Space Archives

Not everyone has room for a huge kitchen so for our latest lookbook, we’ve rounded up ten designs with a small footprint.

One solution is a single-wall kitchen, in which everything is arranged in a single run against a wall.

Other more creative designs feature kitchens tucked in nooks, hidden behind doors or even pop-up kitchens that fold away when not in use.

This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous kitchen-related posts feature breakfast bars, kitchens with islands, green kitchens, terrazzo kitchens and kitchens with skylights.

Pocket House, UK, by Tikari Works

Aptly named Pocket House, this London extension measures just 35 square metres. Designers Tikari Works fitted the compact kitchen along a wall, with a skylight above providing natural light.

Custom-made plywood cabinets by Uncommon Projects provide storage including a run of units above the counter with sliding doors that hide everything from gadgets to plug sockets, allowing the counter to remain clutter-free.

Find out more about Pocket House ›

LIFE micro-apartments, South Korea, by Ian Lee

Like the walls in this tiny apartment in Seoul, South Korea, the storage spaces in this small kitchen have been lined with pale birch wood.

The kitchen has a stainless steel sink and a miniature hob beneath a small steel extractor. Two of the birch shelves have been left open, giving the owner space to display their earthenware.

This creates a simple, decorative touch and breaks up the streamlined design of the wooden cabinets.

Find out more about LIFE micro-apartments ›

Studio apartment, France, by Pierre-Louis Gerlier

A curved wall with scalloped wood panelling decorates this Parisian studio apartment where space is at a premium. Designer Pierre-Louise Gerlier built it into a partition to save space in the open-plan interior.

Cabinets in a bright, springlike green sit above a sink and small hob. The wall behind the kitchen area has been rendered in concrete that contrasts with the brass electrical sockets.

A vintage campaign chair in bright orange adds another touch of colour to the space.

Find out more about the studio apartment ›

Casa Mami, USA, by Working Holiday Studio

Holiday homes often need functional but space-saving kitchens and this one in the California desert is no exception. Designers Working Holiday Studio took cues from Japanese and Scandinavian design when creating this pale-wood kitchen.

Cabinets and drawers have holes instead of handles. A small black cafe table and slender chairs pick up the black colours of the mismatching sink, fridge and cast-iron cooking utensils.

Find out more about Casa Mami ›

Tiny El Camarin apartment by IR Arquitectura

El Camarin, Argentina, by IR Arquitectura

Bright white cupboards and shelves give this small Argentine kitchen a light, relaxing feel. Built-in furniture adds plenty of storage space to the small kitchen next to a caged balcony.

A small table can be folded out to create a dining space, and the fridge and washing machines are also hidden behind the doors.

Find out more about El Camarin ›

Minimal Fantasy Apartment, Spain, by Patricia Bustos Studio

The only minimal thing in the Minimal Fantasy Apartment is the footprint of the kitchen, which has been built against one wall in the completely pink apartment.

Colourful cabinets have geometric shapes and blue hues that break up the monotone pink. A small pale-pink sink sits on a pink-tiled countertop. Spherical wall lights add a festive feel.

Find out more about Minimal Fantasy Apartment ›

Majamaja, Finland, by Pekka Littow

Majamaja is an off-grid cabin in the Finnish seaside that was created as a holiday home by architect Pekka Littow.

He added clever space-saving tricks such as fold-down furniture and a kitchenette that can be hidden behind birch plywood doors when not in use.

The doors have matching shelves above the stainless-steel sink, hob and splashback.

Find out more about Majamaja ›

Brooklyn Loft by Dean Works

This former studio apartment in Brooklyn was reorganised around a multi-functional plywood volume. In the kitchen, where it has been lined with grey and white marble, it forms cabinets and countertops.

The module holds both the since and a gas hob, as well as a built-in oven. Open shelves lend the feel of a display case and allow the owners easy access to crockery and cooking utensils.

Find out more about Brooklyn Loft ›

Sanwa unveils latest collection of tiny kitchens for micro homes

Sanwa kitchen, Japan, by Sanwa

Japanese brand Sanwa designed this tiny kitchen, which is made from bamboo, especially for micro-homes. When closed, the kitchen doubles as a compact work desk.

An inbuilt electric motor opens the lid up to turn it into a fully functional kitchen with kitchen and washing facilities in one single unit.

The kitchen is one of a range of compact kitchens by the brand.

Find out more about Sanwa kitchen ›

Tiny Holiday Home by i29 interior architects

Tiny Holiday Home, The Netherlands, by Chris Collaris and i29 Interior Architects

Pale wood meets black wood to create a sculptural, striking kitchen design in this Dutch holiday home.

The house was designed to be “spatially efficient” and make use of every centimetre. This can also be seen in the wardrobe-like kitchen, which features bespoke full-height cabinetry designed by i29 Interior Architects and Chris Collaris to echo the graphical form of the house.

Find out more about Tiny Holiday Home ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

Reference

Architecture and interior design firm Onion has designed the second phase of the Sala Samui Chaweng Beach Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand.

As part of the design, they included an outdoor living room and sitting area that both include a bookshelf for plants.

An outdoor living room with a shelving unit designed to house plants.

At night, the plant bookshelves light up, while the living rooms are furnished with outdoor sofas, armchairs, planters, and oversized lamps, the living rooms create comfortable spaces for guests to relax in.

Another design detail of the outdoor living rooms are the pebbles that have been used in place of rugs.

An outdoor sitting room with pebbles and oversized lighting.

Let’s take a look around the rest of the hotel…

The Public Areas

The resort design has a bright white exterior, however, the lobby has been warmed up with the use of wood, and curved wood walls add a sculptural element. The hotel restaurant introduces blue accents and includes a variety of seating, as well as oversized black and white striped pendant lights.

A modern hotel lobby with sculptural wood walls, woven lighting, and round furniture.

A modern hotel lobby with wood walls, woven lighting, and round furniture.

A modern restaurant hotel with glass walls.

A modern hotel restaurant with blue, white, and wood color scheme.

A modern hotel restaurant with a blue and white theme, as well as black and white striped accents.

A modern hotel restaurant with window seat and banquette seating.

The Courtyards

The resort has a variety of courtyards and outdoor spaces including areas with chairs arranged in a circle and surrounded by trees, paths with nearby stairs that lead to the different levels of the resort, a swimming pool with sun chaises, and outdoor king-sized beds nestled between plants and shaded by large trees.

A modern hotel courtyard with outdoor chairs arranged in a circle.

A modern hotel with arches and white stairs with lighting.

A modern hotel with cut-out curved sections.

A resort swimming pool with oversized lights and a wood deck.

An outdoor king size bed for lounging in the sun.

The Spa

The spa area is defined by the use of the colors dark green and pink. The bathtub of the spa room is placed in the garden surrounded by the dark green walls, while the clear glass door brings nature into the treatment room.