Small kitchens can be some of the most satisfying to design, because every decision counts. Some of these ideas make the room feel bigger; others give you more usable space. The best small kitchens use both.
1. Let in natural light
More daylight instantly makes a room feel brighter and more spacious. Keep window dressings minimal (a slim blind rather than heavy curtains) and avoid putting tall units right beside the window. If you are building work anyway, a larger window, a glazed door or a roof light can transform a small kitchen.
2. Choose light colours
White and cool, light shades give an open, airy feel. Cool tones appear to recede, so walls and surfaces seem further apart. Matching the wall colour to the cabinets blurs the edges of the room and makes it feel bigger again.
3. Use reflective surfaces
Gloss doors, polished porcelain floor tiles and a glass or gloss splashback bounce light around the room and make a small space feel larger and brighter.
4. Create an illusion with the floor
Large-format floor tiles have fewer grout lines and make a small floor look bigger than lots of small tiles would. With wood or wood-effect flooring, lay the boards along the length of the room to visually stretch it.
5. Use the walls
Open shelving can feel lighter than a run of closed wall units, as long as you keep it tidy. Rails for utensils, magnetic knife strips and hanging pans free up valuable worktop space.
6. Get smart with storage
Think about what you need to store and where you use it, then choose fittings to suit. Deep pan drawers, internal drawers, corner pull-outs, slim pull-out larders and plinth drawers all add storage without adding floor space. Taking wall units up to the ceiling gives you somewhere for things you rarely use.
7. Add a mirror
Interior designers often use mirrors to add light and a sense of space. They are less common in kitchens, but one near a seating area or on an unused wall, away from cooking splashes, can open the room up and add some personality.
8. Choose clever furniture
Don’t fill a small room with a large table that is only fully used when guests visit. Extending tables, drop-leaf or wall-mounted fold-down tables, and stools that tuck under a breakfast bar give you somewhere to eat without losing floor space.
9. Consider going open plan
If it’s possible, knocking through to a dining or living room, or building an extension, can turn a cramped kitchen into a spacious open-plan room for the whole family. Always check with a builder or structural engineer before removing any wall.
10. Mix cabinet sizes
Reduced-depth cabinets fit where standard units would crowd a walkway. Used alongside standard cabinets, they add useful storage and worktop without making the room feel tight. Narrow units of 150–300mm can use up small gaps that would otherwise be wasted.
11. Light it in layers
One central ceiling light pools light in the middle of the room and casts shadows. Lighting in several zones draws the eye around the room and makes it feel bigger. Under-cabinet lights let you see clearly while you work, and lit shelves or plinth lights add depth in the evening.
