7 Ways To Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Bigger

Not every home is blessed with a huge kitchen but, if your kitchen is on the small side, there’s plenty to feel positive about. For a start, it’s easier to maintain and in fact, a small space can look spacious with the right small-space solutions and stylish design ideas.

Check out these Malaysian homes that make full use of their small kitchen layouts to their advantage with bold floor tiles, double-duty furniture, clever lighting solutions, and more.

1. Fill the space with light

Light has the ability to expand any space, making it feel larger and brighter. Besides ceiling lights, you can also consider installing ambient lights in your kitchen cabinets to illuminate dark spots and to highlight each corner, creating the impression of a bigger space.

A statement light can also help to enliven your kitchen. Plus, nobody is going to notice how big or small your kitchen is when you've got an amazing piece of statement lighting!

2. Install an eye-catching backsplash

When you own a tiny kitchen, you may not have a ton of counter and floor space to play with, so consider installing a fancy backsplash to enliven the room without taking up valuable floor space. Subway tiles, for example, can add an instant charm to your kitchen. Lay it horizontally to make the space look wider. The reflective surface of the subway tiles also helps to bounce light around the room and make your kitchen feel more spacious.

3. Create a visual flow

If you have an open space kitchen that’s connected to a living or dining area, create a smooth visual flow between these areas through the use of colours so that your tiny kitchen won’t feel too cramped. In this modern condominium, the open kitchen shares a similar colour theme of dark brown, grey and black with the dining area that connects these two spaces together and visually stretches the space.

4. Distract the eyes with bold flooring

The floor is often an overlooked area of a kitchen. So consider installing an eye-catching pattern on the floor to distract the eyes from the limited room dimensions.

5. Replace upper cabinets with open shelves

A good trick for opening up a small space is to replace bulky upper cabinets with open shelves. This can be a great spot to hang bulky pots and pans that take up valuable space in the kitchen cabinets and to store frequently used items such as kitchen utensils, cups and plates.

Take design cues from this petite kitchen where Studio Athira Wan opted for open shelves instead of upper cabinets to neatly display spices, kitchen utensils, pots and pans. The designer also uses baskets to store and display small items in a chic way. It's functional and stylish!

6. Install glass walls

Tiny kitchens can feel claustrophobic when it is surrounded by walls. However, if you like the idea of an enclosed kitchen, you can tear down the walls and install glass walls to open up views and connect adjacent space. It adds just enough visual separation while ensuring that fumes and odours do not travel outside the kitchen area during heavy cooking.

7. Create a multi-purpose area

Just because you have a pint-sized kitchen doesn't mean you have to surrender the dream of a kitchen island. In fact, a kitchen island can do double duty as a spot for prep and dining. Take design cues from this contemporary home where a kitchen island offers a spot to set tools and ingredients to cook and a place to dine at the same time.

Planning to renovate your kitchen?

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