On a narrow path

Think you have seen everything? Think again. After the challenge in this kitchen, even the smallest kitchens will seem like a definition of "spacious". Even though the overall area of 8 square meters may seem like a good enough start, this kitchen is super narrow, making it nearly impossible to move freely even for one person. Cooking together with somebody is an unattainable dream.
 

Challenge accepted

IKEA Interior Designer Elīna will be the one to swing the magic wand and to convert an impractical and basic space for cooking into a smart, functional kitchen for two passionate chefs who would like to spend their time together in kitchen too. The hosts Artūrs and Karīna rely on Elīna to find the best solution for them and readily share their dreams and hopes for their kitchen.

Life in orange

The whole apartment is on the smaller side and so is the kitchen. The hosts admit it is not particularly comfortable and share their concern about it not having enough place for cooking together and also about not having space for an oven. Artūrs says he would very much like to fit one, but it is not really possible. The bright orange walls, even though cheerful, are something they would like to see go as well. There is a lot of morning sun that makes everything just a tad "too sunny".

A harmonious space with fresh accents

After the makeover, the layout has been changed. Elīna has planned most working space along the wall with windows as it allows to put daylight to better use. As always, the best advice for small spaces is maximising the space by using the walls. Here, no wall has been left untouched – there are clever details everywhere to make cooking even more enjoyable.
 

Organised chaos

Ever wondered how the chaos manages to take over whenever you're not looking? This is especially true in the kitchen. And this is why it is worth to carefully consider storage so that every object would have its own dedicated space where it can be stored and reached easily when needed. Open shelves are great instead of wall cabinets as they create a more airy impression and leave everything close at hand and visible.

A meal with a view

One of the most uncomfortable features in the old kitchen was the lack of a dining space. The never ending to-and-from between the kitchen and the living room was tiring and uninspiring. With the use of wall mounted drop-leaf tables and foldable bar chairs Elīna has managed to squeeze a fully functional dining area into the narrow space. There are actually two tables and this makes the solution even more flexible as you can only use one for a morning coffee of a quick snack in between and both for a dinner with a nicer (read – space consuming) setting.

Storage or decoration... or both!

In such narrow space, the importance of walls cannot be emphasized enough. By the wall opposite from the kitchen there is a storage combination with practical hooks for a drying rack and shelves and a wall grid for creating a green wall with fragrant herbs, green plants and flowers. This solution is practical and it looks great too!