9 Ways to Make Your Kitchen Appear Larger

Not everyone is blessed with ample space in their kitchen. But just because your kitchen might be a little short on square footage doesn’t mean you can’t implement a few savvy tricks of the eye to make the space appear larger than it really is.

Here are a few tactics that designers use all the time to help visually expand the size of a kitchen without having to go through the hassle and expense of an addition.

1. Install Streamlined Appliances

If you can get away with it, consider installing appliances that are little more streamlined and slender in nature as opposed to oversized, bulky appliances. Doing so will make your kitchen feel less cluttered and will help to take up less space and open up the room a little more.

2. Furnish With Smaller Pieces to Open up the Floor Space

Along the same lines as installing more slender appliances, consider furnishing the space with pieces that are more sleek in design. Rather than outfitting the room with chunky tables and chairs, choose pieces that are smaller and more slender in stature. Picking models that are smaller in size will help to open up more floor space, which will also help to open up the room and make it appear larger.

3. Make Good Use of Lighting

Lots of light brightens up a space and makes it feel airy and spacious. Whenever possible, allow as much natural light in as you can. To do this, be sure to hang sheer window treatments over your windows so that any natural light is not obstructed.

At the same time, make good use of artificial lighting to serve the same purpose. Layer your lighting with pot lights, pendant lamps, and undercabinet lighting tracks. Accent with ambient lighting to provide much-needed light during evening hours after the sun sets.

4. Lay Flooring Planks Length-Wise

If you’re laying flooring in your kitchen, consider laying your floor materials to run with the length of the kitchen. This will help to make the room look longer, as opposed to laying the flooring material sideways which can actually make the space seem smaller and shorter.

5. Use Light Colors

This is nothing new, but using light colors as opposed to darker ones can help open up a space and make it seem larger. People who want to appear slimmer often wear dark clothes, and the same concept works with interiors. Darker colors tend to tighten a space, while lighter colors can do the opposite.

6. Go Easy on the Accessories

Decor is great for bringing out the style factor in your kitchen. But having too many little artifacts out can not only make a room look cluttered, it can also make it feel smaller. Fewer items out on countertops and tables is much better for making your kitchen seem bigger than it really is.

7. Consider Glass-Front Cabinet Doors

Cabinet doors have a way of enclosing a space, especially if they’re dark in color. One great way to offset this effect is to consider using a few glass-door cabinet doors to help make the room seem larger.

Not only will they help to add more depth to the room, but they’ll also help to visually expand the space by offering a reflective surface. These types of surfaces and others, like shiny metal or mirrors, bounce light off of them and can make any space feel bigger. And the more reflective cabinet doors and other reflective surfaces you have, the more they’ll feed off each other and make your kitchen feel even larger.

8. Avoid Color Blocking

Stick to just one color in your kitchen (hopefully a light one). If you throw in a different color that’s in stark contrast to the rest of the room, you risk breaking up the space and making it look smaller.

For instance, an accent wall in a much darker shade can create such strong contrast that it actually makes the space look as if it’s being broken up into smaller areas, which is the complete opposite of what you’re trying to achieve. Instead, use just one light color throughout the entire room.

9. Install Ceiling-Height Cabinets

Installing cabinets that extend as close to the ceiling as possible can help to draw the eye up and make the room seem larger and the ceiling seem higher.

The Bottom Line

Short of ripping down walls to add more square footage to your kitchen, there are a few design tricks you can employ that can help open up your kitchen space and make it seem bigger than it truly is. If your kitchen is a little short on space, consider any one of the above-mentioned tips to help make it appear larger.