Favour visited a friend's kitchen last week: 7 feet by 5 feet, with a door that opened into the fridge. They apologized three times before she'd even reached the counter. After some ideas from Favour, they'd stopped apologizing and started planning a makeover. That clarity is what this guide is for.

You see, small kitchens need a different touch, one whose purpose is to maximize function without sacrificing beauty, and this feat requires a different set of questions.

The Five Most Common Layouts

Every small kitchen fits one of these patterns. Figure out yours first, then everything else makes sense.

• Single-Wall: Everything lines one wall. Your sink, cooktop, and fridge create a straight line. Works for studios and ultra-narrow spaces under 6 feet wide. Keep your most-used items within a 3-foot reach of where you stand to cook.
• Galley: Two parallel counters with a walkway between. Keep that walkway 42 inches minimum, or you'll bang your hip on the fridge every morning. One side handles cooking, the other handles prep and cleanup. This layout naturally creates an efficient back-and-forth rhythm.
• L-Shape: Two walls meet at a corner. That corner is either your best friend (with the right hardware) or wasted dead space (with the wrong cabinets). Most people get this wrong by treating the corner like regular cabinet space instead of installing pull-out systems.
• U-Shape: Three walls of counter and storage. Only works if you have at least 8 feet between the parallel sides. Less than that and you're bumping into things constantly. More functional than it looks if you actually have the space.
• Peninsula: An L-shape with one side extending into the room. That extension becomes your breakfast bar, extra prep surface, and visual room divider. Only add this if your kitchen opens to another room and you have 10+ feet to work with.

When Your Kitchen Measures Under 40 Square Feet

Anything smaller than a walk-in closet demands specific strategies.

The Vertical Strategy

Your walls are your storage. Floor to ceiling. A client had 30 square feet to work with (literally a 5x6 alcove).

We stacked:

• an under-counter fridge on the bottom,
• an oven at waist height,
• a microwave at shoulder height.
• and added pull-out pantries 6 inches deep on either side.

She went from "I don’t enjoy cooking here" to meal-prepping on Sundays.

What made the difference: lightweight items went high (pasta, canned goods), heavy items stayed at counter level (mixing bowls, pots), and rarely-used items went highest (holiday platters). You might want to install a fold-down step stool if you're under 5'8".

The Fold-Out Solution

Permanent counter space is overrated in tiny kitchens.

Install a hinged cutting board that folds over your sink. Add a wall-mounted drop-leaf table that folds flat when not needed. Use a pull-out cutting board in a drawer. These give you 12-24 inches of extra prep surface that disappears when you're done.

The Hidden Appliance Approach

Your microwave doesn't really need a permanent counter space. Mount it under your upper cabinet or get a drawer model. Your toaster can live in a cabinet (you use it for 3 minutes daily anyway). Your coffee maker is the only appliance that earns permanent counter real estate.

For Studio Apartments Where Kitchen Meets Living Room

The challenge here isn't just the size. Your kitchen cabinets also become your room's focal point.

Make It Look Like Furniture

Painting all your cabinets the same color as your living room walls will make them inconspicuous (or as close as that gets). A snug member had a builder-grade oak kitchenette in her studio. She painted everything the same soft gray as her walls. Added brass knobs. Those little changes made it look like it was meant to be there.

Skip the upper cabinets entirely on the living room side. Use floating shelves with dishes you'd want to look at or use often. That open view makes your studio feel twice as big.

The Rolling Island Trick

A 24x36 inch butcher block cart on wheels can become your flexible counter extension. Roll it next to your stove when you’re cooking. You can roll it to the center of your room as a dining table, or roll it against a wall when you need floor space for yoga or guests.

Add a wine rack or towel bar to one end to improve the appeal, and throw some storage baskets underneath. Now it's doing three jobs in a 6-square-foot footprint.

Narrow Galleys That Feel Like Haunted Hallways

These might be the most efficient layouts when done right, and the most frustrating when done wrong.

The 42-Inch Rule

Your walkway between counters needs to be at least 42 inches. We measured one once at 38 inches; the homeowner's hip had actually worn a mark on the cabinet edge from constant contact. We ripped out one side of base cabinets and installed 15-inch-deep replacements instead of the standard 24-inch. Problem solved.

If you're stuck with narrow, switch to sliding cabinet doors, or remove the doors entirely and use curtains on tension rods.

The One-Wall Wonder

Put all your appliances on one wall: the fridge at one end, the sink in the middle, and the stove at the other end. The opposite wall should hold open shelving only, no base cabinets, to narrow the walkway. (We know it feels counterintuitive to give up that storage, but the breathing room is worth it.)

Use that opposite wall for a pegboard system. Hang your pots, utensils, and cutting boards. Make everything visible and accessible.

The Light Direction Strategy

If your galley has a window at one end, put your sink there. You'll naturally gravitate toward the light when working. If there’s no window, install the brightest LED strip lights you can find under your upper cabinets. Shadows in a narrow galley make it feel like a cave. (shivers)

Awkward Spaces With Weird Angles

Every old building has that kitchen corner that just makes no sense.

The Diagonal Fridge Fix

A client had a kitchen with doorways on three sides, and nowhere to put a fridge without blocking something. We had it angled 45 degrees in a corner. It looked weird in the plan, but perfect in reality, and created a traffic pattern that flowed well.

The Window-Sink Debate

Traditional wisdom says to put your sink under the window. Sometimes that window is in the worst possible spot. We say put sinks in corners, sinks on islands, sinks on interior walls, wherever makes the work triangle function. The view while doing dishes is nice, but it’s not worth destroying your kitchen's flow.

The Beam Solution

Got an exposed beam cutting through your kitchen at an odd height? Don’t fret over it. Add hooks for hanging pots. Paint it a contrasting color and make it a feature. One of our community members had a beam that became her pot rack and herb-drying station. She turned a problem into her kitchen's most interesting part.

Rental-Friendly Changes That Work

You can't renovate your landlord’s property, but you sure can transform it.

The Peel-and-Stick Method

Temporary backsplash tiles have gotten good, really good. We’ve installed them in probably 20 rentals now. Choose small tiles (2x4 inches or smaller) for easier application, and avoid trying to match grout lines perfectly.

Do the same for countertops; peel-and-stick contact paper in marble or concrete patterns. It won't fool anyone up close, but from 3 feet away, it might ;)

The Tension Rod Storage System

Many folks we know don’t like tension rods, but you might.

If you do, then install tension rods inside your upper cabinets vertically to create dividers for your baking sheets and cutting boards. Install them horizontally inside cabinets to hang spray bottles. They’re completely removable and don’t require drilling.

Add S-hooks to a tension rod mounted under your upper cabinets. Here, you can hang spatulas, whisks, and measuring cups. Keep everything at eye level, don’t let anything take up drawer space.

The Contact Paper Cabinet Refresh

If your cabinets are orange oak from 1987, cover them. Use wood-grain contact paper (solid colors, or even patterned). We did this in a friend’s rental for under $60. She lived there another three years before buying a house, and those cabinets never bothered her again.

What Makes Small Kitchens Work

We’ve seen dozens of tiny kitchens, and these are the patterns that work every time.

• Use Light Colors, Not White: Soft grays work better than stark white, and warm taupes beat cool grays. Your goal is to enjoy brightness without the sterile feeling. Test different paint samples for a week: morning light, afternoon light, and evening with the lights on. That matters more than the color name on the can.
• Three Storage Zones: Your daily items (coffee, cutting board, favorite knife) should live at counter level, the regular items (plates, cooking utensils, pots) should go in easy-reach cabinets, and the occasional items (serving platters, extra appliances, bulk supplies) should go high or low where you need a step stool or have to squat. Most people mix these zones and end up constantly moving things to reach other things. Don’t be most people.
• The One-In, Two-Out Rule: For every new kitchen item you bring in, remove two old ones. Otherwise, your small kitchen fills faster than you realize. That new pan means two old pans go to Goodwill, that new gadget means two barely used tools leave. It’s harsh but necessary. Small kitchens can't absorb clutter the way big ones can.

Some Extra Things to Consider

How much counter space do you really need? 15 square feet total if you're not baking regularly. That's roughly 18 inches on either side of your sink plus 12 inches next to your stove. Any more is just luxury (and intrusive thoughts).

Can you fit a dishwasher in a small kitchen? Yes, 18-inch slimline models fit almost anywhere. They're expensive (twice the cost of full-size), but they're also life-changing in a tiny kitchen. We've installed them in 40-square-foot kitchens, and they’re worth every penny if you cook more than three times a week.

What's the smallest functional kitchen size? We visited a fully functional kitchen in 35 square feet once. It had a single wall with all compact appliances, and everything in a pull-out system. The renters made Thanksgiving dinner in it. So technically, 35 square feet works. But if you want to be comfortable, you want at least 50.

Should I use open shelving? Only if you're genuinely organized and your dishes are worth looking at. Open shelving shows every mismatched mug and half-empty cereal box. Most people should stick with closed cabinets and use open shelving for 2-3 items they actually want to display.

Did you enjoy this read? Then you’ll love this piece on small kitchen ideas.