Ways to make your small kitchen feel and look more spacious

Last Updated on September 12, 2024

If your goal is to make your small kitchen feel more spacious or you want to make your large kitchen feel even bigger, read on to discover how you can optimise your space.

Creating a more spacious larger kitchen is a slightly easier task, pick and choose a few of the below points which suit you best. For those with kitchens on a smaller scale, the more of these tips that you implement, the roomier your space will feel.

What makes a kitchen feel small?

Besides the actual size of a kitchen, there’s a myriad of design and decor choices that can impact how large, or small, a kitchen ‘feels’ to stand in. Some of the most common are:

• Light levels (particularly for kitchens with low levels of natural light)
• Amount of clutter or appliances on show
• Kitchen worktop material and colour choice
• The colour of the walls, cabinets and other furnishings

How to make a kitchen feel lighter

Lighting is such an important factor to consider when designing any room, this is especially the case with kitchens. Whether you use a range of natural light, artificial lighting, or lighter colours, you can create a feeling of more space and room.

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If you’re lucky enough to have a bright window in your kitchen, make sure that it’s given the chance to shine, avoid curtains, opting for blinds instead as this allows more space and blocks less light. Keep the windowsills clutter-free and where possible, be careful with the placement of tall appliances like fridges that can block the light.

After dark, or for kitchens not blessed with natural light, make sure you have plenty of good lighting. A bright space can make it feel larger and more inviting. Consider statement ceiling lights, task lighting under cabinets and kickboard lights to really illuminate your kitchen.

Pick a pale palette

When it comes to colour, lighter shades are generally advisable. Think whites, light neutral tones and pale pastels as these help open up the space. If your cabinets, worktops, floors and walls are all from the same colour family, this will also help the room appear more spacious.

Reflective surfaces are also fantastic as they bounce light around the room, helping it feel larger and brighter. Strategically placed mirrors opposite natural light sources, glass splashbacks, and glossy tiles are perfect for this.

For worktops, we recommend surfaces that are light in colour.

Light-coloured kitchen worktop recommendations

• Ash
• Oak
• Beech
• Laminate, such as marble style, white and pale sparkle surfaces

If neutral tones really aren’t your thing, don’t fear, you can introduce pops of colour and personality to your kitchen with vibrant accessories and bold artwork. Try to keep the colour injection following a theme, using similar shades of colours will ensure that the space remains cohesive and reduce the feeling of clutter.

Be strategic with storage

Due to their nature, compact kitchens can be their own worst enemies, the feel of clutter and general ‘closeness’ is exacerbated and looks even busier as items are crammed into the smaller-than-average spaces, making the room look untidier and more chaotic.

Being strategic when it comes to storing your appliances, kitchenware and crockery will have the largest impact on making your small space look and feel larger than it is:

1. Keep countertops clear of unnecessary items

If you do need to use workspaces for storage (and let’s face it, your kitchen is small), try and ensure that these items are in a similar colour theme to your worktop or fit in with your room’s colour palette as this will reduce the feel of visual clutter. If you can get hold of smaller versions of appliances, aim for these as they take up less cupboard and counter space.

• Be careful with open shelving

Replacing wall cabinets with open shelves is a fantastic way to open up the room. While this is a great way of making larger kitchens feel more spacious, it can be problematic for smaller kitchens. For open shelves to be effective, they need to be tidy with minimal clutter and tiny kitchens often need to fill all the cupboard space they can.

• Think vertically for optimising storage space

Making use of vertical space is a fantastic way to optimise storage potential in your kitchen. If possible, opt for tall units that help you use every part from the floor – up to the ceiling. There are many smart kitchen solutions available these days, such as pull-down and rotating shelves, which will make access easier.

Rethink your rooms

Explore ways that you can move items from your kitchen to give yourself some additional space. Perhaps you could free up a cupboard and move your barware into the lounge, can the cleaning cupboard move to a bathroom or utility? For small spaces, one additional cupboard will make all the difference!