Space Saving Kitchen Ideas from Magnet

A little while ago I published a post looking at tips and tricks for designing a small bathroom. This post was inspired by my overwhelming desire to redesign my own small bathroom which is so far from my dream bathroom it’s untrue. I have an equally strong yearning to redesign my small kitchen, which desperately needs a makeover. As a first time buyer living in a small flat there are so many projects I want to take on but we just don’t have the budget at the moment. Whilst conducting endless research while we save up, it occurred to me that there are probably countless first time buyers and new homeowners in exactly the same boat who would more than likely really appreciate me sharing some of my findings. So I have decided to embark on a series of posts aimed at first time buyers and new homeowners. As small kitchens are usually an issue for this group I decided to tackle this in today’s post. I usually look to IKEA for affordable and clever design and I was pretty certain that I would be installing an IKEA Metod kitchen when we finally get round to it. What I like about IKEA are precisely all the nifty space saving ideas. However, last week I received a press release from Magnet Kitchens and I was really pleased to see that they are tackling the space shortage issue with a few of their latest innovations. I particularly wanted to share these five with you as I’m sure that they would be welcome additions to many a small kitchen where space is somewhat lacking and there never seems to be enough work surface.

1. Table Plus

The first product is called Table Plus and is a new fold down table that not only provides extra space but allows you to alter the size and layout of your kitchen in a simple step. Table Plus is mounted on the kitchen wall and appears to be an ordinary wall unit. However, a simple pull down mechanism reveals a nifty table that unfolds and can be used as extra work surface for preparing meals or as a temporary dining table for socialising and eating with friends and family. This is particularly useful in small homes where a dining room is a luxury that simply isn’t an option. An added benefit of Table Plus is the extra storage it provides. The space inside the cupboard is perfect for storing items you use every day such as crockery and glassware while the storage pockets are great for recipes, utensils and shopping lists to hand.

2. Work Top Plus

Worktop Plus is along the same lines as Table Plus and again allows you to add extra work surface to your kitchen. Hidden within a mobile cabinet on wheels is a nifty fold out worktop that can be extended and retracted whenever the need arises. The unit integrates seamlessly into the rest of the kitchen, effortlessly sliding back and forth on its wheels, as and when you need it. And the bonus is that you don’t lose any cupboard space to gain the extra work surface. There’s storage built into the design so you don’t have to compromise.

3. Show and Hide Sink

It was after visiting the Magnet Youtube channel that I discovered a few other wonderful space saving ideas. The Show and Hide Sink is another great way of gaining work surface without having to lose space elsewhere. When the sink is in use and the dishes are drying on the draining board it just looks like a normal sink. But when it is not in use and the dishes are safely stored away you can push down the telescopic tap and slide over a cover to instantly create a useful extra worktop. The sink features a solid Corian or glass ‘lid’ that’s smooth on one side with draining grooves on the reverse so the innovative design means you can quickly flip between a sink and a worktop helping to maximise your work surface space.

4. Plinth Drawers

Finally I love this idea as it is a really clever but unexpected way to gain more storage space in the kitchen. Floor level plinth drawers use the wasted space that is found below the kitchen base units that would normally be hidden by the plinth panel. Instead drawers are installed behind the plinth that can be pulled out and used to store any baking accessories. This is such a great use of space particularly for a small kitchen where you really are limited fore storage options.

5. Sound Bar

We love listening to the radio whilst in the kitchen and my husband is a real sucker for great quality audio so he usually links up our portable bluetooth Bowers & Wilkins speaker to his phone so that he can listen to music whilst he cooks. This is fantastic but I do sometimes worry that the speaker may get damaged in the kitchen with all the water vapour and hot oil that is created when cooking. Plus it takes up valuable space on the counter which is not ideal. And that’s the reason why I love the idea of Sound Bar. It is a sleek integrated speaker that was designed and developed exclusively for use in the kitchen. Visually, the slim and stylish Sound Bar blends so seamlessly into a run of wall cabinets, you wouldn’t even know it was there. The Sound Bar can also be linked to any device with Bluetooth capability, which would be perfect for us as we mostly listen to internet radio through our Smartphones. I can imagine that this would be quite useful if you like having friends over for impromptu parties as it means that anyone can link their Smartphone to the Sound Bar and share their favourite playlist.

So what do you guys think of these innovative space saving products and ideas for the kitchen? I was quite excited by them and really quite surprised to see that they are available from Magnet. It certainly gave me hope that I will one day be able to afford a kitchen that not only looks great but works for our family and is stylish too.