Be Imaginative with Dining in Your Small Kitchen

If you’re living in a small home or apartment, then you may not have a formal dining room. But that doesn’t mean you should be forced to eat your meals off snack trays or hunched over the sink. Check out this these nine simple kitchen hacks that will create a designated and natural-looking eating space in your small kitchen.

Add Flexibility with a Folding Table

One of the easiest ways to create an eating space in your small kitchen is to get a folding table. There are lots of tables available that expand to twice their length at meal time and be easily folded away into a corner when not in use.

Choose Lucite Chairs

When you’re selecting chairs for your small kitchen consider transparent Lucite chairs. They are compact but comfortable and the clear plastic almost disappears from view, helping the kitchen look and feel larger.

Try a Triangle

Eschew a traditional square or rectangle-shaped table that can take up more space than necessary and choose a triangle table instead. They take up less space and can fit easily into corners.

Eat Elsewhere

One way to overcome the limits of a small kitchen is to set up designated eating areas in other parts of your home. If there’s a spare bedroom or small office space that you don’t need, there’s no reason you can’t add a table and chairs and turn it to a comfortable, if not unconventional, dining room.

Make a Murphy Table

You’ve seen those old movies with Murphy beds that fold out from the wall? You can use the same concept to create a Murphy table. Attach a large table top to a wall with hinges. When not in use, the table is folded up and out of the way. When it’s time to eat, fold it down and pull up chairs or stools. If you’re handy, you can do this yourself, otherwise call in a professional who’ll be able to get the job done quickly.

Turn a Drawer into a Table.

Here’s a super-smart small kitchen hack. You can turn a kitchen drawer into a table. When it’s closed it looks like any other kitchen drawer. But when it’s time to dine, it pulls out to reveal a convenient eating surface that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Space-Saving Stools

Stools are great space savers in small kitchens. Try low, round stools around a small café table. They’re comfortable, look cool, but won’t gobble up too much space.

Make the Most of Multipurpose Pieces

If your small kitchen doesn’t have room for a prep space and a dining space, then create one surface for both. Place the surface at counter height, which is a more comfortable height for food prep. Then after a quick clean up, you can pull out a couple of tall stools and use the same surface to eat what you’ve just prepared.

Raise the (Breakfast) Bar

When a full-sized table isn’t an option, a breakfast bar is the perfect way to sneak in a small dining space without taking up too much room. They are perfect for galley style kitchens or tucked under a window. With just a few brackets and a piece of shelving, you can create a perfect spot to perch with your morning coffee.

Eating is a big part of everyday life, so it’s important to have a space, even in small kitchens, where you can sit down and appreciate your meal. When you create a dining space you’re able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your food.

If you’re looking to incorporate some of these space-saving solutions into your small kitchen, then contact Special Additions. We’re one of the largest and most reputable kitchen cabinetry dealers in the New Jersey/New York area. We’ve been family owned and operated since we opened our doors in 1978.