Do you feel like your kitchen is closing in on you? Barely have enough room to sit and breathe, nevermind getting all of your food prep done? The kitchen is, first and foremost, a practical space. If you don’t have the room that you need to carry out the tasks that it’s supposed to be designed for, it’s not going to work for you. As such, here are a few ways to increase the room you have to work with.
Know what’s clutter
What is it that’s getting in your way? Is it that you don’t have space in the kitchen, or that you don’t have space that isn’t already being taken up? As mentioned the kitchen is supposed to be a practical space. That means that you should go light on the decor objects, especially if they’re taking up space that would be better used as either storage for the objects that you need or as a place to prepare your meals. Be cruel when it comes to clutter. If an item isn’t essential, find a new place or it or toss it.
Maximize your storage potential
Sometimes it might not be how much room you have, but how you’re making use of the space that’s available within it. Storage is one of the most important aspects of the kitchen as, if you don’t have enough, you’re going to start cluttering your working spaces with essential items that don’t have a place to go. Rethink your kitchen cabinet sizes, opening them up, and extending them to offer more storage space. This way, you keep your counters cleaner of those items.
Create a designated workspace
If you’re having trouble knowing where you should stand in your kitchen and you can’t entirely open up new storage spaces or get rid of clutter, then you can at least make sure that you have one space that is entirely suited for nothing but food prep and general kitchen work. Having an extendable countertop can allow you to afford yourself some extra space to work, then you can fold it back up when you don’t need it anymore so it’s not constantly taking up space in the kitchen.
Rethinking your dining space
If your kitchen is also your dining room, it might be time to reconsider if that is truly practical. Yes, you might consider it important to have the family sitting around the table without the TV to distract them, but if you don’t have space for it, that’s going to happen anyway. You might instead want to look at creating an outdoor dining space on your decking or patio, for instance. With the right shelter, lighting, and heating installations, it can become a practical place to dine all year round, not just in the summer.
You don’t have to invest in an extension to add some breathing room to your kitchen. A few smaller renovations can make all the difference without making quite as much of a dent in your bank account.