Less is more, or so they say, but that old adage can be vexing when applied to things like group pizza order arithmetic and kitchen size. Most folks dream, instead, of sprawling spaces, lanes and lanes of counter space, and double islands of dubious necessity. Reality sometimes takes a more miniature form, but there are still ways to make those petite cubby kitchens feel a little less cloistered. And skipping elaborate paint schemas is literally the least you can do.
When swatching your smaller sized kitchen, stick to one paint color, two, maximum, if you truly must. Any more creates a kind of 2-D clutter, an unintended kaleidoscope effect when what you’re probably going for is the illusion of more room. Even when all your dishes, utensils, coupes, and martini glasses are tidily tucked away in cabinets and drawers, excess hues, even in complementary shades, will just create a more chaotic aesthetic. One or two lean choices will make everything seem more organized. You can even still go bold with splashy statement colors; you just don’t want to introduce too many of them.
(Some) small space paint rules that are made to be broken
Using lighter colors is the universally recommended, time-tested way to make a space seem larger. But, between tile work, cabinets, and square foot-hogging appliances, you might not actually have a huge canvas to cover in the kitchen to begin with. So deeper hues like dark blue or burgundy are actually fair game in this case, as they won’t envelop your walls like they might in something like a small bedroom. A bold pop here and there can even make the tiny room seem more dynamic by drawing the eye to different areas — as long as you don’t mix and match to excess. And these very pops of color are also among the vintage kitchen trends we can’t wait to see come back.
An interiors professional will guide you in the right direction, but DIY-ers might think that the eggshell paint finish suitable for the rest of the house will be fine in the kitchen as well. This is the one occasion when you’ll actually want to swap the flat stuff for a more durable satin finish, which will be easier to wipe down when handling the inevitable cooking spills and splatters that will further adorn a kitchen, regardless of its size.
