"If you have a smaller kitchen, it's easy to get complacent about the cramped atmosphere and feel frustrated with your little space but not be able to see a way to change it. After all, you can't change the size of your kitchen, right? Well, technically, that may be true, but there are many clever ways to make your kitchen seem larger, and one of them is with the paint color you use for your walls and your cabinetry."
""To enhance the sense of space in smaller rooms, I recommend using paint colors with a high Light Reflective Value (LRV)," Erica Illions, designer and project manager at Kitchen Design Concepts, told Southern Living. The higher a paint color's LRV on a scale from 0, which is black, to 100, which is white, the more the paint will reflect light and make the space seem brighter and more open."
"Bright white can be harsh or give your space an extremely sleek, modern feel, but if you're looking for something a little warmer, an off-white or cream color can lighten up your kitchen and make it feel spacious while providing that coziness at the same time. There are endless options when it comes to choosing a shade of white, so it's important to test out swatches in the space itself."
Paint colors with high Light Reflective Value (LRV) increase reflected light and create a brighter, more open feeling in small kitchens. White has the highest LRV, but softer off-whites or creams provide warmth while still expanding visual space. Color can add personality without sacrificing perceived roominess when chosen for reflectivity. Testing swatches in the actual kitchen under its natural and artificial lighting is essential because light changes how shades read. Paint can be applied to walls, cabinetry, or both, though using the exact same color for walls and cabinets is generally not recommended.
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