Christina Haack's Genius Kitchen Island Alternative For Small Kitchens

In a small kitchen, you might have to be creative to make the space as functional as possible without overcrowding it. Using lighter colors on your upper cabinets and darker ones on the lowers is a clever cabinet paint trick that gives small kitchens a big look. And, while installing a kitchen island is ideal for additional food prep, dining, and storage space, there's not always enough room. In that case, real estate and home renovation expert Christina Haack has another option: a peninsula.

During an episode of "Christina on the Coast" on HGTV, Haack redesigned a dated midcentury kitchen into a modern space with some luxurious touches. "Normally, I would suggest an island, but because this space is a little more narrow as opposed to wide, I like the idea of a big peninsula," she explained. Contrary to an island that you completely walk around, a kitchen peninsula is attached to the wall and/or cabinets at one end, leaving three sides directly accessible. They're perfect for small kitchens because they don't take up as much space as islands (which require sufficient walk-around clearance) but offer some of the same functional and storage benefits.

Utilizing the vertical space under your upper cabinets is a hack to make the most of minimal kitchen cabinet space. Even Martha Stewart's kitchen organizing tip to maximize space is to add a shelf there. However, you get more benefits out of expanding your countertop and lower cabinets into a peninsula (creating a U shape) or adding a peninsula on the opposite side of your existing cabinets (creating an L shape), especially in a narrow kitchen. There are numerous design options, too.

Some peninsulas can be small, extending from the countertop just enough to offer dining room seating if you don't have any. Others can be full of open shelves for extra storage while still making your space feel open but also acting as additional countertop workspace and a divider between rooms. On the other hand, kitchen peninsulas can be turned into additional lower cabinet storage on one side and stool seating for eating on the other.

However, there's even another option. In the aforementioned episode of "Christina on the Coast" on HGTV, Christina Haack made the peninsula even more functional, giving the homeowners a space to cook while entertaining. "And, because you like to cook, I love the idea of doing a functional gas stove in the peninsula," she said. The kitchen peninsula she designed made the space much more airy while including the gas cooktop, a series of drawers for much-needed storage, and stool seating on the opposite side.