Making the Most out of a Small Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home for a lot of people. Families gather to cook in them, learn new recipes, grab a snack, breakfast before school, and generally hang out and chat. A kitchen is used for a lot of things besides simply cooking. That’s why making the most out of your kitchen is important not only to you, but to other people in your home. So when you have a small kitchen to work with, how do you make the most out of the space you have? There are a few tips and tricks for making your kitchen seem like a bigger room than it actually is. Check out the tips below to learn how you can maximize your kitchen space.

Multiple Mirrors

It might seem like an odd place to put a mirror. Most kitchens aren’t really known to have mirrors decorating the walls. Living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms are more likely to house a mirror or two than a kitchen. But creating a bigger space out of a small kitchen may include a mirror or two in the design. As any designer would tell you, mirrors reflect light and make a room seem larger. Trying this method out in your kitchen might seem a little strange but it can go a long way to meeting your decoration goal. Hanging up a mirror in your kitchen is a great first step. Visit your local flea market or antique shop to find a fun, vintage mirror at half the cost of buying new. Another great idea is by using mirrors as the front of your cabinets. It’s a bold statement for most kitchens but it could make your small space look a lot bigger.

Contain Kitchen Clutter

Every home has its fair share of clutter. That’s just part of life. Homeowners purchase items, replace items, and generally collect new items all the time. For some spaces, adding a few new items won’t seem like a big deal. This changes when you move to a smaller space and try putting more items where they shouldn’t go. When you have a small kitchen it can be hard not to have all your appliances spread out and on the counters. If you use the items on a daily basis then it can be doubly hard not to just leave them out for the next day. Clutter can accumulate in your small kitchen faster than any other room in your home due to the lack of space. Try using baskets or bowls to organize items in your kitchen. Putting all your small appliances in one basket and all your odds and ends in another could go a long way to helping you get organized and the clutter disappear – making the room appear clean and spacious.

Go Light

This is a simple trick but often gets left out when it’s time to try and widen a small space. Creating a lighter look in your room is a great optical illusion where your kitchen is concerned. Try out some basics when you’re going for this look. For example – if you have a lot of shelving in your kitchen that is a dark color then try painting them a much lighter shade. Items like bowls, vases, and linens can easily be switched for something a little less dark. One of the biggest improvements you can make to the space is by doing away with dark cabinets and going with something lighter and brighter. This doesn’t mean buying a whole new wall of lighter cabinets. A single afternoon with a bucket of white or cream paint can do wonders for making your kitchen look bright, big, and beautiful.