9 simple ways to make your small kitchen feel bigger, including a clever colour-drenching trick
Easy ideas to make your kitchen feel less cluttered
Small kitchens often feel like they come with a long list of compromises, but limited square footage doesn’t necessarily mean a space has to feel cramped or cluttered. Though it can be easy to get caught up in the negatives around decorating a small room, the limitations can often lead to more creative, out-of-the-box thinking.
There's a freedom in decorating small spaces. Experimenting with paint, pattern, or finishes is less daunting when operating on a smaller scale. As with small bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms, the trick is to find the balance between practicality and personality to create a visually layered space without it being too crowded.
From the way light is reflected to how materials flow through into other rooms, small design decisions can completely change how spacious a kitchen feels. The key is not trying to squeeze more into the room, but creating a sense of openness and balance that allows the space to work harder, and feel bigger, than it actually is.
On that note, take a look at the simple tricks to make your small kitchen feel bigger:
Avoid an all-white scheme
There’s a common assumption that painting a kitchen entirely white will automatically make it feel larger. While all-white spaces can appear brighter, they can also fall flat and feel clinical or lacking in character.
A more effective approach is to work with tonal variation instead - layering softer shades within the same colour family across walls, cabinetry, backsplashes and even hardware. When your eye doesn’t hit sharp contrasts, the space reads as more continuous and expansive.
Choose intentional storage
Choosing furniture with real intention behind its function is one of the smartest ways to make the most of a small kitchen. There are always awkward gaps, for instance, above a sink or in corners, where cabinetry either doesn’t quite fit or feels too bulky. Don’t write these spaces off entirely; these are opportunities for smarter, lighter storage solutions.
A plate rack above the sink, for example, makes use of a space that might otherwise go unoccupied, but because it stops just short of the surrounding cabinets, it feels less boxy. It’s also incredibly practical, perfectly positioned for quickly putting away dishes from the drying rack.
Extend materials beyond the kitchen
Using the same flooring, paint colour, or materials beyond the kitchen helps blur the boundaries between spaces and creates a stronger sense of flow.
Whether in an open-plan layout or a smaller adjoining room, continuity in materials allows the kitchen to feel visually connected to the rest of the home and less of a closed-in separate space.
Reflect light subtly
Finishes can do a lot to make a kitchen feel bigger and brighter, but avoid ultra-gloss cabinetry, which can veer too contemporary and clinical. Instead, opt for cabinets with a soft semi-gloss or satin sheen that reflects light without feeling stark.
Pair this with glossy metro or handmade zellige tiles on the backsplash to bounce more light around the room.
Conceal the everyday clutter
Every kitchen has practical necessities that don't quite work with the overall look - the washing machines, tumble dryers, bins and air fryers. While we may all dream of a separate utility room, that’s sadly not the case for many of us.
Clever concealment can make a huge difference in how spacious the kitchen feels. Integrated appliances hidden behind cabinetry, pull-out bins, or even simple kitchen skirts can all help minimise visual clutter.
Colour-drench shelving and walls
Deep colours can work beautifully in small kitchens, particularly when used consistently rather than broken up with contrasting tones.
Painting shelving the same colour as the walls creates a seamless, colour-drenched effect that reduces visual interruption and helps the room feel more cohesive. Rather than shelves standing out against the wall, everything seamlessly blends, resulting in a cleaner and less cluttered appearance.
Balance open and closed storage
Completely open shelving can quickly feel cluttered and impractical in everyday life, if not regularly restyled, and that's before we get onto the hassle of keeping it clean! But incorporating a small amount of transparency can help create depth within a compact kitchen.
Glass-fronted cabinets, fluted panels, or partially open shelving allow the eye to travel freely, creating a feeling of openness you otherwise wouldn't get from completely closed-off cabinetry.
Use oversized elements strategically
It may seem counterintuitive, but incorporating a few oversized features can actually make a small kitchen feel larger. Too many small details, such as multiple decorative objects or overly intricate lighting, can create visual clutter and make the room feel busy.
In contrast, a single oversized pendant light or artwork can draw the eye away from the room’s proportions.
Don't fall for full height
In smaller kitchens, it's tempting to take cabinetry all the way to the ceiling in order to maximise storage, but leaving a deliberate gap above cabinets can sometimes make the room feel taller and less confined.
Allowing a little breathing room introduces visual lightness and avoids the heavy, boxed-in effect that full-height cabinetry can create.
Daisy Bendall is the Houses Editor at Country Living and House Beautiful, where she spends her days sourcing some of the most inspiring homes across the country. Prior to specialising in real homes, Daisy worked for Good Housekeeping, Red, Elle Decoration and Prima, styling shoots, covering the latest decorating trends and hunting down the best buys for your home.
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