Everyone wants a more open kitchen, especially since the kitchen is the one room where you spend most of your time as a family. You’ve probably also noticed that the latest bestselling homes seem to have invested in open plan kitchen designs because that’s what home buyers are seeking. Well, you might not have the kind of budget it requires to knock down some walls and overhaul your kitchen to give it an open plan design, but there are some things you can do here and there to turn it from a small and cramped kitchen into a more open one that can rival the very best Brisbane kitchens.
1. Go for Sleeker-looking Appliances
The appliances you choose for your kitchen are a significant part of how your kitchen looks and the kind of character it exudes. To begin with, you can go for sleeker-looking, stainless-steel appliances to give it a more modern and spacious look. The beauty of it all is that there are a lot of appliances on the market that are highly efficient and affordable that have been made to give people with smaller kitchens the very same luxuries that are enjoyed by those with larger kitchens. Not only they look good and make your kitchen look more modern, but you’re also able to do more with less, reducing the clutter in your kitchen in the process.
2. Consolidate Your Countertops
Your countertops count a lot toward the space in your kitchen and creating the impression of space, even in a small kitchen. You can begin by having your oven and cooktop in the same place. You could even go a step further and have your microwave oven built into your cabinetry to save space. If you have a lot of appliances, keep them all stored in the pantry or a dedicated appliance garage. That way, you will have a lot more free space in your kitchen.
3. Have a Good Mix of Ambient and Natural Lighting
Natural lighting can go a long way toward making your kitchen look much more open. One way to open up your kitchen is to install a skylight and raise the kitchen ceiling to make it look larger. Your windows also matter here. You can have greenhouse-style and bay windows to give everything a more open feel and let more natural light into the kitchen. As for the ambient lighting, have some task lighting and plenty of overhead lighting to help create the same open feel at night.
4. Reduce the Personal Clutter
One of the easiest ways to declutter your kitchen is to reduce your personal touches. It’s OK to have a few stickers on your refrigerator and some sentimental pictures here and there, but don’t overdo it because the result will be a cluttered kitchen. Having just the right amount of these things will have your kitchen not only looking larger but also looking warmer.
5. Lighten Things Up
The color of your paint and cabinets can have a large effect on how your kitchen feels. Don’t go for dark cabinets as they can close up your kitchen visually. Instead go for lighter-colored cabinets, open shelves, and glass doors.
