How to Decorate Series {day 23}: Making a Kitchen Feel Larger by Brooklyn Limestone

If you are just joining our How to Decorate {for the DIY’er} Series, welcome!  Miss a post? You can find all the entries for our series listed conveniently on one page here.

Welcome to the final day of our How to Decorate Series (sniff, sniff). I am definitely going to miss it! It has been an honor to host such amazing talent all month long. Hopefully you gained some confidence, gleaned some tips, and garnered some inspiration along the way!

Okay, I have to admit that I am secretly hoping you don’t know today’s blogger because it’s delicious-fun to be the first to share something so good! Stefanie from Brooklyn Limestone completely fascinates me. She started her blog to document the renovation of their Brooklyn Limestone and since that time her blog has evolved to include design, entertaining, travel and diy!

Here are a few of my favorite Brooklyn Limestone projects:

Stephanie’s home office before and after.

I love everything about it–the blue walls, the flooring, the ghost chair, the zebra rug, the framed scissors—everything!

Halloween parties! Stefanie is The Queen of hosting Halloween. You simply MUST see the invites, decor, food, and zillion other special details she includes in her spooktacular parties. Did I also mention that she is a graphic designer? Here is one of my favorite party invites complete with vampire stake, holy water, mirror for spotting the undead, matches for monster remains, and a silver bullet:

Stephanie also completes many fabulous DIY projects and shares her tutorials with all of us. I loved this Return to Sender faux roman shade tutorial:

Okay, I could go on and on here. Check her out when you get the chance and be prepared to stay awhile! Today she’s teaching us some tips on how to make a small kitchen look larger. Take it away Stefanie!

………………………………………………

Hi all – its Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone here. I was honored to be asked to contribute to Beth’s fabulous series, but it took me forever to figure out just what to write about. I’m neither architect nor interior designer so what kind of wisdom could I impart? And then it hit me – why not share the rules I used to turn my 12 by 8 foot kitchen space into something that feels large and in charge?

So if you are redoing your kitchen and are short on space, try out these simple tips to get the most of your square footage without sacrificing style.

Height! Height! Height!
Tilt your head skyward. Piling your cabinets high not only creates a spot for your china but draws the eye upward and makes the room feel more expansive. We keep the essentials down low and the not so important up high but everything has a home.

Light! Light! Light!
No matter what the size, a kitchen always needs great lighting – but its never more important than when the space is small. Whenever possible, make the most of natural light from windows and skylights. Once you’ve captured the sun add in layers of artificial lighting wherever possible – under cabinets, over islands, from the ceiling, behind crown molding. Even a tiny room looks a little more cavernous when its nice and bright.

Bright! Bright! Bright!
And by that I mean a little bling. Kitchen bling that is. Whether it be a little sparkle in using crystal knobs or the shine of polished nickel, a bit of sparkle can brighten up a space in a lovely way that moves the eyes without adding clutter. Remember: all metals are neutrals so don’t be afraid to mix and match.

White! White! White!
Ok, so this is a bit of a misnomer as even my own kitchen isn’t totally white but rather shades of butter cream. What I mean is that by picking a color (any color really) and using several different shades of a similar tone, can make the room feel more spacious and open. In my kitchen we have 4 different shades of butter cream – one on the cabinets, another on the walls, another in the backsplash and the richest one on the trim. I’ve seen this work just as well in shades of charcoal as shades of white – its not about the color but about the execution of it.

Out of Sight, Sight, Sight!
So now that your kitchen is gorgeous and feeling spacious, keep it that way by putting most of those odds and ends away. Leaving your counters and other display areas mostly open creates a feeling of serenity and space that is completely destroyed by seeing a counter top covered in appliances. But being able to do that takes a little advance planning so think about the items you use regularly and find a permanent home for them in the cupboards. I keep only my most often used items including a toaster and coffee pot in one of the lower cabinets.

So now your in the know on my little tips on making the most of a small kitchen. Get decorating! If you want to see more of my kitchen and rest of my adventures, stop over at Brooklyn Limestone for lots more.

…………………………………

Height, light, bright, white, out of sight! Got it!

Want my decorating tips weekly? Sign up for my newsletter.

Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.