The kitchen is the heart of the home, as most families gather in the kitchen to eat and talk about the day’s happenings. When you entertain guests, you will most likely spend time in the kitchen talking as you cook or do the dishes.
Make sure your kitchen is warm and inviting by giving it a cheerful makeover. Follow these simple steps to make the kitchen a fun place for the entire family to enjoy.
First, make sure you are taking advantage of natural sunlight. Nothing is worse than a dark, dreary kitchen. Washing the dishes won’t be a chore if you open the curtains and watch the children play outside.
Make sure you choose curtains that won’t block natural light from entering your kitchen. Choose a brightly colored valance or sheer panels that can be pulled open to let the light come in.
Next, add a comfortable rug. You may think a rug in the kitchen is a bad idea. After all, won’t it get stained and dirty from all the spills and grease splatters? You can add an element of softness to your room if you choose the right rug.
Look for a rug that is scotch guarded to protect against stains. You could also consider using an outdoor rug that is meant to get wet and dirty. Braided rugs are another great option for the kitchen. Make sure you bring a comfortable rug into the room so your feet won’t ache as you spend hours cooking that thanksgiving dinner for the whole family.
You should also add some shelves in your kitchen to display trinkets and collectibles. Consider starting a collection of beautiful antique teacups or tea pots. You can find these in a variety of colors and designs and they make great conversation starters when guests come over. You could also hang beautiful plates on the wall. Look for unusual plates in bright colors or interesting shapes.
Paint your walls a bright, cheerful color such as buttercup yellow or lavender. Soft colors will make your kitchen appear bigger and reflect natural light to make the room appear bright and inviting.
When you repaint the walls, you could also consider giving your cabinets a makeover. If you can’t afford to replace your cabinets, a fresh coat of paint can make them look like new. White cabinets are a great choice to match any wall color or appliances.
You can also create a cheerful kitchen with the help of family photos. Whether you display large portraits on the wall or small photos on the refrigerator, nothing makes a kitchen feel more warm and inviting than the addition of treasured family photos.
Find some beautiful frames that compliment you color scheme and display your cherished family photos for everyone to see. Place the frames on countertops, shelves, or in window sills to add a touch of sentiment in each corner of your kitchen. Photos make your kitchen warm and welcoming.
Fashion and Function in the Kitchen
Choosing a kitchen design from the many available kitchen decorating ideas can be an incredible and hectic experience. It is amazing how many styles of kitchen products are sold. If you spend an afternoon in one of the many retail outlets that sell remodeling supplies and listen to shoppers, you will learn a lot about popular kitchen fashion. However , this may not teach you what you need to know about function.
You will probably find that most people are drawn to a modern kitchen, but many will not choose this style because they fear it is not functional or will not fit with the current fixtures in their home. Both of these can be a serious problem.
If you do not have the ability to replace your current fixtures you must select a decorating idea which will match your more expensive pieces, including the larger appliances, cabinets, and sink. So how do you master the fashionable modern kitchen while keeping your current fixtures and making it functional?
You need to first tae into consideration the consider the size of your kitchen. Size and function go hand-in-hand. If you have a medium to large kitchen you might consider adding a free standing bar. This can be easily achieved with just a few pieces of plywood, some 2×4’s, and some aluminum sheeting. Use the 2×4’s to build a box frame.
plywood to the frame using 1/4 inch thickness for the sides and 3/4 inch thickness for the top. Cover with aluminum sheeting and you have a very modern addition. You could even leave one side open and add shelves for storage. There are many other easy to do updates that can add a modern feel also.
By painting your cabinets or covering them in aluminum sheeting and then changing the handles you can bring your old fashioned cabinets up to date. Changing the color of your kitchen can help modernize it as well. Another quick inexpensive fix is the use of an area rug.
Area rugs help to color the room in a modern fashion. Certain rugs can even be artistic and add dimension to your room. Area rugs also add function by padding work surfaces and making clean up easier.
Most cooks spend about 1800 hours a year standing in their kitchen. If the kitchen has an unpadded floor this can lead to both back and leg pain. By placing an area rug in the most commonly used areas of the kitchen you pad the surface to prevent these pains. You also create an easy to clean area that requires only light vacuuming and beating rather than sweeping, mopping, and polishing.
It is very difficult to turn a dysfunctional kitchen into a functional kitchen. Following the above steps will not only help you do this, but will also help to add a modern fashion. Make the decision to enjoy using your kitchen everyday. There is no need to continue mucking around in an outdated, lifeless kitchen that makes you ache. You will love the change this will bring to your life.
Finally, make sure your kitchen is clean and cleared of clutter. Clean surfaces make a kitchen appear bright and cheerful, while a dirty kitchen makes people uncomfortable. If you want to have a kitchen that your family and guests can enjoy, decorate with bright colors, soft rugs, and beautiful accessories.