Guide · Measurements and space
Small kitchens: what actually gains space
The KÜINA team · Updated October 11, 2026
The short answer
Three things genuinely gain space: swapping doors for drawers (about 30 % more usable capacity in the same unit), taking wall units up to the ceiling (one extra shelf per unit) and one 600 mm tall unit instead of two separate units. Everything else is tidiness, not space.
What each change is worth
| Change | What you gain | What it costs extra |
|---|---|---|
| Drawers instead of doors | 30 % more usable capacity; you see it all without crouching | €120 – 200 per unit |
| Wall units to the ceiling | A whole extra shelf per unit | €80 – 150 per unit |
| A 600 mm tall unit instead of two separate units | Full height used, with pull-outs | €600 – 1,400 |
| Corner unit with a pull-out carousel | A cubic metre that used to be unreachable | €250 – 500 |
| An inner drawer inside another drawer | Utensils stop taking up a whole drawer | €60 – 120 |
| Single bowl sink instead of a double | 20 cm of free worktop | Nothing; usually the same price |
Swapping doors for drawers gains the most, is the most noticeable the next day, and is the thing most people rule out on price without having tried it in a showroom.
Why drawers win and doors lose
A base unit with a door has one shelf. What is at the back cannot be seen, and what cannot be seen does not get used: in practice a little over half the volume is usable. The identical unit with three drawers opens all the way, shows everything at once and gets used right to the back.
On top of that there is posture: with a door you crouch and reach in; with a drawer you do not. In a small kitchen, where there is no room to crouch, that is more than comfort.
Wall units: to the ceiling or not at all
Leaving 40 cm between the wall unit and the ceiling gives away a cubic metre of storage and creates a surface that collects dust and grease. Taking the units all the way up gives one more shelf per unit: in a kitchen with three wall units, three shelves.
The very top does get used rarely, true. But that is exactly where the things you use twice a year belong, instead of taking up good space.
Minimum dimensions in a small kitchen
| Dimension | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Gap between facing runs | 100 cm (90 if only one person cooks) |
| Clear worktop beside the hob | 40 cm |
| Clear worktop between sink and hob | 60 cm |
| Clear worktop beside the fridge | 40 cm |
| Minimum width for a U-shaped kitchen | 240 cm |
If the 60 cm between sink and hob will not fit, give up a unit rather than that space: it is where the cooking happens.
What does NOT gain space, however it looks
- 400 mm deep units instead of 600. You gain 20 cm of walkway and lose half the storage and the ability to build almost anything in.
- Plastic organisers. They tidy, they do not expand. If the unit has a door, the back is still invisible.
- Removing the extractor. A recirculating unit takes up the same room and ventilates worse.
- The microwave on the worktop. That is 50 cm of work surface gone all day. Put it in a tall unit or under the counter.
Questions we get asked
How small is a small kitchen?
Under 7 m² counts as small, and under 5 m² every centimetre has to be designed. As with islands, width governs more than square metres.
Is a 450 mm dishwasher worth it?
Yes, if the alternative is none. It takes 9 or 10 place settings, enough for two people, and frees 15 cm against a 600 mm one — in a 240 cm kitchen that is a whole unit.
Light or dark units in a small kitchen?
Light units reflect more light and the room looks bigger, but a dark matt with good lighting under the wall units works just as well. Lighting matters more than colour.
Can I put a washing machine in the kitchen without losing a unit?
Under the worktop it takes a 600 mm opening, which is a unit. The only way not to lose it is to put the machine somewhere else. If there is nowhere else, better to accept it on the plan than to discover it on fitting day.
Shall we look at it with your kitchen on screen?
An hour in the showroom, your kitchen on screen and the price fixed the same day. No commitment, and no follow-up calls unless you want them.
