The Surface And Material Idea That Can Make The Smallest Kitchen Feel Bigger

Having a small kitchen can be a source of stress. You often lack enough room to move around freely, store essentials, or even cook without feeling overwhelmed. Of course, there are clever kitchen storage solutions, like wall cabinets and slide-out units that can help. A small kitchen, though, will still look cramped, even with the best storage and organization solutions. This can lead people to look for ideas to help make their kitchens look and feel larger. Refinishing a kitchen with light-colored paint, for example, is a popular solution to help small kitchens feel more open and spacious. Other simple solutions can also help visually open up the room. A straightforward and easy-to-implement hack that can make your small kitchen feel more spacious is using light-reflecting materials throughout the space. Using glossy and reflective materials is a way to make the most out of a small room's natural light source.

There are numerous ways to incorporate reflective surfaces throughout your space to give the illusion of a larger kitchen. From countertops and cabinets to appliances and furniture pieces, there are so many options. Adding reflective elements to your kitchen may evoke images of a futuristic, cold-feeling space. However, since there are a number of light-reflecting materials, such as glass, stainless steel, and glossy countertops, you can add a multitude of light-reflecting elements to your small kitchen without sacrificing dimension or visual interest.

One easy, albeit pricey, way you can use this hack to make your kitchen feel larger is by replacing your appliances and countertops with something more reflective. If you have a black refrigerator, for example, replacing it with a stainless steel one would be a helpful. The same goes for your stove, hood, and microwave. When it comes to your countertop, having a polished stone slab, such as quartz or granite, will reflect your kitchen's natural light beautifully. Refinishing your countertops for a glossier look is a way to achieve this without spending quite as much money.

If you don't have the time or money to commit to replacing appliances or refinishing countertops, there are plenty of smaller and more budget-friendly ways you can visually expand your small kitchen. Adding a glossy peel-and-stick backsplash is a relatively inexpensive light-reflecting addition. Reupholstering or refinishing furniture pieces, such as barstools or kitchen chairs, with glossy fabric or paint is another way to help your kitchen appear larger. Giving your cabinets a coat of glossy paint or replacing your solid cabinet doors with glass window cabinet panels is another light-reflecting solution.

One of the easiest kitchen-enlarging hacks of all is simply adding strategically placed mirrors to your kitchen walls, like behind your table or breakfast nook. Another excellent spot for a mirror is on a wall facing a window. It will amplify the incoming natural light, instantly making your small kitchen look bigger.