One of the toughest hurdles of small-space living is creating a functional and beautiful kitchen with minimal square footage. Luckily the Apartment Therapy community is full of ideas and inspiration, all of which is scalable from teeny-tiny to just plain small.

How people handle their small kitchens varies, of course, according to taste and space. Some favor painting kitchens a vibrant or rich color, taking advantage of the small area as an opportunity for an accent. Others keep the walls and cabinets white, but include dashes of color for interest and liveliness.

Perhaps the most crucial element of the small kitchen is the careful editing of objects and appliances. This can be practical not only because storage space is limited, but because in many small kitchens, stored objects are visible, becoming part of the decor as well as functional tools for living. Many of the small kitchens pictured use clever storage solutions like magnetic strips for knives, hanging pot racks, and wall hooks for everything from mugs to stirring spoons to bowls.

Here is a range of small kitchen inspiration from the Apartment Therapy community in 2010. Which are your favorite storage solutions? And which approach do you prefer, white with accents or color color color?


For historical small kitchen inspiration, check out the Frankfurt Kitchen from 1926, whose efficient use of space was inspired by the dining cars in railway trains. If you're in New York before March 14, 2011, be sure to visit MoMA's fabulous exhibition, Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen, which features a replica of the Frankfurt Kitchen. MoMA also has a great accompanying blog.

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