28 small kitchen ideas: the best colours, design solutions and decorating tricks for a compact space

Designing and decorating a small kitchen presents a number of creative challenges. Balancing functionality and personality is difficult enough when there is ample room available to you, but if you're struggling for storage opportunities, or trying to find furniture that won't rob you of floor space, it can be that much more difficult.

The key to designing a small kitchen very much lies in multiple and concerted design tricks, rather than a single solution – the way in which you use colour, the introduction of reflective surfaces to maximise natural light, a consideration of the flow, and how the eye travels around the room.

'A layout designed to your needs and lifestyle will make your space work harder. Clever storage solutions, and thoughtful design will maximise the space efficiency,' says Al Bruce, founder of Olive & Barr. 'To start, ask yourself what items you really need and use on a daily basis. Clear out those extra baking dishes that are never used and collecting dust, not to mention the dry food that has been lost to the back of the cupboard and is well over its expiry date. Having an organised kitchen brings a sense of calm, and is especially important in a compact kitchen.'

Below we have looked at our favourite kitchen designers and retailers to find the best small kitchen ideas, and included some clever space-saving tricks from experts.