FT NEWS

There’s a surprising number of ways to stylishly squeeze a kitchen into a small home, whether it’s hiding the essentials in a closet or incorporating them in an elegant wall unit in the living room. Would any of these designs work in your space?

Tuck the kitchen behind closed doors
Could this be the cleverest small kitchen ever? It’s packed with ideas for anybody with one wall to play with in a studio or a one-bedroom apartment.

Now the kitchen sits behind bifold doors, which open to reveal a beautifully simple yet comprehensive setup. The kitchen includes a cooktop, a ventilated drawer for vegetables and pans, another drawer, a fridge, a pullout for cleaning supplies and a pullout cutting board hidden under the oak countertop (see first photo). There’s also a shelf for dishes.

The oak drying rack on the right is a masterful design. The water drips off the dishes and flows directly across the marble countertop back into the sink (the area under the rack is slightly sunken so that the water doesn’t spill over the front). Plates also can be stored in it.

More bifold doors hide a washing machine, laundry basket and shelving. Being able to close doors on the functional areas keeps the small apartment feeling uncluttered and restful.

Choose small appliances and pullout features
More open but equally thought through, this kitchen in a tiny house in Brisbane, Australia, has plenty of essentials packed into its 24½-by 8-foot footprint. On one side there’s a small oven, fridge, cooktop and sink. On the opposite side is a compact laundry. The cabinets on this side are slimmer to allow space in the corridor.

Instead of a backsplash, the run of cabinets is backed by windows, which make the narrow space feel more open. There’s a large window on the other side of the kitchen too.

The area behind the cooktop, meanwhile, has a mirrored backsplash, keeping this tight corner feeling roomy.

The wooden shelving that lines the wall up to the ceiling provides the owners with extra storage and a spot to display their favourite accessories. Leaving the wood natural and including plenty of colourful items and houseplants makes this a focal point and gives the room texture and interest.

The bench seat and coffee table (just visible in the foreground) provide additional storage.

A surface pulls out from the unit on the opposite side to create a dining table or extra countertop space.

Create a piece of furniture
This elegant kitchen in Lyon, France, offers abundant style in a multipurpose space. This is a large room in a large apartment, but the idea of fitting the kitchen in one chic piece of furniture could be applied to a much smaller place.

Except for the oven, the appliances hide behind closed doors. The faucet and sink are in a stylish matte black, which doesn’t scream kitchen as much as chrome might. The stepped cabinets avoid a blocky expanse.