How to Make a Small Kitchen Look Bigger

When a kitchen feels cramped, no one enjoys cooking in it. Everyday tasks feel daunting, and you find yourself eating out more than cooking a nice meal in. Looking at a cramped, cluttered, dark kitchen can make you feel a little depressed. So, make it feel bigger! Here are some of the best ways to make a small kitchen look bigger.

1. Use lighter colors: Lighter colors in a kitchen really make it feel larger. Replace your dark brown cabinets with clean, white cabinets and lighten up the backsplash. Using bright colors will instantly make your kitchen feel brighter as well, which also makes it feel bigger. Try not to go too bright, though. Neon colors are best left alone. Opt for neutrals instead.
2. Bring in reflection and glass: Glass is a great way to make spaces feel larger. A set of clear plastic chairs for the bar (or backless stools) are perfect for this. You can also install hanging lights with glass pendants to create this effect, too. Use glass doors on your wholesale kitchen cabinets so that you see a reflection rather than something solid.
3. Keep things open: Mix some open shelving in with your upper cabinets to transform your space. This works best with the shelves next to the sink or kitchen window. That way, when your eye is drawn to the sink, it feels like it’s looking through the window rather than stopping at it. A mixture of wooden shelves with iron or copper supports is on-trend and typically goes with any decor style.
4. Color coordinate: Rather than using colors that don’t mesh well together, keep things neutral and minimal. Bright whites, soft browns and light greys are perfect for your kitchen. You should extend these colors beyond your kitchen appliances and fixtures to your cutlery and decor. Keeping everything within a simple color scheme will really help your space feel bigger.

5. Remove the clutter: You don’t need six different spatulas. One of the worst things you can do with a small kitchen is stuff it with items. Keep the decor simple and let your kitchen objects double as decor. The dish towel can be an accent piece, and you can place a small decor sign on the windowsill. Anything that you don’t really use often should be donated or sold at a yard sale.
6. Integrate your appliances: By making your fridge door the same as your cabinet doors, you’ve instantly freed up space and made your kitchen appear larger. Integrated appliances feel smaller and narrower–like they’re puzzle pieces that fit perfectly in your kitchen. Sure, your guests might struggle briefly to find your fridge door, but they won’t feel cramped the moment they walk into it.
7. Avoid the galley: If you can, reorganize your kitchen counters. Change the shape from a long line to a U-shape or a square. Knocking down a wall and installing a kitchen island can instantly make the space feel larger and less cluttered. Plus, you’ve added more seating. It’s a more expensive undertaking, but it’s worth it when you finish the project and see just how much larger your kitchen and dining space feels. Bonus points if you create an entirely open concept and knock down the wall into the living room, too.
8. Use shapes to your advantage: Geometric patterns are a great way to make a kitchen space larger. Create optical illusions with circles, squares or other shapes to draw your guests’ eyes in different directions. Be warned, though. You should keep the geometric patterns to a minimum to prevent your kitchen from feeling too busy and hectic. You’ll put yourself right back to square one.
9. Go for a smaller dishwasher: If it’s just you in the house, why do you need a large dishwasher? Visit the appliance store and ask to see their smaller dishwashers. Not only will you save on water usage, but you’ll realize that a smaller dishwasher actually does wonders for your smaller kitchen.
10. Add a door: If your kitchen is in the back of your home, why not install a back door? Use a door with a single window pane or a sliding glass door. You’ll add a lot of natural light, plus it will let your guests look straight through to your backyard instead of looking at a wall. No one will feel cramped in your kitchen.

11. Add a garbage disposal: If you don’t have a garbage disposal, get one now. They eliminate the need for a large garbage can to take up space in your kitchen, plus they make things much easier whenever you wash dishes. Once you get rid of the trash can, you’ll instantly see how much larger your kitchen feels.
12. Add cabinet lighting: Lighting that tracks along your cabinets is a great way to make your kitchen feel bigger. Eyes are naturally attracted to light, so put soft lighting under your upper cabinets for an instant size boost in your kitchen. Try to avoid using colors such as green or red–your kitchen is not a club. Leave that to the bars and restaurants. Instead, use white light or soft yellow.
13. Travel upwards: Use cabinets that extend up to your ceiling. The tall cabinets will instantly make the ceiling feel higher so your guests won’t feel cramped in a small kitchen. This is perfect for condos and apartments since there are usually multiple units stacked on top of each other. Just make sure to put the items you use least on the upper shelves of the cabinets. You don’t want to use a ladder each time you cook dinner to go searching for plates.

A small kitchen can feel like cooking in a box sometimes. By taking a few steps to make the space feel larger, you’ll spend more time in your kitchen and have friends over more often. Take the clutter away, update the cabinets and backsplash and you’ll have a magazine-worthy kitchen on your hands.