The kitchen is the hub of the home, and when it’s used for everything from preparing and cooking food to eating and entertaining- regardless of your lifestyle it’s always going to be a well used space. Most of us probably already know what our dream kitchen would look like but there are things you can do to improve the space you have that don’t involve completely ripping it out and starting again. Here are a few ways you can make the most of your kitchen and make it as bright, airy and beautiful as it can possibly be.
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Declutter and Organise
This was one of the best tips as a first step that I’ve gotten from my Vancouver kitchen renovation friend. Decluttering regularly allows you to get rid of things that are taking up precious space, so you have more room for the things you do use and love. Things like popcorn makers, waffle irons and even ice cream machines can be bought with the best of intentions, but once the novelty wears off they sit in the kitchen cupboards taking up a massive amount of space.
If you have things like this that haven’t been used in the last year, pass them along to someone who will enjoy them and reclaim the room in your cupboards. Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen or can be re-homed to another room too. Once you’re down to the basics of the things you actually need and love, organising everything efficiently will make your life much easier. For example you could set aside one small cupboard for trays, pans and the big bulky things so you’re not having to rummage through them unnecessarily.
You could put all baking equipment somewhere else, and small appliances that you do use somewhere else. Then when you’re mid way through cooking and realise there’s something that you need, you don’t have to turn over the whole kitchen to be able to find it. It makes the most of the room you have and makes it easier to keep everything tidy too.
Be Smart With Storage
The issue with most kitchens is storage, and if you find yourself constantly getting stressed out when you’re in yours then storage is likely to be the problem. Look around for any areas that are wasted space and utilise them, for example you could put baskets on top of wall cupboards to create a new row of storage. You could create a ‘pull out pantry’ in a small gap next to the fridge, and you could use any free areas of wall space to create rows of shelves to display prettier items such as pottery pieces, cookbooks and your best cups and plates.
A wall mounted spice rack will make cooking much easier and will free up cupboard space for something else, and foil/ cling film/ kitchen roll holders mounted underneath your wall cupboards will save space in a drawer. Even if you don’t have the means or desire to rip out your entire kitchen and have it refitted with more storage space, there’s plenty you can do to add more and customise it for the things you use most often.
Let In More Light
One of the quickest ways to make a room look big, airy and beautiful is to let in as much natural daylight as possible. This could be just a matter of changing up whatever you currently have up at your windows, remove heavy curtains and fit blinds where you can easily adjust the light you have coming in. If the window in your kitchen is especially small, having it opened up and having a new larger one installed will immediately change up the space.
You could even consider an aluminum bi-fold door system which will flood the room with light, give you a great view and easy access to your garden. Alternatively if all (or part) of your kitchen has been built in a single story extension, skylights are a good option.
Refresh The Decor
Kitchen walls can become casualties of spills and splashes and damage from steam and smoke. They can build up slowly until one day you look at your walls and realise they no longer look their best. Refreshing the decor is a quick and easy way to bring a new lease of life to the space and make everything look new again. If you need inspiration check out SDB kitchens.
Choose light colours that will open up the room and make it look bigger, don’t be afraid of white and light neutrals. The reality is, in a room like the kitchen you’re probably going to have to regularly redecorate it anyway to keep it looking nice. Choosing a dark shade won’t get around this, and all it will do is make everything look drab and enclosed. To refresh how it looks even further, you could change up the cupboard and drawer handles and even replace the kitchen tap. This will modernise and bring a new look to the kitchen, without having to change the entire thing.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
