Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications.
It can be a little too easy for a small kitchen to feel cramped and cluttered -- so you need smart design and a lot of clever storage to help it feel more expansive than it is. And choosing the right paint color for a small kitchen can play a role in helping it feel more spacious.
But architectural color consultant Amy Krane suggests that you also keep in mind what you love when you're choosing a paint color. "It's better to accept the spatial limitations of a space and make a beautiful and interesting space -- so if you have your heart set on olive green cabinets or navy walls, I say go for it," Krane says. "No color can literally make a tiny room look big -- you have to have realistic expectations about how much you can use color to change the impression of a room."
Before you choose paint colors for your kitchen -- or for any room, for that matter -- you need to consider the space, how it's used, and the look you're hoping to achieve.
"A factor in any room -- but especially a kitchen -- is how many different colors are used overall, including the finishes," Krane says. "Don't just consider the materiality of a finish, be it wood, metal, or stone," Krane says. "Consider that color in the scheme, because it counts! Natural wood is brown, honey, tan. Stainless steel is gray. Brass is gold. Marble is white plus other colors in its veining. It all has to play nicely together, adding to the harmony of the room."
To make the room feel more spacious, it may be wise to choose a color that fits with the fixture colors -- so a darker painted wall with a darker cabinet. "The more uniform the coloration is in the room, the less chopped up the room appears and this uniformity leads to a bigger and more open feeling." If you choose a lot of things that highly contrast with each other -- like light cabinets with a dark paint color -- you'll make the room feel more dramatic and potentially smaller.
Lighter and cooler shades tend to make a room feel more open and slightly larger, Krane says. "Greens, blues, and violets make the walls in any room seem like they recede a bit, and lighter colors make rooms seem more expansive and open."
If you have a sunnier kitchen with lots of windows, choosing darker and more dramatic colors may not be as big an issue in creating a more spacious room. "How much natural light the room has, the shape of the room, and the ceiling height also affect how large the room can feel, even if its square footage is limited," Krane says.
Krane leans heavily toward soft neutrals in shades of cream, green, and blue for kitchens, with a few bolder hues for light-filled spaces or cabinetry.