Joanna Gaines' Wallpaper Hack That Makes Small Kitchens Feel Bigger

Design star Joanna Gaines has a host of innovative tricks in her repertoire, including a choice for kitchen backsplashes that is far more luxurious than tile. She also has clever hacks for small kitchens, such as a wallpaper mural technique that creates the optical illusion of a bigger room without any demolition or actual expansion.

Ordinary wallpaper uses repeating patterns, continuing the same design across a wall. A mural, by contrast, can depict one large, continuous image, such as a landscape or other scene, essentially applying a life-sized painting to the wall. Murals create visual interest and give the illusion of added depth.

Wallpaper murals can be customized to fit a specific wall, with the image divided into multiple panels for installation. Covering a wall in this way — applying a large image across the entire space — can trick the eye into seeing the scene as an extension of the room, making a tiny area appear larger. It works on a principle similar to installing mirrors to visually double a room's size.

One of the principles Joanna Gaines follows is that design is sometimes more about illusion than size. Just as she uses wallpaper murals to create the impression of more space, she recommends light colors on kitchen countertops and everything above them to achieve a similar optical effect. This approach makes a small kitchen seem larger by giving it a bright, airy feel. Just make sure to choose a palette of subtle, light colors, as bold or neon shades are some of the worst colors to paint your kitchen if you're aiming for a sense of openness.

Another method Gaines favors is installing kitchen cabinets that run all the way to the ceiling. This makes the room appear taller and offers the double benefit of added hidden storage space. Conversely, hold off on styling the space above your cabinets if they don't reach the ceiling; filling that space will only attract dust and create visual clutter.

In a similar vein, Gaines also advises resisting the urge to fill a small space with small items. Though it seems counterintuitive, she suggests opting for one large statement piece to keep things looking streamlined. In a kitchen, this might mean choosing a large clock for a wall rather than a small clock surrounded by smaller pictures.