5/27/2010

How to Create a Fabulous & Functional Kitchen?

Your kitchen operates just fine as a place for cooking and serving meals. But is it lacking some touches that could convert it from a room where you take care of daily chores to one where you enjoy spending time?

With many of our kitchens serving as the home’s primary gathering spot for family and friends, we’ve come to view it as a second living room. With this in mind, many of our kitchens can use a little extra attention to make them more inviting. I have some useful idea for sharing with you all.

Pare down and regroup. Instead of replacing the cabinetry, Erinn reorganized and edited. Out went an awkward cabinet looming over a short peninsula countertop—a strategy that now affords a clear view from sink to sunny breakfast area. Two additional cabinets flanking the range were also banished, making way for more counter space and a streamlined vent hood.

Focus on details. Erinn upgraded the cabinets further with sleek chrome hardware. Sophisticated pendants crafted from antique mirrored pieces illuminate sink and table. And cheery flowers are always present. Erinn reserves the prominent display area for keepsakes. The dainty teapots and figurines look as beautiful in her stylish kitchen as they surely did in her grandmother’s.

Change the window treatments. If you only have blinds on your kitchen windows, perhaps it’s time to think about adding fabric coverings. If you currently have cafĂ© curtains, consider simplifying the picture with a valance.

Use light effectively. Two areas that need distinct overhead lighting are the range and the sink. Ambient lighting, easily achieved by installing a dimmer on your primary light fixture, presents a lovely glow all around. Candles provide soft lighting here or there but they require two cautions. First, make sure that you place them where they won’t get in your way as you cook and where curious little hands can’t grab them. Secondly, pick fragrances carefully so that they don’t seem out of place in the kitchen. Best choices are those that smell of fruits, spices, or bakery products.

In the end, make it personal and practical!

5/26/2010

Turn Your Kitchen into a Cozy Gathering Place



A kitchen is the heart of a home, for there the family gathers. And kitchen decor can turn your kitchen into a fun place to cook, hang out, and gather cherished memories. Here are a few kitchen decor ideas to add quaint beauty to your kitchen and inspire your creative side.

Rooster Kitchen Decor
Rooster kitchen decor is filled with happy hues and a playful spirit. From French country kitchens to rural or pastoral kitchens, rooster kitchen decor is a beautiful addition. And not only in curtains and tablecloths. The endless variety of rooster kitchen decor on the market allows you to weave these whimsical elements into your existing kitchen decor without clashing with it. From rooster clocks to cutting boards and weathervanes, there's something for everyone in rooster kitchen decor.

Apple Kitchen Decor
Apple kitchen decor will imbue your kitchen with quaint country charm. Like an orchard on a sunny day, a kitchen decorated with apple decor will become a warm gathering place. And this delicious atmosphere is so easy to instill with a few kitchen decor ideas. And not just with curtains and bowls of gleaming apples, but with apple wall decor, beaded curtains you can craft yourself, apple kitchen cabinet decor, and apple dishes. Any style of kitchen can become a little cozier with apple kitchen decor.



Sunflower Kitchen Decor


If you love decorating with light, sunflower Kitchen decor will brighten your kitchen even more. With motifs of summer and birds, bright greens and yellows, sunshine and warmth, sunflower kitchen decor creates a never-ending summer. Turn your kitchen into a warm gathering space, where you'll spend happy afternoons with your family and close friends. A sunflower kitchen is a fun place to cook in and share memories.


Worldwide Kitchen Decor
Kitchen decor styles are as wide as human experience. Like a map of the world, there's a kitchen decor style for every country, every culture. For in the kitchen the family gathers, and so it is there that the heart of a home lies. So which kitchen decor is your favorite? Take a short jaunt around the world to find out.