UuVareations

For those with a conventional lifestyle but only a small kitchen, compromises may have to be made on equipment: you may have to content yourself with two cooking rings; a single sink instead of a double; and a refrigerator with a freezing compartment rather than a freezer. There may be other multi-functional space-saving solutions that are suitable too that you may have used in your living room design ideas: a double sink with a fitted chopping board as an optional extra provides a vital work surface, and similarly some cookers (stoves) have covers or hinged lids that are flat and strong enough on which to prepare food.

Machines for both washing up and laundry are very greedy as regards space. The dishwasher must still be the greater luxury of the two and thus should go top of the hit list. And if your bathroom is small too, and cannot double up as a laundry, you will need to look for a combination washer-drier instead of two separate units.

Or not to compromise …

Fashion consultants advise their clients to get rid of anything they have not worn for a year, and you might do well to apply the same advice in your living room designs and kitchen too - think of that dinner service you bought in a sale but which has not emerged from its box yet. If you cannot part with it, store it under your bed and use the space it vacates for things you do use. Similarly, the set of fish knives you are keeping for sentimental reasons, but which you always forget to use have no place in a small kitchen. Rarely used gadgets and appliances need to be given away, or swapped for others that you might use more. If you only use an electric juicer in the summer, for instance, store it somewhere else for the rest of the year, rather than wasting space.