Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/391330
18 | Kitchen & Bath Design News October 2014 W h i le gener ou s k itchen s ex i st in many of the homes that we design for, we can also fnd ourselves working in smaller spaces. Recently, I was reminded of this when I was teaching. I was using a case study of an aging-in-place home in Arizona, where things are long and low and on one level, when an architect in class commented that his home turf in the older part of Boston included kitchens that would ft into my kitch- en's island. When I stopped to think about it, I realized that my last two private residential projects had been a small kitchen in a new construction in Connecticut and a serious- ly space-challenged condo in Manhattan. It made me think that it might be appropriate to review a few of the things we all must remember when we are working in these little jewel boxes. This may be a bit regional, from the Southwest where things are more spread out to the Northeast where they are more stacked, or it may be more the diference between country and urban environ- ments. This may also be seen more with the downsizing that some of us experience in the moves we make as we age – something I've seen more of as many of my recent clients are in the 65+ group. There are many things we might say about the smaller kitchen, but here is a quick top ten list of things to review as you plan your eforts to think big in a smaller-sized kitchen space. 1. Prioritize. There are several layers to this process. The frst occurs during the initial client interview when you'll discuss food prep, serv- ing and entertaining habits and inventory needed. This inventory must include items related to food prep utensils and gear, tableware and serv- ing items, small appliances, cookbooks, items related to other kitchen activities and everything to be stored in the kitchen. The second phase of this prioritizing occurs when the conceptual plans have been reviewed and the client can use trace layered over the plan, or best, over elevations to identify where they might place the items they wish to store, which can help with the balancing process. This is the point at which decisions are made as to which items must be kept at the point of use and which items can be stored in auxil- iary spots, or which items are redundant and might not be necessary. Gale Steves' book, R ight-sizing Your Home , has wonderful tips for this process. 2. Steal space. During this process, or really prior to this process, you will have been reviewing adjacent spaces in the home to see if and where inches might be stolen for additional storage. The big ones are obvious – taking down a wall, or a mud room, family entrance, back hall, or laundry that might be redesigned to include pan- try storage – these are huge gains of storage. Beyond the big changes, it's important to remember that inches re- ally do make a difference. Canned goods can be stored in six inches or less, so a back hall that can aford a pocket, even between studs, might al- low for some serious added storage where before there was none. Sometimes, areas where headroom has been cleared around stairs can of- fer additional storage – just remember that inches make a diference. Another recent wealth of storage for me has been in furniture pieces, whether used as hutches for a client's dishes, barware or children's items located just out of the main kitchen space. 3. Find the views. Espe- cially in interior spaces, which are common in condos and apartments, a small kitchen with no windows can really beneft with a peak through to some natural light – espe- cially if it introduces a view. Look to see if there is a blank section of wall where cabine - try can't be added where a solar tube or sky light, or bet- ter yet, a cut-out or window can be added, incorporating light and a view. This can go a long way toward brighten- ing the mood and the sense of space, connecting it with adjacent spaces and hope- fully outdoors. 4. Be rea l ist ic . T he kitchen designer who told me that my dream of a double 36" integrated refrigerator/ freezer just was not to be in the kitchen space I had avail- able became my dear friend and brought me into this business. Sometimes we just have to be realistic and help our clients get the best of what they want within the pa- rameters of their space. This may mean a single refrigera- tor or dishwasher, a smaller cooktop or a microwave/con- vection as a second oven. We must help our clients be realistic and balance their wishes and their beautiful appliances, sets of equipment and utensils with appropri- ate and workable amounts of storage at the point of use and work surface. 5. Double duty. We have wonderful opportunities to- day to make small spaces work better through double- duty applications of fxtures and appliances. A favorite example of mine is the in- duction cooktop, which is a beautifully smooth work sur- face that never overheats. It can be covered with a chop- ping block and it's a perfect work surface when not in use. Think of the many ac- cessories available to make today's sinks into work sta- tions, helping to make them serve double duty. This is perfect for the small kitchen with limited counter space, as long as we provide for storage of those chopping blocks and strainer covers. 6 . Re m ove t h e u n - ne ce s s a r y. We h ave a responsibility to guide our clients in filtering out the unused, the unnecessary and the oversized items that can be stored or given away. 7. Improve the lighting. Quality and adjustable light- ing, both ambient and task, are readily available and can dramatically enhance the size and sense of the space. 8. Maximize storage. We have unlimited options for accessing whatever space is available to us. While not ideal for those of us who don't wish to use step ladders, go- ing vertical is also an option for items used infrequently, or for display. 9. Use/appreciate every inch. As an example, in the re- cent condo project, we opted to go from a 36" refrigerator to a 24" integrated unit and a 12" pull-out pantry, pro- viding a single woman with plenty of refrigeration plus a full-height pantry. Sometimes shrinking a sink or creating a pocket for storage can make a huge diference. 10. Expand the bound- aries. Do this in every way and in every direction. Re- member that color can be used to visually expand a space's boundaries. Light- en the palate but use rich texture; add interest in the ceiling; draw the eye to the window or the view. Thinking Big With Small Kitchens When designing a small kitchen, it's important to prioritize, steal space where available, maximize views and storage, give plenty of thought to the lighting scheme, remove unnecessary clutter and be realistic about what is and isn't possible. "We must help our clients be realistic and balance their wishes and their beautiful appliances, sets of equipment and utensils with appropriate and workable amounts of storage at the point of use and work surface." Read past columns and features and send us your comments about this article and others by logging onto our Web site: www.ForResidentialPros.com Planning & Design { Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS }