Dreaming of Small and Efficient Kitchens

Stephanie Stokes
Desire To Inspire
Mellisa Rufty
Elle Decor
Sara Gilbane
O at Home
Tracery Interiors Blog
Velvet and Linen
via Bryn's blog
via My Notting Hill
House Beautiful

How do you make your small kitchen more efficient and beautiful? I like to put small and very inexpensive oriental rugs in my kitchen. They are comfortable underfoot, clean off easily and always elicit compliments from guests.

33 comments:

  1. Nice post.. I wish my small kitchen was more efficient!!!

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  2. beautiful inspiration. that sara gilbane space is to die for!

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  3. I love the idea of using oriental rugs in unusual spaces, too! Bathrooms are my favorite. Where do you find your very inexpensive ones? :)

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  4. I love when pieces fit together efficiently and compactly, and I certainly I love those images!

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  5. I had a comically small kitchen in my last apartment, there wasn't even enough room to open the fridge door more than half way!

    I think the best trick for small kitchens is to use open shelving - it makes you keep everything clean and organized, and totally opens up the space!

    Also, Ikea's kitchen solutions are so helpful -- they have a storage solution for every kitchen item you can imagine!

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  6. I hang my oven mitts! It frees up a drawer and they are always handy. I also try to choose cohesive kitchen linens and items like jars. Everything has to go with my yellow rug and crock.

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  7. yes, they're cute and these are some fantastic functional ones. but dream big! my teeny tiny nyc apartment feels like it gets smaller everyday!

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  8. That mirrored backsplash and cabinet front is so glamorous...and great for expanding the space. I love cabinets built all the way to the ceiling too. Beautiful kitchens, thanks for posting!

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  9. I think they key to this is definitely to get the small appliances and such off the counters! I recently started using a magnetic strip for my knives instead of the block and it changed my life a little! great inspiration!

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  10. Great inspiration. Small can be beautiful, and small in a kitchen is actually a benefit--fewer steps, everything within reach, more efficiency.

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  11. Wow, I'd love to be able to decorate such a small space so chicly!! These photos are fantastic!! It's making me dream of little cozy kitchens too! :)

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  12. I put a Danish modern cabinet in my kitchen that holds the microwave, the toaster, the coffee maker, cleaning supplies and cookbooks behind closed doors. It takes up most of the only wall without windows and counters or appliances, but it keeps the kitchen neat and tidy. And it looks cool too.

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  13. i love those kitchens! i hide my ugly pans & cookie sheets in the oven, then display my shiny pots on open shelves. where is the best place to find a small oriental rug?

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  14. I have been kitchen obsessed the last few weeks because I am moving to a rental house where I can paint, but the cabinets and countertops in the kitchen are so not me. (Blah wood and forest green counters!) And I can't figure out what to do! I wish I could transplant one of these kitchens!

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  15. Echoing Emily... where DO you find your small and inexpensive rugs? Do tell!!

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  16. I really like the cabinet doors in the Elle Decor photo. So pretty!

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  17. those kitchens are spectacular

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  18. With this much beauty who cares it is small, love the image by Desire to Inspire! Is your move to the city still on, wondering as these all would be quite large kitchens for many spaces in the city!! Janell

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  19. Wonderful spaces! I have an oriental rug in my kitchen .. I love the stacked books in the first photo !
    Some of these did look a bit cluttered which is not great in a small space .. too much going on . But the kitchen from Velvet and Linen was just gorgeous!
    The kitchen with so many framed photos/paintings on the wall was not my favorite, way too much going on there for my taste.
    My kitchen is waiting for a huge clock. Huge.

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  20. Lovely! Our kitchen is quite small (dates from around 1930) and is begging for an update.

    Re: small rugs: when we bought our larger rugs for the living room and den, the rug seller threw in a smaller one - a lovely hand-made one from Turkey. It doesn't have a home yet, but I never thought of putting it in the kitchen!

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  21. The only way I can keep my little kitchen funtional is to take out anything that I don't use super often and store it elsewhere. Anywhere.
    Also I took my coffee maker, coffee, and sugar jar and stuck it on a tea cart near an outlet in the dining room... beats having to haul it in and out of a cabinet every morning or shoving it out of the way when I am making supper!

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  22. My kitchen really is where we live--not only eating but daily art and sewing projects. I turned my (small) pantry into a sewing closet. So worth the sacrifice! Open shelving for glass jars filled with all the baking and pasta stuff. No drawer space for silverware, so we put them in jars to in a great wood box and love it. Also, I try not to cover up windows--they help open up the space. Love your blog--I look forward to it daily!

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  23. A white kitchen-aid mixer makes any kitchen look good!!

    http://ladulcivida.blogspot.com/

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  24. so beautiful! Where are these small and inexpensive oriental rugs you speak of?

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  25. I love these kitchens, especially the second one down. It's amazing how each one is so different and gives off such a unique mood/vibe. Great post!

    http://vagabondblondes.blogspot.com/

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  26. You know what they say, kitchens are the heart of the home..personally I would love love a big kitchen so I can have all my family over for dinner!

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  27. I think my favorite is the kitchen with the black and white photos. I could see it as my kitchen in my dream apartment in Paris! oh to dream...

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  28. fun, fun post! love the one with the wall of pictures framed.

    xo,
    cristin

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  29. All such good examples! Nice round-up! They are so pretty.
    Nancy

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  30. So many great ideas here! I love the kitchen with all of the black and white photos. Perfect!

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  31. I love the one with the tall ceilings and all the black and white prints. I think it needs something like the prints otherwise as it sort of over emphasises the tallness of the walls and therefore makes them less imposing.

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  32. I love small efficient kitchens as well - sadly mine is just small (minus the efficient). These are beautiful inspiration photos for when I can finally get around to changing mine up a bit!

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