Kitchen layout ideas for small spaces

In a narrow room, a galley layout usually beats trying to squeeze in an island. Keeping one run uninterrupted gives you a proper stretch of worktop, which is what small kitchens are usually short of.

Take tall units to the ceiling. The top shelf becomes seasonal storage, and the unbroken vertical line makes the room read as taller rather than more crowded.

Integrated appliances, slim extraction and a single-bowl sink all reclaim inches. Drawers rather than base cupboards make the back of the unit usable instead of a place things disappear into.

Lighter matt finishes and continuous worktops reduce visual clutter. Fewer changes of material means fewer lines for the eye to stop at.

Finally, look at the awkward corners: boiler cupboards, chimney breasts and boxed pipework can often be absorbed into the design rather than worked around.