Tricks To Make Your Kitchen Look Bigger
We're not all blessed with expansive kitchens that would make a celebrity chef feel at home. But even if your kitchen is a bit cozier than you'd like, you can make it appear bigger by using a few tricks. Read on for ways to feel like a celebrity chef in your own kitchen.
Color and Pattern
A kitchen will appear bigger if there aren't a lot of things competing for visual attention. Use a monochromatic style of decorating. White is an ideal choice because it makes the walls recede and can make a room appear seamless. If that's too boring for you, try using different textures in one color or use colors with low contrast, like two different shades of light blue. If you want to use patterns in your decor, choose elongated patterns to draw the eye out. For example, if you want to use checkerboard-style tile on your kitchen floor, lay it on the diagonal rather than square against the walls. Tiles laid square will visually chop the room, while tiles laid on the diagonal will draw the eye away to the ends of the room. Another trick is to use stripes on the floor that run side to side rather than the length of the room. This will make the kitchen appear wider.
Cabinets
In a small kitchen, cabinets can do a lot to make a space appear bigger. Talk to local cabinet dealers about finding cabinets that reach all the way to the ceiling. These tall cabinets will draw the eye upward and make the kitchen appear taller. Store seasonal dishes or infrequently used appliances on those top shelves. If you can keep it neat and don't have a lot of kitchen appliances and gadgets competing for space, consider open cabinets or cabinets with glass doors. The lack of cabinet doors or see-through glass doors will make your kitchen appear airy and big. If you let those shelves get cluttered, however, if can have the opposite effect. Work with a company like CFA Cabinetry to design the perfect cabinets for your space.
Furnishings
Choose lightweight and slender pieces of furniture for your small kitchen. A floating countertop, backless stools or an industrial cart in place of an island all have clean lines that don't distract the eye. Bonus if you can see walls and the floor when looking at a piece of furniture because it makes the room appears larger. Take care that your storage needs are met when choosing furnishings for your kitchen, however. If your counter is cluttered with kitchen appliances because your furniture is too small to hold everything, the clutter can make the kitchen feel small and cramped.