These Are the 8 Small Kitchen Trends Shaping Compact Spaces This Year
They all follow the theme of personality-driven designs
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Twice a week
Homes&Gardens
The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.
Once a week
In The Loop from Next In Design
Members of the Next in Design Circle will receive In the Loop, our weekly email filled with trade news, names to know and spotlight moments. Together we’re building a brighter design future.
Twice a week
Cucina
Whether you’re passionate about hosting exquisite dinners, experimenting with culinary trends, or perfecting your kitchen's design with timeless elegance and innovative functionality, this newsletter is here to inspire
Small kitchen trends naturally differ from those in larger schemes. They focus on more compact designs where small details need to have a big impact. And for 2026, there are plenty of new and exciting ideas that tick all the boxes.
And while we never suggest curating your small kitchen around fleeting trends, we do like to highlight emerging looks that have the potential to last beyond a short moment, bringing personality and unique appeal to your design.
8 Small Kitchen Trends To Know In 2026
Year after year, we see kitchen trends getting more exciting, more adventurous. This once very practical space, in which it once felt dramatic to choose a non-neutral color for your cabinets, is now being decorated more like a lived-in room. Trends are about layering, character, and colors.
The emerging looks in small kitchens are following suit, from decorating with vintage to trying expressive colors and softer lighting. These are the eight looks we're most excited to see making an appearance.
1. Mirrored Backsplashes
The mottled mirrored backsplash in this kitchen helps to bounce light around the small room, while also adding texture and a less perfect finish.
A smaller space means you need to be a bit more creative with your decorative details. And in a bijou kitchen, that means functional elements need to double as aesthetic ones. For interior designer Rebecca Hughes, the kitchen backsplash is the focus in 2026.
'More than ever, we’re seeing our clients view their compact kitchen as an opportunity to be brave and considered, rather than compromised. Using high-quality materials immediately elevates the space, while reflective elements like a mirrored backsplash are becoming more popular, helping bounce light around the room, creating a greater sense of depth and openness,' she explains.
There are a few different directions you can take with this small kitchen trend. Our favorite approach is a mirrored backsplash with texture, whether it's got that antique, patinated look, or includes some sort of surface texture. 'When every detail is thoughtfully chosen, even the smallest kitchen can feel luxurious, functional, and beautifully balanced,' Rebecca adds.
2. Patterned Flooring
Painting a checkerboard pattern onto wood flooring creates a warmer finish compared to tiles. In this white kitchen, it adds a beautiful contrast.
We've seen hints of kitchen flooring with painted-on patterns emerging in large, open-plan designs, such as Landed Interior's modern rustic San Francisco kitchen, but it's a look we will be seeing in much smaller schemes this year.
'We love incorporating patterned floors into small kitchens and anticipate pattern, especially checkerboard, having a moment in 2026. They bring energy and warmth and look best when paired with neutral, organic colors and textures,' says Molly Torres Portnof, founder and principal designer at DATE Interiors.
The painted checkerboard kitchen flooring trend is one of the most timeless patterns you can choose, and they work beautifully in even the smallest kitchens. Make sure you choose a scale that feels balanced in your space. Refer to our guide on how to paint checkerboard floors for a more detailed insight if you want to take on the task yourself – it's a weekend project for even a DIY novice.
3. Delicately Diffused Lighting
In this rustic kitchen, the milk glass wall light illuminates the sink area while also creating a softer, warmer ambiance.
Lighting in a small kitchen needs to be a bit more discreet to avoid creating a too-bright scheme. And this emerging kitchen lighting trend for 2026 is perfect for the job, both functionally and aesthetically.
'Pearlescent, milky ceramic finishes will be everywhere, especially in kitchens, and there will be lots of frilly, milky glass pendants, bringing a softness and nostalgia to a small kitchen,' says Franky Rousell, founder and CEO of Jolie Studio.
It's a lighting style that feels at home in almost any scheme, from traditional kitchens to spaces that feel more industrial. This more rustic design by deVOL is perfectly accented by the brand's Milk Glass Task Light. It diffuses light in a way that feels much softer.
4. Dark Cabinetry
Burgundy kitchens and all their iterations will continue to trend this year, especially in small kitchens. Consider shades such as Benjamin Moore's Classic Burgundy or Farrow & Ball's Deep Reddish Brown.
Nothing brings drama and personality to a small kitchen like a dark, moody color scheme. In 2026, it's all about the cabinetry, transforming the base of your design into something far more showstopping.
'Dark cabinets are always used to create mood and drama. There is a sense that big is better, but in actual fact, a small, richly colored kitchen can be the most alluring of spaces, holding a certain charm and beauty that is hard to achieve in a large space. Small means intimate, it means cozy and glamorous and petit, these all conjure up something quite special and not a feature to be disappointed by,' says Helen Parker, creative director of deVOL Kitchens.
In 2026, dark colors such as burgundy, plum, and rich browns feel particularly on-trend, but in a warm, considered way. These hues feel reminiscent of timeless interiors, which makes them a worthy trend to try for a refreshed look.
5. Portable Work Tables
The galley layout in this kitchen left no space for a built-in island, but this work table on castors is the perfect fit – and it adds a touch of traditional style to the design.
A traditional built-in island often doesn't fit into a more compact scheme – in fact, designers assure it's a feature that falls into the outdated design rules you can ignore in small kitchens. But that doesn't mean you have to go without that central hub... not if this year's small kitchen trends have anything to do with it, anyway.
Portable work tables and even kitchen carts in the smallest schemes are the designer-approved alternative you should expect to see a lot more of this year. They may be far more petite than a classic kitchen island, but their benefits cannot be denied.
Adding extra storage and valuable surface space, these work tables are the perfect middle ground for a small kitchen. And because they are on wheels, they can be moved around the room, or entirely out of the way when you need to free up floor space.
But above all, they are a sophisticated addition. Often timeless in style, the more open, vintage style of work tables brings a certain charm and lived-in feel to the space that you simply can't achieve with a built-in option.
6. Warm Neutral Wall Tiles
The Original Ceramic Cardamom Gloss Tiles from Fireclay Tile, paired with the marble backsplash, bring a warm, refined elegance to this scheme.
There's no denying the appeal of warm neutrals in a cooking space. It's a color palette that instantly creates a more inviting atmosphere and takes a room from purely functional to something more considered. And in 2026, it's neutral tiles featuring subtle, natural color variations that feel most authentic and layered.
'Warm neutral tiles add both brightness and a sense of coziness to small kitchens. Installing the tile in an interesting or unexpected pattern is a great way to allow a neutral backsplash to subtly stand out,' says Jamie Chappell, of Fireclay Tile.
'We love seeing high-variation tile moving into the mainstream. Glazes with noticeable color variation are a beautiful way to communicate artisan craftsmanship, even in smaller square footage.'
7. More Lived-In Spaces
A soft, lived-in kitchen doesn't have to feature an adjoining living space. Simply adding soft textures, like the cafe curtains, art, and wooden table in this design, is just as impactful.
Soft kitchens have been emerging as the more lived-in, social way to design a scheme, but they have so far been mostly larger spaces. But in 2026, we will see this approach in much smaller kitchens – there may not be space for full living areas as such, but it can be showcased through materiality and thoughtful decor.
'Styling kitchens like living spaces will be big, with countertop lamps and oversized floral arrangements adding lots of warmth and personality to small kitchens,' says Franky. And it's a trend that will seep into the bones of kitchens, too.
'Kitchen cabinets will be replaced with open dressing shelves, lit by small decorative downlights above, which makes small kitchens feel really considered,' Franky continues. It could also be as simple as a vintage rug on the floor, patterned window treatments, or even a small wooden table in the corner, like in this design.
8. Vintage Artwork
In a small kitchen, one beautiful piece of art is incredibly impactful. The colorful palette of the painting in this kitchen adds a charming focal point.
There is less space in a small kitchen for decor on shelves and countertops, so the walls need to work that much harder. And in 2026, designers say your focus should be on vintage art – even if it's just one standout piece.
'A single antique or vintage piece can bring so much depth and narrative into a small kitchen. Contrasted against pared-back walls, it will keep the space feeling modern,' says Franky.
It's a trend that signals a shift from the ultra-contemporary works that have dominated over the past year, and is instead making way for something a bit more characterful and enduring in style. 'Classical oil-style paintings depicting modern scenes will replace the graphic ‘picante posters’ of 2025, lending kitchens a more collected, lived-in feel.'
Shop Small Kitchen Trends
If you want to introduce open shelving, it doesn't need to be consider right from your remodel. This elegant marble and brass design is a great way to create a less built-in feel in a small kitchen while adding a decorative detail.
Our Style Editor considers this IKEA kitchen cart an essential in her small apartment kitchen, and it's clear to see why. With two shelves with enough space to store large pans and plenty of surface space, it's a real workhorse piece.
If you want to create a softer, lived-in kitchen, a countertop lamp is a must. This Threshold designed with Studio McGee woven lamp is a stylish way to bring warmth and texture into a scheme.
The beauty of vintage art is that it comes in all styles and palettes. From abstract to neutrals, there's something for everyone. This floral still life is a charming option for a pop of vibrant color.
A warm neutral tiled backsplash is a chic way to create a cozier small kitchen, and these subway tiles are just the ticket. They come in a few colors to choose between, depending on your style.
Milk glass pendants diffuse light so beautifully, and this antique-inspired pendant light from Anthropologie is a pretty choice. There's a matching Milk Glass Sconce if you prefer a wall light.
Out of every small kitchen trend emerging this year, we've highlighted these eight looks because they all point to layered, lived-in style. They prove that just because your cooking space has a smaller footprint doesn't mean you should shy away from pretty decor or more liveable features. So, if you're designing a small kitchen this year, or simply want to give your scheme a refresh, these are the looks to take note of.
