Hey ya’ll, first things first. I want to thank anyone and everyone who has supported me by ordering a camper enamel pin. I was nervous about launching a product, but I’ve got some great feedback from it. It also encourages me to keep growing and I love that. I’ve still got some pins in the shop, so if you were on the fence, get ’em while they’re hot!

Today I’m collaborating with fellow tiny-houser, Leah Nixon to talk about tiny house kitchen design tips. We both love to cook and cooking in our tiny kitchens has been a fun challenge. Take it away, Leah!

Tiny House Kitchen Design Tips for People Who Love to Cook

I’ve seen it over and over on Pinterest— tiny house kitchens that are beautiful but aren’t practical or functional, especially for those of us who like to cook on a daily basis. As someone who adores cooking and who lives in a tiny house, I know that tiny houses can have kitchens that can pump out some meals. I’m passionate about helping put functionality back into all tiny house kitchens!

That being said, it’s darn tricky to design a well functioning space, particularly a well functioning tiny space if you don’t know exactly how the space will function. Simply put, architects who haven’t lived in tiny houses and have experience of how tiny spaces feel and function, probably shouldn’t be designing tiny houses.

It took me two years to design a kitchen that works for me (and it’s still evolving). Cooking is one of my favorite activities, and when I started building our tiny house, I knew that a kitchen that didn’t simply try to miniaturize everything was key to living long-term in a tiny house. Sleeping? Sure, I could sleep in a squished space. A closet? I could pair down my wardrobe. Tiny bathroom? Check! But cooking is more akin to a sport than a sedentary activity. It’s active, and everyday, and especially if there are two people or more in the house, you’ll be happy for the extra counter space.

Here’s my tips and tricks for designing a tiny house kitchen from someone who loves to cook!

1. Think about how you use your current kitchen. Important questions to ask yourself:
   • What appliances do you use everyday?
   • What can you do without?
   • Do you like to collaborate in the kitchen? (If so, you’ll need space for two butts! And I highly recommend a galley-style kitchen if that’s the case.)

2. Prepare to get creative. That’s part of the excitement of living in a tiny house! Can you do your baking in a sun oven or on an outdoor grill? I use my outdoor propane grill for most of my cooking, whether it’s cooking with the side burner, or baking, or grilling. I find that cooking outside is not only a lovely experience, but it also avoids steaming/heating/smoking up the tiny house. Melanie has made it work for the last three years inside the Airstream with this double burner and a convection oven. And she cooks every day!

3. Be realistic. If you are only using your turkey baster once a year for your Thanksgiving bird, you probably don’t need it. You need less gadgets than you think you do!

4. Use vertical space for storage. Every inch counts, so look up! Store less frequently used items on taller shelves and everyday items closer to counter-height. Also… look down! Drawers and slide out shelves add more space and are much less frustrating than reaching to the back of a cupboard or pulling everything out.

5. Like slide out shelves, bins for storage are super helpful. Bins corral and sort and hide the mess of lots of different pantry items–one of my favorite tricks is using a small plastic bin for all of my tea things. Having a designated, limited space makes me aware that I need to use the tea bags I have before I buy a new flavor.

6. Counter space cannot be under appreciated. The more counter space you have the easier it will be to prepare meals. Think about counters that can slide out or dining tables that can double as kitchen prep space.

7. Have you heard about the “triangle kitchen rule”? This applies to tiny kitchens as well! Imagine ways you could triangulate your sink, fridge, and stove for an easy kitchen layout.

8. Think about how you will clean dishes. So many tiny houses have kitchens sinks so small it would be difficult to even wash a teacup. We put in a standard, double-bowl kitchen sink and I don’t regret it. (However, I keep adding this super compact dishwasher to my wish list.)

9. “Apartment size” or compact appliances can be helpful. Here’s a great apartment size fridge. If you mostly eat fresh and don’t need much storage, you might even be able to make it work with a dorm-size fridge. In fact, having a small fridge means wasting less food because things don’t get lost at the back. You’ll always have a good idea of what is in your fridge and have incentive to use up leftovers right away.

10. If you are off the grid, things can get trickier in terms of powering your appliances.This is such a big topic that I’ll have to write a future post, but here are a few things to think about:
    • Be aware that anything that uses electricity to create heat will only work off of a generator– toaster, microwave, electric grill, etc. The more energy efficient way to produce heat is propane, wood, or alcohol.
    • Running a refrigerator or freezer is doable but difficult with solar panels. However, chest freezers happen to be one of the more efficient ways to keep food cool (and can be turned into a fridge.) 12 volt portable fridges are expensive, but I’m currently lusting after this one (which would fit nicely under a counter, freeing up square-footage for more counter space.)

11. There is no shame in asking guests to bring over their own place setting. Your guests will be thrilled to have the experience of dining in a tiny house, and will enjoy the novelty of needing to bring their own plate and silverware! So no need to have tons of space for extra dishes.

12. Remember, you can always switch it up! If you get into your kitchen and something doesn’t work, change it!

Tiny kitchens can be both practical and beautiful. Now let’s get to cookin’!

Want to read more about Leah and her tiny kitchen? Check out her Instagram!

-Leah and Melanie

**This post contains affiliate links the help pay for the hosting of this site.**