While your dream kitchen may in reality require a lot more space than you currently have at hand, with a few tweaks and adjustments creating an inspired kitchen in a smaller space is possible.

Here are a few tricks and tips to keep in mind when renovating a smaller kitchen:

Create the illusion of space

• Replace solid cabinet doors with glass ones. Glass fronts lighten the look of the cabinetry and allow the eye to travel through to the back.
• Choose patterns and visual elements that help to guide your gaze toward the ceiling. Vertical lines of the wall and ceiling boards will create an impression of greater height in the room.
• Choose small furnishings such as narrow islands and tables and streamlined chairs and stools. Large chunky furniture will take up valuable floor space.
• Appliances can make a small kitchen seem cluttered. Instead display only the most-used appliances and store the rest away.

Be creative with storage areas

• Maximise cabinet space through incorporating a spice rack, pot shelves or multi-divided kitchen drawers for additional storage
• Ensure shelving is streamlined and flush with the wall so that it doesn’t obstruct the flow of the kitchen
• Tip: An alternative to a food pantry is sliding cabinets above countertops that can store dry food

Use colour to your advantage

• A lighter paint colour can add to the illusion of space. Consider pastels or even white for the walls and cabinets as it reflects light and will make the kitchen appear more spacious.
• Another clever trick is matching the colour of your kitchen cabinets and furniture to the wall colour. Matching colours erase visual boundaries and creates a sense of unification.

Design with clean lines

• Large or ornate cabinetry will take up valuable space and make the room feel small and cluttered. Instead keep all cabinetry sleek and streamlined.
• Opt for open or floating shelving as they reduce visual weight
• Maximise space by making use of the space above your sink and install an open wall-mounted shelf
• Alternatively, you can install ceiling-high cabinets which will give you more room to store items.

Lighten up!

• Flood the space with light through adding a combination of task and atmospheric lighting
• Consider lighting cabinets from within or add bright lighting underneath upper cabinets
• Keep window treatments very simple or eliminate them altogether so as not to block any natural light

Sources: DIY Network | BHG | House Beautiful | Houzz