How you design the layout of your kitchen will make a big difference to how well it works when you are in there cooking up a great meal, but even if you have a tiny space to work with, there are certainly some neat design ideas that can help you to get the most out of your small kitchen.

There are so many little tricks you can use to max the space and functionality available, such as using an upright freezer for small spaces and hanging pots from the ceiling.

Here are so ideas and tips to help you get the best out of your small kitchen.

Using every available space

It might seem such an obvious thing to say, but you need to use every available bit of space in your small kitchen, which means that you need to take a close look at what you have got to work with and work out some innovative ways to utilize that space in the most efficient way.

Examples of the sort of simple tricks you can use, include making the most of the insides of your cabinets. Sticking a cork board on the inside of your wall cabinet and then attaching shopping lists and small but useful items, will mean that you are not taking up valuable wall space elsewhere.

Another idea to free up space in your cupboards and use what limited space you have, would be to hang your pots and pans from hooks on the ceiling. This makes them easily accessible and can add a certain charm to the decor at the same time.

Baskets and shelves

When you are working with a small kitchen and only have a few storage cupboards to put items away into, it is often not enough to just pack as much as you can in there and keep it out of sight.

What you need to do is try and get the most of your cabinets, and you can achieve this with the help of baskets and shelves.

Fitting stackable shelves inside your cabinets will not only create more storage space, but by having everything stacked neatly, it makes it easier to get to what you want without having to pull everything else out to get it.

Another neat trick is to get some baskets, which you can place in the-often neglected space above your cabinets, and then fill them with some extra stuff, which you might otherwise have struggled to find a home for.

Under the sink

Most of us have a range of cleaning products and other such items, stashed under the kitchen sink, but are you using that space as efficiently as possible.

A clever little idea to help you maximize that space and store a whole lot more besides the usual bleach sprays and other items, would be to install a tension rod across the width of the cupboard.

If you fit this rod just below the sink, you can then hang spray bottles from it, freeing up floor space on the cupboard for extra other items. You can even go the extra mile and install some other tension rods down the sides of the inside of the cabinet, so you can slide some trash bags along them and even make it easier to use them.

More dining space

A small kitchen can mean that you are potentially limited for dining space, which might be tolerable when you are dining alone or for two, but when you have friends and family round for a meal, this can present a problem.

A good flexible solution can be to add a bar-height table, which gives you extra counter space when you need it and somewhere for your friends to sit and eat with you when they come round.

You could also consider fitting a folding table to your wall, so that it is neatly tucked away when you don’t need it, but springs into action in seconds, when you are ready to sit down and enjoy a meal.

Get hooked

Hooks are a cheap and easy solution, but they work and when you are faced with limited space in a small kitchen, it really does makes sense to look at all the various ways you can hang things from hooks.

Hanging regularly used items like cutting boards is going to free up space and accessibility is not an issue as you can quickly reach and grab the board when you need it.

If you work on making the most out of the space that you have in the kitchen, you will be able to make some mighty meals that should taste better when you are not working in what might otherwise feel like a confined space.

James Davis is a design student who lives in a tiny apartment in NYC where he enjoys throwing exotic dinner parties for friends. He writes about DIY and decor, especially making the use of all available space, and his design ideas.