April: Fresh Kitchen
Last week I picked out kitchen cupboards and countertop for a client. It was more fun than I thought it would be! I got thinking about spring and kitchens, so that’s the topic this month.
We all look at those magazines that have beautiful kitchen ads in it, or feature kitchens. We want our kitchen to look like that!
Try to look at your kitchen as the best it can be, accepting it for what it is, but adding the right accessories to punch up your look. Of course, to add accessories, we must remove some of what we have. Why hold on to that dated little piece that you haven’t used in eons. Kitchen accessories should be both beautiful AND functional.
Start by paring down what you have, then add a new item that you love, and voila! You’ve got yourself a fresh kitchen at a fraction of the price!
· Look at your kitchen with subjective eyes, or ask a friend who’s taste you like, to give you an honest opinion of the overall feel of the room. What little things can be done to make a big difference?
· Look in your cupboards first. Are there things that can be donated or designated to another place of storage? This can make room for the appliances taking up space on your countertop.
· Look at the movie “No Reservations” with Catherine Zeda Jones. You’ll see a functioning kitchen in a romantic chick flick. Also, on HGTV, “Restaurant Makeover” shows some small but highly functioning restaurant kitchens. This will help your awareness of how you in YOUR kitchen, and if you need to move some things around. Are your dishes near your dishwasher? Are your pots and pans near the stove? The stove utensils? The oils and spices?
· Look up. You likely have a clock up on your wall. For $10 to $30 you can get a contemporary looking one to suit your new look.
· Look down. Do you have an old worn area rug in front of your sink? Update that look and add some colour that you haven’t thought of using in a kitchen before. There are pinks, blues, and melon colours in lots of kitchen accessories these days, from ladles to peelers, to mixers. I love the white look with a bit of chrome for accessories. Very Ikea-ish, I know.
· Look around. Can the window treatments use a bit of freshening? Match them up with your other accessories and be cheered.
· Look at your dishes. If they are white, then you can match them up with a fresh set of cloth napkins and stainless rings for your next dinner. Who needs a special occasion? Invite friends or family over to see your new look. You can change your dishes for a season with a set of 4 trendy ones for about $20 at a department store.
· Look at your chairs. Could they use a coat of paint or a newly upholstered seat that, of course, matches your new window treatments? A trendy look is mismatched wood chairs.
If your bank account doesn’t match your kitchen dreams just yet, let these tips elevate your satisfaction level with the kitchen you do have at this moment. Tear out kitchen pictures for your goal kitchen someday, but only when that is a priority. Living in this moment with any room of your home is a Patti-principal I try to adhere to, and worth encouraging the readers of this newsletter to do! Treat each room with the respect it deserves. It’s reward for surrounding you in a safe haven of delight!