Just because the total square footage for your kitchen is small doesn’t mean your kitchen remodeling ideas should be. According to The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), any kitchen under 150 square feet is considered a small kitchen.  But take heart if you have one of these; there are plenty of great kitchen remodeling schemes for colors, countertops, appliances, lighting, and cabinets that can add utility and charm without building clutter and claustrophobia.

When remodeling a small kitchen, the NKBA say, consider employing ambient as well as natural lighting to give a sense of spaciousness to your existing room.  If you’re going to reface or replace cabinets, choose light colors and design them with a mind toward maximizing the full width of your countertops. If you plan on installing lights under the countertops, be sure to adjust your switching plans so that countertop lighting can be operated independently from your overhead lighting.

Handling Small Kitchen Counter Space, Storage, and Sinks
If your remodeling plans include cabinets and replacements, consider a mix of shelves and storage space that situates your least-used items at the top, with shelving for small appliances and items in heavy rotation (plates, saucers, cups) in easy reach.

Deeper counters with new countertops in sturdy and stylish materials can improve the appearance and functionality of your kitchen. And adding a larger sink can make for easy preparation and cleanup without compromising service area.

You may want to consider creating a pass-through in your remodeling plans to add light as well as create combined space between a small kitchen and a serving area or dining room. There’s less walking around that way, and the added spaciousness can completely transform your home.

You’ve spent good money on your new countertops. The last things you want are stains, scratches, or discolorations. While there are some specific concerns depending on the materials you’ve selected, the basic rule applies: clean your counters as you use them, mopping up spills as you go along before they have a chance to set in or collect other materials that scratch and stain. If you clean as you go, you won’t need more than a damp cloth and mild detergent to do the job safely.

That said, let’s look over some specific tips for maintaining laminate or granite countertops if you let things go:

Laminate
Always use cleaners that are proven to be non-abrasive and are free of bleach and dyes. If you spill drain cleaner on the surface, by all means get it up quickly. Acidity is the arch-enemy of laminate. Baking soda is a great choice for most cleaning jobs on laminate countertops.

Granite
Scratches are the real culprit in damaging granite countertops. Be careful at all times in shoving any pots, pans, scouring materials, or silverware across the surface. Steel wool can remove some of the traces of scarring, but it’s best if you apply sealant every year to your kitchen countertops as a preventative. For best results, install granite countertops with a polished finish.

All-Around Countertop Cleaners
You’d be surprised how many contractors and manufacturers recommend the use of natural cleaners for your kitchen countertops. Lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda are among the more common substances that have proven effective and harmless on countertops. But it’s always a good idea to test them out on a section that has low visibility.

The work triangle is a geometric shape that you never learned in high school math. It refers to the optimal distance between three major work centers in the kitchen: the storage area, cooking center, and cleanup zone. It’s imperative–if you want to get around comfortably in your newly remodeled space–to employ a work triangle strategy from the design stage forward.

Typical arrangement of your kitchen will fall into one of several broad categories: an L-shape, a double-L shape, single wall, U-shape, or corridor (sometimes known as a “galley” shape). No matter your scheme, there’s a version of the work triangle that applies. You can view examples of the work triangle at Kohler.

Let’s section off your kitchen. The storage area includes your main cabinets, pantry, refrigerator and freezer. The cooking area is comprised of your stove, oven, cooktops, and microwave. And the clean-up area can include a food-prep countertop, sink, trash compactor, and dishwasher. There’s a graphic demonstration of the triangle with each section–along with photos and suggestions for the optimal distances between each section of kitchen at the Do It Yourself Network.

You’ll also find examples of the triangle for each major kitchen design shape at Merillat.com.

Kitchen Work Triangle Rules of Thumb
If you want room to work, you’ll want to map out your kitchen with:

• No single side of the triangle at less than four feet long or more than nine feet wide.
• No cabinetry or traffic should cut through the triangle (although you may include an island if the overall area allows for one).
• The complete perimeter of your triangle should add up to no less than 12 feet or no greater than 26 feet.

You may want to contact a professional for a quote in designing your triangle and work areas.