keep your kitchen organized. 

18) Use Cabinet Doors and Free Walls

The insides of cabinet doors can be effectively used to store many items. 

You can attach small jar holders like shown in the first image to hold your spices and other dry ingredients.

You can also create a measuring chart and hang your measuring cups by the side of your cabinet as shown in the second image. 

Hang small spoons and different knives as well from cabinet doors or free walls to open up space.

19) Smart Pullout Counter

Smart pullout counters are the perfect idea for a small kitchen lacking ample counter space. 

You can easily make one like the keyboard holder on your computer table.

The pullout storage rack is also a great idea to effectively store items as shown here by Decoist. 

20) Label useful stuff

Labeling is a great way to organize the stuff in your kitchen and it helps you to find the right ingredients in a small space. 

Label your spices and mark out specific drawers for specific tools. 

The more organized you are the better are your chances of finding your way around a small kitchen.

This kitchen cabinet is neatly organized by the use of labels.

21) Organize and optimize

Clear glass jars let you gauge the amount of a particular ingredient left.

Label the jars accordingly and keep them organized on your open pantry for you to find them easily while cooking.

Optimize the space available by cleverly using corners or space between the side of the refrigerator and the wall. Take a clue from the image given below.

Steps:

• Organize everything.
• Lebel the ingredient jars accordingly
• Keep the utensils and server ware clean and organized
• Enjoy your kitchen!

We hope these ideas help you to redecorate your small kitchen this New Year.