Sometimes, even though you desperately want to make your kitchen bigger, the dimensions of your home simply don’t allow it, and squeezing past your partner to reach the sink while they cook at the stove, is a familiar story for many. However, even if your kitchen will always be small, it doesn’t have to be cramped, and with the help of an experiencedremodeling firm, you can help keep foot traffic flowing in the smallest of spaces:
By widening walkways
Cramming all of your appliances, gadgets and cabinets into one area of your kitchen is always going to have an impact on traffic flow, and sometimes, just be rethinking where you put things, you can free up space to move around in. in general, aim to have at least 42 inches between appliances and other surfaces, enabling others to walk behind you to get to the sink, refrigerator, or wherever they need to be.
By having plenty of seating
Even small kitchens may be able to accommodate an island with stools or high legged chairs, but you’ll need to leave at least 36 inches of space behind them to allow for traffic flow. When not needed, the stools or chairs can be put away – folding chairs make this even easier.
By thinking about your kitchens entry points
If your refrigerator is right next to the entry point, and when its door is open it blocks the entrance, this is always going to create problems for accessibility and traffic flow. The same applies if cabinets open up and block appliances; think about what happens when doors are open and appliances are used, and reposition some items to encourage a freer flow of traffic in the kitchen.
By compromising on certain things
If your kitchen is destined to remain small, you might as well resign yourself to that fact and try to make the best of it. For example, you could buy a rolling island cart that can be placed in a corner when not in use to save space, or swap your cabinets for deeper ones, and have fewer of them. You may also need to reposition your appliances to maximize the space you have.
With the help of an experienced remodeling contractor, there’s no reason why you can’t still have a great, functional and modern kitchen, just because it’s small. Traffic flow can almost always be improved by thinking carefully about entry points and making good use of what space is available, and with an experienced designers help, you can turn your little kitchen into a heavenly hub!