If you’re like most homeowners, the kitchen is truly the heart of your home! It’s where we spend the most time, and of course it’s where we indulge in some really delicious food! Nobody wants a tiny, cramped kitchen! Nobody!

So if you don’t have the bucks or the time to get started on a big, humungous tear down, what should you do to make your kitchen seem bigger?

We all know that remodeling to add square footage to your kitchen is expensive. So you might want to consider a smaller-scale project that removes a wall or portion of wall to an adjacent room. Think of it like you are borrowing space to bring in more light and a sense of openness without changing the layout of your kitchen.

If remodeling of any kind is not an option, a few simple visual techniques can make a big difference. The nice thing about these ideas is that they rely more on creativity than cash. I like the sound of that!

Respected interior designers say if you truly want your space to seem bigger, color is crucial! Painting your kitchen walls white, for example, will make them seem to recede. If you can paint the cabinets white and add a white backsplash, that will help too. Try to avoid patterned wallpaper and busy flooring because they make a small room feel even smaller. Go for a streamlined look instead. If you want patterns, make them big so the eye has longer lines to follow.

And of course, if you’re trying to make your kitchen feel bigger, you have to de-clutter it! Get rid of all the paperwork, mail, soccer applications, etc. Get a filing cabinet and place it in your office. If you don’t have an office, what about a laundry room, or even your garage? Just don’t keep that kind of clutter in your kitchen. I promise you, if you stay streamlined, and follow the color rules, your space will seem bigger and you will enjoy your time in there a lot more!