Do you want to enlarge your kitchen but can't add on to the house? Many homeowners have this same issue, particularly in older homes with kitchens that were designed for different times. But you can still do a lot to make your kitchen appear larger, even within the existing home's footprint. To help you find the right solution, here are five ways you may be able to do it.

1. Extend Into the Dining Room.

Today's homeowners tend to use formal dining rooms much less than earlier generations. The family often gathers for meals in less formal arrangements, and many dinner parties have given way to whole-house gatherings like movie nights and barbeques. And because the dining room is usually adjacent to the kitchen, you may have wasted space you can extend into.

2. Open Up Walls.

Whether or not you can actually expand the kitchen into any adjacent rooms, consider removing walls between them. Walls close off light and make the kitchen feel smaller and possibly more claustrophobic. In a practical way, the removal of a wall can provide more options for using the same amount of space in more creative or more efficient ways. 

3. Add Outdoor Dining.

Is your kitchen on an exterior wall that faces the back or side yard? Then you have the chance to add to your kitchen's functional space by linking it to an outdoor kitchen area. All you need for this is the flat space to create a cooking area outside and a large, inviting door between the indoor and outside kitchens. The outdoor kitchen can house additional appliances and workspaces, or it could be saved for a specific type of cooking or baking you do.

4. Change the Layout.

Your space issues may not be the actual amount of square footage available but the way it's used. An impractical or illogical layout can easily make the room less functional or feel more cramped than it needs to be. For instance, a galley kitchen may feel much larger if you replace it with a one-sided kitchen and a large island, opening up more room to maneuver. 

5. Boost Efficient Use of Space.

Make use of modern kitchen design to make more out of the space you have. Better organizers, turntables, and custom cabinets can provide more storage capacity in a smaller area. A better use of pantry space could reduce your food storage needs. And under-counter appliances and attachments may help open up counter space. 

Want more ideas for opening up your kitchen when you have nowhere to go? Start by meeting with a kitchen remodeling service in your area today.