Making the Most of an Open-Plan Kitchen in a Small Home

Open-plan kitchens are everywhere in Maltese apartments and townhouses, but they only work when every corner earns its keep. Here is how to organise cooking, eating and storage areas so a compact kitchen stays calm, tidy and genuinely easy to live with.

Keeping everything within arm's reach

A busy household needs to find what it needs without hunting through cupboards. A wall fitted out floor to ceiling, with shelving and hanging rails, keeps utensils, crockery and pantry basics visible and close to where they are actually used, which matters enormously in a narrow galley kitchen or a compact maisonette layout.

A NISSAFORS trolley adds mobile storage that can be rolled wherever it is needed, while a BEKVÄM step stool makes those higher shelves practical rather than decorative. Pair open shelving with a VADHOLMA open storage unit for a kitchen that looks organised even when it is in daily use, and finish with a BLANDA BLANK serving bowl for fruit or bread left out on the counter.

BEKVÄM step stool, black, 63 cmMÅTTLIG milk-frothing jug, stainless steel, 0.5 lRINNIG tea towel, white/dark grey/patterned, 45x60 cm, 4 packVADHOLMA open storage, brown/stained ash, 20x37x80 cmNISSAFORS trolley, black, 50.5x30x83 cmBLANDA BLANK serving bowl, stainless steel, 20 cm

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Meals ready when energy runs low

Preparing food in advance means a household on the go is never caught without something good to eat. A quick look in the fridge should reveal portioned meals, snacks and drinks ready to grab on the way out the door, whether that is a morning at work or an afternoon at the beach.

KORKEN jars with lids are useful here, keeping overnight oats, chopped vegetables or homemade dressings fresh and visible rather than lost at the back of a shelf. Glass storage like this also means less time spent searching and more time spent actually enjoying a meal, which suits the pace of Maltese summer life particularly well.

IKEA 365+ food container, square/plastic, 750 ml, 3 packKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 0.5 lISTAD resealable bag, patterned/green, 6/4.5 l, 30 packKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 1 lISTAD resealable bag, patterned/black yellow, 1/0.4 l, 60 packIKEA 365+ lid, rectangular/plastic, 21x15 cm

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Not a single corner wasted

Next to the cooking area, a built-in breakfast corner with wall shelving keeps plates, mugs, bowls and glasses within easy reach, while taller cabinets above hold items used less often. This layering makes sense of awkward kitchen corners that are common in older Maltese townhouses, where ceiling height is often generous but floor space is tight.

A LISABO chair paired with a simple table turns this corner into a proper breakfast spot, and a TERTIAL work lamp means the same surface can double as a desk later in the day. Finish the table with an IKEA 365+ carafe with stopper and a FÄRGKLAR mug for mornings that need to move quickly.

LISABO chair, ash, 46x80x51 cmIKEA 365+ carafe with stopper, clear glass/cork, 1 lTERTIAL work lamp, dark grey, 17 cmFÄRGKLAR mug, matt green, 37 clIHÅLLIG place mat, natural/seagrass, 37 cmIKEA 365+ glass, clear glass, 30 cl, 6 pack

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Cutting down on food waste

Even households that do not spend long at the stove tend to care about not throwing food away. A shallow pantry behind a cabinet door makes it easy to see exactly what is in stock at a glance, so meals use up what is already there before anything new gets bought.

An IKEA 365+ dry food jar with lid and a KORKEN jar with lid are ideal for this kind of visible storage, keeping pasta, rice and pulses easy to identify. Serve what is cooked with FÄRGKLAR plates and a GLADELIG mug for coffee afterwards, and a STORSINT red wine glass when the evening calls for something a little more relaxed.

IKEA 365+ dry food jar with lid, transparent/white, 1.3 lKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 0.5 lFÄRGKLAR plate, matt green, 26 cm, 4 packUPPDATERA plate holder, anthracite, 19-31 cmRINNIG tea towel, white/dark grey/patterned, 45x60 cm, 4 packFÄRGKLAR mug, matt green, 37 cl

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Small habits that make weekdays simpler

Sometimes it only takes a few small changes to stop the morning rush from taking over. Packing lunch the night before, for instance, turns a hectic weekday start into something far more manageable, especially in a household juggling work and school runs.

ODGER chair, anthracite, 45x81x51 cmKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 0.5 lENKELSPÅRIG water bottle, stainless steel/beige, 0.5 lFRAMTUNG lunch bag, black, 22x17x35 cmKORKEN jar with lid, clear glass, 1 lRÖRT spoon, round/beech

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One table, several jobs

The piece of kitchen furniture most families end up relying on is a drop-leaf table that can switch roles throughout the day, from breakfast spot to extra workspace. A storage compartment underneath can hold folded chairs, side pockets keep devices and odds and ends tidy, and there is usually a sensible way to manage cables too.

As interior designer Annette Ydholm puts it, living in a small space means looking for furniture that is either multifunctional or easy to put away, ideally both. An ODGER chair tucks neatly under a LISABO table when not needed, and a TERTIAL work lamp means the same surface works just as well for laptops and paperwork as it does for breakfast.

LISABO chair, ash, 46x80x51 cmODGER chair, anthracite, 45x81x51 cmTERTIAL work lamp, dark grey, 17 cmTEODORES chair, white, 46x80x54 cmTEODORES chair, black, 46x80x54 cmSTEFAN chair, white, 42x90x49 cm

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Small, well-chosen pieces make the biggest difference in a compact kitchen. Browse what Maltashopper has in stock, with orders delivered to homes across Malta and Gozo.

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