The kitchen is the heart of the home! Large or small, everyone loves a cozy and welcoming kitchen. Even the smallest of spaces can be made to feel larger with the right decor tricks. Of all the rooms in our home, the kitchen is probably my favorite, but it has taken a while to make it feel more open and charming. Finding a good balance of decor and function is important to creating a workable kitchen space you love, and you don’t need to sacrifice personality and style to achieve that goal. Today I am sharing five easy ways to make a kitchen seem more spacious. *This post contains affiliate links and/or sponsored content.
Here is our kitchen decorated for winter. It has come a long way in three years from the dark and outdated 1980’s kitchen we stepped into when we bought our home! We still have many things we would like to change, but so far I am loving the cozy, cottage farmhouse feel. Our kitchen is bigger than most 1920’s homes, but it is a long galley style, and some of the cabinets have needed to be rearranged in a more optimal way.
We needed to make some changes to make it more open. My husband and I have renovated a few homes and we have always been able to work wonders with the kitchens. Here are five easy ways we have transformed kitchens to make them feel more spacious and how we have made smaller kitchens much more useable.
Five Easy Ways To Make A Kitchen Feel More Spacious
1. Paint it white.
If you are one of my regular blog readers, you probably already know that I love white and shades of white, and refer to myself as a “blancophile” (French, meaning lover of white). From collecting ironstone to chalk painting furniture and decorative accents white, I am always surrounding myself with as much white and ivory as I can. White is the color of choice when it comes to making a space feel larger. White walls help to make a room feel lighter, which instantly makes it feel more open.
Choose white walls, particularly in areas where there are windows to give your kitchen a brighter, lighter appearance. You can still retain color accents and furniture to help keep the details that make your kitchen your own.
It took some bravery but I broke free of my all-white decorating scheme this past summer and added some black accents which I absolutely love. Because black is a neutral, it works well with all the other shades of white in the kitchen and it still seems light and airy.
2. Install space-saving cabinets.
One of the key ways to make a room feel bigger is to get rid of the clutter, and the same can be said for your kitchen. It is always essential to reorganize your kitchen to help get rid of any unwanted items and to create some much-needed space. When we bought our home we were not happy with the look of the dark, dated cabinets, but we were happy with the size of them, and the fact that there were so many cabinets compared to any other home we had lived in. If you don’t have many cabinets, that is not really a problem today! There are so many new free standing cabinets or even vintage furniture pieces you can repurpose in the kitchen for extra storage.
Even an old dresser or buffet can be upcycled into a chic island to provide lots of extra storage as well as a major “wow factor.”
You can also install extra cabinets which can provide space-saving solutions. These are great for keeping your countertops clear and giving your kitchen a neater appearance. Don’t forget that baskets and bins inside cabinets can go a long way toward function and organization.
If your budget allows, treat yourself to some custom kitchen cabinets to make sure you get the right fit for your kitchen. In the picture below, I love how the taller cabinet is uniquely placed at the end of the island for extra storage, I would never have thought of this design, but it works!
3. Choose more compact appliances
One of the first splurges we made when we bought this home was purchasing high end, large appliances. Big regret! I have found that my huge refrigerator isn’t really designed well and there is not really any more space than a standard size fridge. Now I wish we would have waited and used the appliances that were already here for a while, as they were working fine. There are so many cute vintage style appliances on the market today, such as the ones made by Smeg. I am totally crushing on their retro look and will definitely consider them in the future.
Compact kitchen appliances can be just as effective as larger sized ones and could save you money as well as space. If you live in a small household, you should consider downsizing your appliances to help you maximize your kitchen space. You might also want to think about trading your double sink for a single one if you don’t have much use for a second sink unit.
4. Keep kitchen window spaces clear
While you may not be able to install additional windows in your kitchen, you can make your existing windows look more spacious by keeping them clear of clutter or heavy window treatments to let in light and make the kitchen feel open.
Take a look at this kitchen window inspiration gallery to give you an idea of how you can let the light in to create the illusion of space. Keep any decor elements minimal and choose natural elements like plants or flowers to add charm and character.
5. Make the most of shelving
Shelves are an excellent way to add style, function and to cut down on the counter top clutter. Open shelving is one of the most popular kitchen design trends today, but it is still a timeless look.
Shelves are great places to store mugs, glasses and small appliances and can make an excellent design feature as well as a practical storage tool. Experiment with different placement ideas to help bring some style to your kitchen.
With a more organized and light and bright kitchen, you can make a smaller kitchen feel more spacious without sacrificing style and charm. Because I have worked on so many houses, my interior decor and styling tips have stood the test of time. Using the easy strategies presented here will help you get started toward redecorating or redesigning your kitchen. Never let space hold you back from achieving the look that you want, as even the smallest of spaces can be transformed into something wonderful!
What’s the next phase of our kitchen update? New counter tops! Actually I am thinking about resurfacing our current counter tops in some way. I will be sharing all about the kitchen update in the months ahead, so be sure to subscribe and “Follow The Yellow Brick Home” so you don’t miss all the fun! Okay, I am not sure how “fun” the counter top makeovers will be…but it will be interesting at least!
See you again soon!
Amber
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