Whether you have a small kitchen or not, one fact still stands: kitchens can quickly seem too small with the amount of space we need from them. Between all the pots and pans, cutlery, plates, bowls, mugs, and countless appliances, even a fairly large kitchen can feel small.
This leads to the whole room feeling cramped and cluttered, which is far from what we want. Today I wanted to give you some tips on how to make your kitchen feel bigger – no remodel, no massive upgrades. Just clever design tips and a few changes to make it feel more spacious!
“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." – Epictetus
Reduce the clutter
Might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how much this helps. I’m talking specifically about visible clutter too, so if you usually leave appliances near the sink or on the island, as well as plates and mugs scattered about, that’s what we’re dealing with.
But even if your things are organized, simply having so many visual elements in sight can make the place feel cluttered. If you have a particularly small kitchen, consider cleansing it of old or useless appliances and dishes to keep the space as lean as possible in terms of stuff.
Once you only have what you need, then you can find creative ways to display or store them in your kitchen!
Open shelves
Open shelves are perfect for opening up some space in your kitchen. The usual cabinets are practical and can look very nice, but especially for smaller kitchens they can make the place feel claustrophobic.
So instead, opt for open shelves. By showing more portions of the wall you allow the room to breathe while displaying only what’s necessary. It’s like removing extra weight from the room!
If you’re looking to revamp your own kitchen cabinets and maybe even transforming them into open shelves, consider talking to a kitchen remodeling pro!
Compact appliances
An easy way to get more kitchen space is to trim down your hardware. Many of the common kitchen hardware can be found in more compact versions. For example, you can probably find a smaller fridge for your everyday needs without compromising much of your practical needs.
Likewise, you can also find smaller dishwashers, some that can even be embedded into your counters for taking up even less space.
Trust me, you don’t need the biggest stove, fridge or dishwasher available – especially if you don’t have a big family or if your children have already moved out. A medium or a smaller option will serve you and your partner just fine, and it will even save you some bucks on your energy bills.
Also, appliances themselves should be kept to a minimum – store away all of those single-use appliances and focus on the ones you use regularly. Leave the ones you use less often stored in cabinets, but easily available should you ever need them.
See through elements
If you’re not ready to part with your cabinets, there’s still something you can do to give them a new look, causing a psychological trick to make it look like they take up less space: give them see-through doors.
See-through elements in general really help in giving more dimension to your kitchen, so make good use of glass cabinets, clear windows and even mirrors if you want to virtually add space. To switch your cabinet doors quickly, get the help of a local handyman in your area!
Integrated appliances
The fridge itself can take up a lot of space, but you can also save space by integrating your oven, microwave and dishwasher into one neat package. You still get all the functionality you need in a self-contained space, leaving a lot more room for, well, everything else.
Plus, look at all the other elements at work here: economic decoration with no clutter, an open window with natural sunlight, a mirror on the left to make the room feel less blocky… it all comes together!
Lighting and colors
Keeping the colors bright is better for small kitchens, since dark and bold colors tend to feel more oppressive – at least when we’re talking about making the kitchen feel bigger. A safe bet is keeping it white for walls and counters, with maybe the occasional switch on a few specific elements for contrast.
But another important element is lighting. A dark kitchen will look weirdly somber even if nothing is wrong with the design elements, so be sure to light it properly! Natural sunlight from a nearby window works wonder, but place a few key lights as well to bring the room to life.
Interested in reworking your kitchen? Get free quotes from kitchen remodeling pros in your area today!
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