STYLE CRUSH

Make light work

Throw light on prep or dining areas with a stylish shade. The weighted Ogilvy pendant by Made can be lowered and raised, for focused light that can be moved out of the way when switched off – particularly useful for when you want a change of look.

Ogilvy rise and fall pendant, £100, Made Napoli ribbed glass pendant light, £79, Cult Furniture

Tromso peach and wood pendant shade, £24, Iconic Lights

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Look out for furniture that makes the most of available space. This small but mighty island has storage and extra work surface. Aside from the practicalities, a freestanding island can be a great design feature and a place to stand or sit round and chat.

Do it yourself

If you don’t have the cash to splurge on new furniture or to have it built for you, transforming flatpack pieces is a budget-friendly solution. Turn an Ikea Kallax unit on its side, add baskets or drawers, customise it with paint – and you have super-simple bench seat with added storage.

String pocket shelving in Neon, £150, String Furniture at Utility Design

Nether Red 315 and Slaked Lime Mid 105, both £28 for 2.5ltrs, Re:mix by Little Greene. For a similar table and chairs, try John Lewis & Partners

Modular system

With a variety of smart and flexible storage solutions on offer, it’s easy to find a shelving combination and size to best suit your kitchen. You can even add on as many rods, hooks, holders or hangers as you require.

Filtrata brushed nickel four-in-one boiling tap, £595, Lusso Stone

Fusion round tap in gold, £2,020, Quooker

Carlos pine kitchen island, £625, La Redoute Matt black U spout three-in-one instant boiling water tap, £690, Mano Mano

Three of the best hot taps

Invest in a hot water tap and cut out the kettle clutter. Not only do they free up worktops, they help reduce household bills as they’re more energy efficient and less wasteful.

Practical partition

A glass room divider in place of a solid partition wall is perfect for opening up a layout while ensuring areas remain defined. Their transparent quality will let light flow freely, creating a greater feeling of room.

In the detail

Carefully considered, space-enhancing materials are essential for giving the illusion of a larger area. Choose off-white worktops, highgloss cabinets and a pale splashback to form a brighter finish.

Floral border panel duvet set, from £12; Enhet corner Shells duvet set, from kitchen in concrete £12; crossweave throw, effect, from £529; £18; doughnut lamp Enhet base with with willow shade, shelves, £60; Lysekil £25; cushions, from concrete-effect wall £7, all George Home panel, £40, all Ikea

Two Southwark bar stools in dark acacia and oatmeal linen, £249, Swoon Editions

Shaker pull-out storage unit, £509 excl. VAT, Naked Kitchens

Take a seat

If you have the room, a breakfast bar can act as a handy perch for snacking and a place to work. Of course, you’ll need to finish it off with a stylish bar stool – and these backless designs are easy to tuck out of the way when not in use.

Be bold and bright

Decorating a small space doesn’t mean sacrificing pattern or colour. Tidy things away in cupboards for a minimal-clutter layout that can handle an eyecatching pattern. Take a largescale geometric tile across the floor and up the walls to make a room feel bigger.

Goodhome Branza grey bar stool, £27, B&Q

Optiks tile, £53.48 per m2 , Topps Tiles

Two of the best cabinets

We’ve rounded up our favourite half-height heroes that squeeze in a few handy tricks to make the most of the space you have: slimprofile, tin-can-friendly storage and a pull-out work surface to house stacked plates and cutlery alike.

Metod Maximera pull-out work surface, £221, Ikea

Anjoy chopping board, £35 each, Oliver Bonas BlueCave tea towel, £12, Palava

Looped in

If drawers and cabinets are lacking, choose accessories that feature a loop to hang instead. Chopping boards, tea towels and utensils can all be secured on hooks. A simple rail attached to the wall would serve perfectly for this.

Bergen bar set with two stools, £249, Dunelm

Table for two

While your kitchen may not be able to accommodate a dining table, it may just have the right amount of space for a drop-leaf. This two-in-one bar has a top that folds down until you need it, and two stools that can be stored out of the way on the shelf.

Colourworks five- piece utensil set, £16.10, Wayfair