The Worst Layout Choice That Instantly Makes Your Kitchen Feel Smaller

While every kitchen layout has its pros and cons, some are definitely worse than others. Single-wall kitchens, also known as linear kitchens, place everything — the sink, cabinetry, worktops, and appliance spaces — all along the same wall, allowing homeowners to optimize every inch of floor space they can get. While this does give your kitchen a very open aesthetic, it actually ends up feeling claustrophobic as you're cooking because you're often stuck just looking at the wall, away from the rest of your home. It creates a bubble of isolation from everything else, which is especially pronounced when you have guests over and have your back turned to them most of the time.

The limited counter space is also an absolute nightmare, and you'll often have to move appliances around if you need to do more than one thing — putting away your coffee maker just so you have enough space for prep is the absolute worst. The single-wall layout also overlooks a key detail of kitchen design: The work triangle, wherein movement around the kitchen is optimized as a triangle between the sink, refrigerator, and stove. You'll end up taking a few more steps each time you switch between stations, and even more if someone else is in the kitchen. It may seem spacious from the outside, but between the isolation and inefficiency, a single-wall kitchen layout feels more like a can of sardines once you're in it.

If you find yourself stuck with a single-wall kitchen layout, there are a few ways to make it feel significantly larger. Kitchen islands give you an immediate boost in counter space, but it also breaks you out of the isolation bubble by giving you a spot from where you can see the rest of your home. If floor space is at a premium, consider a foldable rolling island that tucks away when you're done cooking. You can also skip having a dinner table and opt for stools around an island, creating a more sociable hybrid kitchen setup for prep and dining.

Single-wall kitchen layouts benefit a lot from having appliances integrated into the cabinetry, which allows you to save whatever precious counter space you have while still keeping things like your microwave accessible. Compensate for the loss of storage by repurposing old furniture into a DIY pantry — slim bookshelves work well if you have the extra wall space. This also makes your kitchen feel more three-dimensional, as you aren't confined to a single line.

Adding windows to your single-wall kitchen layout, if it's an option, will also do wonders for making the space feel bigger. Not only does it break up the kitchen bubble, but using natural sunlight to enhance the kitchen's aesthetic also makes it feel larger by minimizing shadows. By giving yourself more options for three-dimensional views and movement, you can make one of the worst kitchen layouts feel much more open.