5 tile ideas for your small kitchen to optimise your space

The kitchen is usually the heart of the home where we spend time cooking, socialising and generally just hanging out. While the idea of a large open plan space is a dream that many of us have, what happens if your kitchen is barely large enough to swing the proverbial cat?
That’s when you resort to clever design ideas.

The tricks of the trade! What better way to do this than by the imaginative use of kitchen tiles to create an optical illusion of scale?

Here are our top five tips of how tiles can make your kitchen look bigger.

Go large when the space is small

It is a misconception that smaller tiles work in smaller spaces. On the contrary. In a small space, always go large. If you use smaller tiles there will naturally be more grout lines and therefore make the space look busier than it needs to. If you use nice large tiles such as 60 x 60cm tiles on the floor this instantly give the illusion of a bigger space and less grout lines make it look seamless.

Block colour

Colour can play a huge role in creating an illusion of space. The general rule of thumb here is to use a plain block colour which will make the space feel bigger. Avoid a busy patterned tile and stick to the plain neutrals.

Light and airy

Sticking with the theme of colour, another key trick to remember is that a lighter colour will always make a space feel bigger and brighter. Using a darker colour tile will make it feel like a smaller space. A warm beige or a contemporary light grey will work perfectly to create the illusion of space.

Tile layout

Clever tricks when planning the layout of the tiles, can be used to create an optical illusion. If your kitchen is slim and long then laying the tiles diagonally or horizontally can visually stretch out the floor space and make it feel wider. In the same way, if your kitchen is wider than it is long, then laying the tiles length ways can square up the room nicely.

Splashbacks with personality

Of course you don’t want your kitchen to look bland and lifeless even if it is small! The kitchen splashback if where you can add huge amounts of personality. By adding patterned or coloured tiles, you can create an amazing focal point to the room and draw the eye away from any flaws. Another option is to go with a mirrored splashback to bounce back the light and reflect everything back into the room making it look bigger!

In Sai Interiors, nothing is a problem. There are always solutions to be found to every design dilemma. Tiles are definitely a great option we use to create those optical illusions!