How to Add Big Personality to a Small Kitchen

Posted by KraftMaid on 19th Mar 2018

No matter what size your kitchen is, there’s always room for charisma. Whether it’s adding a unique design element or featuring functional built-ins in your plan, use these small kitchen makeover ideas to customize your kitchen and make it distinctive.

Undercounter bookcase on the end of a peninsula in a traditional kitchen with white KraftMaid cabinets

Use open storage in a small kitchen to showcase your personality.

BOOKCASE ISLAND END

A built-in kitchen island bookcase – or peninsula with a bookcase end – gives you a chance to put a bit of you on display. These kitchen bookshelf ideas combine decorative charm and functional storage. Whether you want a handy spot for your favorite cookbooks or a way to show off dishware that’s too pretty to hide behind a cabinet door (or both!), we’ll supply the perfect spot for it.

KraftMaid Pedestal Door Cabinets in Saddle stain used as banquettes for small kitchens

Build character into your small kitchen with a banquette bench.

Built-ins contribute a lot to a home’s unique character. In a small kitchen – where every inch counts – you can use pedestal cabinets to turn the awkward spot below a window into built-in banquette seating. What is typically an overlooked and underutilized area can become a cozy, comfortable hangout. With small kitchen banquette seating, you’ll also pick up a bit of additional storage below the seating that you access with your choice of swing-open doors or pull-out drawers. (And what small kitchen couldn’t use more storage?)

KraftMaid range hood finished in Dove White to match wall cabinets in a contemporary kitchen

Extend your design style with a custom range hood.

RANGE HOOD

A range hood can become a standout element in a small kitchen, and KraftMaid® offers an array of wood range hood options to match your signature style. Our simple, square Box Hood works well with streamlined contemporary designs, while our sophisticated Cove Hood and Chimney Hood silhouettes fit transitional or traditional spaces. Finish your hood to match the rest of your cabinets for a monochromatic, space-expanding effect. Or choose a contrasting paint or stain to add sizzle to your kitchen design.

KraftMaid tall end panel used to create a built-in refrigerator look in a traditional kitchen

Finished end panels add style without taking up much space.

MATCHING TALL END PANEL

Many small kitchens put the refrigerator on the end of a cabinet run. Instead of looking at the plain side of an appliance, give it a custom cabinetry look with a matching end panel. This panel encases your refrigerator in the same style and finish as the rest of your cabinet doors – adding tons of class in just a few inches of floor space. Big bang for your buck.

ASK A DESIGNER ABOUT YOUR SMALL KITCHEN

Confused by a specific challenge your small kitchen poses? Wondering how you can make the most out of your limited storage? Send your question to a KraftMaid designer or talk to a kitchen designer in your area. We’ll help you find a creative solution for your small space.