Always want the feel and storage of a larger kitchen? There are a few things you can do to maximize small alcoves or inset nooks. Perhaps you have one of those built in desks that have been nothing more than a catchall that then makes your room appear even smaller due to the paper clutter.  Some tips below can take your small out of date and claustrophobic kitchen from your least favorite place to your favorite family hangout!

Remove the built in desk and add a free standing cabinet that fills the whole space but feels open due to at least the top having glass fronts. This allows you to showcase your glassware or lovely teapots, dishes, cookbooks or other special items that have been crammed in a box somewhere. By keeping solid bottom doors you have a place to store dishes, pans and other items you want handy but aren’t pretty enough to showcase.

Do you have a small alcove in your kitchen that is not deep enough for extra cabinets or large enough to accommodate even a small table? Always wanted a china cabinet to display your loveliest dishes?  Try a bakers rack (like this one from the Container Store).  Showcase your dishes, platters, pitchers, cookie jars….all the pieces of your set and then, if you choose, use the hooks to add the shimmer of your stainless or copper pans as a highlight. You can sometimes find items like this that will fit perfectly within the area you’re trying to fill and create a beautiful display to be both admired and functional while keeping your cost to a minimum.

Don’t have spaces to add a baker’s rack or cabinet? No problem. Change out the top doors of some of your cabinets to glass fronts. This allows you to display your glassware and dishes while expanding the visual imprint of the space itself. You can keep this affordable by replacing only a couple but the results will be immediate. Also, painting dark cabinets white can create instant visual space at a minimal cost. BUT if you decide to paint your cabinets make sure and do your research and do it well!