Does going into your kitchen make you feel like you’re claustrophobic? Kitchens are one of the most important rooms in your home, but they also tend to be small, lacking in natural light, and loaded with storage and appliances. Even if your kitchen feels a bit cramped, you can make it feel and look bigger with a few simple changes that we’ll go over in this article.

Focus on Light Colors and Keep it Consistent

Darker colors tend to make spaces feel more confined. It is important to choose out light, bright colors when you have a narrower kitchen to make it feel wider. You also want to keep your kitchen consistent rather than using an accent wall. If necessary, you can add in a bit of color with a splash of yellow, green, or teal, but avoid the darker colors.

Reflective Surfaces

Reflective surfaces help to reflect light and make the room look larger. Start by choosing glossy paints. Add a stone or tile backsplash and counter, such as quartz. You may want to choose a shinier floor tile. Stainless steel can reflect light and make your space seem more open, and you can choose glossy finishes on your cabinets as well.

Avoid Clutter

While you may be tempted to keep your favorite kitchen appliances out or having displays of plants and your favorite statement pieces, put it all away! Keeping your counters free from clutter, you can ensure that the kitchen looks much larger.

Slim, Tall Cabinets

If you’re renovating your kitchen, go for a slimmer profile, but taller cabinets. By slimming them down, your kitchen appears to be wider. Additionally, by going for taller cabinets that may go all the way up to the ceiling, or very high up the ceiling, you direct the eye up, making the kitchen’s space seem taller as well.

Have a Single Sink

While a lot of people love to have a double sink, they tend to use up a lot of space. If you have a smaller kitchen, using a single sink tends to save more kitchen space while also giving the illusion that your space is larger than if you had used a larger sink. You also get the added benefit or a bit more usable counter space as well.

Accent Lighting

Light tends to make spaces look larger, and by adding accent lighting underneath your cabinets, you can add a lot of visual space to your room. Or, you could choose to install spotlights in the ceiling to spread out more light as well. The more light you add, the bigger your kitchen will appear.

Horizontal Stripes in Galley Kitchens

If you have a smaller galley kitchen, one of the best ways that you can make it seem a bit larger is with an accent splash in the form of a horizontal stripe. Whether that is with a horizontal strip of backsplash tile, wallpaper, or paint, you trick the eyes to think the room is larger than it is.