Little deviations spice up a small kitchen

Try to insert a few modest deviations in small kitchens for spice. That's right, even if you only have 10 lineal feet of upper cabinets, you can afford a few unique twists in the name of design excellence.

Often storage is the biggest challenge in the space-starved kitchen layout, and people are reticent to eat up precious space with tricky details. It is well worth the risk and there are ways around the common fear of losing important space.

As long as you cover the basics, you can always find another place to stash seldom-used items. These might include a waffle maker, an ice cream maker or a slow cooker.

Look to your dining table for secret storage space that many folks forget about. That's right! There are dining table designs that include storage room. I have two narrow cupboards in my own, and that's where I hide the colorful margarita glasses that only are used in the summer time.

Once you feel free to “waste” a little space, you can begin to get creative. Another useful storage area might be your china cabinet or buffet. These are natural hiding places. Another could be a storage coffee table in the living room or den. A little-used soup tureen or serving platters could live very happily in such a place.

Here in this photograph, we see the everyday dishes and glassware stored behind frosted glass panels. In some kitchens there are lights behind glass doors and this adds a bit of magic to the design.

Personality can be added by the use of apothecary-like drawers in a cupboard unit. They might be used in the backsplash, between the counter top and the upper cabinet. And remember, not everything needs to match precisely.

In addition to varying the cupboard layout, consider changing up the finish materials. Can you use a different surface on your island from the rest of the counter tops in the room? Can you mix the materials for the backsplash and use something different on one section? Obviously, it is best if all of the materials are friendly, but they do not have to be mirror images.

If you are afraid of too much pattern in a tiny kitchen, consider using the accent item over the cook top or stove only. You might use something special over the sink instead such as a few unique ceramic or metal tiles. Look for mosaics, embossed or etched specialty tiles.

Blending various cabinet finishes is still popular and, of course, this is a little more complex in the smaller kitchen. Still, you might use a variation on the island or on the tall units like the pantry and the refrigerator. All of the lower cabinets can be one color or stain and the uppers another. Avoid a design that is too broken or will look like a checkerboard. Try to keep it simple, yet embrace the opportunity to be different. Always get physical samples of the colors you want to use and be certain to assemble all of your finishes together so that you can study the overall impact before investing in the finished product. Be sure to include your wall paint, flooring material and appliance finishes.

Another simple way to add pizazz might be to select long pulls for the refrigerator and the pantry. Perhaps they can be a different design, but the same finish, as the rest of your cabinet hardware.

Or splurge on a wonderful hanging light fixture over the sink or over the island. Choose something very special and expect to pay for it.

• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.

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