Maximizing Space in a Small Kitchen

A dim and aged Toronto condo gets a refreshing renovation from Sunnylea Homes and Karin Bennett Designs and the small kitchen design is especially stunning. What was once a dreary space is now light and bright, punctuated by color, natural wood, and a popular Cambria quartz design.

Interior designer Karin Bennett, who was chosen to be the design lead to work alongside Jonathan and Drew Scott for a few seasons of their hit show Property Brothers as well as their new shows Buying & Selling and Forever Home, says, “This small kitchen is without windows, so we knew we needed the periphery to be some version of soft white to brighten up the space. But we also wanted a punch of color, so we had the kitchen cabinets painted a wonderful shade of green called Cabbage Patch by Benjamin Moore with just a tiny bit of sheen. I’ve never seen this color used before so we were pretty excited about it.”

Bennett also understood her client’s lifestyle and so she selected flat-front cabinets without any beveled edges that would collect dust. A paneled refrigerator in the same color streamlines the space. And for contrast on the countertops, Bennett selected Cambria’s Hawksmoore design with a ¾" edge on the working side of the peninsula, and a heftier 3" edge on the seating side. The wider outside edge along with a waterfall of Cambria cascading over the end of the peninsula provide prominence and elegance to a small kitchen space that is the first thing you see when you enter the home.

“We love how this particular quartz design has some beautiful veining, but it’s not too strong, so it gives balance to the saturated color of the cabinets,” says Bennett. “The stone looks amazing.” So amazing, in fact, an additional Cambria design, Minnesota Snow*, was also added to the fireplace hearth in the main living area.

And while the kitchen in this condo has a small footprint, the home has high ceilings. Bennett leveraged that asset by raising the kitchen cabinetry all the way to the ceiling and extending the Cambria to include the backsplash and an eye-catching quartz-wrapped range hood.

More light and organic elements in this condo’s small kitchen include white oak engineered hardwood flooring throughout. “It’s light enough to reflect but not so light that dust and dirt will easily show,” says Bennett. That lighter stained wood tone was also incorporated into a new built-in hutch that creatively hides immovable mechanicals inside a wrapped bulk-head. “This awesome idea came from our senior designer Amanda Ens,” says Bennett. Clearly the result of this collaboration is swoon-worthy.

See more Cambria designs.

*Gensler Product Design Consultant

[Updated on 12/05/2023]