Kitchen showrooms are not meant to showcase unrealistic designs. In fact, you can get many practical ideas to apply in your own home. Some ideas are particularly useful for small kitchens, which seem to have little room for creativity.
1. Vertical stripes for added height
You probably know that horizontal stripes will make small spaces appear wider. However, you may not realize that vertical stripes also fit in such small spaces.
Just as horizontal lines alter your perception of width, vertical lines also change your perception of height. By applying vertical stripes, you can make the ceiling appear much higher. This will also give your room a more spacious feel, especially if you are claustrophobic.
To produce the correct effect, knowledge of the correct colors to create vertical stripes is essential. According to the requirements of the national VET (Vocational Education and Training) registry in Australia, a designer must be proficient in the use of color to effectively communicate desired concepts or ideas. With that knowledge alone, the designer would produce the right effect of greater spaciousness within a small room.
2. Add depth with Venetian plaster
Actually, there is more than one way through which you can create the perception of higher ceilings. In addition to using vertical stripes, you can also add Venetian plaster to the ceiling. Unlike vertical stripes that simply create a visual perception, the polished finish of Venetian plaster would reflect light, making that ceiling appear much higher than it is.
In case you have a significant budget, you can go all the way and raise your ceiling. Keep in mind that such a renovation project would be quite expensive.
3.Install luminous material
This installation gives you another option to create the illusion of spaciousness in your kitchen area. The light reflected by the luminous material serves to enhance the luminosity, as well as the perception of greater depth within the kitchen.
The backsplash is a very good place to aim for the installation of luminous material. This is especially true if glass-fronted upper cabinets protrude. You can achieve this by installing white marble, which has a glossy surface that would give the backsplash surface even more depth.
However, the application of luminous materials must be done with caution with respect to the people who use the kitchen. This is especially so as the South Australian Government provides some recommendations regarding the application of appropriate luminance contrast for visually impaired or elderly people. In this sense, anti-glare surfaces are required; while the colors should only provide about 30% luminance contrast.
4. Diagonal flooring for greater width
Obviously, you’ll want the feeling of spaciousness not only when looking at the walls and ceiling, but also when looking down at the floor. This is something that could be much more of a concern in narrow, gallery-shaped kitchen designs.
To achieve the perception of a larger floor space, you need to break away from conventional layouts. Why not try installing a floor diagonally, which gives the feeling of greater width, as opposed to conventional square patterns?