A kitchen is the center of the home. This is why many dream for a bright, airy, and inviting kitchen space that comes with enough storage and counter area. However, not everyone is privileged enough to afford a large kitchen space, however this is not something to frown upon. Many famous kitchens around the world such as those found in New York, London, and Paris are actually small. Hence, whether small or large, it is a proven fact that a kitchen can feel more spacious than it actually is. Other than that, no matter what the size, your kitchen can radiate sophistication and style. With the right elements and design ideas, you can surely transform your small kitchen into something that is not only aesthetically pleasing and highly functional but also something that feels more spacious.
So if you want to make your small kitchen feel bigger? Check out these ingenious space saving solutions and hacks for making the most of your compact kitchen space.
- Use Natural Light
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It is a known fact that the darker the kitchen, the smaller it will seem. So one of the best ways to make your small kitchen look bigger is through taking advantage of the natural sunlight. Natural light has the ability to make space appear brighter and larger. So if you happen to have windows, try not to use blinds or heavy curtains. Let the sunlight shine through the window by opting sheer curtains or valances instead. You can also simply leave the windows bare if you prefer, especially when you have an amazing outdoor view from the kitchen window. Letting the natural daylight will not only expand your kitchen visually, but it can also help instilling a more airy space.
- Add Accent Lighting
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The importance of good lighting cannot be stressed enough, and in kitchens especially the lighting is often insufficient, coming just from ceiling fixtures in the center of the room. With that, other than natural lighting, setting up good kitchen lighting will definitely open up the space of your kitchen. At the very least, you need overall ambient lighting and task lighting when planning for kitchen lighting. Accent and other decorative lighting can also be added in order to help make your kitchen feel more spacious. Accent lighting includes adding lighting under, above and even inside your kitchen cabinets. If you want to open up your space, then you should definitely add more lights to your kitchen.
- Maximize Kitchen Space
If you have a small kitchen, it is vital that you maximize the space that you have. So when designing a small kitchen you should plan on how you can utilize each corner that you have. With that, you should consider your corners for curved kitchen cabinets, high cabinets for storage, the back of your doors as hanging space, and even underside of shelves for cup hooks. Maximizing your kitchen space will definitely make it feel like you have more space than you actually have. This is because you are able to put all the necessary things that you need for your daily activities in the kitchen. - Opt For Open Shelves
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Kitchen Cabinets are ideal to increase the functionality of your kitchen. However, if you have a small space, cabinets may just take too much area which then results in a less open and more compact kitchen. With that, going for open shelves is something that you should do. Open shelves make an illusion that your kitchen is bigger because they allow the eye to see more and deeper areas. In addition to that, open shelves provide more storage options as they do not have divided sections and limited division. Hence, you can display your dishwares, daily-use tableware, storage jars and bins, and cookbooks which can also significantly increase the design aesthetic of your space. Opting for open shelves gives the kitchen a much more open feel which allows the people using the space to breathe because the area feels less compact.
- Use Glass-Front Door Kitchen Cabinets
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Solid doors on upper cabinets can produce a small kitchen that is visually bulky and cramped. In order to reduce the visual mass, you should try to replace solid cabinet doors with glass-front doors. These glass-front doors can give more visual depth which can create an illusion of space because the eyes are pulled to the back of the cabinets. Glass fronts are able to lighten the look of your kitchen cabinetry and will expand your space as the eye will travel through the cabinets. Glass-front doors are most highly appealing when installed on light-colored cabinets. So if you are considering glass panes, you should definitely use white or light woodwork in order to maximize their effect. It is also important to take note that you do not fill the glass cabinets with too many things for it will defeat its purpose of expanding your space. With that, keep only your best plates, mugs, and other aesthetically pleasing stuff in the glass cabinets, while all your unappealing practical materials and other kitchen essentials in your lower cabinets with solid doors.
- Choose A Mirror Or Reflective Backsplash
Adding a mirror to any small space is one of the most common hacks of interior designers and other styling professionals in order to make the whole area feel more spacious than it is. With that, if you have a small kitchen, you can use a mirror for the backsplash for it opens up the sightlines, making your kitchen seem so much bigger. You can also use a tinted glass so that the reflection is more subtle. This also produces a better and modern vibe for the whole space. You can also choose to do a super-size mirror that covers one wall of the kitchen, making sure that the mirror reflects back the table or the kitchen worktop, so as to expand your whole kitchen area. - Go For A White Kitchen
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A white kitchen reflects and scatters light all over the space. This makes your small kitchen visually become more spacious. An all-white kitchen is frequently linked with purity and cleanliness. It is also associated with brightness and openness. With that, you can paint your kitchen cabinets and walls with the same or similar shade of white to open up your small kitchen space. Other than expanding and brightening the room, a white kitchen can also be very calm and soft to the eyes. It is also a classic kitchen design that will surely not get out of style. If you do not want an all-white kitchen, you can create some contrast through choosing a worktop in granite or wood or adding a colored accent in the form of accessories and decorations.
- Opt For Compact Appliances
One of the most important rules when you have a small kitchen is to save as much space as you can. With that, you should definitely go for more compact appliances for your kitchen space. Going for the slimmer appliances such as the 28-inch refrigerator compared to 36-inch and up models or the 18-inch dishwasher comwill definitely save you more space. Saving more space means that you can utilize it for other appliances or kitchen materials, which then results in a more functional kitchen that allows you to feel that you have a complete and bigger kitchen. - Choose Reflective Surfaces
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The goal of a small kitchen is to reflect light so that it will create an illusion that the whole space is bigger. So if you have a small kitchen, it is important that you choose reflective surfaces that can enhance light efficiency and produce brighter kitchens. You should choose furniture with reflective surfaces such as fridges, dishwashers, ovens, countertops. You can also utilize reflective tiles as backsplashes. You can also cover with tiles the space between the countertops and cupboards to give a more reflective area in your kitchen.
- Be A MinimalistGiving more space in your kitchen creates an illusion that you have a large kitchen. A kitchen with too many things makes the space look cramped and small. With that, a minimalist look will produce a kitchen that feels more clean, refined, and spacious. With that, you should refrain from using ornate and overly decorative details. You should keep the look sleek and clean to achieve a more spacious kitchen. It is important to keep in mind that the kitchen surfaces should always be clear and that every item in the kitchen has their specific storage spaces. So if you are one of those that have too many things in the kitchen, especially those that you do not really use, then you should think about donating them or selling them so that you can achieve a more minimalist life in the kitchen.
References:
- Bob Vila. 2020. 9 Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look and Feel Bigger. Retrieved from: https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/9-ways-to-make-your-kitchen-look-and-feel-bigger-51328. Retrieved on 21 May 2021.
- Houzz. 2021. 12 Ways to Make Your Kitchen Look and Feel Bigger. Retrieved from: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/12-ways-to-make-your-kitchen-look-and-feel-bigger-stsetivw-vs~81236600. Retrieved on 21 May 2021.
- Insinkerator. 2020. 20 tricks for making a small kitchen look bigger. Retrieved from: https://insinkerator.emerson.com/en-gb/blog/20-tricks-for-making-small-kitchen-look-bigger. Retrieved on 21 May 2021.
- Real Homes. 2020. 10 ways to make a small kitchen feel bigger. Retrieved from: https://www.realhomes.com/advice/how-to-make-a-small-kitchen-feel-bigger. Retrieved on 21 May 2021.
