Rocky Road Brownie Mug Cake You Can Make in Only 3 Minutes!

Try this rich rocky road brownie in mug cake form!
Feb 15, 2021
3 minutes

Mug cakes are a great alternative to baking (not that I don’t love baking). Not only are they easy, but they can be a great alternative when you’ve run out of eggs, don’t have enough ingredients for an entire cake, or want to avoid over-indulging when it’s just you in the house.

What I like about mug cakes isn’t just that they are quick and easy. If made correctly, they don’t compromise on taste or texture. They are customizable and just as tasty as any three-lay cake I have ever had. If you pay close attention to measurements, making sure to have the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients and baking powder, the texture won’t disappoint.

This mug cake, or mug brownie rather, is one of my favorite go-to midnight snacks. I have a love for all things Rocky Road flavored, and it was an invention of mine during a midnight craving not too long ago. I love brownies, but they take forever to bake, and I don’t always want an entire pan of brownies hanging out on my kitchen counter. This more compact mug cake version of a brownie is rich, fudgy, delicious, and can be made in under 3 minutes!

Kitchen tools
1 eaMugMug
Ingredients
1/4 cupbrown sugar
1/4 cupFlour, all purpose
3 tbspCocoa PowderCocoa Powder
1/4 cupBaking PowderBaking Powder
1 dashSalt
1 1/2 tbspmelted butter or oil
3 1/2 tbspMilk of your choice
1/4 tspAlmond Extract
2 tspDark Chocolate Chips
1 tbspMini Marshmallows
1 tspChopped WalnutsChopped Walnuts

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Pam cooking SprayPam cooking Spray

This step is optional, but I would highly recommend it. With all the brown sugar in this brownie, it’s bound to stick and make for a messy mug during cleanup. Just like you would grease your pan for baking a brownie, grease your mug quickly before cooking. It will make clean up much easier!

To Prep

  • Spray a small amount of your favorite cooking spray into the mug
  • Using a paper towel, soak up excess oil and spread the oil along the entirety of the inside of the mug

It’s important to be accurate with the measurements of mug cake ingredients. Even though we aren’t baking them, this part is still crucial. Altering the ingredients too drastically can change the texture of the brownie, as well as over-all the flavor. If you are preferring more marshmallows or chocolate chips, add them to the top of the mug cake at the last 10 to 15 seconds of cooking.

Combine

  • Add all dry ingredients to your mug and mix them.
  • Make sure there are no major lumps before adding wet ingredients.
  • Add all wet ingredients to your mug and mix them.
  • Add additional ingredients and fold them in.
Dry ingredients
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 1/2 tbsp oil or melted butter (melted butter is my preferred and I think it creates a more fudgy texture, but oil is the standard)
  • 3 1/2 tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract- works well with chocolate and adds a more complex flavor than vanilla
Additional ingredients
  • 1 to 2 tsp of dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp of mini marshmallows
  • 1 tsp chopped walnuts
Tip
  • If you don’t have any walnuts, or you have a nut allergy, try substituting them for crushed graham crackers. Voila! You have a smores brownie instead.

Can you believe that in just 70 seconds, you can have a delicious chocolate brownie? Well, you can. Make sure not to cook the brownie too long, or it will end up dry and lose its fudgy texture.

Note that cooking times may vary depending on your microwave. If the wattage of your microwave is 1200 like mine is. I recommend 70 to 75 seconds. If you are feeling unsure of the time, watch over it a bit. If your wattage is lower, increase the time. If the wattage is higher, reduce the time. Get to know your microwave to decide the best time for you!

Cook

  • Cook for 70 to 75 seconds.
  • Let the mug cake cool about a minute after cooking, and enjoy!

Tip

  • Top it with one scoop of rocky road ice cream to really lean into the rocky road flavor. If you want to stay classic, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

What is your all-time favorite brownie recipe? Have you tried my brownie mug cake recipe? Tell us about it below!

Make this decadent chocolate mug cake with a hint of coffee flavor!
Feb 15, 2021
3 minutes

Mug cakes are my go-to cure for a sweet tooth, mostly when I’m short on time or ingredients. They’re easy, quick, and involve a small number of ingredients and tools.

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20 Ways to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Larger

Small kitchens have never looked larger.
Tayler Tayler (42)
Feb 13, 2021
0

As more and more people start buying homes at later ages, the number of people renting apartments is increasing, too. According to data compiled by the Deutsche Bank, the average age that people are buying homes in the United States is 47, a number that has significantly increased since 1981 when the average age was 31. As a result, people are turning to rent apartments and buy small houses across the country.

While there are many benefits to renting one’s home, there are a collection of downfalls, namely being the limited amount of changes you can make to the space. This poses a problem for tiny spaces like the kitchen. Kitchens are, arguably, one of the most important rooms in your house, and they’re one of the ones that you’ll spend the most time in. This makes tiny kitchens inconvenient, difficult to work with, and sometimes an eyesore. To combat this, here are 20 different tips, tricks, and hacks so you can make your kitchen feel larger!

Posted in these interests:
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides
A splash of color.A splash of color.

Using colors in your kitchen is a great way to easily enhance the space, especially with white being a commonly used color in kitchens. White is known for opening up spaces, which is why it’s frequently used in rentals, but colors can be used to open up a space nicely. Colors, in fact, can help contrast the white to make it look brighter, cleaner.

If you opt for white paint or a backsplash of white tiles, you can use different colors as accent points to make the whites seem brighter and cleaner. Don’t be afraid to incorporate accent colors like yellow, making an area appear sunnier, pale green, and teal. These colors will complement the white in your kitchen nicely!

Very yellow kitchen.Very yellow kitchen.

When incorporating colors in your kitchen, you mustn’t go overboard. Adding too many colors will make your kitchen appear darker and smaller. The more colors and patterns you include in your kitchen, the more light will be absorbed by these colors and textures.

You already know that white reflects light, which means that black absorbs light. The same can be said of dark colors, too. Furthermore, when you walk into a small space that is occupied by a lot of textures and colors, your eyes don’t know where to look first. This can give the room an indirect feeling of being cramped, making it appear much smaller. So as you set out to add color to the white of your kitchen, be careful to choose your colors carefully!

Glass cabinets doors.Glass cabinets doors.

An easy and passive way of adding more dimension to your kitchen is by installing cabinets with glass doors instead of solid ones is a fast and easy way to trick yourself into thinking your kitchen is larger than it is. It works like this: when you look into a kitchen with glass cabinets, the illusion of space is created as the space itself stretches deeper than the cabinet door.

The best way to make the most of your glass cabinets is by installing the panes of glass in lightly stained wood or cabinets that are painted a light color. Glass panes on dark cabinets aren’t as effective. If the idea of showing off the contents of your cabinets doesn’t appeal to you, however, you can always opt for glass panes with a frosted finish that hides your cabinets but still reflects light nicely.

Kitchen rug.Kitchen rug.

Rugs are a great way to make a room feel larger, especially if you like the sensation of softness under your feet. Rugs come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics — you name it, making finding the perfect rug for you and your design needs easy if you look hard enough.

While there are a ton of different patterns you can choose from, one such pattern that is ideal for making a small space feel larger is a rug with horizontal lines. Horizontal lines make your eyes move from side-to-side naturally which creates the illusion of a wider and more open space. Furthermore, horizontal lined patterns are easy to incorporate into a decoration style.

Kitchen lighting.Kitchen lighting.

If your rental kitchen doesn’t have access to natural lighting, incorporating more lights into your kitchen is a must. Not only will this shed light on you and your kitchen situation, but lights are a great way to open up an otherwise small and cramped space.

Most kitchens, rental or owned, come with an overhead light because we need light inside the kitchen. Few builders, however, are overly concerned with what kind of light is added. Because of this, many kitchens come with atrocious overhead lighting that is often either too dark or the wrong color for the space itself. Let’s jump into how you can add lights to your kitchen.

Recessed lighting.Recessed lighting.

For starters, you don’t want your lights standing in the middle of your kitchen, just as you wouldn’t place a floor lamp in the middle of your living room, which is why you want to start introducing light by tucking your lamps into corners.

Using lamps is a quick and easy way of introducing lights into your kitchen as you just have to plug it into a socket and go. You can also find lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors meaning you can pretty easily find something that suits your decor. Since kitchen corners are known to be cramped, opting for compact lighting options is ideal.

Under cabinet lights.Under cabinet lights.

Speaking of compact lighting, installing lights on the bottom and top of your cabinets is a great way to add light without taking up space. While illuminating the underside of your cabinets might seem like a no-brainer, installing lights on the tops of your cabinets, if there is a space between the cabinet and the ceiling, is a great way to make the room seem taller.

Because the human eye is drawn naturally to the darkest points of a room, illuminating the upper cabinets is a quick way to draw the gaze upward. Coupled with the lights on the bottom, the light will fill those naturally darker areas, giving the impression of a larger kitchen. This can easily be accomplished by a set of LED light strips.

Recessed lights.Recessed lights.

Recessed lighting is lighting that is installed directly into the ceiling, wall, or other surfaces, meaning there are no light fixtures to contend with. For small kitchens, recessed lighting allows you to completely open up space above your head. Light fixtures, while pretty and a fun decoration to pick out if you have lofted ceilings or an already large kitchen will only take up precious space. This makes recessed lights a good option for utilizing your space effectively.

Recessed lighting has an effect called wall washing. Wall washing is an effect that casts more light around the room when the right kind of trim is used and it allows the light to be more effectively distributed. Furthermore, recessed lighting is safer than hanging lights, too, as it is widely protected from dust, children, and general mishaps that hanging lights can be subject to.

Kitchen window.Kitchen window.

There are many benefits to using artificial lighting to your advantage, especially if you’re working with a room that doesn’t have access to much natural light, but natural light accomplishes this with a lot more ease. Natural light makes a room look larger and less confined. The kitchen is no exception to this rule.

If you have a window in your kitchen, try to emphasize it as much as possible by skipping the curtains. Your natural instinct might be to place plants by it but try to find another window in a room that isn’t as cramped as your kitchens.

Mirrors in kitchen.Mirrors in kitchen.

Installing mirrors is a quick and easy way to open up the room and manipulate natural light into darker corners. Mirrors aren’t an everyday staple in most kitchens but don’t be afraid to play around with small mirrors fixed to the walls across from a window or even a long, slender one fixed to a bare wall in an adjacent dining room. An accent mirror design is a good way to add an artistic element to your room.

You’re creating the illusion of depth as the mirrors will reflect the room around you. At a glance, these reflections will make it seem like the room extends into different corners. You’ll also be able to use the mirror to redirect the light around the room, which also adds the appearance of a brighter, more open area, which brings us to our next piece of advice: using natural lighting.

Island counter.Island counter.

If you have enough space to incorporate an island countertop in your kitchen configuration, opting for a lighter version isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s quite easy if you incorporate an open island design into your kitchen. Open islands are islands that are designed with open shelves, instead of closed off ones, which allows more light to pass through. It’s a great way to include more working surfaces in your kitchen without cramping the space.

Kitchen islands are often considered a luxury and they’re a great way to include a dining area without building a dining area in the space. They’re versatile, coming in many different shapes and sizes, and they’re often come with an area built into one side for stools and storage built into the other. If you want to incorporate an island into your kitchen, make sure you measure the space and account for the amount of area you’ll need to travel around it.

Light weight stools.Light weight stools.

You’re probably thinking: What is lightweight furniture? Lightweight furniture, for the purpose of this guide, refers to furniture that is light both in weight and size. For example, if you have an island counter built into your kitchen, as many rentals do because this is a great way to save space over building a dining area, opting for more compact barstools is an easy way to furnish your space while keeping it light.

When it comes to finding the perfect barstool, there are several styles you can choose from. An easy choice is the classic stools that don’t have backs to them or stools supporting the lower back. Stools that aren’t made of solid materials or that have shapes cut into the back is an easy way to keep everything open, too.

Expandable dining table.Expandable dining table.

If you’re adamant about having a dining table in your small kitchen, using a drop-leaf dining table in place of a full-sized one is a good way to save space. Drop-leaf dining tables are tables that can expand in size, either by the table expanding to allow an extra slab of a table, called a leaf, to be secured between two points or by having sides that can be folded down.

Drop-leaf tables are great for small spaces, especially for people who like to entertain from time to time. The unused sides can be pushed against the wall so the table isn’t encroaching on valuable kitchen space while still providing you with a place to dine.

Built-in stove.Built-in stove.

Picking appliances for your kitchen can be a daunting task, especially when you’re worried about space. After all — your appliances are one of the bulkiest things you can incorporate in your kitchen. Not only will you be cooking or cleaning with them for a large portion of your kitchen experience, but they’ll dominate your gaze as one of the most important staples in your kitchen. So, what can you do to make bulky appliances seem smaller?

The simple and easy answer is built-in appliances! Built-in appliance includes appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and even your microwave being installed in such a way that it looks like they’re installed right into the kitchen cabinets themselves. While a costly and time-consuming endeavor, as you’ll have to build the appliance into the cabinet system, built-in appliances create a smooth and seamless transition between surfaces. The smoother, the better, as your gaze won’t be drawn to the appliances themselves.

Single-bowl sink.Single-bowl sink.

A double-bowl sink, also referred to as a double sink, was popular before dishwashers were invented because the two sinks made for easy dishwashing, with one side serving as a rinsing area and the other side serving as the washing area. Double sinks also offer a place directly for drying racks, but what double sinks do, however, is make the area and surrounding area of your sink look smaller. If making your kitchen area larger is your priority, opt for a single-bowl sink.

Single-bowl sinks are easier to fit into small spaces because they’re, by nature, smaller. Double-bowl sinks have to contend with fitting two sizable bowls into a cramped space, which can become difficult, especially if space is your concern. Single-bowl sinks offer more space in a smaller space because you’re working from one large bowl instead of two small ones.

Stainless steel in a small kitchen.Stainless steel in a small kitchen.

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen with appliances, try and install monochromatic and metallic appliances. Monochromatic appliances, or appliances that are a single shade, will be unified in color across the room, meaning the eye won’t be too focused on any point in particular. While most appliances have a metallic finish, stainless steel finishes can help expand your kitchen.

Stainless steel finishes are very durable. They’re highly resistant to corrosion and, while you might not have to worry about corrosion in the kitchen, this makes stainless steel appliances durable to daily wear-and-tear. They’re also shiny, which is useful for reflecting light.

Shelves built up.Shelves built up.

It’s easy to forget just how much space is lost on the expanses of bare walls above the counters of our kitchens, especially if you’re starting bare-bones, without any wall cabinets or shelves installed. Your first thought might be to leave the walls bare to create the illusion of space, but building vertically is a great way to have storage and keep your space looking large.

Sometimes we need to get creative about how we use the space in our kitchens — particularly our small ones! When all space matters, even vertical is important, too. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can expand vertically.

Open shelf.Open shelf.

Floating shelves are a quick and easy way to open up a room while providing plenty of storage for you to stack your plates, bowls, and drinkware neatly. Because they’re relatively easier to install than standard cabinets, floating shelves are a great way to add dimension to a small kitchen if you’re eager to finish the task. They’re also customizable, the same way cabinets are, and can be painted and styled in many different ways.

Floating shelves pose a similar problem to cabinets with glass doors in that they draw the gaze to them. This means that over-cluttered or dirty shelves will only serve to over-crowd your kitchen. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll have to work harder to keep them clean.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

If you’re working with a small space, it’s important to scale down the size of your furniture if possible. You probably wouldn’t want to fit a large, six-burner stove in a kitchen that’s only a few feet wide because that stove would take up more of the kitchen than necessary, making the space seem a lot smaller than it is. The same goes for most other furniture in it.

When you go to furnish a room, it’s all about proportions and fitting proper furniture within those proportions. Make sure you’re scaling your appliances and counter space to fit the kitchen you have, not the kitchen you want.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

When it comes to moving into a small space, finding a proper place for your appliances, food, and utensils is a key component in making your kitchen feel larger. Put it this way: if your counters are completely cluttered and you have no idea where anything is, being in the kitchen, let alone cooking in the kitchen, can become a difficult and impossible task. Utilizing the space you have is the best and easiest way to make your kitchen feel larger.

As you set out to settle into a new space, spend some time looking at the space you’re working with. Take note of your counter space, your cabinet space, and carefully decide where everything will go. Keep this in mind: the fewer items you have on your countertops, the larger the space will appear. This brings us to the next and most important part of making sure you’re utilizing your space: the organization.

Organized cabinets.Organized cabinets.

If you take anything away from this guide, take this away: organizing your kitchen is the best way to make it feel larger. If everything has a place, you’ll be less inclined to set something down where it doesn’t belong. Not only will this help you keep it clean in the long run, but it will encourage you to think about how you can use the space properly.

Since you want to keep things organized from a face-value perspective (clean counters are a must), making sure you’re using the space in your cabinets and drawers is extremely important. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to accomplish this.

Tension rods.Tension rods.

Do you have a bunch of baking sheets taking up an abnormal amount of space in your cabinets? Baking sheets and dishes, while convenient and frequently used by the average person in the kitchen, can be extremely cumbersome to organize, especially if you’re already working with limited space.

An easy way to store your sheets is by using tension rods. Tension rods placed vertically on a cabinet shelf creates little slots that will hold your sheets in place. The great news is that you can easily adjust the spacing of the tension rods at any time so if you get a new sheet or pan that you want to cluster with similar ones, you’ll be able to do so.

Plates and bowls.Plates and bowls.

Most people stack their plates and bowls inside their cabinets, which is an okay way of storing tableware, but there are better, easier ways to store them, especially if you’re trying to use all the space that you can. Thankfully, you have a few different options for storing these necessities.

For starters, you can use a small shelf to create smaller levels that allow you to safely double-stack your dishes, letting you better utilize the space you have in your cabinets. You could also use the same tension rods you used for your baking sheets to stack your sheets vertically or use a plate rack stand. Either way, you have options!

Organized drawers.Organized drawers.

Keeping your drawers organized and tidy is a good way to ensure you’re keeping as many things as possible from your counters, which is a large component of making your kitchen appear larger than it is. Kitchen drawers come in many different shapes and sizes, which means you can control your cabinets and drawers’ size. Once you have that size in mind, there are ways for you to organize your drawers, so they stay nice and tidy.

Things like utensil organizers for your drawers and little compartments and box organizers are great ways to ensure your items are staying where they’re meant to. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you organize your drawers — you can use specialty purchased storage boxes or repurpose any boxes you come across in your online shopping!

Deep drawers.Deep drawers.

When it comes to accumulating small but bulky appliances, no room does this better than the kitchen. Between the toasters, food processors, crock pots, coffee pots, French presses, compost containers, and blenders, it’s no wonder that our counters and cabinets fill up quickly, leaving us to pack our surfaces full of clutter. To combat this problem, deep cabinet drawers can house your appliances.

If you have drawers already installed that are capable of holding your appliances, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to lift them onto the countertops when you intend to use them. If you have the space, you could always install a large drawer that can be pulled out for easy access. Deep drawers are a great addition to your kitchen because the organizational options are so vast.

Dish racks.Dish racks.

There are plenty of normal kitchen items that you can find on the market that are also collapsible, which means that once they’re used, they can be broken down into a more compact size and slipped into a corner. Thanks to the development of several standard kitchen staples, durable collapsible kitchen items aren’t hard to come by.

Things like collapsible food storage containers are a great way to save space inside your cabinets. Collapsible drying racks for your dishes can be folded down and tucked beneath the sink once the dishes are dry. Even foldable travel kettles can be used if you’re really determined to keep your countertops uncluttered. There are plenty of options on the market; you have to do some research to find some good ones.

Organization hooks.Organization hooks.

You already know that clutter on countertops can make kitchens look smaller than they are, especially your sink area, which is often surrounded by paper towels, dish and hand soap, brushes, and whatever cleaning solution you happen to keep close by. These items can draw unnecessary attention to the sink area, which can be distracting.

Instead of letting these kitchen necessities take up eye space in your kitchen, install hooks or a small rack on the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang things from the rack like spray bottles or a washcloth. Installing hooks on the doors will allow you to hang brushes, sponges, and other cleaning supplies from them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Geometric tile.Geometric tile.

Geometric patterns can offer a pop of pattern and color in any space. While these patterns are considered busy, they can also create the illusion of space, particularly when used sparingly and as accents. Not only do geometric patterns make for eye-catching and popular additions to a small space, but you can use them in many ways.

A geometric tile backsplash on a wall behind your counters can give the illusion of the room stretching upward. Subway style tiles can open up an area, and a black accent row of tiles can stretch the room horizontally. If installing a tiled backsplash isn’t within the budget, a geometric rug or floor runner can create the same illusion in a different way.

Ceiling beams.Ceiling beams.

Drawing the gaze upwards is a vital component of making a room seem larger, and what better way to accomplish that than by installing a pattern or a texture on the ceiling. This may seem daunting — installing something on the ceiling? This can be as simple as installing planked wood or beams or etching a drywall pattern. It’ll be difficult, but patterns on the ceiling can be a great way to draw the gaze upward, which will elongate any room upward if you choose your patterns to suit the space.

The easiest of these that will give you a pattern without overcrowding your potentially limited kitchen space is to install slender beams across the ceiling. If your kitchen is shaped like a rectangle, the best pattern to install is thin beams that cross horizontally, longwise. Since horizontal lines draw the gaze across, it gives the illusion of space.

Clean counters.Clean counters.

This piece of advice works best as a prophylactic, which means that you’re going to want to focus on cleaning as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter building up in the corner of your kitchen. Since the kitchen has so many surfaces, it’s easy to let clutter build up over time. Clutter and anything too busy can make a room seem smaller and more cramped.

To avoid this, you’re going to have to clean and organize as you go. After every meal, try and clean up any dishes you used and put them away after they’re clean. Keep your mixing bowls, utensils, and most everything else tucked away in drawers and cabinets, or at least up off the counters if you have open shelving. Some clutter is okay — but avoid the extensive collections.

20 Ways to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Larger

Small kitchens have never looked larger.
Tayler Tayler (42)
Feb 13, 2021
0

As more and more people start buying homes at later ages, the number of people renting apartments is increasing, too. According to data compiled by the Deutsche Bank, the average age that people are buying homes in the United States is 47, a number that has significantly increased since 1981 when the average age was 31. As a result, people are turning to rent apartments and buy small houses across the country.

While there are many benefits to renting one’s home, there are a collection of downfalls, namely being the limited amount of changes you can make to the space. This poses a problem for tiny spaces like the kitchen. Kitchens are, arguably, one of the most important rooms in your house, and they’re one of the ones that you’ll spend the most time in. This makes tiny kitchens inconvenient, difficult to work with, and sometimes an eyesore. To combat this, here are 20 different tips, tricks, and hacks so you can make your kitchen feel larger!

Posted in these interests:
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides
A splash of color.A splash of color.

Using colors in your kitchen is a great way to easily enhance the space, especially with white being a commonly used color in kitchens. White is known for opening up spaces, which is why it’s frequently used in rentals, but colors can be used to open up a space nicely. Colors, in fact, can help contrast the white to make it look brighter, cleaner.

If you opt for white paint or a backsplash of white tiles, you can use different colors as accent points to make the whites seem brighter and cleaner. Don’t be afraid to incorporate accent colors like yellow, making an area appear sunnier, pale green, and teal. These colors will complement the white in your kitchen nicely!

Very yellow kitchen.Very yellow kitchen.

When incorporating colors in your kitchen, you mustn’t go overboard. Adding too many colors will make your kitchen appear darker and smaller. The more colors and patterns you include in your kitchen, the more light will be absorbed by these colors and textures.

You already know that white reflects light, which means that black absorbs light. The same can be said of dark colors, too. Furthermore, when you walk into a small space that is occupied by a lot of textures and colors, your eyes don’t know where to look first. This can give the room an indirect feeling of being cramped, making it appear much smaller. So as you set out to add color to the white of your kitchen, be careful to choose your colors carefully!

Glass cabinets doors.Glass cabinets doors.

An easy and passive way of adding more dimension to your kitchen is by installing cabinets with glass doors instead of solid ones is a fast and easy way to trick yourself into thinking your kitchen is larger than it is. It works like this: when you look into a kitchen with glass cabinets, the illusion of space is created as the space itself stretches deeper than the cabinet door.

The best way to make the most of your glass cabinets is by installing the panes of glass in lightly stained wood or cabinets that are painted a light color. Glass panes on dark cabinets aren’t as effective. If the idea of showing off the contents of your cabinets doesn’t appeal to you, however, you can always opt for glass panes with a frosted finish that hides your cabinets but still reflects light nicely.

Kitchen rug.Kitchen rug.

Rugs are a great way to make a room feel larger, especially if you like the sensation of softness under your feet. Rugs come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics — you name it, making finding the perfect rug for you and your design needs easy if you look hard enough.

While there are a ton of different patterns you can choose from, one such pattern that is ideal for making a small space feel larger is a rug with horizontal lines. Horizontal lines make your eyes move from side-to-side naturally which creates the illusion of a wider and more open space. Furthermore, horizontal lined patterns are easy to incorporate into a decoration style.

Kitchen lighting.Kitchen lighting.

If your rental kitchen doesn’t have access to natural lighting, incorporating more lights into your kitchen is a must. Not only will this shed light on you and your kitchen situation, but lights are a great way to open up an otherwise small and cramped space.

Most kitchens, rental or owned, come with an overhead light because we need light inside the kitchen. Few builders, however, are overly concerned with what kind of light is added. Because of this, many kitchens come with atrocious overhead lighting that is often either too dark or the wrong color for the space itself. Let’s jump into how you can add lights to your kitchen.

Recessed lighting.Recessed lighting.

For starters, you don’t want your lights standing in the middle of your kitchen, just as you wouldn’t place a floor lamp in the middle of your living room, which is why you want to start introducing light by tucking your lamps into corners.

Using lamps is a quick and easy way of introducing lights into your kitchen as you just have to plug it into a socket and go. You can also find lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors meaning you can pretty easily find something that suits your decor. Since kitchen corners are known to be cramped, opting for compact lighting options is ideal.

Under cabinet lights.Under cabinet lights.

Speaking of compact lighting, installing lights on the bottom and top of your cabinets is a great way to add light without taking up space. While illuminating the underside of your cabinets might seem like a no-brainer, installing lights on the tops of your cabinets, if there is a space between the cabinet and the ceiling, is a great way to make the room seem taller.

Because the human eye is drawn naturally to the darkest points of a room, illuminating the upper cabinets is a quick way to draw the gaze upward. Coupled with the lights on the bottom, the light will fill those naturally darker areas, giving the impression of a larger kitchen. This can easily be accomplished by a set of LED light strips.

Recessed lights.Recessed lights.

Recessed lighting is lighting that is installed directly into the ceiling, wall, or other surfaces, meaning there are no light fixtures to contend with. For small kitchens, recessed lighting allows you to completely open up space above your head. Light fixtures, while pretty and a fun decoration to pick out if you have lofted ceilings or an already large kitchen will only take up precious space. This makes recessed lights a good option for utilizing your space effectively.

Recessed lighting has an effect called wall washing. Wall washing is an effect that casts more light around the room when the right kind of trim is used and it allows the light to be more effectively distributed. Furthermore, recessed lighting is safer than hanging lights, too, as it is widely protected from dust, children, and general mishaps that hanging lights can be subject to.

Kitchen window.Kitchen window.

There are many benefits to using artificial lighting to your advantage, especially if you’re working with a room that doesn’t have access to much natural light, but natural light accomplishes this with a lot more ease. Natural light makes a room look larger and less confined. The kitchen is no exception to this rule.

If you have a window in your kitchen, try to emphasize it as much as possible by skipping the curtains. Your natural instinct might be to place plants by it but try to find another window in a room that isn’t as cramped as your kitchens.

Mirrors in kitchen.Mirrors in kitchen.

Installing mirrors is a quick and easy way to open up the room and manipulate natural light into darker corners. Mirrors aren’t an everyday staple in most kitchens but don’t be afraid to play around with small mirrors fixed to the walls across from a window or even a long, slender one fixed to a bare wall in an adjacent dining room. An accent mirror design is a good way to add an artistic element to your room.

You’re creating the illusion of depth as the mirrors will reflect the room around you. At a glance, these reflections will make it seem like the room extends into different corners. You’ll also be able to use the mirror to redirect the light around the room, which also adds the appearance of a brighter, more open area, which brings us to our next piece of advice: using natural lighting.

Island counter.Island counter.

If you have enough space to incorporate an island countertop in your kitchen configuration, opting for a lighter version isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s quite easy if you incorporate an open island design into your kitchen. Open islands are islands that are designed with open shelves, instead of closed off ones, which allows more light to pass through. It’s a great way to include more working surfaces in your kitchen without cramping the space.

Kitchen islands are often considered a luxury and they’re a great way to include a dining area without building a dining area in the space. They’re versatile, coming in many different shapes and sizes, and they’re often come with an area built into one side for stools and storage built into the other. If you want to incorporate an island into your kitchen, make sure you measure the space and account for the amount of area you’ll need to travel around it.

Light weight stools.Light weight stools.

You’re probably thinking: What is lightweight furniture? Lightweight furniture, for the purpose of this guide, refers to furniture that is light both in weight and size. For example, if you have an island counter built into your kitchen, as many rentals do because this is a great way to save space over building a dining area, opting for more compact barstools is an easy way to furnish your space while keeping it light.

When it comes to finding the perfect barstool, there are several styles you can choose from. An easy choice is the classic stools that don’t have backs to them or stools supporting the lower back. Stools that aren’t made of solid materials or that have shapes cut into the back is an easy way to keep everything open, too.

Expandable dining table.Expandable dining table.

If you’re adamant about having a dining table in your small kitchen, using a drop-leaf dining table in place of a full-sized one is a good way to save space. Drop-leaf dining tables are tables that can expand in size, either by the table expanding to allow an extra slab of a table, called a leaf, to be secured between two points or by having sides that can be folded down.

Drop-leaf tables are great for small spaces, especially for people who like to entertain from time to time. The unused sides can be pushed against the wall so the table isn’t encroaching on valuable kitchen space while still providing you with a place to dine.

Built-in stove.Built-in stove.

Picking appliances for your kitchen can be a daunting task, especially when you’re worried about space. After all — your appliances are one of the bulkiest things you can incorporate in your kitchen. Not only will you be cooking or cleaning with them for a large portion of your kitchen experience, but they’ll dominate your gaze as one of the most important staples in your kitchen. So, what can you do to make bulky appliances seem smaller?

The simple and easy answer is built-in appliances! Built-in appliance includes appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and even your microwave being installed in such a way that it looks like they’re installed right into the kitchen cabinets themselves. While a costly and time-consuming endeavor, as you’ll have to build the appliance into the cabinet system, built-in appliances create a smooth and seamless transition between surfaces. The smoother, the better, as your gaze won’t be drawn to the appliances themselves.

Single-bowl sink.Single-bowl sink.

A double-bowl sink, also referred to as a double sink, was popular before dishwashers were invented because the two sinks made for easy dishwashing, with one side serving as a rinsing area and the other side serving as the washing area. Double sinks also offer a place directly for drying racks, but what double sinks do, however, is make the area and surrounding area of your sink look smaller. If making your kitchen area larger is your priority, opt for a single-bowl sink.

Single-bowl sinks are easier to fit into small spaces because they’re, by nature, smaller. Double-bowl sinks have to contend with fitting two sizable bowls into a cramped space, which can become difficult, especially if space is your concern. Single-bowl sinks offer more space in a smaller space because you’re working from one large bowl instead of two small ones.

Stainless steel in a small kitchen.Stainless steel in a small kitchen.

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen with appliances, try and install monochromatic and metallic appliances. Monochromatic appliances, or appliances that are a single shade, will be unified in color across the room, meaning the eye won’t be too focused on any point in particular. While most appliances have a metallic finish, stainless steel finishes can help expand your kitchen.

Stainless steel finishes are very durable. They’re highly resistant to corrosion and, while you might not have to worry about corrosion in the kitchen, this makes stainless steel appliances durable to daily wear-and-tear. They’re also shiny, which is useful for reflecting light.

Shelves built up.Shelves built up.

It’s easy to forget just how much space is lost on the expanses of bare walls above the counters of our kitchens, especially if you’re starting bare-bones, without any wall cabinets or shelves installed. Your first thought might be to leave the walls bare to create the illusion of space, but building vertically is a great way to have storage and keep your space looking large.

Sometimes we need to get creative about how we use the space in our kitchens — particularly our small ones! When all space matters, even vertical is important, too. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can expand vertically.

Open shelf.Open shelf.

Floating shelves are a quick and easy way to open up a room while providing plenty of storage for you to stack your plates, bowls, and drinkware neatly. Because they’re relatively easier to install than standard cabinets, floating shelves are a great way to add dimension to a small kitchen if you’re eager to finish the task. They’re also customizable, the same way cabinets are, and can be painted and styled in many different ways.

Floating shelves pose a similar problem to cabinets with glass doors in that they draw the gaze to them. This means that over-cluttered or dirty shelves will only serve to over-crowd your kitchen. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll have to work harder to keep them clean.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

If you’re working with a small space, it’s important to scale down the size of your furniture if possible. You probably wouldn’t want to fit a large, six-burner stove in a kitchen that’s only a few feet wide because that stove would take up more of the kitchen than necessary, making the space seem a lot smaller than it is. The same goes for most other furniture in it.

When you go to furnish a room, it’s all about proportions and fitting proper furniture within those proportions. Make sure you’re scaling your appliances and counter space to fit the kitchen you have, not the kitchen you want.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

When it comes to moving into a small space, finding a proper place for your appliances, food, and utensils is a key component in making your kitchen feel larger. Put it this way: if your counters are completely cluttered and you have no idea where anything is, being in the kitchen, let alone cooking in the kitchen, can become a difficult and impossible task. Utilizing the space you have is the best and easiest way to make your kitchen feel larger.

As you set out to settle into a new space, spend some time looking at the space you’re working with. Take note of your counter space, your cabinet space, and carefully decide where everything will go. Keep this in mind: the fewer items you have on your countertops, the larger the space will appear. This brings us to the next and most important part of making sure you’re utilizing your space: the organization.

Organized cabinets.Organized cabinets.

If you take anything away from this guide, take this away: organizing your kitchen is the best way to make it feel larger. If everything has a place, you’ll be less inclined to set something down where it doesn’t belong. Not only will this help you keep it clean in the long run, but it will encourage you to think about how you can use the space properly.

Since you want to keep things organized from a face-value perspective (clean counters are a must), making sure you’re using the space in your cabinets and drawers is extremely important. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to accomplish this.

Tension rods.Tension rods.

Do you have a bunch of baking sheets taking up an abnormal amount of space in your cabinets? Baking sheets and dishes, while convenient and frequently used by the average person in the kitchen, can be extremely cumbersome to organize, especially if you’re already working with limited space.

An easy way to store your sheets is by using tension rods. Tension rods placed vertically on a cabinet shelf creates little slots that will hold your sheets in place. The great news is that you can easily adjust the spacing of the tension rods at any time so if you get a new sheet or pan that you want to cluster with similar ones, you’ll be able to do so.

Plates and bowls.Plates and bowls.

Most people stack their plates and bowls inside their cabinets, which is an okay way of storing tableware, but there are better, easier ways to store them, especially if you’re trying to use all the space that you can. Thankfully, you have a few different options for storing these necessities.

For starters, you can use a small shelf to create smaller levels that allow you to safely double-stack your dishes, letting you better utilize the space you have in your cabinets. You could also use the same tension rods you used for your baking sheets to stack your sheets vertically or use a plate rack stand. Either way, you have options!

Organized drawers.Organized drawers.

Keeping your drawers organized and tidy is a good way to ensure you’re keeping as many things as possible from your counters, which is a large component of making your kitchen appear larger than it is. Kitchen drawers come in many different shapes and sizes, which means you can control your cabinets and drawers’ size. Once you have that size in mind, there are ways for you to organize your drawers, so they stay nice and tidy.

Things like utensil organizers for your drawers and little compartments and box organizers are great ways to ensure your items are staying where they’re meant to. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you organize your drawers — you can use specialty purchased storage boxes or repurpose any boxes you come across in your online shopping!

Deep drawers.Deep drawers.

When it comes to accumulating small but bulky appliances, no room does this better than the kitchen. Between the toasters, food processors, crock pots, coffee pots, French presses, compost containers, and blenders, it’s no wonder that our counters and cabinets fill up quickly, leaving us to pack our surfaces full of clutter. To combat this problem, deep cabinet drawers can house your appliances.

If you have drawers already installed that are capable of holding your appliances, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to lift them onto the countertops when you intend to use them. If you have the space, you could always install a large drawer that can be pulled out for easy access. Deep drawers are a great addition to your kitchen because the organizational options are so vast.

Dish racks.Dish racks.

There are plenty of normal kitchen items that you can find on the market that are also collapsible, which means that once they’re used, they can be broken down into a more compact size and slipped into a corner. Thanks to the development of several standard kitchen staples, durable collapsible kitchen items aren’t hard to come by.

Things like collapsible food storage containers are a great way to save space inside your cabinets. Collapsible drying racks for your dishes can be folded down and tucked beneath the sink once the dishes are dry. Even foldable travel kettles can be used if you’re really determined to keep your countertops uncluttered. There are plenty of options on the market; you have to do some research to find some good ones.

Organization hooks.Organization hooks.

You already know that clutter on countertops can make kitchens look smaller than they are, especially your sink area, which is often surrounded by paper towels, dish and hand soap, brushes, and whatever cleaning solution you happen to keep close by. These items can draw unnecessary attention to the sink area, which can be distracting.

Instead of letting these kitchen necessities take up eye space in your kitchen, install hooks or a small rack on the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang things from the rack like spray bottles or a washcloth. Installing hooks on the doors will allow you to hang brushes, sponges, and other cleaning supplies from them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Geometric tile.Geometric tile.

Geometric patterns can offer a pop of pattern and color in any space. While these patterns are considered busy, they can also create the illusion of space, particularly when used sparingly and as accents. Not only do geometric patterns make for eye-catching and popular additions to a small space, but you can use them in many ways.

A geometric tile backsplash on a wall behind your counters can give the illusion of the room stretching upward. Subway style tiles can open up an area, and a black accent row of tiles can stretch the room horizontally. If installing a tiled backsplash isn’t within the budget, a geometric rug or floor runner can create the same illusion in a different way.

Ceiling beams.Ceiling beams.

Drawing the gaze upwards is a vital component of making a room seem larger, and what better way to accomplish that than by installing a pattern or a texture on the ceiling. This may seem daunting — installing something on the ceiling? This can be as simple as installing planked wood or beams or etching a drywall pattern. It’ll be difficult, but patterns on the ceiling can be a great way to draw the gaze upward, which will elongate any room upward if you choose your patterns to suit the space.

The easiest of these that will give you a pattern without overcrowding your potentially limited kitchen space is to install slender beams across the ceiling. If your kitchen is shaped like a rectangle, the best pattern to install is thin beams that cross horizontally, longwise. Since horizontal lines draw the gaze across, it gives the illusion of space.

Clean counters.Clean counters.

This piece of advice works best as a prophylactic, which means that you’re going to want to focus on cleaning as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter building up in the corner of your kitchen. Since the kitchen has so many surfaces, it’s easy to let clutter build up over time. Clutter and anything too busy can make a room seem smaller and more cramped.

To avoid this, you’re going to have to clean and organize as you go. After every meal, try and clean up any dishes you used and put them away after they’re clean. Keep your mixing bowls, utensils, and most everything else tucked away in drawers and cabinets, or at least up off the counters if you have open shelving. Some clutter is okay — but avoid the extensive collections.

 

20 Ways to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Larger

Small kitchens have never looked larger.
Tayler Tayler (42)
Feb 13, 2021
0

As more and more people start buying homes at later ages, the number of people renting apartments is increasing, too. According to data compiled by the Deutsche Bank, the average age that people are buying homes in the United States is 47, a number that has significantly increased since 1981 when the average age was 31. As a result, people are turning to rent apartments and buy small houses across the country.

While there are many benefits to renting one’s home, there are a collection of downfalls, namely being the limited amount of changes you can make to the space. This poses a problem for tiny spaces like the kitchen. Kitchens are, arguably, one of the most important rooms in your house, and they’re one of the ones that you’ll spend the most time in. This makes tiny kitchens inconvenient, difficult to work with, and sometimes an eyesore. To combat this, here are 20 different tips, tricks, and hacks so you can make your kitchen feel larger!

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A splash of color.A splash of color.

Using colors in your kitchen is a great way to easily enhance the space, especially with white being a commonly used color in kitchens. White is known for opening up spaces, which is why it’s frequently used in rentals, but colors can be used to open up a space nicely. Colors, in fact, can help contrast the white to make it look brighter, cleaner.

If you opt for white paint or a backsplash of white tiles, you can use different colors as accent points to make the whites seem brighter and cleaner. Don’t be afraid to incorporate accent colors like yellow, making an area appear sunnier, pale green, and teal. These colors will complement the white in your kitchen nicely!

Very yellow kitchen.Very yellow kitchen.

When incorporating colors in your kitchen, you mustn’t go overboard. Adding too many colors will make your kitchen appear darker and smaller. The more colors and patterns you include in your kitchen, the more light will be absorbed by these colors and textures.

You already know that white reflects light, which means that black absorbs light. The same can be said of dark colors, too. Furthermore, when you walk into a small space that is occupied by a lot of textures and colors, your eyes don’t know where to look first. This can give the room an indirect feeling of being cramped, making it appear much smaller. So as you set out to add color to the white of your kitchen, be careful to choose your colors carefully!

Glass cabinets doors.Glass cabinets doors.

An easy and passive way of adding more dimension to your kitchen is by installing cabinets with glass doors instead of solid ones is a fast and easy way to trick yourself into thinking your kitchen is larger than it is. It works like this: when you look into a kitchen with glass cabinets, the illusion of space is created as the space itself stretches deeper than the cabinet door.

The best way to make the most of your glass cabinets is by installing the panes of glass in lightly stained wood or cabinets that are painted a light color. Glass panes on dark cabinets aren’t as effective. If the idea of showing off the contents of your cabinets doesn’t appeal to you, however, you can always opt for glass panes with a frosted finish that hides your cabinets but still reflects light nicely.

Kitchen rug.Kitchen rug.

Rugs are a great way to make a room feel larger, especially if you like the sensation of softness under your feet. Rugs come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics — you name it, making finding the perfect rug for you and your design needs easy if you look hard enough.

While there are a ton of different patterns you can choose from, one such pattern that is ideal for making a small space feel larger is a rug with horizontal lines. Horizontal lines make your eyes move from side-to-side naturally which creates the illusion of a wider and more open space. Furthermore, horizontal lined patterns are easy to incorporate into a decoration style.

Kitchen lighting.Kitchen lighting.

If your rental kitchen doesn’t have access to natural lighting, incorporating more lights into your kitchen is a must. Not only will this shed light on you and your kitchen situation, but lights are a great way to open up an otherwise small and cramped space.

Most kitchens, rental or owned, come with an overhead light because we need light inside the kitchen. Few builders, however, are overly concerned with what kind of light is added. Because of this, many kitchens come with atrocious overhead lighting that is often either too dark or the wrong color for the space itself. Let’s jump into how you can add lights to your kitchen.

Recessed lighting.Recessed lighting.

For starters, you don’t want your lights standing in the middle of your kitchen, just as you wouldn’t place a floor lamp in the middle of your living room, which is why you want to start introducing light by tucking your lamps into corners.

Using lamps is a quick and easy way of introducing lights into your kitchen as you just have to plug it into a socket and go. You can also find lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors meaning you can pretty easily find something that suits your decor. Since kitchen corners are known to be cramped, opting for compact lighting options is ideal.

Under cabinet lights.Under cabinet lights.

Speaking of compact lighting, installing lights on the bottom and top of your cabinets is a great way to add light without taking up space. While illuminating the underside of your cabinets might seem like a no-brainer, installing lights on the tops of your cabinets, if there is a space between the cabinet and the ceiling, is a great way to make the room seem taller.

Because the human eye is drawn naturally to the darkest points of a room, illuminating the upper cabinets is a quick way to draw the gaze upward. Coupled with the lights on the bottom, the light will fill those naturally darker areas, giving the impression of a larger kitchen. This can easily be accomplished by a set of LED light strips.

Recessed lights.Recessed lights.

Recessed lighting is lighting that is installed directly into the ceiling, wall, or other surfaces, meaning there are no light fixtures to contend with. For small kitchens, recessed lighting allows you to completely open up space above your head. Light fixtures, while pretty and a fun decoration to pick out if you have lofted ceilings or an already large kitchen will only take up precious space. This makes recessed lights a good option for utilizing your space effectively.

Recessed lighting has an effect called wall washing. Wall washing is an effect that casts more light around the room when the right kind of trim is used and it allows the light to be more effectively distributed. Furthermore, recessed lighting is safer than hanging lights, too, as it is widely protected from dust, children, and general mishaps that hanging lights can be subject to.

Kitchen window.Kitchen window.

There are many benefits to using artificial lighting to your advantage, especially if you’re working with a room that doesn’t have access to much natural light, but natural light accomplishes this with a lot more ease. Natural light makes a room look larger and less confined. The kitchen is no exception to this rule.

If you have a window in your kitchen, try to emphasize it as much as possible by skipping the curtains. Your natural instinct might be to place plants by it but try to find another window in a room that isn’t as cramped as your kitchens.

Mirrors in kitchen.Mirrors in kitchen.

Installing mirrors is a quick and easy way to open up the room and manipulate natural light into darker corners. Mirrors aren’t an everyday staple in most kitchens but don’t be afraid to play around with small mirrors fixed to the walls across from a window or even a long, slender one fixed to a bare wall in an adjacent dining room. An accent mirror design is a good way to add an artistic element to your room.

You’re creating the illusion of depth as the mirrors will reflect the room around you. At a glance, these reflections will make it seem like the room extends into different corners. You’ll also be able to use the mirror to redirect the light around the room, which also adds the appearance of a brighter, more open area, which brings us to our next piece of advice: using natural lighting.

Island counter.Island counter.

If you have enough space to incorporate an island countertop in your kitchen configuration, opting for a lighter version isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s quite easy if you incorporate an open island design into your kitchen. Open islands are islands that are designed with open shelves, instead of closed off ones, which allows more light to pass through. It’s a great way to include more working surfaces in your kitchen without cramping the space.

Kitchen islands are often considered a luxury and they’re a great way to include a dining area without building a dining area in the space. They’re versatile, coming in many different shapes and sizes, and they’re often come with an area built into one side for stools and storage built into the other. If you want to incorporate an island into your kitchen, make sure you measure the space and account for the amount of area you’ll need to travel around it.

Light weight stools.Light weight stools.

You’re probably thinking: What is lightweight furniture? Lightweight furniture, for the purpose of this guide, refers to furniture that is light both in weight and size. For example, if you have an island counter built into your kitchen, as many rentals do because this is a great way to save space over building a dining area, opting for more compact barstools is an easy way to furnish your space while keeping it light.

When it comes to finding the perfect barstool, there are several styles you can choose from. An easy choice is the classic stools that don’t have backs to them or stools supporting the lower back. Stools that aren’t made of solid materials or that have shapes cut into the back is an easy way to keep everything open, too.

Expandable dining table.Expandable dining table.

If you’re adamant about having a dining table in your small kitchen, using a drop-leaf dining table in place of a full-sized one is a good way to save space. Drop-leaf dining tables are tables that can expand in size, either by the table expanding to allow an extra slab of a table, called a leaf, to be secured between two points or by having sides that can be folded down.

Drop-leaf tables are great for small spaces, especially for people who like to entertain from time to time. The unused sides can be pushed against the wall so the table isn’t encroaching on valuable kitchen space while still providing you with a place to dine.

Built-in stove.Built-in stove.

Picking appliances for your kitchen can be a daunting task, especially when you’re worried about space. After all — your appliances are one of the bulkiest things you can incorporate in your kitchen. Not only will you be cooking or cleaning with them for a large portion of your kitchen experience, but they’ll dominate your gaze as one of the most important staples in your kitchen. So, what can you do to make bulky appliances seem smaller?

The simple and easy answer is built-in appliances! Built-in appliance includes appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and even your microwave being installed in such a way that it looks like they’re installed right into the kitchen cabinets themselves. While a costly and time-consuming endeavor, as you’ll have to build the appliance into the cabinet system, built-in appliances create a smooth and seamless transition between surfaces. The smoother, the better, as your gaze won’t be drawn to the appliances themselves.

Single-bowl sink.Single-bowl sink.

A double-bowl sink, also referred to as a double sink, was popular before dishwashers were invented because the two sinks made for easy dishwashing, with one side serving as a rinsing area and the other side serving as the washing area. Double sinks also offer a place directly for drying racks, but what double sinks do, however, is make the area and surrounding area of your sink look smaller. If making your kitchen area larger is your priority, opt for a single-bowl sink.

Single-bowl sinks are easier to fit into small spaces because they’re, by nature, smaller. Double-bowl sinks have to contend with fitting two sizable bowls into a cramped space, which can become difficult, especially if space is your concern. Single-bowl sinks offer more space in a smaller space because you’re working from one large bowl instead of two small ones.

Stainless steel in a small kitchen.Stainless steel in a small kitchen.

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen with appliances, try and install monochromatic and metallic appliances. Monochromatic appliances, or appliances that are a single shade, will be unified in color across the room, meaning the eye won’t be too focused on any point in particular. While most appliances have a metallic finish, stainless steel finishes can help expand your kitchen.

Stainless steel finishes are very durable. They’re highly resistant to corrosion and, while you might not have to worry about corrosion in the kitchen, this makes stainless steel appliances durable to daily wear-and-tear. They’re also shiny, which is useful for reflecting light.

Shelves built up.Shelves built up.

It’s easy to forget just how much space is lost on the expanses of bare walls above the counters of our kitchens, especially if you’re starting bare-bones, without any wall cabinets or shelves installed. Your first thought might be to leave the walls bare to create the illusion of space, but building vertically is a great way to have storage and keep your space looking large.

Sometimes we need to get creative about how we use the space in our kitchens — particularly our small ones! When all space matters, even vertical is important, too. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can expand vertically.

Open shelf.Open shelf.

Floating shelves are a quick and easy way to open up a room while providing plenty of storage for you to stack your plates, bowls, and drinkware neatly. Because they’re relatively easier to install than standard cabinets, floating shelves are a great way to add dimension to a small kitchen if you’re eager to finish the task. They’re also customizable, the same way cabinets are, and can be painted and styled in many different ways.

Floating shelves pose a similar problem to cabinets with glass doors in that they draw the gaze to them. This means that over-cluttered or dirty shelves will only serve to over-crowd your kitchen. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll have to work harder to keep them clean.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

If you’re working with a small space, it’s important to scale down the size of your furniture if possible. You probably wouldn’t want to fit a large, six-burner stove in a kitchen that’s only a few feet wide because that stove would take up more of the kitchen than necessary, making the space seem a lot smaller than it is. The same goes for most other furniture in it.

When you go to furnish a room, it’s all about proportions and fitting proper furniture within those proportions. Make sure you’re scaling your appliances and counter space to fit the kitchen you have, not the kitchen you want.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

When it comes to moving into a small space, finding a proper place for your appliances, food, and utensils is a key component in making your kitchen feel larger. Put it this way: if your counters are completely cluttered and you have no idea where anything is, being in the kitchen, let alone cooking in the kitchen, can become a difficult and impossible task. Utilizing the space you have is the best and easiest way to make your kitchen feel larger.

As you set out to settle into a new space, spend some time looking at the space you’re working with. Take note of your counter space, your cabinet space, and carefully decide where everything will go. Keep this in mind: the fewer items you have on your countertops, the larger the space will appear. This brings us to the next and most important part of making sure you’re utilizing your space: the organization.

Organized cabinets.Organized cabinets.

If you take anything away from this guide, take this away: organizing your kitchen is the best way to make it feel larger. If everything has a place, you’ll be less inclined to set something down where it doesn’t belong. Not only will this help you keep it clean in the long run, but it will encourage you to think about how you can use the space properly.

Since you want to keep things organized from a face-value perspective (clean counters are a must), making sure you’re using the space in your cabinets and drawers is extremely important. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to accomplish this.

Tension rods.Tension rods.

Do you have a bunch of baking sheets taking up an abnormal amount of space in your cabinets? Baking sheets and dishes, while convenient and frequently used by the average person in the kitchen, can be extremely cumbersome to organize, especially if you’re already working with limited space.

An easy way to store your sheets is by using tension rods. Tension rods placed vertically on a cabinet shelf creates little slots that will hold your sheets in place. The great news is that you can easily adjust the spacing of the tension rods at any time so if you get a new sheet or pan that you want to cluster with similar ones, you’ll be able to do so.

Plates and bowls.Plates and bowls.

Most people stack their plates and bowls inside their cabinets, which is an okay way of storing tableware, but there are better, easier ways to store them, especially if you’re trying to use all the space that you can. Thankfully, you have a few different options for storing these necessities.

For starters, you can use a small shelf to create smaller levels that allow you to safely double-stack your dishes, letting you better utilize the space you have in your cabinets. You could also use the same tension rods you used for your baking sheets to stack your sheets vertically or use a plate rack stand. Either way, you have options!

Organized drawers.Organized drawers.

Keeping your drawers organized and tidy is a good way to ensure you’re keeping as many things as possible from your counters, which is a large component of making your kitchen appear larger than it is. Kitchen drawers come in many different shapes and sizes, which means you can control your cabinets and drawers’ size. Once you have that size in mind, there are ways for you to organize your drawers, so they stay nice and tidy.

Things like utensil organizers for your drawers and little compartments and box organizers are great ways to ensure your items are staying where they’re meant to. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you organize your drawers — you can use specialty purchased storage boxes or repurpose any boxes you come across in your online shopping!

Deep drawers.Deep drawers.

When it comes to accumulating small but bulky appliances, no room does this better than the kitchen. Between the toasters, food processors, crock pots, coffee pots, French presses, compost containers, and blenders, it’s no wonder that our counters and cabinets fill up quickly, leaving us to pack our surfaces full of clutter. To combat this problem, deep cabinet drawers can house your appliances.

If you have drawers already installed that are capable of holding your appliances, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to lift them onto the countertops when you intend to use them. If you have the space, you could always install a large drawer that can be pulled out for easy access. Deep drawers are a great addition to your kitchen because the organizational options are so vast.

Dish racks.Dish racks.

There are plenty of normal kitchen items that you can find on the market that are also collapsible, which means that once they’re used, they can be broken down into a more compact size and slipped into a corner. Thanks to the development of several standard kitchen staples, durable collapsible kitchen items aren’t hard to come by.

Things like collapsible food storage containers are a great way to save space inside your cabinets. Collapsible drying racks for your dishes can be folded down and tucked beneath the sink once the dishes are dry. Even foldable travel kettles can be used if you’re really determined to keep your countertops uncluttered. There are plenty of options on the market; you have to do some research to find some good ones.

Organization hooks.Organization hooks.

You already know that clutter on countertops can make kitchens look smaller than they are, especially your sink area, which is often surrounded by paper towels, dish and hand soap, brushes, and whatever cleaning solution you happen to keep close by. These items can draw unnecessary attention to the sink area, which can be distracting.

Instead of letting these kitchen necessities take up eye space in your kitchen, install hooks or a small rack on the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang things from the rack like spray bottles or a washcloth. Installing hooks on the doors will allow you to hang brushes, sponges, and other cleaning supplies from them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Geometric tile.Geometric tile.

Geometric patterns can offer a pop of pattern and color in any space. While these patterns are considered busy, they can also create the illusion of space, particularly when used sparingly and as accents. Not only do geometric patterns make for eye-catching and popular additions to a small space, but you can use them in many ways.

A geometric tile backsplash on a wall behind your counters can give the illusion of the room stretching upward. Subway style tiles can open up an area, and a black accent row of tiles can stretch the room horizontally. If installing a tiled backsplash isn’t within the budget, a geometric rug or floor runner can create the same illusion in a different way.

Ceiling beams.Ceiling beams.

Drawing the gaze upwards is a vital component of making a room seem larger, and what better way to accomplish that than by installing a pattern or a texture on the ceiling. This may seem daunting — installing something on the ceiling? This can be as simple as installing planked wood or beams or etching a drywall pattern. It’ll be difficult, but patterns on the ceiling can be a great way to draw the gaze upward, which will elongate any room upward if you choose your patterns to suit the space.

The easiest of these that will give you a pattern without overcrowding your potentially limited kitchen space is to install slender beams across the ceiling. If your kitchen is shaped like a rectangle, the best pattern to install is thin beams that cross horizontally, longwise. Since horizontal lines draw the gaze across, it gives the illusion of space.

Clean counters.Clean counters.

This piece of advice works best as a prophylactic, which means that you’re going to want to focus on cleaning as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter building up in the corner of your kitchen. Since the kitchen has so many surfaces, it’s easy to let clutter build up over time. Clutter and anything too busy can make a room seem smaller and more cramped.

To avoid this, you’re going to have to clean and organize as you go. After every meal, try and clean up any dishes you used and put them away after they’re clean. Keep your mixing bowls, utensils, and most everything else tucked away in drawers and cabinets, or at least up off the counters if you have open shelving. Some clutter is okay — but avoid the extensive collections.

20 Ways to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Larger

Small kitchens have never looked larger.
Tayler Tayler (42)
Feb 13, 2021
0

As more and more people start buying homes at later ages, the number of people renting apartments is increasing, too. According to data compiled by the Deutsche Bank, the average age that people are buying homes in the United States is 47, a number that has significantly increased since 1981 when the average age was 31. As a result, people are turning to rent apartments and buy small houses across the country.

While there are many benefits to renting one’s home, there are a collection of downfalls, namely being the limited amount of changes you can make to the space. This poses a problem for tiny spaces like the kitchen. Kitchens are, arguably, one of the most important rooms in your house, and they’re one of the ones that you’ll spend the most time in. This makes tiny kitchens inconvenient, difficult to work with, and sometimes an eyesore. To combat this, here are 20 different tips, tricks, and hacks so you can make your kitchen feel larger!

Posted in these interests:
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides

20 Ways to Make Your Small Kitchen Feel Larger

Small kitchens have never looked larger.
Tayler Tayler (42)
Feb 13, 2021
0
Tayler
 
Posted in these interests:
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides
Posted in these interests:
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides
 
In these interests
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides
h/kitchen2 guides
h/diy47 guides
h/home28 guides
A splash of color.A splash of color.

Using colors in your kitchen is a great way to easily enhance the space, especially with white being a commonly used color in kitchens. White is known for opening up spaces, which is why it’s frequently used in rentals, but colors can be used to open up a space nicely. Colors, in fact, can help contrast the white to make it look brighter, cleaner.

If you opt for white paint or a backsplash of white tiles, you can use different colors as accent points to make the whites seem brighter and cleaner. Don’t be afraid to incorporate accent colors like yellow, making an area appear sunnier, pale green, and teal. These colors will complement the white in your kitchen nicely!

Very yellow kitchen.Very yellow kitchen.

When incorporating colors in your kitchen, you mustn’t go overboard. Adding too many colors will make your kitchen appear darker and smaller. The more colors and patterns you include in your kitchen, the more light will be absorbed by these colors and textures.

You already know that white reflects light, which means that black absorbs light. The same can be said of dark colors, too. Furthermore, when you walk into a small space that is occupied by a lot of textures and colors, your eyes don’t know where to look first. This can give the room an indirect feeling of being cramped, making it appear much smaller. So as you set out to add color to the white of your kitchen, be careful to choose your colors carefully!

Glass cabinets doors.Glass cabinets doors.

An easy and passive way of adding more dimension to your kitchen is by installing cabinets with glass doors instead of solid ones is a fast and easy way to trick yourself into thinking your kitchen is larger than it is. It works like this: when you look into a kitchen with glass cabinets, the illusion of space is created as the space itself stretches deeper than the cabinet door.

The best way to make the most of your glass cabinets is by installing the panes of glass in lightly stained wood or cabinets that are painted a light color. Glass panes on dark cabinets aren’t as effective. If the idea of showing off the contents of your cabinets doesn’t appeal to you, however, you can always opt for glass panes with a frosted finish that hides your cabinets but still reflects light nicely.

Kitchen rug.Kitchen rug.

Rugs are a great way to make a room feel larger, especially if you like the sensation of softness under your feet. Rugs come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics — you name it, making finding the perfect rug for you and your design needs easy if you look hard enough.

While there are a ton of different patterns you can choose from, one such pattern that is ideal for making a small space feel larger is a rug with horizontal lines. Horizontal lines make your eyes move from side-to-side naturally which creates the illusion of a wider and more open space. Furthermore, horizontal lined patterns are easy to incorporate into a decoration style.

Kitchen lighting.Kitchen lighting.

If your rental kitchen doesn’t have access to natural lighting, incorporating more lights into your kitchen is a must. Not only will this shed light on you and your kitchen situation, but lights are a great way to open up an otherwise small and cramped space.

Most kitchens, rental or owned, come with an overhead light because we need light inside the kitchen. Few builders, however, are overly concerned with what kind of light is added. Because of this, many kitchens come with atrocious overhead lighting that is often either too dark or the wrong color for the space itself. Let’s jump into how you can add lights to your kitchen.

Recessed lighting.Recessed lighting.

For starters, you don’t want your lights standing in the middle of your kitchen, just as you wouldn’t place a floor lamp in the middle of your living room, which is why you want to start introducing light by tucking your lamps into corners.

Using lamps is a quick and easy way of introducing lights into your kitchen as you just have to plug it into a socket and go. You can also find lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors meaning you can pretty easily find something that suits your decor. Since kitchen corners are known to be cramped, opting for compact lighting options is ideal.

Under cabinet lights.Under cabinet lights.

Speaking of compact lighting, installing lights on the bottom and top of your cabinets is a great way to add light without taking up space. While illuminating the underside of your cabinets might seem like a no-brainer, installing lights on the tops of your cabinets, if there is a space between the cabinet and the ceiling, is a great way to make the room seem taller.

Because the human eye is drawn naturally to the darkest points of a room, illuminating the upper cabinets is a quick way to draw the gaze upward. Coupled with the lights on the bottom, the light will fill those naturally darker areas, giving the impression of a larger kitchen. This can easily be accomplished by a set of LED light strips.

Recessed lights.Recessed lights.

Recessed lighting is lighting that is installed directly into the ceiling, wall, or other surfaces, meaning there are no light fixtures to contend with. For small kitchens, recessed lighting allows you to completely open up space above your head. Light fixtures, while pretty and a fun decoration to pick out if you have lofted ceilings or an already large kitchen will only take up precious space. This makes recessed lights a good option for utilizing your space effectively.

Recessed lighting has an effect called wall washing. Wall washing is an effect that casts more light around the room when the right kind of trim is used and it allows the light to be more effectively distributed. Furthermore, recessed lighting is safer than hanging lights, too, as it is widely protected from dust, children, and general mishaps that hanging lights can be subject to.

Kitchen window.Kitchen window.

There are many benefits to using artificial lighting to your advantage, especially if you’re working with a room that doesn’t have access to much natural light, but natural light accomplishes this with a lot more ease. Natural light makes a room look larger and less confined. The kitchen is no exception to this rule.

If you have a window in your kitchen, try to emphasize it as much as possible by skipping the curtains. Your natural instinct might be to place plants by it but try to find another window in a room that isn’t as cramped as your kitchens.

Mirrors in kitchen.Mirrors in kitchen.

Installing mirrors is a quick and easy way to open up the room and manipulate natural light into darker corners. Mirrors aren’t an everyday staple in most kitchens but don’t be afraid to play around with small mirrors fixed to the walls across from a window or even a long, slender one fixed to a bare wall in an adjacent dining room. An accent mirror design is a good way to add an artistic element to your room.

You’re creating the illusion of depth as the mirrors will reflect the room around you. At a glance, these reflections will make it seem like the room extends into different corners. You’ll also be able to use the mirror to redirect the light around the room, which also adds the appearance of a brighter, more open area, which brings us to our next piece of advice: using natural lighting.

Island counter.Island counter.

If you have enough space to incorporate an island countertop in your kitchen configuration, opting for a lighter version isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s quite easy if you incorporate an open island design into your kitchen. Open islands are islands that are designed with open shelves, instead of closed off ones, which allows more light to pass through. It’s a great way to include more working surfaces in your kitchen without cramping the space.

Kitchen islands are often considered a luxury and they’re a great way to include a dining area without building a dining area in the space. They’re versatile, coming in many different shapes and sizes, and they’re often come with an area built into one side for stools and storage built into the other. If you want to incorporate an island into your kitchen, make sure you measure the space and account for the amount of area you’ll need to travel around it.

Light weight stools.Light weight stools.

You’re probably thinking: What is lightweight furniture? Lightweight furniture, for the purpose of this guide, refers to furniture that is light both in weight and size. For example, if you have an island counter built into your kitchen, as many rentals do because this is a great way to save space over building a dining area, opting for more compact barstools is an easy way to furnish your space while keeping it light.

When it comes to finding the perfect barstool, there are several styles you can choose from. An easy choice is the classic stools that don’t have backs to them or stools supporting the lower back. Stools that aren’t made of solid materials or that have shapes cut into the back is an easy way to keep everything open, too.

Expandable dining table.Expandable dining table.

If you’re adamant about having a dining table in your small kitchen, using a drop-leaf dining table in place of a full-sized one is a good way to save space. Drop-leaf dining tables are tables that can expand in size, either by the table expanding to allow an extra slab of a table, called a leaf, to be secured between two points or by having sides that can be folded down.

Drop-leaf tables are great for small spaces, especially for people who like to entertain from time to time. The unused sides can be pushed against the wall so the table isn’t encroaching on valuable kitchen space while still providing you with a place to dine.

Built-in stove.Built-in stove.

Picking appliances for your kitchen can be a daunting task, especially when you’re worried about space. After all — your appliances are one of the bulkiest things you can incorporate in your kitchen. Not only will you be cooking or cleaning with them for a large portion of your kitchen experience, but they’ll dominate your gaze as one of the most important staples in your kitchen. So, what can you do to make bulky appliances seem smaller?

The simple and easy answer is built-in appliances! Built-in appliance includes appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and even your microwave being installed in such a way that it looks like they’re installed right into the kitchen cabinets themselves. While a costly and time-consuming endeavor, as you’ll have to build the appliance into the cabinet system, built-in appliances create a smooth and seamless transition between surfaces. The smoother, the better, as your gaze won’t be drawn to the appliances themselves.

Single-bowl sink.Single-bowl sink.

A double-bowl sink, also referred to as a double sink, was popular before dishwashers were invented because the two sinks made for easy dishwashing, with one side serving as a rinsing area and the other side serving as the washing area. Double sinks also offer a place directly for drying racks, but what double sinks do, however, is make the area and surrounding area of your sink look smaller. If making your kitchen area larger is your priority, opt for a single-bowl sink.

Single-bowl sinks are easier to fit into small spaces because they’re, by nature, smaller. Double-bowl sinks have to contend with fitting two sizable bowls into a cramped space, which can become difficult, especially if space is your concern. Single-bowl sinks offer more space in a smaller space because you’re working from one large bowl instead of two small ones.

Stainless steel in a small kitchen.Stainless steel in a small kitchen.

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen with appliances, try and install monochromatic and metallic appliances. Monochromatic appliances, or appliances that are a single shade, will be unified in color across the room, meaning the eye won’t be too focused on any point in particular. While most appliances have a metallic finish, stainless steel finishes can help expand your kitchen.

Stainless steel finishes are very durable. They’re highly resistant to corrosion and, while you might not have to worry about corrosion in the kitchen, this makes stainless steel appliances durable to daily wear-and-tear. They’re also shiny, which is useful for reflecting light.

Shelves built up.Shelves built up.

It’s easy to forget just how much space is lost on the expanses of bare walls above the counters of our kitchens, especially if you’re starting bare-bones, without any wall cabinets or shelves installed. Your first thought might be to leave the walls bare to create the illusion of space, but building vertically is a great way to have storage and keep your space looking large.

Sometimes we need to get creative about how we use the space in our kitchens — particularly our small ones! When all space matters, even vertical is important, too. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can expand vertically.

Open shelf.Open shelf.

Floating shelves are a quick and easy way to open up a room while providing plenty of storage for you to stack your plates, bowls, and drinkware neatly. Because they’re relatively easier to install than standard cabinets, floating shelves are a great way to add dimension to a small kitchen if you’re eager to finish the task. They’re also customizable, the same way cabinets are, and can be painted and styled in many different ways.

Floating shelves pose a similar problem to cabinets with glass doors in that they draw the gaze to them. This means that over-cluttered or dirty shelves will only serve to over-crowd your kitchen. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll have to work harder to keep them clean.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

If you’re working with a small space, it’s important to scale down the size of your furniture if possible. You probably wouldn’t want to fit a large, six-burner stove in a kitchen that’s only a few feet wide because that stove would take up more of the kitchen than necessary, making the space seem a lot smaller than it is. The same goes for most other furniture in it.

When you go to furnish a room, it’s all about proportions and fitting proper furniture within those proportions. Make sure you’re scaling your appliances and counter space to fit the kitchen you have, not the kitchen you want.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

When it comes to moving into a small space, finding a proper place for your appliances, food, and utensils is a key component in making your kitchen feel larger. Put it this way: if your counters are completely cluttered and you have no idea where anything is, being in the kitchen, let alone cooking in the kitchen, can become a difficult and impossible task. Utilizing the space you have is the best and easiest way to make your kitchen feel larger.

As you set out to settle into a new space, spend some time looking at the space you’re working with. Take note of your counter space, your cabinet space, and carefully decide where everything will go. Keep this in mind: the fewer items you have on your countertops, the larger the space will appear. This brings us to the next and most important part of making sure you’re utilizing your space: the organization.

Organized cabinets.Organized cabinets.

If you take anything away from this guide, take this away: organizing your kitchen is the best way to make it feel larger. If everything has a place, you’ll be less inclined to set something down where it doesn’t belong. Not only will this help you keep it clean in the long run, but it will encourage you to think about how you can use the space properly.

Since you want to keep things organized from a face-value perspective (clean counters are a must), making sure you’re using the space in your cabinets and drawers is extremely important. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to accomplish this.

Tension rods.Tension rods.

Do you have a bunch of baking sheets taking up an abnormal amount of space in your cabinets? Baking sheets and dishes, while convenient and frequently used by the average person in the kitchen, can be extremely cumbersome to organize, especially if you’re already working with limited space.

An easy way to store your sheets is by using tension rods. Tension rods placed vertically on a cabinet shelf creates little slots that will hold your sheets in place. The great news is that you can easily adjust the spacing of the tension rods at any time so if you get a new sheet or pan that you want to cluster with similar ones, you’ll be able to do so.

Plates and bowls.Plates and bowls.

Most people stack their plates and bowls inside their cabinets, which is an okay way of storing tableware, but there are better, easier ways to store them, especially if you’re trying to use all the space that you can. Thankfully, you have a few different options for storing these necessities.

For starters, you can use a small shelf to create smaller levels that allow you to safely double-stack your dishes, letting you better utilize the space you have in your cabinets. You could also use the same tension rods you used for your baking sheets to stack your sheets vertically or use a plate rack stand. Either way, you have options!

Organized drawers.Organized drawers.

Keeping your drawers organized and tidy is a good way to ensure you’re keeping as many things as possible from your counters, which is a large component of making your kitchen appear larger than it is. Kitchen drawers come in many different shapes and sizes, which means you can control your cabinets and drawers’ size. Once you have that size in mind, there are ways for you to organize your drawers, so they stay nice and tidy.

Things like utensil organizers for your drawers and little compartments and box organizers are great ways to ensure your items are staying where they’re meant to. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you organize your drawers — you can use specialty purchased storage boxes or repurpose any boxes you come across in your online shopping!

Deep drawers.Deep drawers.

When it comes to accumulating small but bulky appliances, no room does this better than the kitchen. Between the toasters, food processors, crock pots, coffee pots, French presses, compost containers, and blenders, it’s no wonder that our counters and cabinets fill up quickly, leaving us to pack our surfaces full of clutter. To combat this problem, deep cabinet drawers can house your appliances.

If you have drawers already installed that are capable of holding your appliances, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to lift them onto the countertops when you intend to use them. If you have the space, you could always install a large drawer that can be pulled out for easy access. Deep drawers are a great addition to your kitchen because the organizational options are so vast.

Dish racks.Dish racks.

There are plenty of normal kitchen items that you can find on the market that are also collapsible, which means that once they’re used, they can be broken down into a more compact size and slipped into a corner. Thanks to the development of several standard kitchen staples, durable collapsible kitchen items aren’t hard to come by.

Things like collapsible food storage containers are a great way to save space inside your cabinets. Collapsible drying racks for your dishes can be folded down and tucked beneath the sink once the dishes are dry. Even foldable travel kettles can be used if you’re really determined to keep your countertops uncluttered. There are plenty of options on the market; you have to do some research to find some good ones.

Organization hooks.Organization hooks.

You already know that clutter on countertops can make kitchens look smaller than they are, especially your sink area, which is often surrounded by paper towels, dish and hand soap, brushes, and whatever cleaning solution you happen to keep close by. These items can draw unnecessary attention to the sink area, which can be distracting.

Instead of letting these kitchen necessities take up eye space in your kitchen, install hooks or a small rack on the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang things from the rack like spray bottles or a washcloth. Installing hooks on the doors will allow you to hang brushes, sponges, and other cleaning supplies from them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Geometric tile.Geometric tile.

Geometric patterns can offer a pop of pattern and color in any space. While these patterns are considered busy, they can also create the illusion of space, particularly when used sparingly and as accents. Not only do geometric patterns make for eye-catching and popular additions to a small space, but you can use them in many ways.

A geometric tile backsplash on a wall behind your counters can give the illusion of the room stretching upward. Subway style tiles can open up an area, and a black accent row of tiles can stretch the room horizontally. If installing a tiled backsplash isn’t within the budget, a geometric rug or floor runner can create the same illusion in a different way.

Ceiling beams.Ceiling beams.

Drawing the gaze upwards is a vital component of making a room seem larger, and what better way to accomplish that than by installing a pattern or a texture on the ceiling. This may seem daunting — installing something on the ceiling? This can be as simple as installing planked wood or beams or etching a drywall pattern. It’ll be difficult, but patterns on the ceiling can be a great way to draw the gaze upward, which will elongate any room upward if you choose your patterns to suit the space.

The easiest of these that will give you a pattern without overcrowding your potentially limited kitchen space is to install slender beams across the ceiling. If your kitchen is shaped like a rectangle, the best pattern to install is thin beams that cross horizontally, longwise. Since horizontal lines draw the gaze across, it gives the illusion of space.

Clean counters.Clean counters.

This piece of advice works best as a prophylactic, which means that you’re going to want to focus on cleaning as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter building up in the corner of your kitchen. Since the kitchen has so many surfaces, it’s easy to let clutter build up over time. Clutter and anything too busy can make a room seem smaller and more cramped.

To avoid this, you’re going to have to clean and organize as you go. After every meal, try and clean up any dishes you used and put them away after they’re clean. Keep your mixing bowls, utensils, and most everything else tucked away in drawers and cabinets, or at least up off the counters if you have open shelving. Some clutter is okay — but avoid the extensive collections.

A splash of color.A splash of color.

Using colors in your kitchen is a great way to easily enhance the space, especially with white being a commonly used color in kitchens. White is known for opening up spaces, which is why it’s frequently used in rentals, but colors can be used to open up a space nicely. Colors, in fact, can help contrast the white to make it look brighter, cleaner.

If you opt for white paint or a backsplash of white tiles, you can use different colors as accent points to make the whites seem brighter and cleaner. Don’t be afraid to incorporate accent colors like yellow, making an area appear sunnier, pale green, and teal. These colors will complement the white in your kitchen nicely!

A splash of color.A splash of color.

Using colors in your kitchen is a great way to easily enhance the space, especially with white being a commonly used color in kitchens. White is known for opening up spaces, which is why it’s frequently used in rentals, but colors can be used to open up a space nicely. Colors, in fact, can help contrast the white to make it look brighter, cleaner.

If you opt for white paint or a backsplash of white tiles, you can use different colors as accent points to make the whites seem brighter and cleaner. Don’t be afraid to incorporate accent colors like yellow, making an area appear sunnier, pale green, and teal. These colors will complement the white in your kitchen nicely!

Step 1: Add a splash of color where you can

Very yellow kitchen.Very yellow kitchen.

When incorporating colors in your kitchen, you mustn’t go overboard. Adding too many colors will make your kitchen appear darker and smaller. The more colors and patterns you include in your kitchen, the more light will be absorbed by these colors and textures.

You already know that white reflects light, which means that black absorbs light. The same can be said of dark colors, too. Furthermore, when you walk into a small space that is occupied by a lot of textures and colors, your eyes don’t know where to look first. This can give the room an indirect feeling of being cramped, making it appear much smaller. So as you set out to add color to the white of your kitchen, be careful to choose your colors carefully!

Very yellow kitchen.Very yellow kitchen.

When incorporating colors in your kitchen, you mustn’t go overboard. Adding too many colors will make your kitchen appear darker and smaller. The more colors and patterns you include in your kitchen, the more light will be absorbed by these colors and textures.

You already know that white reflects light, which means that black absorbs light. The same can be said of dark colors, too. Furthermore, when you walk into a small space that is occupied by a lot of textures and colors, your eyes don’t know where to look first. This can give the room an indirect feeling of being cramped, making it appear much smaller. So as you set out to add color to the white of your kitchen, be careful to choose your colors carefully!

Don’t go overboard with the color, though!

Glass cabinets doors.Glass cabinets doors.

An easy and passive way of adding more dimension to your kitchen is by installing cabinets with glass doors instead of solid ones is a fast and easy way to trick yourself into thinking your kitchen is larger than it is. It works like this: when you look into a kitchen with glass cabinets, the illusion of space is created as the space itself stretches deeper than the cabinet door.

The best way to make the most of your glass cabinets is by installing the panes of glass in lightly stained wood or cabinets that are painted a light color. Glass panes on dark cabinets aren’t as effective. If the idea of showing off the contents of your cabinets doesn’t appeal to you, however, you can always opt for glass panes with a frosted finish that hides your cabinets but still reflects light nicely.

Glass cabinets doors.Glass cabinets doors.

An easy and passive way of adding more dimension to your kitchen is by installing cabinets with glass doors instead of solid ones is a fast and easy way to trick yourself into thinking your kitchen is larger than it is. It works like this: when you look into a kitchen with glass cabinets, the illusion of space is created as the space itself stretches deeper than the cabinet door.

The best way to make the most of your glass cabinets is by installing the panes of glass in lightly stained wood or cabinets that are painted a light color. Glass panes on dark cabinets aren’t as effective. If the idea of showing off the contents of your cabinets doesn’t appeal to you, however, you can always opt for glass panes with a frosted finish that hides your cabinets but still reflects light nicely.

Step 2: Install cabinets with glass doors

Used here
Costzon Kitchen Storage SideboardCheck Price
Kitchen rug.Kitchen rug.

Rugs are a great way to make a room feel larger, especially if you like the sensation of softness under your feet. Rugs come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics — you name it, making finding the perfect rug for you and your design needs easy if you look hard enough.

While there are a ton of different patterns you can choose from, one such pattern that is ideal for making a small space feel larger is a rug with horizontal lines. Horizontal lines make your eyes move from side-to-side naturally which creates the illusion of a wider and more open space. Furthermore, horizontal lined patterns are easy to incorporate into a decoration style.

Kitchen rug.Kitchen rug.

Rugs are a great way to make a room feel larger, especially if you like the sensation of softness under your feet. Rugs come in many different colors, shapes, sizes, fabrics — you name it, making finding the perfect rug for you and your design needs easy if you look hard enough.

While there are a ton of different patterns you can choose from, one such pattern that is ideal for making a small space feel larger is a rug with horizontal lines. Horizontal lines make your eyes move from side-to-side naturally which creates the illusion of a wider and more open space. Furthermore, horizontal lined patterns are easy to incorporate into a decoration style.

Step 3: Use a patterned rug

Used here
HEBE Cotton Area RugsCheck Price
Kitchen lighting.Kitchen lighting.

If your rental kitchen doesn’t have access to natural lighting, incorporating more lights into your kitchen is a must. Not only will this shed light on you and your kitchen situation, but lights are a great way to open up an otherwise small and cramped space.

Most kitchens, rental or owned, come with an overhead light because we need light inside the kitchen. Few builders, however, are overly concerned with what kind of light is added. Because of this, many kitchens come with atrocious overhead lighting that is often either too dark or the wrong color for the space itself. Let’s jump into how you can add lights to your kitchen.

Kitchen lighting.Kitchen lighting.

If your rental kitchen doesn’t have access to natural lighting, incorporating more lights into your kitchen is a must. Not only will this shed light on you and your kitchen situation, but lights are a great way to open up an otherwise small and cramped space.

Most kitchens, rental or owned, come with an overhead light because we need light inside the kitchen. Few builders, however, are overly concerned with what kind of light is added. Because of this, many kitchens come with atrocious overhead lighting that is often either too dark or the wrong color for the space itself. Let’s jump into how you can add lights to your kitchen.

Step 4: Use lights to your advantage

Recessed lighting.Recessed lighting.

For starters, you don’t want your lights standing in the middle of your kitchen, just as you wouldn’t place a floor lamp in the middle of your living room, which is why you want to start introducing light by tucking your lamps into corners.

Using lamps is a quick and easy way of introducing lights into your kitchen as you just have to plug it into a socket and go. You can also find lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors meaning you can pretty easily find something that suits your decor. Since kitchen corners are known to be cramped, opting for compact lighting options is ideal.

Recessed lighting.Recessed lighting.

For starters, you don’t want your lights standing in the middle of your kitchen, just as you wouldn’t place a floor lamp in the middle of your living room, which is why you want to start introducing light by tucking your lamps into corners.

Using lamps is a quick and easy way of introducing lights into your kitchen as you just have to plug it into a socket and go. You can also find lamps in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors meaning you can pretty easily find something that suits your decor. Since kitchen corners are known to be cramped, opting for compact lighting options is ideal.

Tuck your lights into corners

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LED Flush Mount Ceiling LightCheck Price
Under cabinet lights.Under cabinet lights.

Speaking of compact lighting, installing lights on the bottom and top of your cabinets is a great way to add light without taking up space. While illuminating the underside of your cabinets might seem like a no-brainer, installing lights on the tops of your cabinets, if there is a space between the cabinet and the ceiling, is a great way to make the room seem taller.

Because the human eye is drawn naturally to the darkest points of a room, illuminating the upper cabinets is a quick way to draw the gaze upward. Coupled with the lights on the bottom, the light will fill those naturally darker areas, giving the impression of a larger kitchen. This can easily be accomplished by a set of LED light strips.

Under cabinet lights.Under cabinet lights.

Speaking of compact lighting, installing lights on the bottom and top of your cabinets is a great way to add light without taking up space. While illuminating the underside of your cabinets might seem like a no-brainer, installing lights on the tops of your cabinets, if there is a space between the cabinet and the ceiling, is a great way to make the room seem taller.

Because the human eye is drawn naturally to the darkest points of a room, illuminating the upper cabinets is a quick way to draw the gaze upward. Coupled with the lights on the bottom, the light will fill those naturally darker areas, giving the impression of a larger kitchen. This can easily be accomplished by a set of LED light strips.

Install lights under your cabinets

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Under Cabinet LED LightingCheck Price
Recessed lights.Recessed lights.

Recessed lighting is lighting that is installed directly into the ceiling, wall, or other surfaces, meaning there are no light fixtures to contend with. For small kitchens, recessed lighting allows you to completely open up space above your head. Light fixtures, while pretty and a fun decoration to pick out if you have lofted ceilings or an already large kitchen will only take up precious space. This makes recessed lights a good option for utilizing your space effectively.

Recessed lighting has an effect called wall washing. Wall washing is an effect that casts more light around the room when the right kind of trim is used and it allows the light to be more effectively distributed. Furthermore, recessed lighting is safer than hanging lights, too, as it is widely protected from dust, children, and general mishaps that hanging lights can be subject to.

Recessed lights.Recessed lights.

Recessed lighting is lighting that is installed directly into the ceiling, wall, or other surfaces, meaning there are no light fixtures to contend with. For small kitchens, recessed lighting allows you to completely open up space above your head. Light fixtures, while pretty and a fun decoration to pick out if you have lofted ceilings or an already large kitchen will only take up precious space. This makes recessed lights a good option for utilizing your space effectively.

Recessed lighting has an effect called wall washing. Wall washing is an effect that casts more light around the room when the right kind of trim is used and it allows the light to be more effectively distributed. Furthermore, recessed lighting is safer than hanging lights, too, as it is widely protected from dust, children, and general mishaps that hanging lights can be subject to.

Install recessed overhead lights

Used here
Hyperikon 6 Inch LED Recessed LightingCheck Price
Kitchen window.Kitchen window.

There are many benefits to using artificial lighting to your advantage, especially if you’re working with a room that doesn’t have access to much natural light, but natural light accomplishes this with a lot more ease. Natural light makes a room look larger and less confined. The kitchen is no exception to this rule.

If you have a window in your kitchen, try to emphasize it as much as possible by skipping the curtains. Your natural instinct might be to place plants by it but try to find another window in a room that isn’t as cramped as your kitchens.

Kitchen window.Kitchen window.

There are many benefits to using artificial lighting to your advantage, especially if you’re working with a room that doesn’t have access to much natural light, but natural light accomplishes this with a lot more ease. Natural light makes a room look larger and less confined. The kitchen is no exception to this rule.

If you have a window in your kitchen, try to emphasize it as much as possible by skipping the curtains. Your natural instinct might be to place plants by it but try to find another window in a room that isn’t as cramped as your kitchens.

Step 5: Use natural light to your advantage

Mirrors in kitchen.Mirrors in kitchen.

Installing mirrors is a quick and easy way to open up the room and manipulate natural light into darker corners. Mirrors aren’t an everyday staple in most kitchens but don’t be afraid to play around with small mirrors fixed to the walls across from a window or even a long, slender one fixed to a bare wall in an adjacent dining room. An accent mirror design is a good way to add an artistic element to your room.

You’re creating the illusion of depth as the mirrors will reflect the room around you. At a glance, these reflections will make it seem like the room extends into different corners. You’ll also be able to use the mirror to redirect the light around the room, which also adds the appearance of a brighter, more open area, which brings us to our next piece of advice: using natural lighting.

Mirrors in kitchen.Mirrors in kitchen.

Installing mirrors is a quick and easy way to open up the room and manipulate natural light into darker corners. Mirrors aren’t an everyday staple in most kitchens but don’t be afraid to play around with small mirrors fixed to the walls across from a window or even a long, slender one fixed to a bare wall in an adjacent dining room. An accent mirror design is a good way to add an artistic element to your room.

You’re creating the illusion of depth as the mirrors will reflect the room around you. At a glance, these reflections will make it seem like the room extends into different corners. You’ll also be able to use the mirror to redirect the light around the room, which also adds the appearance of a brighter, more open area, which brings us to our next piece of advice: using natural lighting.

Step 6: Use mirrors to reflect natural light

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Elements Round Wall-Mount MirrorsCheck Price
Island counter.Island counter.

If you have enough space to incorporate an island countertop in your kitchen configuration, opting for a lighter version isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s quite easy if you incorporate an open island design into your kitchen. Open islands are islands that are designed with open shelves, instead of closed off ones, which allows more light to pass through. It’s a great way to include more working surfaces in your kitchen without cramping the space.

Kitchen islands are often considered a luxury and they’re a great way to include a dining area without building a dining area in the space. They’re versatile, coming in many different shapes and sizes, and they’re often come with an area built into one side for stools and storage built into the other. If you want to incorporate an island into your kitchen, make sure you measure the space and account for the amount of area you’ll need to travel around it.

Island counter.Island counter.

If you have enough space to incorporate an island countertop in your kitchen configuration, opting for a lighter version isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s quite easy if you incorporate an open island design into your kitchen. Open islands are islands that are designed with open shelves, instead of closed off ones, which allows more light to pass through. It’s a great way to include more working surfaces in your kitchen without cramping the space.

Kitchen islands are often considered a luxury and they’re a great way to include a dining area without building a dining area in the space. They’re versatile, coming in many different shapes and sizes, and they’re often come with an area built into one side for stools and storage built into the other. If you want to incorporate an island into your kitchen, make sure you measure the space and account for the amount of area you’ll need to travel around it.

Step 7: Choose an open island

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Hodedah Kitchen IslandCheck Price
Light weight stools.Light weight stools.

You’re probably thinking: What is lightweight furniture? Lightweight furniture, for the purpose of this guide, refers to furniture that is light both in weight and size. For example, if you have an island counter built into your kitchen, as many rentals do because this is a great way to save space over building a dining area, opting for more compact barstools is an easy way to furnish your space while keeping it light.

When it comes to finding the perfect barstool, there are several styles you can choose from. An easy choice is the classic stools that don’t have backs to them or stools supporting the lower back. Stools that aren’t made of solid materials or that have shapes cut into the back is an easy way to keep everything open, too.

Light weight stools.Light weight stools.

You’re probably thinking: What is lightweight furniture? Lightweight furniture, for the purpose of this guide, refers to furniture that is light both in weight and size. For example, if you have an island counter built into your kitchen, as many rentals do because this is a great way to save space over building a dining area, opting for more compact barstools is an easy way to furnish your space while keeping it light.

When it comes to finding the perfect barstool, there are several styles you can choose from. An easy choice is the classic stools that don’t have backs to them or stools supporting the lower back. Stools that aren’t made of solid materials or that have shapes cut into the back is an easy way to keep everything open, too.

Step 8: Buy lightweight furniture

Used here
Rivet Modern Wood Kitchen Counter BarstoolCheck Price
Expandable dining table.Expandable dining table.

If you’re adamant about having a dining table in your small kitchen, using a drop-leaf dining table in place of a full-sized one is a good way to save space. Drop-leaf dining tables are tables that can expand in size, either by the table expanding to allow an extra slab of a table, called a leaf, to be secured between two points or by having sides that can be folded down.

Drop-leaf tables are great for small spaces, especially for people who like to entertain from time to time. The unused sides can be pushed against the wall so the table isn’t encroaching on valuable kitchen space while still providing you with a place to dine.

Expandable dining table.Expandable dining table.

If you’re adamant about having a dining table in your small kitchen, using a drop-leaf dining table in place of a full-sized one is a good way to save space. Drop-leaf dining tables are tables that can expand in size, either by the table expanding to allow an extra slab of a table, called a leaf, to be secured between two points or by having sides that can be folded down.

Drop-leaf tables are great for small spaces, especially for people who like to entertain from time to time. The unused sides can be pushed against the wall so the table isn’t encroaching on valuable kitchen space while still providing you with a place to dine.

Use a drop-leaf dining table

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International Concepts Small Drop-leaf TableCheck Price
Built-in stove.Built-in stove.

Picking appliances for your kitchen can be a daunting task, especially when you’re worried about space. After all — your appliances are one of the bulkiest things you can incorporate in your kitchen. Not only will you be cooking or cleaning with them for a large portion of your kitchen experience, but they’ll dominate your gaze as one of the most important staples in your kitchen. So, what can you do to make bulky appliances seem smaller?

The simple and easy answer is built-in appliances! Built-in appliance includes appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and even your microwave being installed in such a way that it looks like they’re installed right into the kitchen cabinets themselves. While a costly and time-consuming endeavor, as you’ll have to build the appliance into the cabinet system, built-in appliances create a smooth and seamless transition between surfaces. The smoother, the better, as your gaze won’t be drawn to the appliances themselves.

Built-in stove.Built-in stove.

Picking appliances for your kitchen can be a daunting task, especially when you’re worried about space. After all — your appliances are one of the bulkiest things you can incorporate in your kitchen. Not only will you be cooking or cleaning with them for a large portion of your kitchen experience, but they’ll dominate your gaze as one of the most important staples in your kitchen. So, what can you do to make bulky appliances seem smaller?

The simple and easy answer is built-in appliances! Built-in appliance includes appliances like your refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, and even your microwave being installed in such a way that it looks like they’re installed right into the kitchen cabinets themselves. While a costly and time-consuming endeavor, as you’ll have to build the appliance into the cabinet system, built-in appliances create a smooth and seamless transition between surfaces. The smoother, the better, as your gaze won’t be drawn to the appliances themselves.

Install built-in appliances

Single-bowl sink.Single-bowl sink.

A double-bowl sink, also referred to as a double sink, was popular before dishwashers were invented because the two sinks made for easy dishwashing, with one side serving as a rinsing area and the other side serving as the washing area. Double sinks also offer a place directly for drying racks, but what double sinks do, however, is make the area and surrounding area of your sink look smaller. If making your kitchen area larger is your priority, opt for a single-bowl sink.

Single-bowl sinks are easier to fit into small spaces because they’re, by nature, smaller. Double-bowl sinks have to contend with fitting two sizable bowls into a cramped space, which can become difficult, especially if space is your concern. Single-bowl sinks offer more space in a smaller space because you’re working from one large bowl instead of two small ones.

Single-bowl sink.Single-bowl sink.

A double-bowl sink, also referred to as a double sink, was popular before dishwashers were invented because the two sinks made for easy dishwashing, with one side serving as a rinsing area and the other side serving as the washing area. Double sinks also offer a place directly for drying racks, but what double sinks do, however, is make the area and surrounding area of your sink look smaller. If making your kitchen area larger is your priority, opt for a single-bowl sink.

Single-bowl sinks are easier to fit into small spaces because they’re, by nature, smaller. Double-bowl sinks have to contend with fitting two sizable bowls into a cramped space, which can become difficult, especially if space is your concern. Single-bowl sinks offer more space in a smaller space because you’re working from one large bowl instead of two small ones.

Step 9: Install a single-bowl sink

Used here
MENSARJOR 17'' x 19'' Single Bowl Kitchen SinkCheck Price
Stainless steel in a small kitchen.Stainless steel in a small kitchen.

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen with appliances, try and install monochromatic and metallic appliances. Monochromatic appliances, or appliances that are a single shade, will be unified in color across the room, meaning the eye won’t be too focused on any point in particular. While most appliances have a metallic finish, stainless steel finishes can help expand your kitchen.

Stainless steel finishes are very durable. They’re highly resistant to corrosion and, while you might not have to worry about corrosion in the kitchen, this makes stainless steel appliances durable to daily wear-and-tear. They’re also shiny, which is useful for reflecting light.

Stainless steel in a small kitchen.Stainless steel in a small kitchen.

When it comes to outfitting your kitchen with appliances, try and install monochromatic and metallic appliances. Monochromatic appliances, or appliances that are a single shade, will be unified in color across the room, meaning the eye won’t be too focused on any point in particular. While most appliances have a metallic finish, stainless steel finishes can help expand your kitchen.

Stainless steel finishes are very durable. They’re highly resistant to corrosion and, while you might not have to worry about corrosion in the kitchen, this makes stainless steel appliances durable to daily wear-and-tear. They’re also shiny, which is useful for reflecting light.

Step 10: Choose appliances with reflective surfaces

Shelves built up.Shelves built up.

It’s easy to forget just how much space is lost on the expanses of bare walls above the counters of our kitchens, especially if you’re starting bare-bones, without any wall cabinets or shelves installed. Your first thought might be to leave the walls bare to create the illusion of space, but building vertically is a great way to have storage and keep your space looking large.

Sometimes we need to get creative about how we use the space in our kitchens — particularly our small ones! When all space matters, even vertical is important, too. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can expand vertically.

Shelves built up.Shelves built up.

It’s easy to forget just how much space is lost on the expanses of bare walls above the counters of our kitchens, especially if you’re starting bare-bones, without any wall cabinets or shelves installed. Your first thought might be to leave the walls bare to create the illusion of space, but building vertically is a great way to have storage and keep your space looking large.

Sometimes we need to get creative about how we use the space in our kitchens — particularly our small ones! When all space matters, even vertical is important, too. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can expand vertically.

Step 11: Build vertically

Open shelf.Open shelf.

Floating shelves are a quick and easy way to open up a room while providing plenty of storage for you to stack your plates, bowls, and drinkware neatly. Because they’re relatively easier to install than standard cabinets, floating shelves are a great way to add dimension to a small kitchen if you’re eager to finish the task. They’re also customizable, the same way cabinets are, and can be painted and styled in many different ways.

Floating shelves pose a similar problem to cabinets with glass doors in that they draw the gaze to them. This means that over-cluttered or dirty shelves will only serve to over-crowd your kitchen. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll have to work harder to keep them clean.

Open shelf.Open shelf.

Floating shelves are a quick and easy way to open up a room while providing plenty of storage for you to stack your plates, bowls, and drinkware neatly. Because they’re relatively easier to install than standard cabinets, floating shelves are a great way to add dimension to a small kitchen if you’re eager to finish the task. They’re also customizable, the same way cabinets are, and can be painted and styled in many different ways.

Floating shelves pose a similar problem to cabinets with glass doors in that they draw the gaze to them. This means that over-cluttered or dirty shelves will only serve to over-crowd your kitchen. If you opt for floating shelves, you’ll have to work harder to keep them clean.

Use floating shelves

Used here
Wood Floating ShelvesCheck Price
Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

If you’re working with a small space, it’s important to scale down the size of your furniture if possible. You probably wouldn’t want to fit a large, six-burner stove in a kitchen that’s only a few feet wide because that stove would take up more of the kitchen than necessary, making the space seem a lot smaller than it is. The same goes for most other furniture in it.

When you go to furnish a room, it’s all about proportions and fitting proper furniture within those proportions. Make sure you’re scaling your appliances and counter space to fit the kitchen you have, not the kitchen you want.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

If you’re working with a small space, it’s important to scale down the size of your furniture if possible. You probably wouldn’t want to fit a large, six-burner stove in a kitchen that’s only a few feet wide because that stove would take up more of the kitchen than necessary, making the space seem a lot smaller than it is. The same goes for most other furniture in it.

When you go to furnish a room, it’s all about proportions and fitting proper furniture within those proportions. Make sure you’re scaling your appliances and counter space to fit the kitchen you have, not the kitchen you want.

Step 12: Scale down when and where you can

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

When it comes to moving into a small space, finding a proper place for your appliances, food, and utensils is a key component in making your kitchen feel larger. Put it this way: if your counters are completely cluttered and you have no idea where anything is, being in the kitchen, let alone cooking in the kitchen, can become a difficult and impossible task. Utilizing the space you have is the best and easiest way to make your kitchen feel larger.

As you set out to settle into a new space, spend some time looking at the space you’re working with. Take note of your counter space, your cabinet space, and carefully decide where everything will go. Keep this in mind: the fewer items you have on your countertops, the larger the space will appear. This brings us to the next and most important part of making sure you’re utilizing your space: the organization.

Small kitchen.Small kitchen.

When it comes to moving into a small space, finding a proper place for your appliances, food, and utensils is a key component in making your kitchen feel larger. Put it this way: if your counters are completely cluttered and you have no idea where anything is, being in the kitchen, let alone cooking in the kitchen, can become a difficult and impossible task. Utilizing the space you have is the best and easiest way to make your kitchen feel larger.

As you set out to settle into a new space, spend some time looking at the space you’re working with. Take note of your counter space, your cabinet space, and carefully decide where everything will go. Keep this in mind: the fewer items you have on your countertops, the larger the space will appear. This brings us to the next and most important part of making sure you’re utilizing your space: the organization.

Step 13: Find a place for all of your items

Organized cabinets.Organized cabinets.

If you take anything away from this guide, take this away: organizing your kitchen is the best way to make it feel larger. If everything has a place, you’ll be less inclined to set something down where it doesn’t belong. Not only will this help you keep it clean in the long run, but it will encourage you to think about how you can use the space properly.

Since you want to keep things organized from a face-value perspective (clean counters are a must), making sure you’re using the space in your cabinets and drawers is extremely important. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to accomplish this.

Organized cabinets.Organized cabinets.

If you take anything away from this guide, take this away: organizing your kitchen is the best way to make it feel larger. If everything has a place, you’ll be less inclined to set something down where it doesn’t belong. Not only will this help you keep it clean in the long run, but it will encourage you to think about how you can use the space properly.

Since you want to keep things organized from a face-value perspective (clean counters are a must), making sure you’re using the space in your cabinets and drawers is extremely important. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to accomplish this.

Step 14: Carefully organize your cabinets

Tension rods.Tension rods.

Do you have a bunch of baking sheets taking up an abnormal amount of space in your cabinets? Baking sheets and dishes, while convenient and frequently used by the average person in the kitchen, can be extremely cumbersome to organize, especially if you’re already working with limited space.

An easy way to store your sheets is by using tension rods. Tension rods placed vertically on a cabinet shelf creates little slots that will hold your sheets in place. The great news is that you can easily adjust the spacing of the tension rods at any time so if you get a new sheet or pan that you want to cluster with similar ones, you’ll be able to do so.

Tension rods.Tension rods.

Do you have a bunch of baking sheets taking up an abnormal amount of space in your cabinets? Baking sheets and dishes, while convenient and frequently used by the average person in the kitchen, can be extremely cumbersome to organize, especially if you’re already working with limited space.

An easy way to store your sheets is by using tension rods. Tension rods placed vertically on a cabinet shelf creates little slots that will hold your sheets in place. The great news is that you can easily adjust the spacing of the tension rods at any time so if you get a new sheet or pan that you want to cluster with similar ones, you’ll be able to do so.

Set your baking sheets up right

Used here
6 Pack Spring Tension Curtain RodCheck Price
Plates and bowls.Plates and bowls.

Most people stack their plates and bowls inside their cabinets, which is an okay way of storing tableware, but there are better, easier ways to store them, especially if you’re trying to use all the space that you can. Thankfully, you have a few different options for storing these necessities.

For starters, you can use a small shelf to create smaller levels that allow you to safely double-stack your dishes, letting you better utilize the space you have in your cabinets. You could also use the same tension rods you used for your baking sheets to stack your sheets vertically or use a plate rack stand. Either way, you have options!

Plates and bowls.Plates and bowls.

Most people stack their plates and bowls inside their cabinets, which is an okay way of storing tableware, but there are better, easier ways to store them, especially if you’re trying to use all the space that you can. Thankfully, you have a few different options for storing these necessities.

For starters, you can use a small shelf to create smaller levels that allow you to safely double-stack your dishes, letting you better utilize the space you have in your cabinets. You could also use the same tension rods you used for your baking sheets to stack your sheets vertically or use a plate rack stand. Either way, you have options!

Figure out the best way to store your tableware

Organized drawers.Organized drawers.

Keeping your drawers organized and tidy is a good way to ensure you’re keeping as many things as possible from your counters, which is a large component of making your kitchen appear larger than it is. Kitchen drawers come in many different shapes and sizes, which means you can control your cabinets and drawers’ size. Once you have that size in mind, there are ways for you to organize your drawers, so they stay nice and tidy.

Things like utensil organizers for your drawers and little compartments and box organizers are great ways to ensure your items are staying where they’re meant to. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you organize your drawers — you can use specialty purchased storage boxes or repurpose any boxes you come across in your online shopping!

Organized drawers.Organized drawers.

Keeping your drawers organized and tidy is a good way to ensure you’re keeping as many things as possible from your counters, which is a large component of making your kitchen appear larger than it is. Kitchen drawers come in many different shapes and sizes, which means you can control your cabinets and drawers’ size. Once you have that size in mind, there are ways for you to organize your drawers, so they stay nice and tidy.

Things like utensil organizers for your drawers and little compartments and box organizers are great ways to ensure your items are staying where they’re meant to. Don’t be afraid to get creative with how you organize your drawers — you can use specialty purchased storage boxes or repurpose any boxes you come across in your online shopping!

Step 15: Organize your drawers

Used here
Kitchen Drawer OrganizerCheck Price
Deep drawers.Deep drawers.

When it comes to accumulating small but bulky appliances, no room does this better than the kitchen. Between the toasters, food processors, crock pots, coffee pots, French presses, compost containers, and blenders, it’s no wonder that our counters and cabinets fill up quickly, leaving us to pack our surfaces full of clutter. To combat this problem, deep cabinet drawers can house your appliances.

If you have drawers already installed that are capable of holding your appliances, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to lift them onto the countertops when you intend to use them. If you have the space, you could always install a large drawer that can be pulled out for easy access. Deep drawers are a great addition to your kitchen because the organizational options are so vast.

Deep drawers.Deep drawers.

When it comes to accumulating small but bulky appliances, no room does this better than the kitchen. Between the toasters, food processors, crock pots, coffee pots, French presses, compost containers, and blenders, it’s no wonder that our counters and cabinets fill up quickly, leaving us to pack our surfaces full of clutter. To combat this problem, deep cabinet drawers can house your appliances.

If you have drawers already installed that are capable of holding your appliances, you’re in luck because you’ll be able to lift them onto the countertops when you intend to use them. If you have the space, you could always install a large drawer that can be pulled out for easy access. Deep drawers are a great addition to your kitchen because the organizational options are so vast.

Step 16: Store your small appliances in drawers

Dish racks.Dish racks.

There are plenty of normal kitchen items that you can find on the market that are also collapsible, which means that once they’re used, they can be broken down into a more compact size and slipped into a corner. Thanks to the development of several standard kitchen staples, durable collapsible kitchen items aren’t hard to come by.

Things like collapsible food storage containers are a great way to save space inside your cabinets. Collapsible drying racks for your dishes can be folded down and tucked beneath the sink once the dishes are dry. Even foldable travel kettles can be used if you’re really determined to keep your countertops uncluttered. There are plenty of options on the market; you have to do some research to find some good ones.

Dish racks.Dish racks.

There are plenty of normal kitchen items that you can find on the market that are also collapsible, which means that once they’re used, they can be broken down into a more compact size and slipped into a corner. Thanks to the development of several standard kitchen staples, durable collapsible kitchen items aren’t hard to come by.

Things like collapsible food storage containers are a great way to save space inside your cabinets. Collapsible drying racks for your dishes can be folded down and tucked beneath the sink once the dishes are dry. Even foldable travel kettles can be used if you’re really determined to keep your countertops uncluttered. There are plenty of options on the market; you have to do some research to find some good ones.

Step 17: Look for collapsible things when possible

Used here
Thin Bins Collapsible ContainersCheck PriceTravel Foldable Electric KettleCheck PriceCollapsible Drying Dish Storage RackCheck Price
Organization hooks.Organization hooks.

You already know that clutter on countertops can make kitchens look smaller than they are, especially your sink area, which is often surrounded by paper towels, dish and hand soap, brushes, and whatever cleaning solution you happen to keep close by. These items can draw unnecessary attention to the sink area, which can be distracting.

Instead of letting these kitchen necessities take up eye space in your kitchen, install hooks or a small rack on the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang things from the rack like spray bottles or a washcloth. Installing hooks on the doors will allow you to hang brushes, sponges, and other cleaning supplies from them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Organization hooks.Organization hooks.

You already know that clutter on countertops can make kitchens look smaller than they are, especially your sink area, which is often surrounded by paper towels, dish and hand soap, brushes, and whatever cleaning solution you happen to keep close by. These items can draw unnecessary attention to the sink area, which can be distracting.

Instead of letting these kitchen necessities take up eye space in your kitchen, install hooks or a small rack on the inside of your cabinet doors. You can hang things from the rack like spray bottles or a washcloth. Installing hooks on the doors will allow you to hang brushes, sponges, and other cleaning supplies from them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Step 18: Put hooks on the inside of your cabinet doors

Used here
Kitchen Wall HooksCheck Price
Geometric tile.Geometric tile.

Geometric patterns can offer a pop of pattern and color in any space. While these patterns are considered busy, they can also create the illusion of space, particularly when used sparingly and as accents. Not only do geometric patterns make for eye-catching and popular additions to a small space, but you can use them in many ways.

A geometric tile backsplash on a wall behind your counters can give the illusion of the room stretching upward. Subway style tiles can open up an area, and a black accent row of tiles can stretch the room horizontally. If installing a tiled backsplash isn’t within the budget, a geometric rug or floor runner can create the same illusion in a different way.

Geometric tile.Geometric tile.

Geometric patterns can offer a pop of pattern and color in any space. While these patterns are considered busy, they can also create the illusion of space, particularly when used sparingly and as accents. Not only do geometric patterns make for eye-catching and popular additions to a small space, but you can use them in many ways.

A geometric tile backsplash on a wall behind your counters can give the illusion of the room stretching upward. Subway style tiles can open up an area, and a black accent row of tiles can stretch the room horizontally. If installing a tiled backsplash isn’t within the budget, a geometric rug or floor runner can create the same illusion in a different way.

Step 19: Use patterns to create accents

Ceiling beams.Ceiling beams.

Drawing the gaze upwards is a vital component of making a room seem larger, and what better way to accomplish that than by installing a pattern or a texture on the ceiling. This may seem daunting — installing something on the ceiling? This can be as simple as installing planked wood or beams or etching a drywall pattern. It’ll be difficult, but patterns on the ceiling can be a great way to draw the gaze upward, which will elongate any room upward if you choose your patterns to suit the space.

The easiest of these that will give you a pattern without overcrowding your potentially limited kitchen space is to install slender beams across the ceiling. If your kitchen is shaped like a rectangle, the best pattern to install is thin beams that cross horizontally, longwise. Since horizontal lines draw the gaze across, it gives the illusion of space.

Ceiling beams.Ceiling beams.

Drawing the gaze upwards is a vital component of making a room seem larger, and what better way to accomplish that than by installing a pattern or a texture on the ceiling. This may seem daunting — installing something on the ceiling? This can be as simple as installing planked wood or beams or etching a drywall pattern. It’ll be difficult, but patterns on the ceiling can be a great way to draw the gaze upward, which will elongate any room upward if you choose your patterns to suit the space.

The easiest of these that will give you a pattern without overcrowding your potentially limited kitchen space is to install slender beams across the ceiling. If your kitchen is shaped like a rectangle, the best pattern to install is thin beams that cross horizontally, longwise. Since horizontal lines draw the gaze across, it gives the illusion of space.

Install a pattern on the ceiling

Used here
Hand Hewn Faux Wood BeamCheck Price
Clean counters.Clean counters.

This piece of advice works best as a prophylactic, which means that you’re going to want to focus on cleaning as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter building up in the corner of your kitchen. Since the kitchen has so many surfaces, it’s easy to let clutter build up over time. Clutter and anything too busy can make a room seem smaller and more cramped.

To avoid this, you’re going to have to clean and organize as you go. After every meal, try and clean up any dishes you used and put them away after they’re clean. Keep your mixing bowls, utensils, and most everything else tucked away in drawers and cabinets, or at least up off the counters if you have open shelving. Some clutter is okay — but avoid the extensive collections.

Clean counters.Clean counters.

This piece of advice works best as a prophylactic, which means that you’re going to want to focus on cleaning as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter building up in the corner of your kitchen. Since the kitchen has so many surfaces, it’s easy to let clutter build up over time. Clutter and anything too busy can make a room seem smaller and more cramped.

To avoid this, you’re going to have to clean and organize as you go. After every meal, try and clean up any dishes you used and put them away after they’re clean. Keep your mixing bowls, utensils, and most everything else tucked away in drawers and cabinets, or at least up off the counters if you have open shelving. Some clutter is okay — but avoid the extensive collections.

Step 20: Avoid unnecessary clutter

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40 Home Cleaning Hacks Guaranteed to Save You Time and Money

From baking soda to toothpaste, you have lots of great cleaning tools to use.
Michael Michael (140)
Feb 6, 2021
0

Let’s face it. No one has the time they need right now to devote to a thorough cleaning of their house. Just cleaning the bathroom can take up half the day! Let alone cleaning the living room, kitchen, windows, floors…. Just listing them all is making us tired!

That’s why we made this list of 40 of the best DIY house-cleaning hacks we could find. You’ll find that these home cleaning hacks will save you loads of time and show you new ways to clean the parts of your house that are hardest to clean. (We’re looking at you blinds!)

If you find that cleaning the house takes you way too much time, then you’ll appreciate many of the household cleaning tips and tricks you’ll find below.

White VinegarWhite Vinegar ×1

Howchoo is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you.

aluminum foil scrubberaluminum foil scrubber
Pinterest

If you have some seriously stuck-on mess on a glass baking dish, then you know that you have a problem. No matter how long you soak it, it’s going to be difficult to remove that stuff. No need to go out and spend money on expensive steel wool scrubbers when you have a roll of aluminum foil handy!

How to make a DIY aluminum foil scrubber

  • Pull a sheet of aluminum foil from the roll.
  • Crinkle the foil sheet up into a ball.
  • Add a little bit of soap to it.
  • And use it to clean your glass baking dish.
air vents whiteair vents white
Pinterest

Changing your air filters regularly is a must to ensure that you’re breathing the cleanest air possible in your house and to prevent fires from backed-up air vents. And while you are at it, why not get rid of all that dust that’s collected between the air vents? It’s just going to restrict your home’s airflow.

To clean air vents

  • Soak a rag in some warm water.
  • Wrap the rag around a butter knife.
  • Push the knife through each vent, back and forth, until clean.
freshen garbage disposal with lemonsfreshen garbage disposal with lemons

If your garbage disposal is beginning to smell, there’s a simple way to clean it up! Just run a few wedges of lemons or limes through the garbage disposal to both detoxify it and freshen its smell.

Soap scum on shower doorSoap scum on shower door
Pinterest

One of the most frustrating things to clean when cleaning your bathroom is that impossible-to-remove soap scum on the glass door of the shower.

DIY glass shower door cleaner

diy glass shower door cleanerdiy glass shower door cleaner

Combine in a spray bottle:

  • 1/2 bottle of dishwashing soap
  • 1/2 bottle of white vinegar

Spray the mixture onto the glass shower door and let sit for about 10 minutes. Then simply scrub off the soap scum with a cleaning brush.

DIY daily shower cleaner

daily shower cleanerdaily shower cleaner

If you’re the kind of person who prefers to prevent the soap scum from even building up, then a daily shower cleaner can do just that! Cutting back on the soap and adding some essential oil will make a great daily shower cleaner.

Combine in a spray bottle:

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons of dish soap
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • A few drops of peroxide and isopropyl alcohol (optional)
  • 20-25 drops of essential oil (try lemon)
microwave dirty spongemicrowave dirty sponge
Pinterest

Sponge’s do just what their name implies: they soak up everything! That includes bacteria. And while making sure to wring out your sponge of water each time you’re done with it is great, a sponge still will be the most bacteria-ridden thing in your entire house.

To clean the sponge and disinfect it, microwave it for 30 seconds on high. Is that it? Yup!

ceiling fans paint rollerceiling fans paint roller
Pinterest

Don’t keep standing on that rickety old chair to dust the top of your ceiling fans, which—trust us—definitely could use a good dusting.

Instead, grab that paint roller that’s been sitting in your garage or closet, and just roll it back and forth across the top of the ceiling fan’s blades.

Magic Eraser Cleaning hackMagic Eraser Cleaning hack

I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me something amazing about the Magic Eraser. “It actually removed those crayon stains right off of the wall!” or “It single-handedly renovated my bathroom!” We get it. It’s amazing.

Magic Eraser before and afterMagic Eraser before and after

Things you didn’t know a Magic Eraser could remove

  • coffee stains
  • scuff marks
  • soap scum
  • mold
  • dry erase boards
  • hair coloring
  • windshield bugs
  • even permanent marker
magic eraser on kitchen stovemagic eraser on kitchen stove

And because the magic eraser costs less than a dollar per sponge, it’s a really great cleaning tool to have handy for just about…well…everything!

Steam clean microwaveSteam clean microwave
Pinterest

If it’s been a while since you’ve last cleaned your microwave, you might find that some of that stuck-on food is hard to remove. To loosen the good and grime:

  • Place a bowl of water in the microwave.
  • Run the microwave on high for about 3 minutes.

The steam will loosen up the debris inside, making it much easier to clean. All you’ll need to do is wipe it down with a paper towel.

olive oil buff woodolive oil buff wood
Pinterest

Everyone is using olive oil nowadays because of its healthy fat properties in terms of food. But did you know that olive oil makes a great buffing oil for just about every surface in your home? Not only does it give it a nice shine, but it also protects it from certain kinds of damage.

Put some olive oil onto a paper towel and rub it on the surface you want to buff.

You can also use coconut oil and other oils.

DIY Wood Surface Polisher

diy wooden furniture polishdiy wooden furniture polish

For wood surfaces, add 1-part lemon juice to 2-parts olive oil for a great wooden furniture polish!

baking soda and vinegar for cleaningbaking soda and vinegar for cleaning

There are lots of reasons to want a DIY non-toxic all-purpose cleaner to have handy. Maybe you don’t want the chemicals from commercial cleaners? Or maybe you have a newborn in the house and need something safe with which to clean your surfaces. Either way, we’ll show you how to make a great all-purpose cleaner with only baking soda and white vinegar.

How to make your own DIY all-purpose cleaner

In a spray bottle, add:

  • 1 part vinegar
  • 1 part water
  • 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda

Shake it to mix it. And enjoy your non-toxic cleaner!

Uses for baking soda and vinegar cleaner

  • unclogs drains
  • removes soap scum from shower/tub
  • disinfects surfaces in kitchen and bathroom
  • cleans glass
  • cleans the oven (cuts grease)

Avoid using any kind of vinegar on wood surfaces, which can corrode them.

alcohol on carpet stainsalcohol on carpet stains
Pinterest

Who would have thought that old bottle of vodka sitting in your cupboard would have a secondary life?! Alcohol is a great disinfectant, but did you know it’s also great at getting stains out of fabrics and carpets?

Vodka carpet cleaner

  • If you’re using vodka on the carpet, put some in a spray bottle and spray it onto the area of the carpet that’s stained. Be generous with how much you spray.
  • Let it sit for about 5 minutes or until the stain starts to clear.
  • Blot off the excess vodka from the carpet. Don’t rub!

Using vodka on clothing or fabric stains

  • Drench the end of a cloth or rag in the vodka.
  • Apply a generous amount to the stain.
  • Let it soak for a few minutes.
  • Carefully blot off the stain. Do not rub!
dryer sheetsdryer sheets

To add a refreshing smell to the rooms in your house, place a dryer sheet or two in the air vent, right on top of the filter. You can also tape a dryer sheet to just about any air conditioning or heating vent in the house. Just make sure to choose a dryer sheet with a scent that you really love. It creates a very nice, mild aroma that lasts about 1 month.

grated potatoesgrated potatoes
Pinterest

If you have some stuck-on stuff and/or stains on your grater, just grate a raw potato to remove them. It works great.

And when you’ve thrown away the initial potato used to remove the gunk, why not continue grating some potatoes to make some hash browns?!

Rust stains on clothesRust stains on clothes

Salt is a natural osmotic—meaning that it draws water toward it to the surface. So when you put salt on a stain in a piece of fabric or clothing, it draws whatever’s causing the stain towards the surface, so it can be wiped away clean. This even works on tough stains like rust stains.

How to remove a stain with salt

  • Pour some salt on top of the stain.
  • Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  • Wash the fabric with soap and water.
  • Repeat if necessary.

Don’t rub the salt into the fabric, or you might tear it.

compressed air cleanercompressed air cleaner
Pinterest

Compressed air (or Air-in-a-can) is typically marketed to be used on electronics, as it safely removes dust from the inside of a keyboard or computer. And it works for great those purposes!

But did you know you could use it to clean those narrow crevices in your car? How about cleaning out the container for your vacuum? There are many narrow crevices in your home that could benefit from an air-clean!

water stains cleanedwater stains cleaned
Pinterest

You’re not going to believe this one, but it works like a charm! If you have some foamy shaving cream in the house, you have an excellent water stain removal system! If not, consider buying a cheap tube of shaving cream the next time you’re at the store, as it’s definitely cheaper than a commercial cleaner for water stains caused by hard water.

How to remove water stains caused by hard water with shaving cream

shaving cream Pinterestshaving cream Pinterest

To remove hard water stains from surfaces like glass shower doors or faucets:

  • Apply foam-based shaving cream to the surface.
  • Let is sit for about 15 minutes.
  • Wipe away.
vinegar bags on shower headvinegar bags on shower head
Pinterest

After a time, your metal shower head will definitely stain, no matter how clean you try to keep it. And, if you have hard water, then the staining will be even worse. But we have a great trick you can do now and then to remove those stains.

  • Fill a medium-sized plastic bag with vinegar.
  • Tie it around your shower head.
  • Let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
  • Remove the bag.
  • Wipe away any remaining stain.
squeegee for clean windowssqueegee for clean windows
Pinterest

The best way to achieve a streak-free shine on your windows is with a good old-fashioned squeegee! And if you get a long-handled squeegee, then you can more easily reach the higher windows in your home and wash the windows from the outside of your house too. It’s seriously a must-have for those who appreciate looking out a window.

How to wash windows with a squeegee

  • Pour a little window cleaner in a small bucket of warm water and mix.
  • Dip the sponge-end into the soapy water.
  • Scrub the window.
  • Scrape the window with the rubber squeegee to remove the soapy water completely.
Rubber glove pet hairRubber glove pet hair
Pinterest

Sometimes when cleaning a dog or cat’s hair, you simply can’t get all of it with a vacuum. Or you’re about to go out and notice that your t-shirt is covered in your dog’s fur. This can be really frustrating (particularly if you have a dog that sheds like crazy)!

Grab a rubber glove, like the kind you’d use for washing dishes, and wipe the area with the glove. It grabs the pet hair really well!

sliced sponge on window trackssliced sponge on window tracks
Pinterest

The dirt that builds up in between the tracks for your window (if you have that kind of window) is pretty incredible. And cleaning between the tracks can be frustrating and nearly impossible. Here’s a hack that uses a basic kitchen sponge to easily clean the window tracks.

How to clean between window tracks

  • Grab a kitchen sponge.
  • Push the kitchen sponge down onto the window tracks.
  • When you lift the sponge, mark the spots where the tracks met the sponge.
  • Slice along those lines.
  • Put the sponge in some soapy water.
  • Glide along the window tracks with the slices around the tracks.
Cast iron panCast iron pan
Pinterest

There are entire blogs dedicated to the benefits of using cast-iron in your cooking routine. But what turns many people off of cast-iron is that you can’t clean it the traditional ways. That’s true. You should never use soap on cast iron.

But you can totally use some sea salt. Just pour some into the pan with a little water and scrub away any mess. Then make sure to rinse and dry completely to avoid any rust.

soft paint brushsoft paint brush
Pinterest

If you have a soft paintbrush laying around, you have the perfect tool to get in-between surfaces like blinds (especially wood blinds) and piano keys. Just make sure the brush is soft enough so that it doesn’t scratch the surfaces you’re trying to dust.

carefully placed runners in housecarefully placed runners in house
Pinterest

If you have kids, you know how important it is to stop spreading dirt and dust to every corner of your house. A well-placed rug can remove the dirt and catch the dust to stop it from going all over the house.

Good places to place rugs and runners

  • Entryways and exits
  • Hallways
  • Bedrooms near the bed
  • Bathrooms
toothpaste clean sneakerstoothpaste clean sneakers
Pinterest

If toothpaste works great on your pearly whites, why not on your white sneakers!? It turns out that toothpaste does a great job refreshing those sneakers. If you use a toothbrush, the bristles can actually unclog the dirt from the tiny crevices as well.

cleaning a ceiling fancleaning a ceiling fan
Pinterest

If you’re doing a big house cleaning…you know the kind I’m talking about…the kind of cleaning you do a few times per year where everything gets cleaned—be sure to start your cleaning from the top of the rooms to the bottom of the room. (Hence the phrase: clean from the top down.)

If you clean from the top down, all of that dust and dirt that you wipe off of your ceiling fans or shelves will find their way on the floor. Then when you do the floors, you’ll sweet that all up. If you don’t, you’ll just be adding dust to the floors you just cleaned.

baking soda on couchbaking soda on couch
Pinterest

Baking soda is a natural odor neutralizer. It works to soak up odors and neutralize them naturally. Many companies add some artificial scents to baking soda and brand them as carpet and fabric odor neutralizers. You can make one for yourself for a fraction of the cost!

How to clean your couch with baking soda

  • First, sprinkle baking soda on your couch, lightly over the entire thing.
  • Let it sit for about 30 minutes.
  • Vacuum all of the baking soda off the couch.

Bonus: DIY fabric deodorizer

dried flowers deodorizerdried flowers deodorizer

Why not sprinkle some dried lavender, dried roses, or other dried flower into the baking soda to give your couch a heavenly aroma?!

burnt pan cleaned with vinegarburnt pan cleaned with vinegar
Pinterest

It happens to every home chef once and a while. You left the pan on too high of heat or got caught up watching X-Files in another room. (Don’t judge me.) The burnt oil and other stuff in the pan can be almost impossible to remove with soap alone. Trust me.

How to clean a burnt or scorched pan

  • Pour enough white vinegar into the pan to completely cover the burnt stuff.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Boil for about 30 seconds.
  • Remove from the stove.
  • Add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda.
  • Let it cool.
  • Scrub off the burnt stuff!
Play-doh on spilt glitterPlay-doh on spilt glitter
Pinterest

Good luck trying to get up all of that spilled glitter! It gets in everything, and even with a wet paper towel, you’ll have a hard time getting it all. The glint off of the glitter will drive you nuts for years.

If you have a kid (and if you’re using glitter, we assume you might), then you likely have some Play-Doh handy. Just take some Play-Doh out and roll it around over the glitter to pick it all up.

cleaning jewelry in dish soapcleaning jewelry in dish soap
Pinterest

No need to buy some expensive jewelry cleaner to clean your wedding rings or precious jewelry. But you also shouldn’t use any harsh chemicals to clean them.

How to clean jewelry with dish soap

  • Make sure any drains are closed to prevent the jewelry from falling in and getting lost.
  • Fill a bowl with some warm water and a bit of mild dish soap.
  • Use a toothbrush to scrub the jewelry in the bowl to clean it.
baking soda in stinky shoesbaking soda in stinky shoes
Pinterest

It happens—particularly with those old sneakers or slippers that you can’t bring yourself to get rid of. They get stinky after a while. And throwing them in the washing machine too many times takes its toll on them.

How to freshen stinky shoes

Method 1 – Baking Soda
  • Add baking soda to the inside of the shoes and leave in for a few hours.
  • Vacuum out the baking soda.
Method 2 – Dryer Sheets
  • Lay a dryer sheet in each shoe.
  • Let sit overnight.

Combine both methods for maximum deodorizing effect!

dishwasherdishwasher
Pinterest

You can totally clean certain stovetop parts like the knobs, grates, and drip pans (if you’re cooking with gas). The dishwasher actually does a really great job of getting some of the stuck-on gunk off the stove parts. And it’s a lot easier to clean. That’s why you got a dishwasher, right?!

dryer next to clothesdryer next to clothes
Pinterest

So you wanted to wear that new shirt, but you forgot to throw it in the washer! Even if you dry the piece of clothing by itself, it will likely take 10-15 minutes.

Instead, throw a dry towel in with the clothes when you dry them. The dry towel will soak up the wetness, and the clothes will dry more quickly.

descale coffee makerdescale coffee maker
Pinterest

You know that gunk that’s been building up at the bottom of your coffee carafe and in your coffee maker? You’ve been drinking that! Pretty gross, right?

Well, it’s easy to descale your coffee maker by just running some vinegar through like you would a normal coffee cycle.

How to clean your coffee maker with vinegar

  • Mix half-water and half-vinegar in your carafe.
  • Add it to the coffee maker.
  • Run a brew cycle.
  • Repeat two more times.
  • Run a couple of cycles with just water to get the vinegar out.

We have a guide on cleaning your coffee maker to learn a more comprehensive way to do this.

clean kitchen cabinets with a vacuumclean kitchen cabinets with a vacuum
Pinterest

Good luck trying to reach those top shelves! You’ll find yourself balancing dangerously on top of your kitchen counter as you stick a wet rag into the back of the top shelves—no need to risk all that.

Grab a vacuum and use the attachments to clean out the top-most shelves in your kitchen cabinets. The vacuum will grab dust and any particles that may have collected there. Do this regularly, so the dust doesn’t get sticky (particularly above the stove).

old socks to clean blindsold socks to clean blinds
Pinterest

No one likes to clean vinyl blinds, as It can really test your patience to clean both sides of each panel. But what if we told you that we could cut the amount of time you spend cleaning the blinds in half. With what? An old sock!

Grab an old sock and place it over your hand. Wet the end of the sock and pinch each blind panel as you run your hand across it, cleaning both sides of the blind’s panels.

baby wipesbaby wipes
Pinterest

If you have a baby, then you’ll have lots of baby wipes around—and the messes that leave spots on your clothes and fabrics. Well…the good news is that baby wipes have very gentle soaps that work great for spot-cleaning fabrics without damaging them.

Just dab the baby wipe onto the spot on the fabric until it’s wet. Then, you should be able to dab again with a paper towel to remove the stain.

tennis balls in dryertennis balls in dryer
Pinterest

Most comforters can (and should) be washed occasionally in a machine washer. The issue is (particularly for down comforters) is that the fluff can bunch up on one side of the comforter and not properly dry. It will also leave you with a lumpy mess of comforter after.

To prevent this, place a couple of tennis balls in the dryer when you dry the comforter. The tennis balls will beat the comforter as it dries, spreading around the fluff inside the comforter to ensure that it dries evenly and stays neat.

vacuum drapes and curtainsvacuum drapes and curtains
Pinterest

There’s no need to wash your drapes and curtains in the washing machine to clean them every time.

All you need to do is use your fabric attachment with your vacuum to remove the dust and debris that has collected on your curtains and/or drapes. If you have a wet/dry vac, then you could even go a step further and clean them with that.

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Pinterest

As with anything, be careful when doing this.

Do you kids like jumping on the bed? What kid doesn’t! The next time you’re looking to freshen up your mattress a bit, you have the perfect excuse to surprise your kids with an invitation to jump to their heart’s content!

To freshen a mattress

  • Have your kids jump up and down on the mattress (carefully).
  • Use a vacuum when they’re done to remove the dust that’s been fluffed-out.
Baking soda in dishwasher to cleanBaking soda in dishwasher to clean
Pinterest

If your dishwasher is a cleaning tool, do you still have to clean it too? Of course! Just like you have to make sure your sponges are disinfected regularly.

How to clean a dishwasher

In an empty dishwasher:

  • Spread about 1 cup of baking soda throughout the bottom of the dishwasher.
  • Let it sit overnight.
  • Run white vinegar through the dishwasher on the hottest setting, placing it where you normally put the soap.
  • Make sure you clean out the filter too.
Michael's profile pictureMichael
Joined in 2020 140 guides
A maker at heart, Michael loves all things DIY. Michael is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor. He has published two books of poetry and has writing in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, and many others. He has taught writing at colleges across the country, and managed many leading literary magazines to national prominence. Now, he’s excited to devote his energies full time to Howchoo. He currently resides in the Tampa-area with his wife and puppy.
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The 30+ Weirdest Video Games of All Time

Things are getting a little strange in here.
Ash Ash (325)
Feb 6, 2021
0

Not all games are created equal. Some are notoriously addictive; some are imaginative and beautiful, others break into your home and smash every remaining shred of understanding you had left, like Link on a quest to destroy every pot in Hyrule. These games aren’t just weird; they’re the weirdest of the weird.

We don’t know why these games are the way they are, but we’re trying to accept it. And you can, too! If you’re tired of playing the same old games, this list is guaranteed to have something new to try out.

We ranked these weird games from weird to weirdest! As with any top-of-list, these games are purely subjective. If you think we missed something, let us know.

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DropsyDropsy
Devolver Digital

Developer: Devolver Digital

Release Date: September 2015

If you’re a fan of point and click games, you might appreciate this strange take on the classic formula. The main star of this game is a really creepy clown who explores a wondrous world of uncertainties and unique characters.

NeverhoodNeverhood
The Neverhood, Inc.

Developer: The Neverhood, Inc.

Release Date: 1996

From the creator of Earthworm Jim, Neverhood follows the adventures of Klaymen: an interesting protagonist made of clay. In fact, this entire game is made of clay and features claymation (clay-based stop motion animation). It’s a point-and-click style game that works great with this art style.

VibribbonVibribbon
NanaOn-Sha

Developer: NanaOn-Sha

Release Date: December 1999

This game has a really bizarre art style accompanied by an even weirder soundtrack. You control a bunny named Vibri who runs along a mobius strip known as the Vib-ribbon. You must jump and avoid obstacles to the beat of the music. This is one game that’s hard to describe. You have to see and hear it for yourself.

I Am BreadI Am Bread
Bossa Studios

Developer: Bossa Studios

Release Date: 2015

I Am Bread is exactly what it sounds like. You are bread, and you must become toast! This bread simulator is an action-adventure title and one of the only food-person adventure games we’ve ever encountered. It was released in 2015 by Bossa Studios.

LSD Dream EmulatorLSD Dream Emulator
Asmik Ace Entertainment

Developer: Asmik Ace Entertainment

Release Date: October 1998

Players don’t really play this game; they experience it. It was first released in 1998. The goal is to wander through in-game environments that change as you move and interact with the world. This game is well-known for its surreal game setting and lack of overall objective.

Among the SleepAmong the Sleep
Krillbite Studio

Developer: Krillbite Studio

Release Date: November 2017

In this game, you play as a child who has woken up in the middle of the night. On a quest for your mother, this game invokes a nightmarish world filled with unexpected horrors. The child’s perspective of this game and immersive world-building are truly unique but one of the most bizarre game experiences we’ve ever had.

Cargo Quest for GravityCargo Quest for Gravity
Ice-Pick Lodge

Developer: Ice-Pick Lodge

Release Date: April 2011

Your goal is to use a catalog of building assets to construct abstract machines and vehicles to overcome obstacles in the game. The in-game world is inhabited by these strange, naked creatures called buddies. Your goal is to make them happy and restore gravity to their homeworld.

CradleCradle
Flying Cafe for Semianimals

Developer: Flying Cafe for Semianimals

Release Date: July 2015

Cradle is an interesting creation, to say the least. It’s not the most interactive game, but its story and artwork are definitely unique. The character designs are memorable, as is your main quest to build a robot lady and uncover the mysteries of her unknown past.

BIT.TRIP BEATBIT.TRIP BEAT
Choice Provisions

Developer: Choice Provisions

Release Date: March 2009

Rhythm games are open to a lot of opportunities when it comes to development. BIT.TRIP Beat combined the classic Pong with music for a rainbow, pixelated experience in space with an extra blast of techno. As fun as this game was, it’s still an odd combination of elements that stands out against other games.

The VoidThe Void
Ice-Pick Lodge

Developer: Ice-Pick Lodge

Release Date: April 2008

Some games have weird gameplay, while others are all about building up a weird setting—like The Void by Ice-Pick Lodge. This game is known for its creepy environment and unique, spooky atmosphere. The Void was first published in Russia but later made its way to the US.

A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on BloboloniaA Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia
Imagineering

Developer: Imagineering

Release Date: 1989

When researching for our list, one game kept recurring in my research and when asking around for ideas: A Boy and his Blob. This game was first released in 1989 for the NES. Players must feed their blob friend jelly beans to make him change shape. The blob takes the form of different tools that can be used to explore the world and solve problems. The game was later re-released for the Nintendo Wii.

AaAaAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for GravityAaAaAA!!! - A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
Dejobaan Games

Developer: Dejobaan Games

Release Date: September 2009

The weirder they are, the farther they fall. This game has unique gameplay in which players must carefully guide a falling character to specific landing pads. The entire experience is first-person and one of the strangest mechanisms for gameplay we’ve seen.

0rbitalis0rbitalis
Alan Zucconi

Developer: Alan Zucconi

Release Date: May 2015

Some games take skill; some take chance. 0rbitalis is like playing with a slingshot that can launch objects around a planet. The goal is to keep satellites in orbit as long as possible. It’s a simple game but notably strange in a sea of platformers and RPGs.

Job SimulatorJob Simulator
Owlchemy Labs

Developer: Owlchemy Labs

Release Date: April 2016

Want to know what it’s like to work? You need to check out Job Simulator—a VR experience from the future with a bizarre take on what it was like for people to work in the 21st century. Enjoy all the tedious labor of a cubicle with the delightful narration of a misguided host.

Elite Beat AgentsElite Beat Agents
iNiS Corporation

Developer: iNiS Corporation

Release Date: November 2006

Saving the world never looked so…groovy? In this game, you’re spies. Funky spies. And you’ve got to dance your troubles away. The game features motion comic stories that don’t always make sense as to why they require secret agents to help save the day, but any excuse to play Sk8r Boi again on the DS is good enough for the dev team iNiS Corporation. Overall, Elite Beat Agents is a genuinely fun rhythm game that still holds up in 2021.

Catlateral DamageCatlateral Damage
Chris Chung

Developer: Chris Chung

Release Date: August 2013

In this game, you are a cat, and your mission is to knock everything off the table…and the counter…actually, all of it must go. Knock everything over and get the highest score you possibly can! This might be the most accurate cat simulator we’ll ever experience in our lifetimes and definitely stands up as one of the weirdest games around.

PaRappa the RapperPaRappa the Rapper
NanaOn-Sha

Developer: NanaOn-Sha

Release Date: December 1996

There’s never been a rhythm game as fresh as PaRappa the Rapper for the PlayStation. You play as PaRappa, a dog learning how to rap, training under a master teacher. Buttons must be pressed at the right time to complete a song successfully. It was released in 1996 and is definitely a product of the era. We love PaRappa, but it’s one of the strangest titles you’ll ever come across.

PikminPikmin
Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Release Date: October 2001

One of the most creative yet strange virtual worlds is found in the Pikmin franchise. In the original game, you play as Omar, a little guy who crash lands on an unknown planet inhabited by cute little creatures with leaves and flowers on top of their heads.

Donkey KongaDonkey Konga
Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Release Date: 2003

Donkey Kong is well known for chucking barrels and kicking it with his simian friends in Donkey Kong Country. But one of the weirdest side games in the Donkey Kong franchise was Donkey Konga. Players use a special controller shaped like bongo drums that respond to taps and claps. It featured popular songs from modern artists at the time, like R.E.M. and Good Charlotte.

Desert BusDesert Bus
Absolute Entertainment

Developer: Absolute Entertainment

Release Date: April 1995

Magician duo Penn and Teller are the masterminds (if we can call them that) behind Desert Bus. The player drives a bus in real t-time from Tuscon, Arizona to Las Vegas, which takes about eight hours. There are no other characters, and the scenery is limited to the occasional tree or rock. The vehicle constantly veers to the right requiring the player’s full attention, or they risk being towed back to the starting point (again in real-time). One point is scored for a successful trip down, with another point available for completing a subsequent trip back to Tuscon.

Mister MosquitoMister Mosquito
Zoom

Developer: Zoom

Release Date: June 2001

This game is really weird and totally sucks but not in the way you might expect. In this title, you play as a mosquito sucking blood from people without getting their attention. Apparently, mosquitos stock up on blood for the winter, and it’s your job to help get ready for the cold season. Be careful to go unnoticed, or the humans you’re feeding on will become hostile.

Crazy BusCrazy Bus
Venezuelan Sega Genesis Team

Developer: Venezuelan Sega Genesis Team

Release Date: 2004

This title hardly qualifies as a game, but user input is required, so we’re putting it down! The Sega Genesis team in Venezuela created this demo. Users choose from a list of busses and drive them across the screen to the horrifying audio screeching sound from the Genesis sound card.

SeamanSeaman
Yoot Saito

Developer: Yoot Saito

Release Date: July 1999

Who needs Neopets or a Tamagotchi when you could get Seaman for the Dreamcast? For a virtual pet, these guys aren’t exactly cute, but they sure are involved. These virtual fish have human-like faces and need daily attention, or they might die.

Typing of the DeadTyping of the Dead
Sega

Developer: Sega

Release Date: 1999

How are you going to stop the zombie apocalypse? By keeping your pointer fingers on F and J, of course! Instead of shooting zombies to take them down, this game requires the player to type words without error to defeat these horrible undead foes. Is this a trick to get kids to practice typing? Who cares! Who wouldn’t want to learn with software as fun as this?

WarioWareWarioWare
Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Release Date: 1994

Mini-games go with Nintendo titles like sprinkles on a cupcake. Warioware is nothing but minigames, and boy, are they strange! Players have seconds to grasp the goal of a random minigame and complete it before the timer runs out. They range from reasonable things like hula hooping and frying vegetables to crazy games that require the player to shred an alarm clock with a cheese grater or pull nose hair from an oversized nose.

The Stanley ParableThe Stanley Parable
Davey Wreden, William Pugh

Developer: Davey Wreden, William Pugh

Release Date: July 2011

The Stanley Parable is a weird game, and it isn’t. Just kidding but not really. You play as Stanley and explore the world around you while a narrator comments on your actions every step of the way. There are 19 possible outcomes and plenty of ways to play. The most notable part of this game is the narration, which features the voice of Kevan Brighting.

Goat SimulatorGoat Simulator
Coffee Stain Studios

Developer: Coffee Stain Studios

Release Date: April 2014

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a goat? Goat Simulator won’t help you in any way, shape, or form despite the name. It will, however, provide one of the most memorable experiences you can have while gaming. You play as a goat, exploring the virtual world and racking up points doing who knows what without so much of a nod to the laws of physics. This game is hard to explain. You just have to check it out.

Hatoful BoyfriendHatoful Boyfriend
PigeoNation Inc.

Developer: PigeoNation Inc.

Release Date: July 2011

There’s really nothing out there like Hatoful Boyfriend and it’s easy to say it isn’t for everyone. In short, this is a pigeon dating simulator. You read that right and we don’t have much of an explanation. It plays like your typical visual novel but all of the love interests are pigeons with notably distinct personalities. You play as the only human attending St. PigeoNation’s Institute.

The name is a play on words that doesn’t translate directly to English. The word ハートフル (hatofuru/hatoful) can translate to heartful or hurtful while 鳩 (hato) means pigeon.

Katamari DamacyKatamari Damacy
Namco

Developer: Namco

Release Date: March 2004

The name of this game translates literally to clump spirit. The player’s goal is to roll things into a giant ball. Anything smaller than the ball will stick to it. Katamari is well known for its bizarre character design and colorful environment. Katamari Damacy is a well-established classic revered for its fun and experimental gameplay.

Muscle MarchMuscle March
Namco Bandai

Developer: Namco Bandai

Release Date: May 2009

Muscle March was made for the Nintendo Wii and released in 2009 on the official Nintendo Wii store. As the name suggests, it’s got muscles but what it doesn’t have is march. That is to say, all of the playable characters in this game are bodybuilders, but the player must copy the position of the front-most character as the team runs single-file through walls chasing down wrongdoers. You must move the Wiimotes to match the arm position of the broken wall to get through. If you mess up too many times, you have to start over. The best part of this game is the crazy soundtrack, which helps create bizarre, immersive gameplay.

Noby Noby BoyNoby Noby Boy
Bandai Namco Entertainment

Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Release Date: February 2009

This game comes to us from the same team that made Katamari Damacy. You play as Boy—a long fellow that looks caterpillar-like. You must stretch and accumulate as much as you can to earn points that can be spent on Girl, the game’s main love interest. The characters exist in a strange realm with lots of bizarre characters and assets roaming about, like a giant carrot car with square wheels. It’s hard to wrap your head around what’s going on in Noby Noby Boy, but understanding isn’t necessary to enjoy this bizarre creation.

Fun mobile games that don’t trick you into in-app purchases to win or rank!
Feb 6, 2021
0

I started playing mobile games a few years ago and find them a great way to pass the time, join active guilds, meet interesting, new people, and escape from daily life.

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Feb 5, 2021
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Ash's profile pictureAsh
Joined in 2018 326 guides
Ash is an experienced tech writer with an endless passion for technology. She enjoys retro gaming, 3D printing, and making awesome projects on the Raspberry Pi.
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The Raspberry Pi is a small, inexpensive computer developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the United Kingdom.
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The Raspberry Pi Pico is a microcontroller board developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It features the new ARM-based chip developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation known as the RP2040.