When you’re home, which room do you always seem to find yourself in? Like most families, the answer is probably in the kitchen. When everyone gathers in the kitchen, not matter how large your kitchen might be, it never feels big enough.

Finally, after completely redesigning the floor plan, several years ago I was able to remodel my kitchen. The first renovation we did was to knock down a wall (we had the best time doing this). We then installed a garden window over the sink, lowering the bottom of the window to be even with the countertop. Finally, we added an island with an overhang, with room for three or four stools, and a food-prep peninsula at table height, which has an overhang with room for three or four stools.

So do you want your kitchen to feel and look larger? Following are several ideas to help make that a reality. You don’t need to implement all of these ideas. Any one of these suggestions will make a big difference in your kitchen.

Make your storage space more efficient. Try installing a base cabinet where the door is attached to roll-out shelves rather than swinging open on hinges. With a cabinet like this, you have a convenient place to store your most used appliances. With pull-out shelves, you can easily reach those items stored in the back of the cabinet.

 Add glass fronts to your wall cabinets. Even better, replace those solid cabinet doors with glass fronts along one of your walls. What a great way to give your kitchen a more open feel!

Add Light
You can easily make your kitchen appear larger by choosing under-the-counter lighting. It also helps to select light colors for your cabinets and countertops.

Create Height with Taller Wall Cabinets
Start by removing those soffits. Install your cabinets to the ceiling. You might also try “stair-stepping” the cabinets. You can accomplish this look by first starting with a taller cabinet, then lining the others progressively shorter. Above the shorter cabinets, you now have a great space to display your collectibles, baskets and teapots. The hard-to-reach top shelves of the taller cabinets make a great place to store all those holiday dishes and serving pieces you seldom use.

 To get more light into your kitchen, try enlarging your windows. Another great idea is to replace one with a garden window installed at countertop height. Want an even brighter kitchen? Add a skylight or sky pipe.

Install Storage Trays
You can find specially made narrow trays at your local hardware store or home center. These are easy to install on the back of false drawer fronts at the sink and cooktop. By doing this, you can significantly reduce your clutter around your sink and stove, thereby creating a larger-looking space.

Just as you go through your closets once or twice a year, getting rid of all those clothes you no longer wear, so should you go through your kitchen. It’s a good idea to regularly reorganize your kitchen, getting rid of all those items you no longer use. This is an easy way to make your kitchen feel much larger. Clutter always makes a room feel smaller. Build a Useful Island For those of you with an eat-in kitchen but no room for an island, consider replacing the kitchen table with an island. In addition to an eating area, upgrading to an island will also give you added storage space for seldom-used items. You’ll be surprised at how easy of a do-it-yourself project this can be. Start with base cabinets. Choose ones that are either table height or traditional counter height. Next, simply top those cabinets with a countertop material. You’ll want room for chairs or stools, so be sure to extend the counter 12 to 16 inches beyond the sides of the cabinets.

 One contributor to a cramped-feeling kitchen is cluttered counters. You can easily solve this by installing an under-the-counter microwave, can opener, spice rack or toaster.

Open Up Those Walls
In situations where the dining room is next to the kitchen, knocking out the adjoining wall is often a wonderful way to create space. Before you begin, make sure the wall is not load-bearing. If it isn’t then this can be an easy do-it-yourself project.

Create Open Shelving
Design your kitchen to include open shelving. Openly displayed colorful plates, glasses, teapots or other collectibles always makes a small kitchen look larger. You can do this by simply taking the doors off your cabinets. Paint the inside a bright, cheery color. Another option might be to take down existing cabinets altogether and add colorful shelves instead to make the room feel more open.

Leon Tuberman has almost 40 years of experience in the home furnishings and interior decorating industry. He operates a popular home furniture store and showroom in the San Fernando Valley. They offer American made Arts & Crafts and Mission style bedroom dining room and office furniture for your home or office. His store takes pride in offering furniture that’s built to last for generations. Whether your trying to find solid oak bookcases or oak night stands , they carry the largest selection at prices that won’t break the bank.