Simple Ideas to liven your KITCHEN

It’s easy to neglect the kitchen when we think of interior décor. We may think of the kitchen as more of a work and storage area and thus it may not be one of the areas we would consider applying interior décor to. However, kitchens need not be boring. They can be warm, inviting and personal with a little effort. Here are a few simple ideas to liven your kitchen.

Give your kitchen a fresh coat of vibrant colour. This is actually one of the least expensive ways to transform any room. Go lime green, bright yellow, a calm beige or even all white! Make your kitchen come alive with colour. It’s nonetheless important to ensure that the colour you settle on blends well with the colour of your cabinets, unless you’re also planning to have them painted or get a new set.

Change the curtains. Most kitchens have small windows and this will require only a little material. Get a material of contrasting colour and pattern to cheer up a dull kitchen.

Even kitchens could use a little art, especially if you find you have some space to spare. Nonetheless, make the art relevant to the place. For instance, you could have a picture or painting of a basket of fruits or pastries like cake or cookies. Depending on your budget, you could opt to buy or have someone custom make it for you. You could also search for pictures on the Internet, print, frame and voila! Kitchen art at little or no cost at all. Fridge magnets also give the kitchen a personal touch. These are available in supermarkets.

Have pots of leafy plants and bright flowers on your windowsill. Extra sill space can be created with window shelves. A carpenter can advise on the placement of these. If creating that extra sill space, consider using painted boards. The pots you use should also add some glamour or artistic value to the room. Consider planting some herbs, which would serve the purpose of fresh ingredients to your meals and also give your kitchen a natural fragrance.

Get stylish or artsy storage containers. These are great for display purposes and make wonderful kitchen art in addition to being storage areas. Use these to store your sugar, tea, coffee, cereal, and flour among others. These are available in supermarkets and also custom made from various artisans, especially if you are looking for an African touch.

Use your cabinets as décor. There are a number of things you can do with your kitchen cabinets. Change your cabinet handles. This actually goes a long way to transform your kitchen’s outlook. Get creative. Ditch the boring old handles and knobs. You can purchase interesting handles in hardwares. You can also have your local carpenter custom make handles in a shape and colour you’d prefer. Get handles of a contrasting colour, or of a quirky shape. However, ensure that this is a practical option for you by consulting a carpenter before pulling your handles out.

Painting or wallpapering the front panels your wooden cabinets could also give your kitchen a complete overhaul. You can have some art done on them. Patterns would be great for reviving dated cabinets. Do a little research, find an interesting pattern and have it done on your cabinets. Be sure to purchase easy-to-wash glossy paint for this purpose.

Consider glass cabinets or give your existing cabinets glass doors. These are great for putting on a good display in your kitchen, which also does wonders for a kitchen’s outlook. Wondering what to display? That lovely set of plates you got as a wedding gift or that patterned set of china that you rarely use. These would make a good display. However, these work well for spacious kitchens. If you happen to have a small kitchen and worry about not having enough space, even your everyday dishes and the spices and condiments you store in your kitchen would make a good display if creatively arranged. Glass fronts also give the illusion of space, if not crammed.