How to make a small kitchen look and feel luxurious

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This week I asked a handful of design experts for advice on how to create an elegant culinary hub, no matter the size.

, creative design director at the eponymous kitchen company. “To promote an open feel, choose light paint colours – like cream or sage green – and reflective materials, such as an antiqued mirror splashback to maximise light flow around the space. For any floor-to-ceiling cabinets, consider fitting these with glass display doors which, again, will catch light and make your space more airy.”

If you’re partial to deep and decadent hues, you needn’t completely shy away from them. Howley recommends offsetting navy, charcoal, or racing green cabinets with glossy white worktops.

, adds: “Consider a veined, white marble-inspired worktop and slab splashback which gives the sense that the material is travelling up the walls. This seamless look creates an open scheme without any disconnect. A feeling of expansiveness will be achieved, resulting in the room feeling luxurious and larger than it really is.”

, encourages investing in clever, tailored storage solutions. He explains, “bespoke joinery can transform a small kitchen – making the most of every available bit of space to help it function better and look sleeker. For example, custom cabinets can stretch all the way up to the ceiling or fit into awkward nooks, maximising your storage possibilities. This is especially vital for kitchens with unusual layouts which can’t be properly resolved with existing, off-the-shelf pieces.”

However, covering all your walls in dense cabinetry may feel oppressive in a tight space. You can pair bespoke cabinets with floating shelves to naturally enlarge the feel of your kitchen by making more walls visible. This also provides the perfect place for displaying pretty crockery and china collections.

, explains: “There is an age-old doctrine of using light colours on walls to make your home look bigger. This is true, and your shelves need not detract from this. Choose shelving in the same shade as your walls to make your kitchen feel airier – without compromising on storage space. By combining open storage with cabinetry, you can style the shelves with treasured possessions to add character to your space, whilst not solely relying on them if you wish to hide any less attractive kitchen appliances.”

. The diagonal lines and angles of this style help to draw the eye outward, especially if the herringbone pattern is installed perpendicular to the longest wall in the room.

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