If you’ve ever tried to cook in a small kitchen, you know how chaotic it can be. Kitchens that are short on space often come with limited storage, which quickly leads to overflowing drawers and cluttered counters. Overstuffed cabinets make it hard to find things, and a too-tight layout can cause you to constantly bump into things or have to deal with a flow that doesn’t make sense for cooking. It’s tough to feel inspired when your workspace is a mess and the simplest tasks become a lot harder.
Thankfully, there is a simple, effective solution that can give you back control over your small kitchen. Ready-to-Assemble, or RTA, cabinets offer a smart, practical way to fully maximize your kitchen space, bringing both order and style into even the tightest area.
The Space-Saving Advantage of RTA Cabinets
RTA cabinets for small kitchens are an incredibly smart choice when square footage is a concern. They offer many options that are perfect for smaller areas, and are built to be space-efficient so you can squeeze more storage out of your existing space. RTA kitchen cabinets come in a standard set of cabinet sizes but offer a wide variety of configurations, which means you can piece together a layout that truly fits your unique kitchen. It’s possible to find a cabinet that will make even a hard-to-reach corner usable. This level of planning and precision is exactly what a small kitchen requires to feel open and organized.
Flexibility in Sizes and Configurations
One of the biggest reasons RTA cabinets are ideal for those trying to maximize kitchen space is the sheer variety of sizes and cabinet units available. Unlike many pre-assembled options that only come in a few standard widths, RTA kitchen cabinets come in a huge range of increments, allowing you to fill every possible gap. This flexibility means you can tailor a run of cabinets to your exact wall length and use every last inch of space. Cabinets exist for every corner and every odd nook and cranny in a kitchen.
Affordable Customization for Your Needs
A truly custom-built kitchen for a small space can be extremely expensive, especially since you are paying for labor and materials to fit every specific measurement. RTA cabinets offer an affordable way to get a similar, tailored feel. Since they are not pre-assembled, the cost of labor is lower and their shipping is cheaper too. These savings allow you to focus more on filling your space efficiently with the cabinets, accessories, and other organizers that will maximize the space you do have.
Smart Storage Solutions for Small Kitchens
When every inch counts, you can’t afford to have any wasted space inside your cabinets. Smart organization is a powerful tool for small kitchen storage, and RTA cabinets have tons of options to help you figure out how to organize your kitchen in a way that works best for you. Every one of your cabinets will earn its keep.
Vertical Storage with Tall Wall Cabinets
You can’t exactly just move your walls outward to make your kitchen bigger, so once you’ve spread out as much as you can, the only direction you can go is up. Vertical storage is a lifesaver in small kitchens. Tall utility cabinets are one thing, reaching from 84 inches to 96 inches high, but they still use floor space. But regular wall cabinets are also available in multiple sizes. A 42-inch tall wall cabinet offers room for a whole other shelf more than the typical 30-inch tall wall cabinet. The difference in installation is whether the wall cabinets go all the way up to the ceiling. The space above wall cabinets often goes unused or just collects dust, so why not reclaim it? While you might need a small step stool to reach the highest shelves, this space is perfect for storing items you don’t use often, like seasonal serving dishes or bulk pantry goods.
Corner Solutions That Work for You
Corner cabinets are often underused. But if your row of cabinets runs along perpendicular walls, they’re the only way to make use of the space where the cabinet rows intersect. RTA cabinets offer multiple corner options to fit in different spaces. Angle wall cabinets and diagonal corner wall cabinets are two different shapes of corner wall cabinets. Base cabinets have corner units too, including easy reach base cabinets. Often you’ll put a Lazy Susan (it’s a rotating shelf unit, if you don’t know) into a corner cabinet to let you have easier access to items in the back, but some Lazy Susan base cabinets already have one built in.
Despite how they sound, blind corner cabinets are another option. They have pull-out shelves that are normally tucked away in a deep recess. If you like this design, there are both blind corner wall cabinets and blind corner base cabinets available in different sizes. All these options transform a notoriously annoying space into a functional storage area.
Pull-Out Shelves, Drawer Organizers, and More
If pull-out shelves for cabinets got your attention when I mentioned blind corners, you’ll be happy to know you can get them separately to install in any RTA kitchen cabinet. They’re also called roll-out trays and they come in a variety of sizes meant to match the different available RTA cabinet widths. For drawers, dedicated organizers and racks can keep things divided up and easier to access. RTA cabinets are often available with different numbers of drawers as well, so you can create the storage space you’re envisioning.
Drawers and pull-out shelves both have their advantages for different types of items; e.g. smaller things like utensils are usually better off in an organizer inside a drawer. Pull-out shelves are better for things that aren’t likely to fall off the sides when you roll them out, but they can be installed at several different heights within the cabinet (just like regular shelves), so they can store many sizes of items.
Appliance Cabinets and Other Space-Savers
A clean countertop provides a better work area but also makes the kitchen look and feel larger and more open, and you can get more counter space by tucking your appliances away when possible. Microwave wall cabinets and microwave base cabinets are both available, so you can work your microwave into your row of cabinets either above or below your countertop. Different sizes are available, suitable for different needs and a variety of microwave sizes. Make sure you allow proper clearance around the microwave inside the cabinet.
Appliance garages and other countertop cabinets do still occupy counter space, but they help keep things organized in ways almost nothing else can. They’re a great compromise between leaving something out that you use every day and still keeping it out of sight.
Design Tips to Make a Small Kitchen Feel Bigger
While being organized is important, the look of your kitchen is also key to making a small kitchen feel more spacious and comfortable. The finishes, colors, and styles of your cabinets have a huge effect on how large the room appears. By making smart design choices, you can trick the eye into seeing a brighter, more open space, even if the physical square footage remains the same. Minimize visual clutter and maximize light to instantly expand the perceived size of the room.
Light-colored finishes like white, off-white, or light grey reflect light instead of absorbing it, making the entire room look brighter and more spacious. Light wood stains work this way too. Glass doors on your wall cabinets visually extend their depth (but you’ll need to keep their contents uncluttered to prevent them from looking like a mess, so if your storage is really crammed you might not want to do this). Finally, choose a minimalist style like Shaker cabinet doors. Their simple recessed panels have clean lines and look sleek, reducing visual “noise” to let the eye move smoothly across the room.
Practical Layout Considerations for RTA Cabinets
Even the best cabinets will fail you if the kitchen layout doesn’t work for your space. Choosing the right kitchen layout is always important, but especially so in a small space. Your layout must prioritize function and movement, keeping the work triangle (sink, stove, and refrigerator) clear and efficient. Knowing the different small kitchen layouts can help you decide which one will maximize the usability of your available floor plan and RTA cabinets give you the building blocks to achieve this.
The Best Layouts for Smaller Spaces
There are three main layouts that work amazingly for small kitchens. The Galley Kitchen uses two parallel walls of cabinets and appliances, creating a highly efficient workspace where everything is within easy reach. This is often the most space-saving design. The L-Shaped Kitchen uses two adjacent walls, which opens up floor space for a small dining area or other use. This layout is excellent for open-concept spaces because it keeps one side of the room free. The U-Shaped Kitchen uses three walls, providing the maximum amount of counter and storage space. While this layout is great for storage, you must make sure the central working area is wide enough for comfortable movement.
Fitting Cabinets into Awkward Nooks
Older homes often have strange “features” like uneven walls, odd little nooks, or other awkward aspects that make it a nightmare to fit standard cabinetry. The flexibility of RTA cabinets saves the day in this situation because you can order them in so many shapes and sizes. If you’re still stuck with a small gap that a cabinet won’t fill, you can use a narrow pull-out spice rack or other thin vertical storage. Refrigerator wall cabinets are intended to go above the fridge but they can fit in a lot of tiny places. If nothing else, you can use a matching cabinet filler piece to bridge the gap for a consistent look. Using these methods ensures that you don’t lose valuable inches and that your final kitchen design looks complete and professionally installed.
Start Your Kitchen Transformation Today
Dealing with a small kitchen can feel oppressive, but RTA cabinets are a solution with the flexibility you need. With a variety of shapes and sizes, smart internal storage options, and design choices that visually expand your space, RTA cabinets for small kitchens help you maximize space without sacrificing style or quality. A tailored layout that uses every corner is exactly what a compact kitchen needs.
I’ve mostly linked to white Shaker cabinets as examples here, but there are many more styles and colors available at RTA Kitchen Cabinets Online. Explore them all and you’ll find something you love. If you feel ready to get started, check out our free kitchen design help. We also invite you to contact us with any questions.
