7 Cool Tricks to Make Your Kitchen Look and Feel Bigger

No one likes a tiny kitchen. When you think about your “dream kitchen,” one of the first elements of design that comes to mind is generous space. Unfortunately, not a lot of us are lucky enough to have roomier kitchen. But rather than breaking another wall to achieve a larger space, these nifty decorating tricks will help you give your kitchen a larger look and feel:

1. Stick To a Single Color

This trick doesn’t seem like a great idea—especially if you love dressing a space with lots of eye-catching colors—but sticking to a single color for the kitchen walls and cabinets gives the illusion of a bigger space. You want to choose brighter colors as opposed to darker ones because more light is reflected on the former and this makes the space even larger. Of course, colors are always a matter of preference. You can go dark if you want to make specific areas of the kitchen seem farther than they really are.

2. Opt for Streamlined Furnishing

Another way to trick the eye into looking at a bigger space is to use smaller furnishings; those with streamlined, sleek designs that do not take up more space than they should. We recommend avoiding all sorts of chunky, clunky furniture or those with thick bases or large legs. All these elements will only make a space even look smaller. Go for slim stools and narrow tables and chairs done in minimalist design.

3. Maintain the Visual Flow

You want to remove any element in the kitchen design that will obstruct the space’s flow. That means finding small spaces in the area to tuck the pantry; add shelving or cabinets that are flush with the walls. The idea here is to keep the space looking bigger by featuring a continuous design flow.

4. Going for Clean Lines

Avoid anything that could cause the overall kitchen design to look fussy, stuffy, or confused. Go for clean lines. You can achieve this by avoiding cabinets or furnishing with overly ornate details. Such details could cause the space to look chopped up. Instead, go for sleek, smooth furnishing to pull the whole look together. This would result in a space with roomier look and feel.

5. Choose Open Shelving

Traditional shelves often increase a space’s visual weight. To achieve the illusion of a larger space, we recommend opting for open shelving instead. You can also choose floating shelves rather than shelves that need to be installed with brackets, for a sleeker-looking space!

6. Avoid Overcrowding

No one wants to waste space. Maximizing a space is great but we draw the line in overcrowding. Ideally, you want to maintain a harmonious space between counters, shelves, and cabinets to make the space seem larger. You can save more space by simply focusing on just a few items as focal point of the space. Hide the rest away to make the space more expansive.

7. Integrating Natural and Ambient Lighting

Light gives the illusion of a larger, airier space. When designing the kitchen, make sure there are openings that flood the area with natural light. You can also install a skylight to maximize the entry of natural light, visually expanding the space. Complement the skylight with cleverly installed ambient light so you get the same effects at nighttime.