Don't live with a tiny, cramped kitchen

If you find your kitchen depressing and more than a little sad and try to spend as little time in there as possible, perhaps it's time to look at what options are available to turn a dark and dingy kitchen into a kitchen that you love to spend time in. Even on the smallest budget there are improvements you can do to enlarge a tiny kitchen and increase the amount of storage space at your disposal.

 

ABOVE and BELOW: Take an ordinary kitchen with cheap cabinets and turn it into a light and bright space that is a pleasure to cook in.

If you have already had quotes for a new kitchen you know how expensive it can be to rip out and fit a new kitchen design. Prices can range from anywhere from R75 000 upwards - even for the smallest kitchen. And when you're working on a limited budget that's nowhere near that amount, you need to think about alternative options.

In this feature we'll show you a couple of kitchens by Dave fox, an international kitchen remodeller who transforms dark and dingy kitchens into light and airy spaces. Using some of his ideas and suggestions, and combining these with a bit of DIY savvy, revamping any kitchen can be an affordable project that can be done as and when you have some spare cash.

davefox.com

The first step when thinking about a kitchen renovation is to look at the layout of your home, and whether or not any additional space is available to incorporate into a cramped and constricting space.

1. Enlarge the space

Most kitchens are built in close proximity to a dining room or dining area, and it's this area you need to look at if you want to enlarge your existing kitchen.

Knocking down a wall (or two) can make a huge difference to increasing the size of a cramped kitchen and will allow for more light and a sense of spaciousness. The idea of knocking down a wall normally puts most people off, but it's not as daunting as it may seem. Have a structural engineer take a look at the wall/s you want to knock down and advise on whether or not walls are load-bearing (which are more difficult to remove) or not.

A wall that is not load-bearing means that you have less to worry about when removing the wall. Since a load-bearing wall supports roof trusses and needs to be replaced with structural beams, a wall that isn't load bearing doesn't support anything.

ABOVE and BELOW: In this 70s kitchen the wall between the kitchen and dining room is removed. Although the kitchen occupies the same floor plan after the renovation, the sense of space is increased.

With the kitchen opened up, more natural light floods the space. Even though you now have an open-plan kitchen and dining area, fitting an extractor fan that vents to the outside will cut down on cooking smells wafting through the house.

An added bonus is that the dining area may offer additional space for cabinets that free up cramped kitchen space even more. By matching cabinetry to your existing - or new - cabinets, you create a unified look and give yourself even more storage space.

 

ABOVE and BELOW: A small, cramped 70s kitchen is revamped by knocking down the wall between kitchen and small dining room to create a large, airy eat-in kitchen.

If you are tired of putting up with cooking in a cramped, dark and dingy kitchen, get in touch with a structural engineer or architectural / kitchen designer in your area and take a look at the options available to you. For the cost of a consultation, you will know whether or not you can enlarge your kitchen, and at what cost.