I loved to cook and entertain, so when I decided to go tiny, I was the most concerned about the kitchen. Food prep was a high priority for me, as well as space to entertain guests. For months, I sketched out ideas and notes, and the result is a super functional tiny house kitchen that I absolutely love to cook, entertain and really just hang out in. These are the things I did that made the biggest impact.
This blog is all about tiny house kitchen ideas for people who LOVE to cook and entertain ! I hope you find it helpful in your home, no matter what size it is.
1. Add a rounded peninsula
If you love to cook, you probably also love to eat. And nothing goes better with a nice meal than a table where you can comfortably across from friends or family. Many tiny houses have a bar type of setup where everyone faces the same way, or a rectangle of some sort that gets put up for dinner and down again when not in use.
I prefer the rounded peninsula in a tiny house kitchen. From a safety standpoint, it eliminates the pointy edges you might hit as you pass through the space. Not to mention, with a rectangle setup, you often can only put one stool on either side. With around setup I have space for 3 comfortable stools. But the best part of this curved feature is that it lets you sit face to face with your dinner guest, making dinner, drinks or games much more intimate.
2. Install electrical outlets inside your cabinets
Maximizing the workspace is the name of the game in a tiny kitchen. And the easiest way to do that is to eliminate the clutter. That can be hard in a kitchen where the very items you use to cook or prep a meal are also part of the clutter problem. My favorite solution in my own tiny home was to have my builder add outlets inside cabinets for my microwave and toaster oven. Both are essential to quick daily meals, but having them off the counter top has really been a game changer. I have more work space and less visual clutter.
If you have smaller appliances like blenders, electric kettles or coffee makers, consider downsizing those before moving into your tiny house. But if they are must-haves, I suggest measuring each one and figuring out where exactly each one will live in your home. I have an Instant Pot Blender that is almost 20” tall and has never fit under my kitchen cabinets. I knew I wanted it under my open shelves so I sent my builder the dimensions and he made sure that the lowest shelf cleared that height. You can fit quite a lot in a tiny house as long as it has a designated home!
3. Slide Out Cabinets & Shelves
Slide out cabinets are absolutely the best thing to happen to kitchens since removable faucet heads! A pull out cabinet is a great way to hide trash and recycle containers. And if you have small appliances that are heavy, like my 18lb Cuisinart Food Processor (#ad), a pull out cabinet is a great way to store it and access it.
Pull out shelves also work very hard in a tiny house. A trio of pull-out shelves hidden in my storage stairs make a great pantry for me. The best part about pull out pantry shelves is that you can pull them all the way out to easily see what is hiding in the back. No food left behind!
4. Choose Oversized Drawers Over Cabinets
If you only have space for 3 storage drawers in your tiny house, make them deep and wide! You’d be surprised at how much more you can fit into a deep drawer than a cabinet shelf. My three drawers hold silverware, utensils, pots and pans, oversized bowls, a George Forman grill, and even an Instant Pot!
5. Go Higher
If you’re limited on wall space for cabinet storage, it’s time to get vertical with your storage. One of my top priorities was to have wall space for a photo gallery in my tiny house. I had to sacrifice some cabinet space to do this, so with the three remaining cabinets, I went vertical. A step stool helps when I need to reach that top shelf, but the trade off was worth it for me to have that gallery wall with art I love and photos of my kids.
6. Be Open to Shelving
If you want to store things that you need easy access to, open shelving is the way to go. I love using the open shelving above my dining space for my bar. When I’m entertaining a guest I can literally just reach up and grab a glass and a bottle of whiskey or gin and never leave the conversation. Because items on my open shelves are always on display, I also love to add seasonal decor touches to these shelves. It’s a nice way to set the tone without having holiday cheer completely take over your home.
I hope these tiny house kitchen ideas help you plan your dream tiny house. Thanks for visiting!
