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Granny Flat Kitchen Designs

Whether you are building your granny flat with a kitchen or kitchenette (that is, a small kitchen) – what should all granny flat kitchens include?

 

Ample storage space, including the cabinets and the bench-tops, as well as the layout of a granny flat kitchen, are all very important elements of it’s design. You should also consider the size of it’s appliances – the fridge and freezer, oven and stove-top, and dishwasher.

 

Today I will provide you with examples of some great kitchen designs and talk about what makes them so important.

 

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I will cover how you can make the best use of your cabinet space, and how to create more bench space. I will also discuss what you can learn from the set-up of a tiny house and how to bring this into your kitchen.

 

Examples of Kitchen Designs

 

A lot of thought needs to be put into the design of a kitchen in a granny flat. In what is such a small, compact space, the kitchen needs to include:

 

  • All major appliances, such as fridges and freezers, ovens and even dishwashers.
  • Cabinets and bench-tops, made to suit the surroundings (that is, the colours should flow between rooms).
  • A sink and taps.
  • A splash-back.

 

There are 6 common kitchen layouts that are used in homes and it is worth checking them out below to decide which would work best for your granny flat.

 

 

As many granny flats do not have a dining area, the kitchen bench-top can be used to sit and eat your meals. You need to ensure every usable space is utilised for multiple purposes, that not a bit of space is wasted.

 

Some practical, simple kitchen space savers to look for in your granny flat kitchen design are;

 

Smaller Size Appliances – The kitchen appliances should have smaller dimensions than the standard models of refrigerators, freezers, ovens and dishwashers. The kitchen could have a small fridge that sit underneath sinks, stove-tops or bench-tops.

 

Stove-tops could have two burners, instead of four or six. Ovens may only hold half the capacity of a standard oven. Dishwashers may only have the volume for washing half loads. Freezers may also contain limited storage space.

 

Examples of canny kitchen designs are below.

 

Hoek Modular Homes – Hoek Modular Homes have put a lot of thought into the layout design of their granny flats kitchen.

 

Source: Hoek Modular

 

The layout is also an extremely important factor in designing a kitchen. Most people are choosing to combine rooms, or what is known as an “open plan” design.

 

The benefits of this include:

 

  • It allows for interaction while cooking.

  • It saves space by combining the kitchen, dining area and lounge room.

 

You can contact them here or on (07) 3889 7385.

 

 

They will also let you upgrade or downgrade the material selections. This allows you to design the kitchen to suit your own budget, lifestyle and needs. The list of standard inclusions they provide for all their Granny Flat Kitchens is;

 

  • Straight Line or L-Shaped kitchen.
  • 7m of overhead & under-bench laminate cupboards.
  • Cabinet draw handles.
  • 5m laminate bench-tops in your choice of colours.
  • Tiled splash-back.
  • Stainless steel 1½ bowl sink & mixer.
  • 60cm Electric oven.
  • 4-burner stainless steel cook-top.
  • 600mm slide out range-hood.

 

They can be contacted here or on (02) 9481 7443.

 

Perth’s Granny Flat Specialist –  Perth’s Granny Flat Specialist’s know that the kitchen in a granny flat must be functional and well-planned.

 

Their designs allow you to have a space-saving kitchen with plenty of storage space, including a pull-out pantry and overhead cabinets.

 

They can be contacted here or on (08) 9248 7778.

 

Premier Homes & Granny Flats – Their Kyneton granny flat has a generous island bench.

 

Adding an island can add handy additional work surface to your kitchen.

 

The kitchen also has;

 

  • Timber look bench-tops.
  • Stainless steel appliances.
  • Chrome fittings.
  • White cabinets.

 

These are all carried through to the bathroom, which gives the home a sense of flow.

 

They can be contacted here or on (03) 9761 6699.

 

Master Granny Flats – Their designs give you a choice from a lot of:

 

  • Large kitchen and living spaces with open plan designs.
  • Plenty of windows for a spacious feel.
  • The possible inclusion of a breakfast bar which provides more workable surface area, while saving the need for a dining table, which saves a lot of room.

 

They can be contacted here or on 1300 643 528.

 

Best Use of Cabinet Space

 

You should know by now that you need to make the most of every single bit of space available in your granny flat. This includes using every bit of room in your cabinets for storage. There is a simple DIY solution to make extra room for storage in your cabinets, even getting to those hard-to-reach places.

 

The answer?

 

Removing existing shelves can actually increase storage space. For example, if your cabinet only has one shelf, you can remove it and add slide-out stainless steel baskets.

 

The benefits of these are:

 

  • Things are no longer stuck in hard to reach areas.
  • You can add up to 3 or more baskets, creating much more room for storage.

 

Source: Tansel

 

You can also add slide-out racks in those tall, extremely narrow kitchen cabinets that are next to your oven. The majority of this space is often left unused because it’s hard-to-reach. By adding stainless steel racks, these are a useful place for storing thin, tall bottles and even spices.

 

 

How to Create More Bench Space

 

Although you have a lot of bulky appliances in your kitchen, there are a lot of ways you can save space. To create more room for bench space, you just need to get creative with your storage spaces.

 

Overhead cabinets in your kitchen are a MUST.

 

Although not a standard inclusion in all granny flat designs, you should really consider adding these if they are not already included in yours. These let you store items where you’ll need them most, at arms-reach, without taking up any valuable bench-top space.

 

Use furniture that is practical for the room – so consider if you really need a standalone dining table. Instead, you could create an dine-in kitchen by adding an island bench with stools. The island bench will also give you more work-space, clearing up space on your bench-top.

 

Use wall hooks and mounts everywhere. These have the same benefits as a bench-top, but will create more space for storage while giving you more work-space.

 

You’ll be amazed how much you can hang on the wall in your kitchen;

 

  • Utensils.
  • Cups.
  • Pots and pans.
  • Plants
  • Salt and Pepper

 

What You Can Learn from a Tiny House

 

Tiny houses are a compact, movable dwelling. They are, as their name suggests, tiny – much smaller than a granny flat, they are up to a maximum of 50 square metres.

 

But, somehow despite their size, it works. So you can take some of their own solutions and apply them to your granny flat. Think “out of the box” –  Use as many unique, creative storage options you can think of.

 

Seeing what “Tiny Homes” offer for kitchen layouts can help

 

This includes using open shelving where you do not have overhead cabinets. Make it a room built for two – Ask your builder to install a slide-out table you can use as your dining table. Make use of natural lighting with windows – This won’t give you more space, but it will give you the perception of more space.

 

This just goes to show that, although you may have limited space in your kitchen, you do not have to feel restricted by its size.

 

Find out a little more about Granny flat and Tiny house similarities to gather other details which might work for you.

 

Conclusion

 

One of the most important rooms to design in a granny flat, to save space and plan for storage is the kitchen. Important inclusions are smaller size appliances than standard models of  fridges, freezers, ovens and dishwashers.

 

Overhead cabinets for more storage space are also very important to consider. An island bench is a handy addition – it gives you more workable area, saves you room on your bench-top and can even be used as a place to eat your meals.

 

The layout of your kitchen is a very important part of your design, with an open plan design becoming more popular. This is as combining rooms saves space. It is also important to keep the same colours and fittings in your kitchen as in the surrounding rooms, so everything flows.

 

You can also think “out of the ordinary” with your design.

 

Practical furniture, if even necessary at all, like slide-out tables can be installed. Creative storage options like open shelving are simple DIY ideas. Windows, although not actually adding extra room, give the feeling of extra room, and are also a great addition.

 

So, happy designing – you don’t have to be limited by your space!