“This week we have a guest post from Holly Miller. Holly writes for Coupon Croc one of the UK’s largest voucher websites. And for all you Bride To Be’s out there Holly is also the sole contributor of Modern Wedding, a wonderful blog for anyone planning their big day.”
Your living room may be the room most used by your family, but your kitchen still remains the heart of the home.
From quick somethings to drink to snacks to meals, everyone gravitates to the kitchen several times each day.
Make your kitchen a comfortable, welcoming room as well as a functional one.
Floors
If your kitchen flooring is looking its age, it might be time to revamp or replace it. Use lighter colors to brighten it and expand the appearance of space. If budget concerns cause you to pause and reconsider, low-cost options exist. If that’s still beyond your reach, fear not. A good, thorough scrubbing might help, especially when paired with resealing it.
Don’t be afraid to use small area rugs or runners in your kitchen. Most are easily cleaned, and they can hide those worn spots and prevent additional wear and tear. They can also spark a room’s energy and cheerfulness. Use in front of the sink, stove and refrigerator as well as entry areas into other rooms—all high traffic areas.
Cabinets and Counters
Look at the storage space you use. Is there wasted space? Can you add shelving inside the cabinets to add a bit of storage and organization?
Is there dead space—unused space—in your kitchen? Can you extend a counter top from edge to edge to extend working space? Are there lots of gouges and scrapes from food preparation over the years?
Instead of replacing the entire cabinetry in your kitchen, something as simple as replacing hooks, knobs and handles can give your kitchen a new look and costs very little.
The canisters, utensil holders and spice racks resting on the counter—can they be decorated differently as well? Keep decorations and functional items within your decorating theme, or consider countering the continuity with tasteful contradictions that offer a visual surprise; use unusual salt and pepper shakers, for instance, instead of standard ones.
The wash clothes, towels and oven mitts you use can provide that visual difference as well.
Windows
Light, cheery curtains over the sink can change a look to the room and offer more sunshine to brighten it naturally.
Use the window sill as a miniature herb or flower garden. There’s little that sparks a room like plants, and the natural scents emitted by herbs and flowers freshen the air much more cheaply than commercial products purchased from a store—and they last longer, too.
Paint your kitchen window sill a different but complementing color than your walls. Red, yellow, green or blue break up the area, making it visually more appealing than a solid white background, and the small area of color won’t upset space-enhancing goals. Consider the same idea, but with a different color, for additional window sills in the room. Use those spaces for cheery nick knacks or small plants and herbs as well. Use sheer curtains and colorful blinds and valences to lighten the room and even people’s moods when they enter the space, especially if your kitchen has a larger window in addition to the sink window.
This article’s author is Holly Miller, who writes for Coupon Croc. Remodeling your kitchen? Upgrading your appliances on a budget is easy when you shop online with a Comet discount code.
