Kitchen experts have shared tips on how to make small kitchens feel bigger and brighter. The team at Wren Kitchens say the colour scheme can have a big impact on how spacious a kitchen feels.
They suggest using light paint colours with lots of white to reflect light and stop the room feeling cramped. Bright white or cream are good choices, but light greens, yellows, blues and greys can also work.
It's best to keep the cabinet doors and walls the same colour to make the room seem larger. They also recommend keeping light fittings simple.
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If you have a small kitchen with a high ceiling, a statement light shade can be a "beautiful addition" to your kitchen. But if your ceiling is standard or low, try not to fill the room with too many light fittings.
The experts also say built-in lights can be a "design-saver" for small kitchens. These lights are great for filling the room with bright light, making the kitchen feel bigger and brighter at any time of day, reports the Express.
No matter how big your kitchen is, ceiling lights are a "must". You can put them under cabinets and on worktops to give a soft glow.
Clutter needs to be put away. Whether it's on shelves, in cupboards or on the worktop, like dark colours, "clutter is the enemy of a small kitchen space".
To avoid this, use drawers and a narrow larder to make the most of the storage space you have. This lets you hide away ingredients, utensils and dishes, keeping worktops and shelves clean and clear.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have anything on show. Statement pieces like freestanding mixers can add to the design of the room.
Everyday items like kettles and toasters will make the room feel homely, so display them sparingly. Use open wall storage instead of solid cabinets.
When you don't have much storage space, you need to make the most of your wall space. Instead of choosing solid cabinets, which experts say "make the room feel smaller", think about open storage options.
Shelves are a great way to show off your lighter kitchen bits and bobs. Glass-panelled cabinet doors work like normal cabinets but keep the room looking open.
The kitchen whizzes said: "Soft lights within the cabinets or beneath the shelving will further open the room and keep this area looking and feeling bright."
Shiny finishes on kitchen stuff are another game changer. When people want their homes to look bigger, they often use mirrors. So, it makes sense to do the same in kitchens with shiny finishes.
The experts said: "Gloss finish cabinets and worktops, as well as stainless steel accents across taps, handles and appliances, will reflect the light and make the room feel much larger than it actually is."
To make this look even better and make the most of natural light, keep the window design very simple with no treatments on the glass, or things on windowsills.
The designers said: "This will help to maximise the amount of natural light in the room, and therefore the amount of light available to bounce from the gloss surfaces."
