Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Bigger With A Clever Color Tip From Joanna Gaines

When you don't have a ton of square footage in your kitchen to work with, it can often feel like you're limited in design potential. But just like in many forms of art, creativity loves constraints, and when it comes to designing a kitchen, choosing a simple color scheme can help your space feel bigger. According to HGTV star and interior designer Joanna Gaines, a quaint kitchen can appear larger with the use of lighter colors. "I love to play with color," says Joanna, "because it's all about an illusion." One important tip that Joanna Gaines tells HGTV is that using light shades from the countertop up, including your walls, cabinet, and backsplash, not only creates a light and airy space, but "it gives the illusion that the space is a lot larger than it really is."

In making the most out of your small kitchen, your color choices can either brighten or close off your space. It's a well-known fact that color plays an integral role in curating a specific vibe in design. Light and cool colors, for example, can make a small space seem bigger, while darker colors have a habit of closing off a space and making it look smaller. This is because light colors reflect natural light and give the appearance of a more open and larger space.

When it comes to choosing the right color scheme for your kitchen, there are color combinations that Joanna Gaines swears by. Neutral creams, beiges and grays, and earthy green hues, for example, are charming blends that can make a kitchen look open and breezy. Using these combinations, specifically from the countertop up like Joanna suggests, can keep the eye focused on eye level, which further expands the appearance of your kitchen.

However, you don't have to solely rely on creams and neutral tones to make your kitchen appear spacious. In fact, adding darker, moody colors to lower cabinets, such as dark greens or stunning navy blues, can incorporate contrast, depth, and dimension to your kitchen, making the space feel more intimate. If your kitchen doesn't capture natural light, you might consider installing under-cabinet lighting. According to Gaines, this trick of the light bounces off your backsplash and countertop, further giving off the illusion that your kitchen is bigger than it is.