9 Ways to Make a Small Kitchen Feel Bigger

Want to make your kitchen more than meets the eye? We’ve found several ways you can transform your kitchen into a space you can’t wait to go back to.

It’s no secret that, unless you’re willing to shell out some serious cash, your kitchen may not be as large as you’d like it to be. For most people either expect to pay a ton on the front end with a large house or on the back end by remodeling your kitchen space entirely. Many people consider purchasing a larger home because it already has a large kitchen and just being larger overall. On the other hand, opting for kitchen remodeling is attractive due to having a more affordable home and thus having more available funds for the remodeling itself.

While both options are great, a third one gives you all of the affordability of a smaller home while also granting much of the benefits of a larger one. Rather than creating a whole new kitchen, why not consider creating the impression of one.

Below, we’ve curated nine super simple tips and tricks on how to make a galley kitchen look bigger. These tips are so simple that you can start working on them by the beginning of the week and be done by the end of it.

#1. Capitalize On Your Storage Potential

The first thing you can do to really go about making your kitchen feel much bigger is by putting things away. This may sound silly but seriously, think about it. One of the fastest ways to make a space feel small and claustrophobic is by having a ton of things in constant sight. If anyone has ever moved or used a storage unit knows, after you clear out all of the space, the teeny tiny storage unit you had suddenly seemed to double in size.

By taking advantage of your kitchen storage and putting things away, you instantly create more available counter space as well as the feeling of a larger area overall.

You can do this by creating hanging spaces on the back of your cabinet and cupboard doors. You can also redesign your cabinet and countertop shelves to allow for more space for different items. It’s also great to take advantage of the various blind corners in your kitchen. This way, you can immediately get a hold of multiple items while still keeping your looking very open.

#2. Add Lines

Another deceptively simple tip. Lines create the optical illusion of space when witnessed. Without you doing anything, lines will give the appearance of an area that is much longer and taller than it actually is based on its pattern.

You can create lines with pretty much all your kitchen decor, including your tiles and flooring, as well as your cabinets and even walls. If you want a kitchen to appear taller, you want to use vertical lines. If you are interested in a longer-looking kitchen, adding some horizontal lines is the way to go.

#3. Replace Your Cabinet Doors

In addition to adding more storage space to your cabinets, you can also consider replacing the cabinet doors with see-through glass frames. If you’ve ever been to a museum with glass entrance windows, the space naturally feels much larger than it actually is, especially when compared to a location that has sturdy closed-off walls.

The same is true for your cabinetry. Using glass fronts instead of wood doors lightens its look while also allowing your eyes to travel further. This subtle gesture subconsciously causes you to perceive the space as more expansive and all-around “bigger,” even if no actual space has been added.

#4. Use Ceiling Lights for a Larger Feel

To make your kitchen seem all the more expansive, consider adding in some ceiling lights. Now, before we go further, it’s important to review how tall your ceiling actually is. If you have a high ceiling, your job will be pretty simple since virtually any light fixture will work, regardless of whether it is a hanging chandelier or something more subtle.

For those with low or standard-height ceilings, your job is going to be a bit more complex. Since your ceiling is already so low, adding a hanging light fixture will actually work to take up more space and make your place seem smaller.

Instead, using integrated lighting is your best bet. By adding them beneath and above your cabinets, as well as spotlights for your countertop, you can create an obstructive light setting that helps make the space feel larger than it actually is.

#5. Keep Your Colors Simple

A secret tip for making a kitchen seem that much larger is to implement color, but wisely. By standing by one or two color schemes, you are able to make the space seem that much bigger. Not only that, but it also creates a more coordinated look in the space without hiring a professional.

I always recommend white since it shares many of the same positive lighting effects as the glass cabinet doors. Not only that, but most kitchen walls are ALREADY white, so your job is also a lot easier too.

While you can certainly add black and darker colors, make sure that you’re meshing them with a much lighter color, like white or off-white. Too many dark colors in an area can actually make the location feel much more “closed off” and restrictive.

#6. Consider Either an Undermount Sink or a Single Bowl Sink

While many newer homes are coming standard with undermount sinks, it may be time to change things up if you have the more commonly seen drop-in sinks. Undermount sinks are not only visually more appealing, but because they are flush with the countertop, the kitchen itself feels more spacious.

You can also opt for a single bowl sink. While they don’t inherently make a space seem larger than the undermount option, they can help somewhat in that area while also being the more affordable option between the two.

For all of your sink-related objects, it’s important that you have them completely out of sight and either under your counter or in a separate cabinet.

#7. Think about Installing Open Shelving

Open shelving, especially if used alongside some of the tips mentioned already, can really create a more expansive look. Shelves with ceilings subtly give off the feeling of being “closed off”. This is similar to the darker colors or the blocked-off cabinets.

By having open and unobstructed shelves, your eyes naturally begin to ascend upwards, giving the feeling that the space is considerably larger than it may actually be.

#8. Be VERY Selective of What You Have on the Counters

I mentioned a bit of this in the very first section when I mentioned using all of your space to keep your counters from looking too cluttered. And while that focused primarily on utilizing your cabinet and cupboard space, the reality is that there will be a few things that have to show up on your countertops.

Since that is the case, you want to be very selective about what is left standing. In addition to a few small decorative touches for personality, you want to have accessories that take advantage of the light in the room, primarily metallic cutlery and accessories.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, lighting helps make an area seem larger and more expansive. By capitalizing on that, even without the glass frames and white colors, you can help create the illusion of a bigger kitchen.

No matter what items you decide to keep out, make sure that they are positioned so that they don’t cause excessive clutter. Consider hanging them from a chandelier if you have one. You can even treat them as pseudo decorations in your central kitchen space.

#9. Reduce and Repurpose Your Kitchen Space

When looking to increase the size of your kitchen without actually increasing the size, you have to get creative. One of those ways is by making some tough decisions when it comes to existing furniture and items.

Just like with accessories you allowed to stick around, you need to also take a hard look at the furniture that is in the kitchen. Consider opting for smaller chairs or stools instead of full-on dining seats. Consider a small coffee table to the side rather than a card table.

These smaller variants still give you a place to sit and relax while also offering you more space that can be used to store items out of the way.

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