12 Smart Strategies to Create the Illusion of a Larger Kitchen

While there’s nothing better than kicking back for a binge-watch session of your favorite comfort show, there’s one thing that always stands out to foodies. That’s the sheer unrealistic size of the kitchens in these shows, which are also inevitably perfect, have no dishes in the sink, no clutter on the counter, and definitely no cupboard bursting with awkwardly piled dishes. Wander into your own kitchen for a snack break, and you can very easily find yourself wondering what it’s like to have a massive, sprawling kitchen.

We have some good news for you! While we can’t wave a magic wand and give you one of those television-sized kitchens, we do know quite a few tips and tricks for maximizing space and making any kitchen feel larger. Yes, that starts with reading up on some pantry storage hacks that will leave you with maximum space, but there’s also more to it.

Let’s talk about your kitchen’s vibe. Is it dark and cluttered, or open and airy? Just those quick descriptors feel different, don’t they? That’s what we’re talking about here, and we’re going to take a look at some things you can do to make your kitchen feel like a whole new sanctuary. Best of all, there are a lot of affordable, easy ways that you can give your kitchen a mini-makeover that will make a ton of difference. Let’s talk about mistakes, fixes, and ideas to help turn that kitchen into the larger space you always wanted.

Just like plating tricks can add personality to your meals, the clever use of lines and geometric patterns can do the same to your kitchen. One of the easiest things you can do to add the illusion of space is to add wallpapers, tiles, or rugs with long, straight lines that give the impression of length or width. 

There are a few ways to do this, and we’ll start with wallpaper. If you have a section of your kitchen that you can add bold, lined wallpaper, you should. Consider something like this gray and white Cohoo peel-and-stick wallpaper available from Amazon. It’s easy to apply and use, and it’ll create a feature space that draws the eye upward. Also, light or white wallpapers help open up the space by adding brightness. 

The same principle works with rugs, but only if they’re used correctly.  Small rugs in many places — like one in front of the sink, another in front of the stove, and another by the door — will make the room feel smaller. Adding a huge light-colored rug with a geometric pattern to cover a large portion of the floor will have the opposite visual impact. Select something like this Lahome Easy Jute kitchen runner for your kitchen, and you’ll have a few things working for you: The lines draw the eye outward, the light color adds to the open feel of the room, and the large rug gives the feeling of being in a larger space.

There’s a good chance that you may have never considered putting a mirror in the kitchen, but mirrors and mirrored surfaces are actually a great way to make your kitchen seem larger. Adding a mirrored backsplash — particularly in a place that reflects light from a window — helps add depth to the kitchen, and when it’s reflecting outdoor greenery, you’re essentially creating the illusion of bringing that open space inside. Backsplashes against counters, sinks, stoves, and prep areas that you frequently face allow you to look behind you while you work, which also makes you feel as though you’re in a larger space.

Replacing a few strategically chosen cabinet doors with mirrored doors (or adding a mirrored surface) can also have the same impact. If you happen to have a tall, narrow, floor-to-ceiling storage unit, that can also be a great option for adding a mirrored surface.

This is a great way to add a focus piece to the kitchen, too. Consider your kitchen’s decor scheme, and then hit the thrift stores and antique markets to find the perfect statement to put on what might be an otherwise drab and boring wall.

One of the most important things to consider when you’re trying to make any room feel larger is light. It makes sense: When a room is dark, it feels small and cozy, and the walls seem much closer. Pull back the curtains in a dark room, and when the sunlight floods in, it automatically feels more spacious. That’s why color schemes in a small kitchen are extra important.

All-white kitchens are one of the outdated decor trends that you’re going to want to avoid. You don’t need to paint everything in your kitchen white to make a striking impact. Instead of white, opt for beige or eggshell, or embrace one of the popular trends of 2025 and look to earthy, neutral colors. Consider light greens, pale blue, sandy yellows, and the colors of natural materials like bamboo. Use a semi-gloss paint to reflect light without highlighting all the imperfections, add a pop of color to an accent wall, and don’t forget to consider painting the ceiling.

Soft blues can turn the ceiling into a sky, which can make a huge difference and make the ceiling appear taller. If you’re not a fan of blue, take the color you used for the walls, choose a shade that’s slightly lighter, and use that on the ceiling. You might not spend a ton of time looking up, but that lightness overhead will make a huge difference in how the room feels.

Nothing will make you feel as though you’re in a small space quite like walking through the kitchen and catching your shirt on cabinet handles. If you’re constantly bumping into protruding knobs and pulls, you know how frustrating it can be, and it makes you very aware of just how little space you’re working with. Swapping out cabinets for handleless doors is actually a great way to make the space look and feel larger, and it’s not only because you’re not going to be constantly running into things.

Handles and knobs also break up the sightlines of your cabinet spaces, and they sort of serve as a reminder of measurement and space. Just like horizontal lines and geometric patterns of rugs and wallpaper can guide your eye and trick it into interpreting an area as being more spacious than it is, cabinets without handles do the same thing.

There is no shortage of organizational hacks that will make your kitchen much more user-friendly, and those all work better when you’re starting with storage options that make the most of your space. This depends on your kitchen setup, but let’s talk about some examples like open shelving.

Open shelving can, in theory, be fine. In small kitchens, though, open shelving can quickly turn into shelving that’s overloaded and cluttered out of necessity, which can make your usable space seem smaller. Instead, a better option is to get narrower storage units that go all the way to the ceiling. This will give the illusion of vertical space, and when you can store more rarely-used items on high shelves, you’ll be able to get the most out of your space. 

There are also a number of spaces in your kitchen that can be fitted with hooks, shelves, or baskets for extra storage without making it appear cluttered. There might be room to hang large utensils on hooks inside your cabinets, you might add a magnetic knife rack to a backsplash and get rid of a large block, and you can also look at making the most of the space under your sink. It’ll all go a long way to making more space.

Making the switch to counter-depth or integrated appliances isn’t as simple or as straightforward as adding a mirror or some rugs, but it has the potential to make your kitchen feel exponentially larger. Counter-depth appliances aren’t the same as the smaller versions that you might find in dorm rooms or apartments. Although they’re not as deep as other appliances, they’re still perfectly fine for a family. Many big brands now offer fridges with these taller, wider, but less deep dimensions, which can be perfect — especially if your fridge is sitting in the middle of a galley kitchen, for example. Cosmo, for example, has a counter-depth fridge and freezer unit with French doors and 17.5 cubic feet of space. That means that it’s not going to be jutting out beyond your counters, but you’re not going to be sacrificing space, either. 

You might also opt for integrated appliances, which are essentially kitchen appliances that are tucked away behind kitchen cabinet doors. It might sound odd, but hiding a dishwasher or wine fridge away behind a (handleless) cabinet door that matches the rest of your cabinets is a great way to streamline your kitchen. It can be a serious project and a major remodel, but you might find that it’s worth it in the long run.

Few things impact the feel of a room more than light, and let’s be honest here: When you moved into your current place, did you just bring some lights from a previous apartment or go with what was already installed? You might be doing your kitchen a massive injustice because there are a few easy tricks to curating light and light sources to make a room seem larger than it is.

For starters, if you’re using a single overhead light to illuminate your kitchen, that’s exactly what you shouldn’t do. Your brain knows that if it only takes that little light — usually an obnoxious glare — to illuminate the space, it’s a small space. What you actually want to do is add multiple light sources that illuminate specific areas while leaving other areas in shade and shadow. That gives the impression that there’s more space there than there really is, and it’s an easy effect to achieve. 

Instead of relying on that overhead light, use several light sources. Think of installing a low-hanging pendant light over a table or kitchen island, a floor lamp in the corner, sconces at wide intervals along the walls, or — if you can — pair lighting with a strategically placed mirror to magnify the effect. Add under-cabinet lighting over counters, and make sure you’re also using natural light to the fullest, too. Use curtains that diffuse but don’t dim natural light, and you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Believe it or not, the size of the tiles you choose to use on backsplashes and floors can have a huge impact on how large or small a space feels. Imagine using a ton of small tiles on a backsplash. There’s going to be a lot of grout lines, and all of those lines will make the space seem very compressed. On the flip side, large, sprawling tiles have few grout lines and give the impression of space. That impression translates to the rest of your kitchen, and that can be magnified even more with a few options.

Diagonal tiles installed in a backsplash will help amplify feelings of depth and length, while glass or reflective tiles will act similarly to a mirror, amplifying light. The combination of patterned tiles and solid or marble can also help add feelings of space as well as a focal point that draws the eye. And finally, there’s a reason black and white is a timeless combination. 

One of the things we love about this idea is that it doesn’t have to mean a major kitchen remodel. Peel and stick tiles — like these large marble wall panels — are meant to be easy to install and are made to hold up to the high heat and moisture that’s inevitable in a kitchen. Within an afternoon, you can have a new, large-tile backsplash.

Giving the illusion of space means making your kitchen as light and open as you can, and replacing standard, solid cabinet doors with glass-fronted doors can be a great way to create open space and a focal point, especially when you choose your cabinets — and what’s in them — carefully. 

Putting those bottom cabinets on display isn’t going to have the same impact as choosing a few upper cabinets that are used for things like your vintage Pyrex collection, that fancy set of wine glasses you bring out for special occasions, or your grandmother’s treasured tea set. As for the utilitarian items like pots and pans, you might want to keep those items in the bottom cabinets hidden away.

However, if your glass cabinets start to turn into a haphazard pile of random bits and pieces of kitchenware, it’s going to look cluttered and messy. It would have the opposite effect that a neat and well-decorated presentation has. And that’s not to say that this is wasted space: Use it for large items like your soup tureens, iced tea pitchers, flower vases, and, of course, your best and most beautiful cast-iron pots and pans. (And yes, we’re looking at you, Le Creuset.) Add some interior lights, and you’ll find that glass-fronted cabinets offer all the benefits of open shelving with none of the drawbacks: They’re much easier to clean while still offering a creative way to add visual space, and we’re a fan of easy-to-clean.

If you’ve ever looked up Martha Stewart’s organizational tips for storing rolling pins but ended up not following through, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We get it: We might spend a weekend organizing with the best intentions, but everything’s barely controlled chaos by the end of next week. And some nights, we call it a win if the dishes get done. Put away in their proper places? That’s asking a lot. We get it, but this is one of the biggest reasons that your kitchen is feeling smaller than it is.

Clutter piling up on the countertops and workspaces can make it hard to navigate and get anything accomplished. It might make it feel as though you’re working in a much smaller space than you actually are. Yes, it can be a challenge to find enough hours in the day to do everything, but minimizing clutter will go a long way in opening up your kitchen. That can mean getting rid of extra plates and dishes, minimizing how many cooking tools you need, and taking a long, hard look at what you really use. 

We don’t just mean the kind of clutter that happens in everyday life, either. If you’ve filled every space of your kitchen walls with clocks, artwork, corkboards, to-do lists, shopping lists, and then added some of those inexplicable cake tin decorations, that kind of clutter is going to make your living space feel claustrophobic as well.

All kitchens are different and have different needs, but one of the things that you can probably consider is turning your kitchen window into a central focal point to draw attention. Given how important light — and particularly natural light — is, choosing sheer, light-colored window treatments that allow as much light in as possible is key. They’ll also give some privacy, yes, but you’re going to want to see all the sun. 

Alternatively, you can also choose to fit windows with blinds or a valance, and there’s a tricky little optical illusion that can go along with this. Mount the blinds (or valance) above the actual window, as it’ll make the window look bigger. If you have the space, consider adding things around the window that will help catch the eye: Think textured tiles, glass-fronted cabinets, and greenery.

Layering also works wonders for making a kitchen window look bigger than it is, such as a few sheer curtains in different colors and adding a valance on top. Some other tricks include keeping a white window frame against a colorful accent wall or getting creative with the trim. Don’t be afraid to use patterns here, either, but remember that light is key.

Color drenching is a decorating trend that may or may not be for you. Simply put, it’s choosing one color and using that literally everywhere in the room, and here’s how it might work to make a kitchen seem larger.

Let’s say you’re opting for a light beige, pale yellow, or eggshell. Everything gets painted the same, and it can make the room seem larger in much the same way that large tiles can. Without defined lines to mark the boundaries of the room, it can trick the eye into perceiving an area to be more spacious. Neat, right? Choosing the right color will also go a long way in creating a serene space, and if you’re the type who loves to retreat to the kitchen after a long day and take solace in whipping up a delicious meal, this can be the trend for you. 

There’s one more thing worth mentioning, too, and that’s the fact that this trend has evolved a bit in recent years. Some opt not for a single color but several shades of a color. If you’re taking our advice and painting your kitchen ceiling, that might be a great opportunity for this so-called double-drenching. Opt for shades of the same yellow or blue to create an open and airy space that you’re going to want to spend a lot of time in.