Are you dissatisfied with your small-sized kitchen, dreaming of more space to unleash your culinary creativity or simply sling something together without dealing with physical obstacles? If so, then you came to the right place!
Rarely can homeowners complain about spaces that are too small to handle. Instead, the underlying problem is that the available space is not used at its full potential.
Keep reading on to discover six easy yet effective ways to boost the functionality of your kitchen and create the illusion of more space without resorting to major renovations such as tearing down walls or taking on a complete overhaul.
Use sneaky storage ideas
There’s no such thing as “too much space” when describing or utilising a kitchen. No one can ever complain about extra space going unused because more room can always facilitate daily household chores when employed strategically. So, should your kitchen be relegated to a handful of cabinets placed in the corners, you may struggle to make everything work within this small space. Luckily, there are always spots with great potential to serve as storage solutions that go disregarded most of the time, and you only need a quick kitchen visual examination and imagination to detect and make the most of them.
Great storage solutions can be discovered in numerous nooks and crannies, including the sides of cabinets, the backsplash, windowsills, the insides of cabinets, the space above the fridge, and any other resourceful spots you can find reliable for serving this purpose. Floating shelves, for instance, are widespread in contemporary kitchens and don’t strangle the backsplash area but rather help you use the space otherwise intended for glasses and cups storage for other purposes since you’re installing extra space for these or other small-sized items.
Install mirrors and reflective surfaces
Mirrors are well-known for making a closed-in space look larger and roomier in effortless and budget-friendly ways. Transforming a tiny kitchen that can trigger claustrophobia in those struggling with it into an airier space can never be easier than mirrors placed at key points, which deliver the illusion of a larger room. Just think of the European palaces whose ballrooms were jammed with mirrors to generate the effect of grandeur and extra space. Similar to how these reflection tricks effectively max out the space, adding extra height and dimension and boosting the brightness, they can also work for your tight kitchen area if you use smart elements like a mirrored backsplash or wall, helping you minimise the “tunnel effect”.
Just like mirrors, shifting from matte surfaces to reflective ones can enhance lighting and make the room more spacious. Materials that can help you achieve the desired result include stainless steel, high-shine floors, glass surfaces, glossy paint, etc.
Install small space furniture
Selecting kitchen furniture can be simultaneously thrilling and daunting during your home improvement project, as it holds significant importance in the overall design. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that working with limited space has its advantages and challenges. While a compact kitchen means you’ll spend less time traversing across the room and dealing with reduced clutter, it also highlights the critical nature of making the right choices in this regard. To enjoy a stylish look that boosts the space’s functionality without spending a fortune on the overhaul, many home designers recommend looking into the available shaker kitchens that are preferred for these opportunities.
You only install a kitchen once several years – 10 or 15 preferably – so carefully analyse and prioritise your needs and expectations from the outcome. Despite having more freedom of choice and design in a larger kitchen, you can also max out a small space if you give extra thought to what you want to accomplish.
Create optical illusions
One of the most effective tricks to visually enlarge a tiny space and give your small space a sleeker appearance is to create an optical illusion in the middle of the kitchen. A space can look expanded when there’s more light, and you have reflections mirroring on reflective surfaces. For instance, you can install tapes with LED under the upper cabinets above the sink, which will reflect light on the surface of the lower piece of furniture. If you choose to go with light-coloured LEDs, you’ll create the illusion of more space and brightness, enlarging the perception of space and adding more interest to your cooking space. Lighting is a magic tool when a space feels cramped up and tight, and the internet abounds in DIY ideas you can give a shot at.
Choices are endless when it comes to playing with these space-transforming elements, and they don’t only make your room feel airier and more spacious; they also inject a touch of style and cosiness.
Keep countertops empty
To not overcrowd the space uselessly is a golden rule when dealing with a relatively small kitchen where the space never seems enough to conduct your daily household chores freely and unobstructed. Therefore, you must maintain vigilance to carefully sort what stays and what goes on your kitchen countertops and only keep stuff that’s used on a daily basis.
Indeed, pulling out appliances like blenders or mixers can be a real pain, especially when you need to prep the meal in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. However, if space is scarce, avoiding a headache from overcluttered countertops that have you move stuff around for a smidgen of workspace for your culinary improvisation will be incredibly helpful. You can always make room for those going out of use for extended periods in cabinets or drawers or by storing them out of the kitchen.
Include see-through elements
Arranging a kitchen from scratch or giving it a makeover to make it appear bigger should begin with picking the proper architectural features. Elements like glass walls, glass pendant lights, backless barstools, clear plastic chairs or clean cupboards can make the cramped space look and feel more spacious and open.
An unobstructed visual and physical path elongates this appearance. Maintaining the sight lines open will make your space see-through instead of blocking your view with opaque elements.
Closing thoughts
A small kitchen doesn’t have to impede your daily tasks if you know how to arrange it. Other tricks besides the ones depicted above can help you make the most out of this compact room, such as choosing light colours, sticking to narrow shelves, using the corners, installing fold-downs or hanging everything hangable!
