When selecting cabinets for a small kitchen, it’s essential to be proactive about every aspect to avoid situations where cabinets or appliances restrict workflow. Below are some tips to keep in mind when installing Timberlake cabinets in a small or narrow kitchen.

Selecting Cabinets For A Small Kitchen

Choose The Layout Carefully

If you’re also changing your kitchen layout before cabinet installation, you have more freedom in customizing the space and making the most of it. However, it’s only possible if you choose the right layout. The wrong layout will be an expense that you will regret for many years.

This is why, for changing the kitchen and cabinet layout, consult a kitchen designer or a remodeler. Common layouts for small kitchens are single-wall, galley, peninsula, L-shaped, and U-shaped layouts. However, you can modify them according to the space, for which you need an expert.

Tall Cabinets

The space between the top cabinets and the ceiling is usually wasted. You can make use of the space by installing tall cabinets or ceiling-height cabinets. Whichever height of cabinets you choose, make sure that they are usable and not just dead space.

For instance, top cabinets’ doors should be smaller and preferably be flip-up doors. You can also consider a lift-down mechanism for easier access to the top cabinets.

Narrow Shelves

Choose narrow shelves wherever possible. You will see that the cabinets will become more efficient in terms of storage. You will be able to store more with the same number of cabinets.

But you have to be smart with it. Narrow shelves won’t be applicable everywhere. For instance, for the pantry, you should choose standard shelves of 10-14 inches. For cereal boxes and boxes, you may need 14-16-inch shelves. However, for cups, glasses, and dishes, you will see an improvement by picking narrow 6-11-inch shelves.

You have to check with the cabinet brand and installer to know the standard adjustable range their cabinets offer. Standard ranges, like 10-14 inches, don’t cost anything extra. However, if you pick something else, there might be an added cost.

Open Shelves

Open shelving is an easy way to make the kitchen look bigger. You can use open shelves to store good-looking items and also decorations. However, shelves have some limitations. They collect more dust than regular cabinets, and you can’t store items that would look bad on open shelves.

Therefore, it’s suggested to install a few open shelves and leave the rest of the space for regular cabinets, drawers, and the pantry.

Glass Cabinet Doors

Glass-front doors are also a good idea to create a sense of openness in kitchens that usually feel cramped. Plus, when compared to open shelves, you don’t need to clean them as often because the doors keep a lot of dust away.

However, you do need to clean these cabinets more frequently than regular cabinets because everything is still visible. Because of the interior’s visibility, you can’t leave the cabinets messy or store items that wouldn’t look great.

Pick Light Colors

You know that light colors make any space look bigger. Apply that advice to kitchen cabinets as well. Pick light-colored cabinets and make sure the color goes well with the overall color scheme of the kitchen.

You can pick colors like whites, grays, beige, greige, sage green, light wood finishes (oak, maple, birch), and lighter pastel colors.

Make sure to consider the lighting as well. If there is low light, choose light and warm colors, and avoid cold colors. For kitchens with natural light, you can pick light neutral colors. In any case, avoid high contrast colors or full dark cabinetry. If you think one color looks monotonous, you can choose two-tone colors, in which the top cabinets are usually light-colored, and the bottom cabinetry is slightly darker. Browse 1951 cabinets MD for various color options.

Pull-Out Shelves Vs. Drawers

When remodeling your kitchen and picking cabinets, you can decide between cabinets and drawers. Although you can have both, cabinets in most areas and drawers in some others (or vice versa), but if you prefer one over the other, you can just have that one as well.

If you pick cabinets, you should consider pull-out shelves. They improve storage because you can store items in the entire cabinet and can fetch the farther items as well. They are excellent for pantries, corners, and under-sink cabinets. But using them can be more troublesome because you always have to open the door and then pull out the shelf, whereas with a drawer, you can just pull it out without opening any door first.

If you prefer drawers, they offer a clearer view of contents and are best for smaller utensils and also appliances if you pick deep drawers. They are also easier to access than pull-out shelves, but are generally costlier than cabinets.

Glossy Finish

We discussed that you should pick lighter or neutral colors to create a sense of space and openness. You can couple it with a glossy finish. Polished finishes are reflective, so they low-key act as a mirror and make the space look bigger.

Get in touch with a kitchen cabinet dealer or contractor to pick a glossy finish and color that doesn’t look dated and help you make the small kitchen feel spacious.

Keep The Door Style Simple

Too many details and designs can make the space appear heavy and crowded. As you’re picking cabinets for a small kitchen, choose a cabinet door style that’s simple and minimal. So, choose flat panel, basic shaker, or slim shaker styles as they are popular choices, yet they don’t overpower the space.

However, if you’re fine with spending more money on the cabinet door style, choose inset cabinets. In these cabinets, the door sits flush with the face frame. They also appear minimal but cost more than the above-mentioned styles.

Choose Minimal Hardware

The door hinges and knobs should be minimal as well when you’re going with a flat-panel or slim shaker door style. Avoid overly detailed or too big or too long handles or knobs. Stick with minimal and slick designs. You can also go for push-to-open latches that eliminate the need for handles or knobs. They are mostly popular with full overlay and frameless cabinets.

No More Dead Space

When you’re already working with a small space, you don’t want some of it wasted on corners. So, avoid dead space by choosing cabinet corner solutions such as Lazy Susan. This is a common corner solution that features a rotating shelf, making access easier.

Other solutions you can use are: magic corner system, angled-front cabinets, blind corner pull-outs, open shelving or glass-front cabinets in the corner, diagonal cabinets, etc.

Smart Lighting Choices

This tip is not directly about cabinets, but it’s important nonetheless. Better light design in the kitchen can improve its appearance and make the space appear bigger. If your kitchen allows natural light, make sure to decorate the kitchen accordingly. If there isn’t much natural light or for nighttime, consider recessed lights, task lighting, and undercabinet lighting.

Conclusion

When choosing cabinets for a small kitchen, you simply need to plan well and choose the layout, placement, colors, finishes, and features that serve a purpose. Get in touch with a Timberlake cabinets dealer MD for more ideas.