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With the size of homes getting smaller, more and more homeowners are embracing open-concept interiors. The kitchen, as one of the key spaces in the home, is probably the first to be looked at when it comes to opening up space.
Wished your kitchen was a little bigger? There are some interior design tricks might help you achieve that.
- Laying your backsplash tiles out vertically on the wall draws the eye upward. This will make your kitchen seem taller.
- Table runners will make your kitchen seem to stretch out a bit. Swapping them out every now and then will keep your kitchen looking fresh.
- You don't have to put in mirrors to create the illusion of space. Lacquered, reflective surfaces brighten up a room in the same way.
- Add things that don't traditionally go in the kitchen. Think about a TV or a gallery wall.
- Hack one of your kitchen walls, opening up your kitchen into the common living room space. It’s one of the most common tricks that interior designers use to visually enlarge the living area.
Drop leaf kitchen island can be used as a workstation, dining table and storage unit.
Drop leaf kitchen table
Furnishings that pull double and even triple duty can save you money and space. For instance, the island can be used as a workstation, dining table and storage unit. It can also house the sink or stove. Drop-leaf or gateleg tables and extendable counters can be easily folded away to free up the space.
Hafele’s Meister collection is designed with an advanced modular technology and pre-drilled fixtures.
Kitchen storage solutions
Pre-built kitchen systems save you the hassle of designing your own. A customisable and modular kitchen storage system like Hafele’s Meister collection is designed with an advanced modular technology and pre-drilled fixtures for fuss-free assembly, so there’s less hacking and construction work.
Save precious floor space with kitchen overhead cupboards and tall upper cabinets that extend to the ceiling.
Kitchen upper cabinets
Save precious floor space with kitchen overhead cupboards and tall upper cabinets that extend to the ceiling, and utilise walls with floating shelves and racks. Often-used items go on the lower shelves, and appliances you take out on occasion can go on higher ledges.
Increase storage space with wider pull-out kitchen drawers instead of multiple smaller ones.
Kitchen drawers
It’s way easier to pull out a drawer and see all its contents than it is to reach for crockery or condiments at the back of a kitchen cabinet. Increase storage space with wider pull-out kitchen drawers instead of multiple smaller ones.
Pull-out larders, carousel kitchen cupboards and lazy susans help maximise hard-to-reach areas and dead space. Available at Hafele.
Kitchen cabinet organisers
Don’t let details like kitchen drawer dividers and kitchen storage compartments be an afterthought. Pull-out larders, carousel kitchen cupboards and lazy Susans help maximise hard-to-reach areas and dead space. Available at Hafele.
If you don’t have the luxury of space for a large standalone kitchen island as well as a dining table, combine them. Similar hues and textures give a more cohesive look. Alternatively, separate the two with different colours, materials and heights.
Kitchen island table
If you don’t have the luxury of space for a large standalone kitchen island as well as a dining table, combine them. Similar hues and textures give a more cohesive look. Alternatively, separate the two with different colours, materials and heights.
Sub-Zero’s Built-in French Door Refrigerator is ideal for galley kitchens as only half of its double doors swing out. Available at The House of Sub-Zero and Wolf.
Split two door fridge
Split two door fridges like Sub-Zero’s Built-in French Door Refrigerator is ideal for small galley kitchens as only half of its double doors swing out.
This open concept kitchen design cleverly hides any clutter within the kitchen from plain sight. Interior design by Produce.
Black and wood kitchen cabinets and black tile kitchen backsplash. Black tile floor. Interior design by Space Sense.
Bridging the dining and living area is a feature wall inspired
by the urban industrial interiors of New York lofts. Interior design by Space Sense
Feature wall
If you enjoy hosting dinner parties, an open concept kitchen would be ideal as it allows you to prepare the meal and mingle with your guests at the same time. In this above kitchen, bridging the dining and living rooms is a feature wall inspired by the urban industrial interiors of New York lofts. Interior design by Space Sense.
The folding screen along the breakfast counter helps to keep out cooking smells and opens up the space when needed. Mug on counter from The Good Things. Interior design by Project File.
The kitchen’s cabinets are, in fact, much deeper than they look as they eat into the bedroom space behind. Interior design by Box.ID Studio
A small concrete screed foyer is set before the raised platform, which marks the entry into the living room area. Between the entrance and the kitchen is the cost craft corner that also functions as a breakfast bar.
Wood tones and greys dominate the home, creating a warm atmosphere that is sophisticated and welcoming. 2-Bedroom Condominium Apartment.
Hide the wet kitchen behind glass doors to prevent fumes from spreading through your home.
Kitchen glass doors
Hide the wet kitchen behind glass doors to prevent fumes from spreading through your home. This interior designer ensured that the glass doors still bring in light while keeping the heavy cooking separate.
If you prefer sticking with the layout you've been given in your HDB flat, why not split the long kitchen right down the middle and have one side for countertop dining?
Long kitchen layout
If you prefer sticking with the layout you've been given in your HDB flat, why not split the long kitchen right down the middle and have one side for countertop dining? Great for small families or singles. This interior designer also included a large chalkboard to brighten up the space.
If the kitchen space is small, why not make use of a long kitchen counter? One end could hold the sink and extend out into a dining area.
Kitchen island table
If the kitchen space is small, why not make use of a long kitchen counter? One end could hold the sink and extend out into a dining area. This interior designer used a warm wood base for the kitchen island and a glass-top counter to brighten the all-white kitchen.
This interior designer tore down the most of the home's interior walls to create a spacious living room, giving the homeowner room to place his dining table next to the kitchen countertop.
Open concept living and dining room
This interior designer tore down the most of the home's interior walls to create a spacious living room, giving the homeowner room to place his dining table next to the kitchen countertop.
Why not create a little kitchen nook in your home? Not only is the compact space perfect for small homes, it still offers a view into the cooking station and is a cheerful addition to any space.
Light oak Scandinavian style HDB kitchen in Yishun Road.
Living Room & Dining Room Combo Ideas
HDB flats don’t usually come with separate dining rooms, so the best solution would to combine your dining space with your living room. Rather than haphazardly chucking a sizable table into a spare corner, consider your space and design it such that your dining area complements the rest of the room.
To match the café look of the home, the owner picked cheerful, light wood pieces. The tapered legs of the 20th century modern style table and chairs also help keep the floor clean and uncluttered. Interior design by Fuse Concept.
Café Style Living Dining Room
To match the café look of the home, the owner picked cheerful, light wood pieces. The tapered legs of the 20th century modern style table and chairs also help keep the floor clean and uncluttered.
Interior design by The Scientist
Round dining table
With only a small space to work with, this homeowner did away with a large sofa and instead replaced it with a built-in seat along the window. This gave the owner more space for a larger dining table. By using a round dining able, the family can now focus on dinner with each other, instead of lounging around the television.
Interior design by The Scientist
Dining table pendant light
This HDB flat has a much larger living and dining area. Making it easy for the owner to demarcate the two spaces. This owner used a unique lighting feature to set the space apart from the living room.
The slanted legs of the furnishings give them a rather offbeat vibe that matches the cheery, funky apartment. Interior design by Three-D Conceptwerke
Let your dining table be an extension of your kitchen counter rather than a stand-alone table in the centre of the room, it helps keep your open-concept space appear larger. Interior design by Sponge
Interior design by White Space Living
Wall mount table
Got an awkward nook in the kitchen? Align the space with a wall-mounted counter that serves as a table for two people to dine side by side. This built-in surface was sufficient as a dining table as the couple often eat in front of the television.
Interior design by Design Rebirth
Kitchen island bar
Bring a little bit of the café experience back home with a customised bar height table that’s not only trendy but takes up a lot less floor space than a conventional dining table.
Vintage-look ventilation blocks were used to build a decorative support for the dining table.
Come National Day, this is the perfect perch to watch the fireworks. Interior design by Whiz Concepts.
Sunken dining table
Love the cosy Japanese-style seating where the table is sunken? This can be easily recreated in your home by building a platform within the room and leaving a gap for the table.
Interior design by The Interach Design
Built in dining table
A small table for two is all you need if you live alone and eat out often. This narrow built-in table also zones the open kitchen from the rest of the living area neatly. Instead of a traditional dining set, homeowner Madeline opted for a small built-in table to save space as she lives by herself.
The designer took advantage of the wide, breezy balcony to move
the dining spot here. A water-resistant PVC laminate clads the floor.
Balcony dining room
Take advantage of a large porch by setting up an al fresco dining area. The interior designer took advantage of the wide, breezy balcony to move the dining spot here. A water-resistant PVC laminate clads the floor.
Interior design by Spacedge Designs
Kitchen island table
If you entertain often, it’ll be a good idea to extend the kitchen island’s counter top to create a casual dining table for guests to hang around at while the food is being prepared. It’ll make cooking much more social and enjoyable for you!
The Silestone kitchen counter doubles as a breakfast area sized to fit four bar stools on one end.
Interior design by Homme Space
Foldable dining table
This dining table is able to swivel in and be tucked completely out of sight – simply a stroke a genius!
A painting from Ode to Art adds a pop of colour to the woody hues of the apartment, as do the Tulip chairs from Dream Interiors. Sofa from B&W. Cabinet and barstool from the former Xtra Park Mall.