A small kitchen has its advantages and disadvantages, but the lack of space can make cooking a meal with a big family feel cramped and awkward. No matter what you feel about your kitchen space, active measures can maximize the floorplans. Keep in mind, everyone will think differently when it comes to what constitutes a small kitchen. Let’s have a look at how to make the most of your small kitchen.
Design with Light and Bright Colors
Most expert interior designers will tell you how bright colors produce an illusion of the kitchen being more spacious than reality. Bright colors elevate feelings of open and airy space because it maximizes the effect from the lighting. The walls in the kitchen may even appear farther back, but that’s the power of light colors in the kitchen.
If you wanted to know colors that would drum up this illusion, try one of these colors:
- Bright white
- White Robin’s egg blue and yellow
- Olive green
- Sea green
- Off white
You could paint the base cabinets darker colors and the higher cabinets a lighter color for dramatic contrast. Lighter countertops can enhance the feelings of a spacious and open atmosphere throughout the kitchen. You don’t necessarily need white countertops, but you will want to stick with lighter colors.
Open the Space
Especially if you planned to remodel the kitchen anyhow, taking out a wall to extend the space can enlarge it. You won’t feel like it interferes with your plans too much because of how it will become a step on the road to making your kitchen a bigger space. The results from increasing the size of your kitchen will always prove beneficial over the long haul.
Illuminate the Space
Lots of lighting in a small kitchen can cause it to appear larger. You might install a reflective backsplash to create a feeling of greater space in the environment. Add accent lighting under the cabinets. Some great reflective things include mirrors, metal and glass. You could buy stainless steel appliances to reflect the light. Glass cabinets can also give the feeling of the space appearing larger. The one downside is that glass cabinets make a poor choice for someone who won’t keep the inside organized. It becomes an unsightly distraction at the dinner table.
Storage Space to Expand
You can improve the space in the kitchen with many fun and creative alternatives. For example, you could install floating shelves for extra space on the wall. Pots and pans can hog the space in the cabinets, so taking advantage of extra storage options can free up the kitchen to make it more functional. First and foremost, a kitchen must be functional. This goes beyond cooking. It must also be able to store what you need without every cabinet feeling crammed. You want to be able to reach everything in the kitchen without an issue. You might add an overhead hanging kitchen rack. Lazy Susans in the kitchen have also become a popular choice. You can put your spices, sugars, coffees, and tea sweeteners on it.
Having a retractable countertop in a small kitchen can also add to the spacing to work on when in the kitchen. At the same time, you can push it back into the space when not in use.
Smaller kitchens have the advantage of cost savings, and if you look at it from a purely economical standpoint, you can turn a small kitchen to your advantage. The key is learning how to make the most from the kitchen space that you have. Doing some of the things outlined here can help. Keep these things in mind when you are next looking for kitchen renovations in Willoughby.