Designing a Small Kitchen — 5 Rules

Many Tbilisi flats were built in the 80s and 90s, where high-quality kitchen cabinetry demands exceptional planning, since space often comes in at just 6–8 m². That doesn’t make a small kitchen a compromise. With the right design, it’s often more functional than a large one.

5 practical rules for a small kitchen.

1. Use the full height

The first rule of a small kitchen: all the way to the ceiling. Don’t stop mid-wall.

• Lowers — 85 cm
• Uppers — 70–90 cm
• Tall units — to the ceiling (250+ cm)

Standard 70 cm uppers + 80 cm of empty wall to the ceiling is lost volume with no upside. An extra shelf to the ceiling is 0.4–0.5 m² of bonus storage. Seasonal pots, festive crockery, ceramics.

2. Corners — alive, not dead

Corners in a small kitchen often sit empty because nothing reaches in. Fixes:

• Lazy Susan — open access, about 60% of the corner volume is usable
• L-mechanism (Le Mans, Magic Corner) — open the door, the shelves swing out
• 90° corner door — the door opens at a right angle, giving direct access

3. Kitchen island — or not

Under 10 m², an island is usually a mistake. You give up floor area to walk around a block instead of doing work. Exception: 10–12 m² square, where the island can sit centrally with 80–90 cm of clearance.

Alternative: a narrow peninsula off the wall — gives you a conversation zone plus extra worktop without the central block.

4. Light dominant colour

Worth repeating: dark colours visually shrink a small kitchen. Rule of thumb:

• Light base (cream, cashmere, white, soft beige) — 60–70% of the fronts (see our guide on choosing kitchen colours, and read more about materials in our LDSP vs MDF comparison)
• Dark accent (an island, hardware, one shelf) — 20–30%
• Metallic brass — in place of mirrors on empty fronts

Gloss is the best finish for a small kitchen. It bounces light, making the space feel up to 1.5× larger (for upkeep tips, see laminated furniture care).

5. The work triangle

The classic rule: even on a small kitchen, storage → fridge → sink → cooker — the distance between them stays 60–120 cm.

If two items are more than 200 cm apart, you work slowly. If they’re closer than 60 cm, two people don’t fit.

Less obvious rule: don’t put the fridge next to the cooker. Hot + cold side by side = wasted energy.

Bonus: small-kitchen hardware

A lot of clever hardware was designed specifically for small spaces:

• TIP-ON BLUMOTION — handle-less front (push to open; see our Blum vs Hettich hardware guide)
• AVENTOS HF / HK-S — handle-less upper cabinets
• Concealed hinges — fully hidden
• Le Mans / Magic Corner — every corner millimetre used

Bottom line

A small kitchen can be comfortable — often it ends up more efficient than a big one. The rule: make the area work (see our custom furniture timeline from idea to install), don’t just fill it.

Want advice on a small kitchen? Reach out — we genuinely enjoy small kitchens, because that’s where design starts to matter.