Space management is a challenge for anyone living in a small home, but nowhere do you feel as cramped for space as you do in a small kitchen. Unless you eat all your meals away from home, kitchens are the heart of every home. Unlike most other rooms in the house, kitchens are functional in the extreme, and require meticulous planning if space is a constraint.

Ceiling-high cabinets Don’t hesitate to take the cabinets all the way up to the ceiling. The top shelves can store seasonal items like the crockpot you only need once in a while. A sliding ladder will give you access, and can make an eye-catching attraction.

Glass and mirrors Opaque cabinet doors can make your kitchen look cramped and stuffy. Choose clear glass to allow the eyes to travel into the cabinets. A brightly contrasted interior could add some visual depth. Mirrors for cabinet doors make a clever alternative as well, as they create an illusion of more space than is actually available.

Corner cabinets corners are especially wasted in the traditional kitchen, where the typical cabinets don’t have a plan for corners. Today, corner cabinets are terrific space-savers in the kitchen, ensuring all that space doesn’t stay unused. For the area under the countertop, corner cabinets also come in the form of draws, making even better use of space.

Open kitchen The usual 4-wall format is a bad idea for a small kitchen. If your budget allows it, bring down a wall, at least halfway, so you can put a classy stone slab on the half-wall to create a mini-dining table with bar stools on either side. This area can even double as an island or extra work space when you need it, and needless to say, the area under it is more cabinet space!

Bright colours Bring in more light into the kitchen by painting it white, or pale pastel hues of blue, yellow or pink. If wallpapers are your choice, then go for small and discrete floral prints. Nothing screams cramped space like dark, heavy colours or large patterns.

Wall garden No kitchen is too small for some green. If you cannot actually manage a few mason jars with some herbs on the window sill, then consider installing a small wall-garden on a sunny section of the wall. Classy, fresh herbs, and again, it is a subtle way of bring the outdoors in, opening up the ambiance of the room.

Small spaces don’t have to be a big disadvantage. With some clever hacks, you can always find a way of making your kitchen fun and functional.