Sunday 28 September 2014

It's in the detail: Kitchens

It's those small details, the finishing touches that bring a room to life.

Following the kitchen theme from my last post, today we're talking kitchen finishing touches. The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home. No other room sees quite as much action. A place to dine with friends and family, to catch up with life, cook dinner and destroy some too. A place where muddy feet and dirty paws leave their mark.

It is easy to forget the finishing touches in the kitchen and it remains purely functional, but shouldn't we extend the same thought to the kitchen as we do with all our other rooms in the home. In fact, the same rules apply so don't be afraid to bring them into the kitchen.

Lighting...
Never under estimate the power lighting has in the kitchen, if you're designing a new kitchen, whether completely brand new or low budget updates, I would encourage you to spend some budget on new lighting, spot lights with dimmer functions so you can create functional task lighting for cooking and ambient lighting for dining. It will make the world of difference, not only that, do not shy away from table lighting, and pendants.

Flowers...
Quite simply, a room without flowers is never complete, I have flowers in every room of my house.

Vignettes...
Be creative with your kitchen accessories and food. Why not fill some glass jars with granola instead of hiding the box in the cupboard. Layer your chopping boards for interest and fill some pots with herbs for your windowsill.  Display your cookbooks. Just remember, a functional space doesn't have to be boring.

Art...
Do not be afraid of art in the kitchen. Alongside lighting, this is another way to completely transform your kitchen and ensure it isn't just another functional space, and it doesn't need to cost a fortune.

Soft furnishings...
Rugs, curtains, blinds, table runners and cloths. All of these complete a room, adding warmth and personality.