Small changes, efficient kitchen

Little kitchens represent the most frustrating design challenges. This is the room where you need the most function, but if the house was built several decades ago, it probably doesn't take advantage of modern downsizing technology. The trick is to make modernizing changes within the confines of the space you have available. It can be done.

The problems inherent in construction from another era are many: The style of cabinetry doesn't take advantage of new concepts, so there is typically a lot of wasted room. The hot-water heater is in a cupboard that takes up valuable space. An old-fashioned ironing board housed in a shallow cupboard takes up valuable room that could be devoted to more useful cabinets. Doors and drawers to the cabinets are small and leave 5 inches to 6 inches of the face frame surrounding them in an inaccessible area.

If the budget allows, the best way to maximize a kitchen like this is to remove everything and begin again. Then consider breaking a few long-held traditional arrangements in your new kitchen. For example, many kitchen designers now regularly position a microwave or a combination convection/microwave oven below the counter instead of overhead.

Thanks to European-style organizers, you can arrange for pullout drawers that will hold slots for trays, pot lids and cutting boards. Wire baskets can attach to the back side of cabinet doors and hold items that range from baking ingredients to small cleaning products in bottles. Drawer inserts hold cutlery, flatware and spices.

In addition, positioning pegs inside drawers allow you to fit everyday dishes below the counter in a deep pullout drawer instead of in an upper cabinet. If you don't have enough upper cabinets or an upper near your dishwasher, it is possible to safely stow your dishes below. Often such a simple detail enables a tiny kitchen to operate efficiently.

Hardware is available today that allows for doors to retract into a pocket in the way a TV armoire does. Imagine your pantry door slipping out of the way of traffic. This can open up usable space in a little kitchen.

If you have one of those old water-heater closets in or near your kitchen proper, consider one of the numerous brands of tankless water heaters on the market today. The main advantage is that the units are compact and can be squeezed under the counter. By heating water on demand in just seconds, the energy and space savings balance the initial cost of the units.

Another European design trend is that of making the base just a little bit higher and hiding functional things there: Low drawers or step-stools are a couple of typical household items you might find tucked beneath the unit.

One of my favorite Italian features is arranging for a drip-dry rack to take the place of a drainboard sitting at the side of the sink on the countertop. In a compact kitchen this is a valuable space-saver.

Every little bit of space economy counts in the hardworking space of a kitchen. Provide just enough space for each job. For instance, why not design for a slim 18-inch-wide dishwasher instead of the full-size versions that every household buys? How about an apartment-size refrigerator that has a thinner front door and can be attached directly to the cabinet front and blend in with the cabinets when closed?

Take the upper cabinets up to the ceiling line for a more fluid look and more space. Perhaps you can get away with just two burners that are part of a module usually offered in an auxiliary capacity.

Look hard at what appliances and utensils you actually use. Then opt for smaller versions of everything you need. The result will be a kitchen that looks comfortable and tidy and, more importantly, that works.