Make that small kitchen clutter-free

LIFESTYLE

A small kitchen is hard to use. But if you are building a small house, then it is ideal to plan for a small kitchen.

The kitchen is one of the most vital parts of a house and if it is small, it should be open and inviting, rather than crowded. The way to make a small kitchen look bigger is to use extra storage cabinets and bright colours that open up the room. Below are suggestions on creating elbow room.

According to David Kireli a civil engineer, if you want to make your kitchen look bigger, invest in lighting that matches your paint and use curtains on the kitchen windows.

Use a light coloured curtain on your small kitchen window to let in more light, which makes the room appear bigger. "Some people prefer putting heavy curtains on their kitchen windows because they want their privacy," says Kireli

 "But privacy can be ensured with a light coloured curtain." Paint a light colour on the kitchen wall. Colours like white, cream, pale green and grey will make a small kitchen look bigger.

Meanwhile, light ­colours will also help enlarge the space in your small kitchen. In case you have wooden cabinets, use light toned wood.

The tiles you use must match the grout, says Kireli. Install glass doors on cabinets and keep out the clutter and use a stainless steel sink to give an illusion of a larger kitchen.

Fred Lukoda a construction expert, says a disorderly kitchen will appear small. "Keep cooking and serving utensils in the drawers and on the walls," he advises.

"Mounting shelves should be put in one area other than distributing them, in order to save space."

Get rid of items that are not needed in a kitchen to prevent congestion. Simplicity is the key to making a small kitchen appear bigger