How Can I Make My Small Kitchen Look Bigger? 10 Tips That Designers Always Recommend
From chic color choices to smart lighting schemes, these are the tricks designers always use to create the illusion of more space
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Compact spaces can easily feel enclosed and visually heavy – particularly in a hardworking room such as the kitchen. Yet, through considered planning and refined design ideas, a sense of openness and scale can still be achieved – without increasing the footprint of the space.
Interior designers often advise embracing the small proportions of your kitchen, with a few deliberate features that help to create the illusion of great space, helping to make your small kitchen feel brighter and more inviting.
10 Ways to Make a Small Kitchen Look Bigger
There are a few different approaches you can take, depending on where you are in the design process. During a remodel, you can consider layouts that make a kitchen look bigger, or if you're planning a small refresh, there are plenty of quick and easy ways to regain visual space. Here are the key points to focus on to get you started.
1. Integrate Your Kitchen Appliances
Hiding the dishwasher behind wooden cabinetry instantly creates a more seamless finish in this small kitchen.
If there's one design decision experts always recommend in a small kitchen, it's to integrate your appliances. It might feel like a small detail to hide appliances behind cabinet doors, but it's more impactful than you might think in making your scheme look bigger.
'Visual continuity is key. Integrated appliances, panel-ready dishwashers, and cabinetry that goes all the way to the ceiling help the eye move uninterrupted, making the space feel taller and more expansive. Fewer breaks equals a bigger-looking room,' says interior designer Jennifer Davis.
In this kitchen, integrated appliances, such as the dishwasher, create a more seamless and visually cohesive finish in the design. It instantly makes the space look bigger and more luxurious – and it can be achieved in any kitchen.
2. Create Visual Harmony With a Countersplash
Using the same material on the countertops and backsplash in this kitchen adds a sense of luxury to the design.
Visual continuity extends beyond integrated appliances. Too many different finishes and features create a busy and overwhelming scheme, especially on the walls, so consider opting for a countersplash to create a seamless and enlarging feel.
'Using the same material on counters and backsplashes and minimizing upper cabinetry helps the eye move uninterrupted through the space. When a kitchen feels calm and cohesive, it reads as larger because there’s nothing visually fighting for attention,' says interior designer Zoë Feldman.
'Full slab backsplashes help make small kitchens look larger and more luxurious by creating a consistent look throughout the space,' agrees Kelly Emerson, senior designer at Aidan Design. 'If the expense of a full slab backsplash goes beyond your budget, selecting a tile that coordinates with the countertop can give the appearance of one continuous material.'
3. Add an Island in Place of Perimeter Cabinets
The narrow island is far more impactful than another run of wall cabinets in this kitchen. It instantly feels bigger and more functional.
If you want to make a small kitchen look bigger, an island could be the answer. It's not something that will work in every space, but in some cases, ditching perimeter cabinets to make space for a central hub can be an impactful decision.
'In many small kitchens, especially galley-style layouts, the space can quickly begin to feel tight and enclosed. One of the most effective ways to make a small kitchen feel larger is to improve circulation and open up sightlines. Counterintuitively, adding an island can actually make a small kitchen feel more expansive,' says interior designer Kimberly Oxford.
'Removing a wall of cabinetry and introducing a well-designed island allows the room to breathe, bringing both movement and air into the space. Rather than closing the kitchen in, an island keeps visual connections open while dramatically increasing functionality,' she explains.
'I like to design kitchen islands that work hard. All-drawer configurations maximize storage, with interior pullouts that keep items like lids and accessories neatly organized. Placing the microwave on the back side of the island helps keep appliances out of view and frees up valuable wall space. Smaller drawers at the island are ideal for everyday items, which helps the rest of the kitchen remain calm and uncluttered.'
4. Take Cabinets To the Ceiling
Kitchen storage really is king, and in a small kitchen, even more so. We often talk about taking cabinetry all the way to the ceiling to maximize vertical space, but it's about more than function in a compact space.
'Another non-negotiable is taking cabinetry all the way to the ceiling. Gaps above cabinets, or so-called plant shelves, visually shorten the room and waste valuable storage space,' says Kimberly.
'Ceiling-height cabinetry creates clean lines, adds height, and provides a place to store less frequently used items such as muffin tins, vases, or bulk paper goods,' she explains. You can elevate full-length storage by adding decorative details to doors, such as the cabinet cutout trend or interesting moldings.
5. Create a Focal Point That Draws the Eye Up
The stained glass detail instantly gives this small kitchen more interest, and instantly draws the eye up to make the room feel bigger.
It can be tempting to shy away from statement design features in a small kitchen, but for many designers, it's actually the best way to draw the eye up and create the illusion of a larger space, as shown by the striking stained glass in this kitchen.
'The use of vertical design elements in a small kitchen is the key to creating a space that feels larger than it actually is, and this space exemplifies that perfectly,' says Lauren Saab, founder and principal designer at Saab Studios.
'The stained glass window creates a focal point and draws the eye upwards, and the copper pans hung adjacent to the sink create a sense of warmth, patina, and provide additional storage without taking up valuable countertop space,' she explains. 'Keep surfaces simple with just one or two objects like a bowl of fruit or a matte ceramic vessel so the vertical moments can carry the personality.'
A pretty piece of art is a greatway to draw the eye up in a small kitchen. This landscape, from the Threshold™ designed with Studio McGee collection, is a charming design.
Wall lights also help to lift a small space. This Sconce features a wavy stand that reaches towards the ceiling, instantly creating the illusion of taller ceilings.
If you love the stained glass look, Wayfair offers these charming corner pieces to attach to your kitchen window. One placed in each corner has a striking effect.
6. Choose a Light, Warm Kitchen Color Palette
Neutral doesn't have to mean white. A warm color, like in this scheme, feels thoughtful and curated while brightening the whole kitchen.
Color plays a huge part in the atmosphere of a kitchen, and when it comes to making a small space feel bigger, lighter tones are always best. But inline with kitchen color trends this year, designers say to keep things warm.
'To make a small kitchen feel larger, we recommend keeping the overall palette light and warm. We don’t mean everything has to be white, quite the contrary, but finishes and colors should reflect light rather than absorb it,' says interior designer Terri Brien.
'Used thoughtfully, a darker accent can actually add depth and interest, but the majority of the space should feel open and airy. It’s also important to avoid visual chaos. Even in a richly layered kitchen, there should be moments where the eye can rest. That sense of balance is what makes the space feel calm and elevated,' she explains.
Of course, warm neutrals are always a favored and timeless choice in small kitchens, but there are other more saturated hues that can have the same impact, one of which is an emerging kitchen cabinet color trend for 2026.
'Blue is a great color for small kitchens, too, especially a lighter blue tone. It adds some color to the kitchen while keeping the finishes timeless,' explains Kelly. For a bold look, drench the kitchen cabinets in one color, or embrace a two-tone kitchen for a more balanced scheme that still makes a small kitchen look bigger.
7. Introduce Reflective Finishes
Bouncing light is the oldest trick in the book to make a room feel bigger, and lacquered paint does it perfectly in this design.
An instant way to create the illusion of space in a small kitchen is to introduce surfaces that bounce light. Brightness instantly makes a small scheme feel bigger, but in a compact kitchen, it also makes it more functional. A win-win!
'Glass-front cabinets bounce light around and make the kitchen feel airy. Glossy handmade tiles also reflect light and create a sense of space,' says Maddy Bull, senior interior designer at HollandGreen.
You can even introduce reflective finishes through your cabinet paint, like in this dark red kitchen. A lacquered paint adds shininess, which reflects and bounces light in a less expected yet still stylish way.
8. Design a Lighting Scheme That's layered and Soft
Lamps and sconces are just as important as overhead lighting in a kitchen. Opt for decorative designs to add character in a small scheme, like in this design.
Talking of light, your kitchen lighting scheme plays a big role in your designs, especially if you want your small scheme to look bigger. The key? Layered lighting that feels functional but not stark.
'Good lighting is transformative, both task and ambient; a well-lit room always reads as larger,' says Bari Jerauld, founder and principal designer at Blank Slate, who recommends a mix of lighting styles.
Focus on adding lighting that illuminates the main working areas, then layer in a mix of wall lighting and cozier counter lamps to add warmth and comfort. Even a small kitchen should be multi-functional, and creating the illusion of greater space will aid this.
9. Keep Small Kitchen Countertops Clutter-Free
Open shelving in this space helps to keep the countertops clutter-free, while adding a place for decorative details.
Nothing makes a small kitchen feel more overfilled and compact than clutter. Organization is key when space is limited, and it's even more crucial to banish clutter if you want your small kitchen to feel bigger. But where should you start?
For Deborah Sauri, co-founder, TriVistaUSA Design + Build, keeping surfaces clear is the most important step. 'Keep those counters clear and clean with minimal clutter. Clean lines tend to make a space feel larger,' she says.
And she's not alone. Bari also says a clutter-free small kitchen will always look bigger, explaining that 'clear surfaces and minimal objects create visual breathing room. It's about expanding the sense of space, not filling it.'
For more helpful tips, we explore how to organize a small kitchen in our dedicated feature.
10. Focus on Flooring
Don't overlook your kitchen flooring. Original wood floors were retained in this scheme and carried through to the adjoining room to help broaden the proportions to the eye.
Don't underestimate the power of kitchen flooring in a small scheme. The right materials and approach can help to make your space feel infinitely bigger – and there are a couple of approaches you can try.
'If our clients are replacing cabinetry or flooring, keeping colors light and bright helps the space feel more open and inviting,' says Deborah, a design decision that ties into keeping kitchen colors light to create the illusion of a bigger room.
'If you are replacing flooring, another trick is to run the same flooring from the kitchen into adjacent rooms so that the entire area feels larger and more connected,' she adds, which creates a seamless visual flow, especially in an open plan kitchen and living space.
There's no reason you shouldn't lean into the small proportions of your kitchen, but if you do want to make it feel bigger and brighter, these tips and tricks come highly recommended.
