How to Design a Small Kitchen
We discussed how to make a small bathroom feel luxurious in the last blog, so it’s only fitting to share the same love with the small kitchens of America! Just like how not all of us have a huge master bathroom, not all of us have a massive kitchen or the budget and space to knock down walls and create an expanded floorplan. It’s frustrating to Google “kitchen renovation ideas” and see gorgeous remodels of kitchens that are the size of your entire first level, so we’re doing the opposite! For this two-part blog series, we’ve selected a couple of Mayflower’s galley kitchen renovations to help us tackle the age-old question of how to design a small kitchen remodel.
Before we get to the fun pictures, let’s address the elephant in the room: how much is this going to cost? Our first piece of advice is to not to limit your budget just because you have a small kitchen. That doesn’t mean you should go crazy and do a 100K renovation in a kitchen with only 12 cabinets, but it does mean you should set a budget that makes sense with the value of your home rather than the size of your kitchen. It’s recommended to invest between 10-15% of your home value into a kitchen renovation assuming it’s your long-term home. Rental properties, short term homes, and homes on the market are a different story, but that’s a topic for another blog. 😉
The rule of thumb for designing a fantastic small kitchen remodel is to avoid viewing the space as so small it’s not worth the investment. Can you remodel a small kitchen for 10-20K? Sure! But if you want a cheap renovation, you’ll end up with a space that looks a little better but still carries the same frustrations as your old kitchen. As you get ready for your remodel, don’t be afraid to tear it down and give your designer a blank slate. You’ll be surprised at how much beauty and functionality you can get out of a small space!
Now that we’ve got the budget discussion out of the way, look out for our next blog where we will analyze the design decisions made in each of the pictured kitchens. If you’ve got a small kitchen and are feeling inspired, it’s never too early to start planning. Our design consultants would love to help bring your vision to life. Your dream kitchen is just one call, text or email away!
