Steal These Ideas: 25 Great Small Kitchens

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by Julia Millay Walsh

Style knows no boundaries. Whether you’re decorating a tent on a remote beach, an industrial loft, or the tiniest kitchen known to man, there’s always an opportunity to exert your own personal sense of style on a space. You may not love that there’s only a few feet between your refrigerator door and the cabinets opposite it, but with some thoughtful use of color, pattern, and material, you can turn even the narrowest galley kitchen into a place you love to look at.

We’ve scoured the web to find the cream of the crop of small kitchens. Scroll below—we hope these inspire you.

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PHOTO: Ben Pentreath Ltd.

Designed by British designer Ben Pentreath, this narrow kitchen is laid out like so many rental apartment kitchens we’ve seen before. Nixing closed cabinetry in favor of shelving opens the space up dramatically, while a printed Roman shade adds a punchy bit of personality.

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PHOTO: Ben Pentreath Ltd.

In this bright, white modern kitchen, designer Ben Pentreath used clean lines, a light palette, and simple, minimalist styling to create an airy, spacious feeling—despite the room’s small square footage. Since there’s not much countertop to speak of, the designer brought in a kitchen table, which can also be used for prep work.

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PHOTO: Black & Milk Residential

There’s barely enough room to turn around in this tiny kitchen, but its designer did a wonderful job of preventing a claustrophobic feeling by using modern, handle-less cabinets and a light, white color palette.

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PHOTO: Clark Collins

This kitchen may be petite, but luxe materials like black marble countertops and a high-end oven/stove, give it a fine jewelry effect. In narrow spaces like this, too much pattern or color can be overwhelming, so the designer opted for cream cabinetry and just a touch of pattern in a herringbone mat.

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PHOTO: Crowell + Co. Interiors

Designed by Nashville-based Crowell + Co. Interiors, this beautiful small kitchen has so many things to love: rustic open shelves, a fuss-free steel hood, a Carrera marble backsplash and countertops, a space-saving magnetic knife rack, beautiful wood accents, and simple but classic hardware. It’s a perfect example of how dreamy a small space can become with thoughtful consideration of details.

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PHOTO: Crowell + Co. Interiors

Sensing a theme here? Clean white walls and cabinets are almost always a foolproof choice for small kitchens. A beautiful collection of cutting boards in this kitchen by Crowell + Co. Interiors, and freshly picked blooms add a little personal style to the simple look.

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PHOTO: D.Mesure

White is all right, but salmon is slammin’. French design firm D.Mesure made a one-of-a-kind choice with these brick-red cabinets and speckled black marble countertops. When opting for an unusual shade, play it safe with a tight color story in your accessories to keep the space from looking too oddball.

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PHOTO: D.Mesure

Layers upon layers of dusty purples, worn industrial furniture, concrete counters, well-loved leather, and rusted metal make this narrow Parisian kitchen remarkably unique. Despite its awkward shape and minimal storage, it’s still a space we’d love to cook in—and eat in!

RELATED: 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Decorating a Small Space

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PHOTO: Colin Price Photography for The Everygirl

Live in an apartment with laminate counters and dated appliances? As this beauty proves, there’s hope yet! The trick here is to remove your cabinet doors to create a feeling of openness (and effectively fake open shelving), and use white and glass dishware and serving pieces to prevent a cluttered, busy look.

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PHOTO: Fantastic Frank

Sleek cabinetry and a monochrome palette give this European kitchen simple beauty, but the graphic, architectural details—like the accordion sconce and the paned window—take it to the next level.

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PHOTO: Fantastic Frank

Even the most basic space can feel full of personality with the addition of a few unique accessories. We love the futuristic chrome pendant, folk candelabra, and figurative linocut in this Scandinavian kitchen.

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PHOTO: HGTV

Featured in HGTV Magazine, this cramped kitchen was an affordable remodel project thanks to IKEA cabinets, pine shelves from Home Depot, an IKEA pendant, and distressed wood floors, which were painted in gray deck paint. Despite all of its low-budget elements, perhaps its costliest item, a vintage Persian runner— one of the biggest trends in kitchens lately —gives it a designer finish.

RELATED: Trend Alert: Persian Rugs in the Kitchen

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PHOTO: Logan Killen Interiors

Decorated by Louisiana-based Logan Killen Interiors, this New Orleans kitchen was given “a surface makeover on a shoestring budget,” as its designer describes it. A bit of gray paint, a vintage ceiling fixture, a thrifted mirror, and a darling miniature mirror took this dated space into the now.

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PHOTO: Lorenzo Castillo

Designed by über-talented Italian designer Lorenzo Castillo, this small kitchen has style in spades. The light wood paneled cabinets alone had us at hello, but an interesting mix of black-and-white artwork, a raw-edge table, and a funky retro chair pack in the personality.

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PHOTO: Marie Claire Maison

Designed by French architecture firm Double G, this small yet tall kitchen in an old Parisian building was originally a closet, but its designers installed gray lacquered wooden cupboards, a sink, and an oven to take it into the 21st century. A library ladder offers access to high cabinets.

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PHOTO: Matthew Williams for Remodelista

Julie Carlson, founder of Remodelista, made smart use of her limited space by installing custom cabinetry sized and shaped exactly to fit her kitchen tools and serving pieces. A short shelf houses everyday coffee mugs and little cubbies provide shelter for mixing bowls and cake stands. With almost all the cabinetry housed beneath the counters, the space feels airy and open.

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PHOTO: Laure Joliet for The New York Times

We love the way the butcher-block cabinets in this modern remodeled kitchen mimic the paneled ceiling above them. Taking design cues from architecture is always a smart idea.

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PHOTO: Lucas Allen for One Kings Lane

Quite the romantic space, this petite kitchen was inspired by famous Parisian patisserie Ladurée. Minty green cabinets, floral ceramics, and ladylike details recall the French brand, while strategically placed mirrors make the small space feel larger.

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PHOTO: One Kings Lane

Kitschy country accessories give this compact kitchen an eclectic pastoral vibe, but the foundations of it—subway tile, granite counters, and white beadboard—are classic and timeless, should the owners—or future tenants—want to go in a different direction.

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PHOTO: Sklar Design

The stained wood shelving framing the steel hood in this small kitchen, designed by Amy Sklar, is a genius use of space. And that black vintage-inspired stove might be the cutest little appliance ever.

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PHOTO: Stadshem

This tiny Swedish kitchen has something many Scandinavian spaces don’t: warmth. We love how its designers extended the earthy tones of the brick wall into the shelving, cabinetry, and teapots!

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PHOTO: Stadshem

Not only is hanging a folding chair on the wall a clever solution for a lack of square footage, the trick also adds a graphic element to the surroundings. Don’t believe it if someone says you can’t have a kitchen table in your culinary quarters.

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PHOTO: Stadshem

A mix of traditional furniture and modern appliances gives this Swedish kitchen a healthy balance.

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PHOTO: Todd Selby

Hello, gorgeous black herringbone wood floors, sexy Italian light fixture, and barely-there stovetop. We don’t believe we’ve seen a more enigmatic kitchen.

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PHOTO: William Waldron

This dated little kitchen was given a sophisticated new look with rich cobalt paint, blue-and-white delftware, and wicker accents. It feels 100-percent East Hampton, although we’re guessing it might be situated in a walk-up in the East Village.

More from Domaine:

The Most Drop-Dead-Gorgeous Kitchens You’ve Ever Seen

Domaine’s Favorite Kitchens of 2014

How to Make the Most of Your Small Kitchen

10 Easy Ways to Make Your Home More Photogenic