As housing prices rise people start to evaluate where they can cut off on luxury and space in their living environments, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a lower quality of life, especially if you know the right interior design techniques.
Through a combination of creativity, functionality, and efficiency, these essential spaces can be transformed into highly functional and stylish areas that actually add to your home. This is the specialty of companies like Coco Design & Build Co. that specializes in crafting beautiful, space-saving solutions tailored to compact kitchens and bathrooms. Here are some tips by its founder to maximize space in a small bathroom or kitchen.
Utilize Vertical Storage
Vertical space often goes unmentioned when we talk about kitchens and bathrooms, but the right usage of cabinets, floating shelves, or wall-mounted racks can significantly increase the space available to you. In kitchens, vertical pantries and overhead pot racks help keep countertops clear. In bathrooms, wall-mounted vanities and shelving above the toilet create additional storage without cluttering the room, thus allowing for easier movement.
Opt for Multi-Functional Fixtures
When working with limited space, multi-use furniture should become a priority. Foldable or extendable tables, rolling islands, and appliances with built-in storage can save precious space in a compact kitchen. For bathrooms, vanities with hidden drawers, mirrors with storage compartments, and shower niches can help maximize space without sacrificing style.
Use Reflective Surfaces to Enhance Space
Mirrors and similar reflective materials are great for creating an illusion of depth in an otherwise claustrophobic environment. For example, a mirrored backsplash in the kitchen reflects light and makes the room feel larger. In bathrooms, large mirrors above vanities or full-wall mirrors can visually expand the space, especially with Glossy tiles and glass shower doors that remove visual divisions of the space.
Choose a Light and Cohesive Color Palette
Using light colors such as white, soft grays, and pastel tones is a great way to make small kitchens and bathrooms appear larger thanks to their ability to propagate light around a space, especially when combined with certain materials and textures. In kitchens, pairing a white cabinetry set with light wood or marble countertops enhances the sense of space, while bathrooms benefit from neutral tiles and light-colored vanities that brighten the area.
Incorporate Clever Storage Solutions
One of the biggest struggles when decorating any compact space is for storage as it helps take a lot of the clutter out of the way and make moving around easier. In kitchens, pull-out pantry shelves, under-sink organizers, and magnetic knife strips keep essentials within reach without taking over too many surfaces. As for bathrooms, consider recessed medicine cabinets, floating vanities with drawers, and corner shelving to maximize every inch.
Enhance Lighting for a Spacious Feel
Light is your ally. Never forget that. The more illuminated a space, the larger it feels. So don’t be afraid of using under-cabinet lighting, pendant lights, and recessed lighting to create an inviting ambiance in your kitchen. In the bathroom, you’ll want to use layered lighting—including sconces, backlit mirrors, and ceiling lights which help eliminate shadows and add depth to the space. Natural light should also be employed whenever possible with sheer curtains or frosted windows.
Optimize Layout and Flow
We tend to underestimate the impact a simple change in the furniture configuration can help make a space feel completely different. In kitchens, an efficient work triangle between the stove, sink, and refrigerator ensures smooth movement. Other good options are the galley or L-shaped designs. For bathrooms, compact fixtures like corner sinks, floating toilets, and walk-in showers can also do wonders.
At the end of the day, the key to making the most out of a compact space is to combine your creativity with the resources available to you at the moment. However, even then, planning out your new kitchen or bathroom can be stressful, so if you feel like you’re having trouble getting it just the way you want them to look, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Coco Design and Build specializes in designing kitchens and bathrooms for homes of all sizes and is perfectly capable of doing the same for you.
