How to Place Appliances on a Small Kitchen: 6 Tips

Together with designer Victoria Zolin, we explore how to install a dishwasher, refrigerator, and microwave on a small kitchen while still leaving room for other items.

Victoria Zolin Expert
Designer, graduate of the British School of Design, founder of Zi-Design design studio.

1. Understand How Often You Cook

Standard 4 burners are not always fully used, so a narrow cooktop with 2–3 burners measuring 30–45 cm in length can save space compared to a standard model.

Design: Nikita Zub

2. Check Your Refrigerator

If it is half empty, an embedded single-chamber model can fit into a kitchen cabinet.

Apartment Design in a Khrushchyovka

3. Review Range Hood and Oven Cabinet Options

We often encounter situations where people hardly use their range hood, so it may not be worth investing in one. Instead, consider an additional cabinet for storage.

As for oven cabinets: many models now come with microwave functionality—ideal for small kitchens.

4. Choose a Narrow Dishwasher

It is preferable to place the dishwasher next to the sink, which can also be small if you don’t wash a lot of dishes by hand.

There are now many narrow dishwasher models available on the market, which easily fit into even the smallest kitchens. It might seem like they hold little dishes, but for a family of 2–3 people, that capacity is more than enough.

5. Plan Your Layout

Study the dimensions of selected appliances and arrange them on a kitchen plan to avoid unpleasant surprises. At the initial stage, you can sketch a rough layout on graph paper to know exactly what appliances you need. Later, it’s better to use a specialist who can help place everything in a design software program.

See 3 Layout Options for a Kitchen in a Panel House

6. Consult with the Manufacturer

All household appliances have specific installation requirements and manufacturing constraints, which must be considered in advance.

For example, a dishwasher needs water supply and drainage, so it’s crucial to connect all pipes before renovation. Consider what cabinets you want to place near the dishwasher—since it heats up during operation, a pull-out mini-bar or bottle cabinet nearby is not advisable.

By the way, in cases of extreme space shortage, you might consider doing without the bottle cabinet altogether, as it takes up about one-third of the width of a narrow dishwasher, and its practical value in daily life is negligible.