Published April 29, 2025

19 Clever Design Tricks to Make a Small Kitchen Look Larger

Written by Kristen Pepin

19 Clever Design Tricks to Make a Small Kitchen Look Larger header image.

Make a tight kitchen look and feel spacious with these tips for cabinetry, color schemes, and countertops.

Emily Williams

and

Caitlin Sole

Better Homes & Gardens

Photo:

James Nathan Schroder

Stretch a small kitchen space without a major remodel by employing our best design, color, and layout tips. With the right materials and color schemes, even the tiniest of kitchens can appear big and bright. To help you refresh your space, we're sharing our best small kitchen ideas for cabinetry, color schemes, countertops, and more.

Make a tight kitchen look and feel spacious with these clever decorating tips and design tricks.

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Use a Low-Contrast Color Scheme

pull out cutting board — Robert Peterson

Creating a kitchen color scheme with little difference between the colors of walls, countertops, cabinetry, and woodwork makes a space appear larger than it really is. Here, the cabinets, countertops, and backsplash are close in color value—a soft gray-green—so the eye doesn't trip over sudden shifts from dark to light. The small space is serene and expansive.

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Lead the Eye Up

white cabinets kitchen with brass hardware — Adam Albright

Giving the eye a vertical path to follow increases the apparent height of the ceiling, thus lifting the lid off a boxy small kitchen. Here, vertical accents on the wood cabinets draws the eye upward. Using framed prints, decorative plates, or large ceramic tiles achieves a similar effect.

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Small Kitchen Ideas for Open Plans

Depending on your home's layout, you might be able to remove part of a wall separating the kitchen from an adjoining living or dining room. It won't increase the square footage of the kitchen, but it can vastly enlarge the sense of space, bringing in more light and a feeling of openness. A half-wall turned into a table or small kitchen peninsula is a great solution for small families or empty nesters.

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Best Finishes for a Small Kitchen

The best small kitchen ideas use materials to an advantage. Reflective surfaces, such as ceramic tile, marble countertops, or stainless steel, subtly amplify the effects of natural and artificial light, thereby making small kitchens seem larger. In addition, adequate lighting improves functionality. Under cabinet lights come in handy while cooking, and pendant lights add ambiance to meals served at an island or peninsula.

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Eliminate Clutter

pink kitchen with white cabinets and gold accents — Stacy Goldberg

Countertops crowded with cookware and collectibles overwhelm a small kitchen and steal workspace. To enlarge the room, clear off counters, windowsills, and cabinet tops, then stash as much as you can behind closed doors. To take decluttering further, opt for minimalist European-style cabinetry with sleek, flat-panel doors.

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Place Tiles Horizontally

kitchen with white subway tile white cabinets black fixtures — Edmund Barr

To visually expand a tiny kitchen, install tile in a horizontal arrangement. This small kitchen backsplash features a horizontal stacked bond pattern, which makes the kitchen seem wider than its actual footprint. Open shelving and butcher block countertops mimic the look for cohesiveness.

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Paint It White

white kitchen with floating shelves — Seth Smoot

White is your best friend in a small kitchen. It reflects light, enhancing the sense of space and making the walls recede. When you include white on cabinetry, countertops, walls, and the ceiling, you create a seamless space without edges or boundaries. Use several shades of white in your small kitchen design, and combine contrasting textures to keep an all-white room from feeling sterile. Recessed-panel cabinets and crown molding create subtle shadows that can add interest.

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Connect to the Outdoors

double french doors into kitchen with brick floor — John Bessler

A small kitchen for one is no problem, but when you add guests, it can start to get crowded. Double French doors leading to your back porch can open up a small galley kitchen. If your dining space is tight, consider opting for a bistro set or small kitchen table with benches to keep the layout open.

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Add Accessible Storage

white kitchen sink area above wall shelving — Dera Burreson

An easy way to keep clutter off limited countertop space is with storage that's easy to access. For small kitchen ideas, we love open shelving. Here, the top shelf is longer to accommodate occasional drinkware while glasses that see daily use go beneath. A magnetic strip on the fridge holds cutlery within reach of the prep space.

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Stretch the Floor Space

modern kitchen with dark cabinets below and white cabinets above, black and gold oven range — Dane Tashima

Some patterned wall and floor coverings add visual clutter that makes a space feel smaller, but others have the opposite effect. Oversize diamonds or chevrons create diagonal lines that draw the eyes from one side of the room to the other, making it feel wider than it really is. Combine this technique with low-contrast colors for big results in a small kitchen.

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Replace Cabinet Doors with Glass

cottage style kitchen with light blue cabinets, butcher block island, carrera marble countertops and paneled backsplash — Nathan Schroder

One way to make a small kitchen appear larger is to remove some cabinet doors or replace the solid fronts with glass. This pulls the eye past the cabinet frames, into the depths of the cabinets, so the walls feel farther away. This trick is most effective if you can keep what's in the cabinets orderly and color-coordinated. Clutter tends to make a room feel crowded.

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Carve Out Storage Space

wood plate rack blue wall dining table centerpiece — Carson Downing

Add storage to a small kitchen remodel without consuming valuable floor space by recessing a shelving unit into the wall space between studs. You can also build your own DIY plate rack to match the woodwork in the rest of your space. If you don't have space in your kitchen, look for a spot nearby, a breakfast nook or hallway, for instance, to create recessed shelves.

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Consider a Minimalist Hood

wall-mount range hood in small black kitchen — Brie Williams

A sleek, wall-mounted vent hood over the stovetop trims the visual fat from a wall of cabinets, giving the room a greater feeling of openness. Minimalist vent hoods, like this one, require 30 inches between cabinets, about the same as an undercabinet hood, but give a cleaner, lighter look—a plus in a small kitchen.

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Embrace Natural Light

kitchen sink with aqua cabinets and window — Richard Leo Johnson

Natural light enlarges any space and should be incorporated into your small kitchen ideas. You might have no choice about the number or placement of windows in your kitchen, but you can maximize the light you do have by keeping kitchen window treatments minimal. Here, blinds add privacy without blocking the light. If you want more privacy, try an opaque shade that allows light in.

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Small Kitchen Ideas with Slender Furnishings

small industrial kitchen island for tools and pots — Jay Wilde

A small kitchen dictates small-scale furnishings, but take it a step further by choosing a kitchen island, bar chairs, or stools that are visually lightweight, such as this narrow industrial kitchen island. Clean lines don't distract the eye, and these furniture pieces allow you to see the floor and walls beyond, making the room feel larger.

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Widen a Small Kitchen with Stripes

striped flooring in small neutral kitchen — Greg Scheidemann

Just as clothing with horizontal stripes can make a person look wider, striped flooring that runs from side to side across a room, rather than along the length, will stretch the apparent floor space in your small kitchen. These broad stripes were created by alternating light- and medium-tone laminate floor tiles. Achieve a similar effect by painting existing wooden or vinyl flooring or by covering the floor with a large striped rug.

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Blend Surfaces

connecting granite counter and backsplash in kitchen — Rett Peek Jr

Connecting your small kitchen backsplash and countertops creates a cohesive look. In this space, black and white granite countertops extend up the walls for a seamless appearance. A gray and white color scheme draws from the natural stone to prevent the small kitchen from looking too busy.

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Get Creative with Small Pantry Storage

No designated pantry? No problem. Utilize clever cabinet add-ons for small kitchen pantry storage. French doors on this upper cabinet swing open to reveal built-in spice racks that take advantage of deep cabinets hiding snacks and staples. A countertop drawer keeps daily cooking essentials close at hand.

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Appliance Garage for Small Kitchen

wood cabinet kitchen storage — Kimberly Gavin

Small kitchens present tough storage challenges. Countertops often become crowded with appliances, but eliminating clutter can help any space feel larger. Use a corner appliance garage in your kitchen and reclaim lost storage space. The cabinet conceals coffeemakers, toasters, and other small kitchen appliances, while keeping them easy to access for food prep.