11 counters perfect for small kitchens

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Manoel Guedes, PM Arquitetura PM Arquitetura Industrial style kitchen
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Kitchens always seem to be the one room in every home where everybody wants to convene and spend time together, but if the space itself is small, this can be exceptionally tricky. Surely there must be a way to design a kitchen bar for small kitchens, which will offer all the dining potential you need, without drowning out all the usable space, no? Well, we think that we've found 11 ways to do so!

The kitchen planners that curated each of these wonderful rooms were clearly tuned into the fact that a small kitchen, with bar area, is a natural and organic way to bring a whole family together, but we have to say that the task has been tackled with serious style in each of these examples. Come and see which aesthetic would work best for your home and then, why not consider investing in a little kitchen upgrade of your own?

1. Industrial inspiration.

Everything about this bar and kitchen is exceptional, from the duck-egg blue walls through to the inspired use of industrial concrete, to create a handy seating area that curves around the corner and into the wider room beautifully. Now that's using the space cleverly!

2. An integrated breakfast bar.

On first glance, this breakfast bar could simply look like an island, but look again and you'll see stools, which offer a little dual functionality! The island is already there, so adding some seating is a simple way to maximise the efficiency!

3. Amazing shapes.

The minimalist design of this small kitchen with bar area is what makes it so special! Simple, pared back and pretty, this space has an underlying glamor that is impossible to ignore, once you've seen the red chairs! It's remarkable that a narrow shelf is all that was needed to turn a counter into a dining spot!

4. Simple and bright.

By keeping the counters here bright white, you can easily miss the fact that they are even really there but more than that, you definitely have to look twice to spot the counter overhang that offers a natural breakfast bar integration. The mint green stools, which look lovely, are the only things that give it away!

5. Rustic AND modern.

The way the natural wood and bright white meet each other on this counter is just stunning! Chunky, glossy modernity has topped off rustic heritage so perfectly and has made such light work of providing a happy and comforting spot for everyone to enjoy eating at. Lovely! It even doubles up as a room divide!

6. A colorful contrast.

Adding a small but effective dining table, to the end of a kitchen worktop here, has allowed for so much more functionality, despite the fact that the kitchen itself is fairly small. By choosing contrasting main colors, the effect is beautiful, as well as useful, which is always a concern when upgrading small rooms.

7. Classic and sociable.

The chunky proportions of the dual-counters here are so eye-catching and wonderful! The white section would make for a perfect food prep and presentation area, while the warm wooden surrounding counter is the ideal height for eating at and together, they look amazing, don't you agree? They don't even require much sacrifice of precious space either!

8. Romantic and rustic.

We think that this small kitchen has a really sweet and playful side to it, what with the small jutting counter that naturally encourages social interaction and, we think, a little romance as well. Can't you imagine enjoying a little continental breakfast with a loved one here, as the morning sun streams in through the adjacent window?

9. Extended elegance.

It would have been so simple to finish the counter here where the wall ends, but by adding just a  little more counter, a wonderful breakfast bar has been created, which doesn't even cut into the available space too much! A standard dining table would have really drained the room, but this is such a pleasant way to add some eating potential!

10. Fabulously futuristic.

If standard linear and rectangular counters look ok to you, but don't exactly set your imagination on fore and have you running to a kitchen planner, perhaps you need to see something a little more funky! This curved bar area adds so much fun and really blends with the wider design aesthetic of the kitchen that we think you'll really be taken with it.

11. U-shaped and special.

Let's finish our look at small kitchen bars with this modern masterpiece! The bar is small, tiny in fact, as it can only seat two people, but it is ideal and perfectly proportioned for a kitchen this bijou! Finished in a pale wood, it blends into the background beautifully and the high chairs really draw the eye up and away from the area, which is fantastically clever!

For extra kitchen inspiration, take a look at this article: Kitchen designs with a difference.

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