9/28/2011

A Colorful Kitchen: Kitchen Color Decorating Trends

Create a bold and spicy kitchen with colorful accents that make people stand up and take notice of your trendy interior decorating skills.
Kitchens have long been the gathering place for friends and family which makes the kitchen one of the most important rooms in the house. Staying on top of kitchen trends can be difficult, not to mention how expensive it can be. But keeping abreast of color trends in a kitchen is easy to do and can be done inexpensively as well.

Top Kitchen Color Trends
This season the top accent colors in a kitchen are tangerine orange, Curacao blue and lime green. These colors are wonderfully bright and exciting and really spice up a kitchen interior. Oddly enough two of them (blue and green) are not appetite inspiring colors so they may help you stay on track with your diet.

Keep the Counters
Countertops are typically one area that people like to change when they’re doing a remodel or even just giving a kitchen a little refresher but they can be terribly expensive. To make your countertops look like new, try adding colored accessories to their tops. If you’ve got a countertop that is composed of several colors rather than a solid color you can really create an impact by highlighting one of the more subtle colors through accessories. For example, if you have just a little bit of orange in your marble counters, add some bright tangerine orange accents and that color will pop out of the marble and give it a whole new appearance.


Cover It
New appliances are pricey but it’s tempting to get a new, trendy appliance that isn’t that horrible outdated bisque color. Why not cover the color instead. They actually make covers for refrigerators and dishwashers that will cover the bisque and allow you to bring in bold new color trends in dramatic ways.

Faux Wallpaper
Turn solid colored walls into faux wallpaper that is bursting with trendy kitchen colors. Wall clings or wall adhesives don’t just come in cartoon characters and sports memorabilia, they come in much smaller designs and even stripes. In fact, you can request almost anything you want be made into a wall adhesive and then create your own wallpaper that can be rearranged and removed whenever the mood strikes you.

Plate Decor
It’s such a simple solution and it’s so appropriate for the kitchen, mount some plates on the wall. Today plates are much less expensive than they were in the past and they come in incredible colors and patterns. Don’t just use these plates for mealtime, hang them on the walls for added visual interest. Create eye popping excitement by placing them along a soffit, establish vertical interest by lining them up floor to ceiling on the wall, or line them up along a windowsill.


Kitchen Curtains
Kitchen curtains are so often ignored but they can really boost the spirit of a room, not only by bringing color into the space but with the light streaming through them can change the entire tone of a room. Curtains don’t have to be expensive, in fact you can even create no-sew curtains by yourself in a weekend.

If you want to follow the latest kitchen color trends then adding tangerine orange, lime green and/or Curacao blue will put you on the cutting edge. But if you want to add other colors or update the look in the future these inexpensive kitchen interior design tricks will help you do that without breaking your budget.

Kitchen Decorating Basics

Decorating a kitchen is a great way to add color and inspiration to a room that is mostly focused on function.
The kitchen is a place formed for function and focused on the necessities of food preparation. It doesn’t have a lot of room for decorative considerations. However since cooking is a creative form of art, you want a kitchen that will inspire the chef, whose very atmosphere will propel that chef to new acts of culinary creativity. Luckily, there are a variety of decorating techniques that can be used to spruce up your kitchen without detracting from the inherent function of the space.

Kitchen Tools as Decor Items
The first thing you should do is look at the functional accessories themselves. Spoons, bowls, knives, even electronic cooking accessories can all be purchased in matched styles and colors in order to create a concerted effect throughout the space. Choose from rustic wooden accessories, modern stainless steel, or even feature copper and brass products, displaying these prominently while leaving other day to day pieces in cabinets and drawers.

One of the biggest secrets to effective kitchen decorating is using the walls. While all horizontal surfaces such as floor, shelves, and counters need to be used to do the work of the kitchen, the walls are wide open, free for you to work your decorative creativity. Imagine your kitchens walls as being wide open canvases, blank, ready for you to fill them with anything that you can imagine.

However when decorating your kitchens walls, it’s important to be aware of the inherent hazards of the space. This is a place of heat, of spills, of drips and of splashes. Your kitchen can cause all sorts of messes, and if you have fragile or expensive wall decorations they can be ruined over time. Instead you should opt for durable, rugged pieces in the kitchen. Things crafted from wrought iron or protected hardwood can be especially good. Glass protected photographs and picture frames are also an interesting possibility.

The Kitchen as a Family Centre
A lot of kitchen décor is related to family, and tries to reinforce the idea of the kitchen as the heart of the home. This can include signs with interesting sayings on them, pictures of family members, or cute caricatures of family life. Replicas of Norman Rockwell pictures are very popular in these spaces, as are country rustic decorative items.

One element which has more power than you might expect in a kitchen is color. Certain hues can alter the way we perceive the world, changing how we react emotionally, socially, and personally with the people in a given environment. Generally you should try and stay away from hot colors in a kitchen, as this space will already be rather warm.


Choosing Colors in the Kitchen
Red tones are very interesting in a kitchen setting, because this color can actually make people hungrier. Using data taken from psychological experiments, restaurants have been using this fact for years to entice people to follow their hunger into their establishments. This can also be a powerful way to add a little inspiration to your cooking endeavors. However you have to be careful not to over use red tones, as they can lead to over snacking, over tasting, and over heating in a kitchen environment.

An opposite effect is true of blue colors, as the presence of these tones can actually make a person feel less hungry. This is because there is very little edible blue food in nature, and so when we are exposed to this color our bodies naturally turn off sensations of hunger. Using blue in the kitchen can help an overweight chef with a dieting problem, but if used too heavily can completely steal the inspiration from food preparation.

Middle-of-the-road colors that will work in most kitchens includes greens and browns, as well as a variety of earth tones. These match the colors of foods fairly well and as such help to reinforce the basic nature of the environment. They also provide a sense of warmth and comfort that is often associated with family and friends.

Decorating a kitchen can be a great way to turn a space that is primarily functional, into an amazing and inspiring room where culinary art is created. This can be done through the arrangement of colors and elements, emphasizing the walls as canvases across which you can stretch the creative meanderings of your fondest decorative dreams.

Why Use Kitchen Rugs?

Each person has a favorite room inside his house. For people who love to sleep, it can be the bedroom. For those who love to entertain people, it can be the living room or the porch. For those who love to eat and cook and tinker with recipes, it is definitely the kitchen

Some people may think that a kitchen can look hideous just because it is hidden to the public’s eye. However, the kitchen should be considered as one of the most important rooms in the house since it is the place where food is being prepared. Some families even use the kitchen as a place to bond with other members of the family.

People who live in mansions have very spacious kitchens with breathtaking interior designs. However, even those with not so spacious or moderately-sized kitchens can still have attractive kitchens without spending millions for its interior design.

One of the keys to bringing out the character of a kitchen is through the use of kitchen accessories that unify the theme or color scheme of the kitchen or even of the whole house. Potted herbs can be used as accessories to brighten up the kitchen windows. But that’s jumping the gun because designing room projects should always start from below.

To start with, why not scout for kitchen rugs that match the interiors of the house or of the kitchen? Kitchen rugs can lighten up the kitchen and the owner can choose from a variety of themes and designs that are readily available in the market today.

Those who love the country life can use that as a motif and start scouting for a kitchen rug with brightly colored yellow chrysanthemums or sunflowers. Those who are quite on the artsy side can choose a bold design for the kitchen rug. But before deciding on the kitchen rug design, a person should first decide on the size and the shape of the kitchen rug.

The popularity of kitchen rugs has paved the way for a variety of designs to choose from. Do not worry about the price because these rugs are quite affordable depending of course on the quality of the rugs you will choose. But whatever amount spent on kitchen rugs, rest assured that it is money well spent to make the kitchen look better and more comfortable.

Kitchen rugs are not just for newly built or newly designed kitchen though. These rugs can also be a good solution for old kitchen floors that have become tainted or faded over time. Adding a new rug to an old kitchen floor can give the kitchen a new character and a new personality that will definitely make the occupants more cheerful.

There are shops selling custom-made kitchen rugs. This means that a homeowner can choose a design and then order the exact rug size he wants depending on the size of the kitchen floor which he wants to cover with the rug.

But rugs are not only used as decorative accessories for the kitchen. Kitchen rugs actually serve a more functional purpose and that is to keep people from slipping on wet kitchen floors. Among the areas in the kitchen where rugs is often used include the sink, the refrigerator and the oven or stove.

When choosing a kitchen rug, make sure to purchase a matching rug pad to prevent slippage and prolongs the life of the kitchen rug. It also keeps the rugs clean for a longer period of time.

Make sure that kitchen rugs are regularly washed to keep the kitchen sanitized. Rugs often serve as the cook’s defense mechanism against oil, water and other liquid that are commonly spilled in the kitchen floor. Thus, kitchen rugs are vulnerable to bacteria and dirt.

Make sure that the kitchen rugs can be washed by a washing machine using a mild soap. Be careful when washing colored rugs as the colors might fade and stain other fabrics. Most rugs are very fragile and can be easily damaged when machine dried so it is best to just dry them by hanging.

A person who wants to have a new kitchen without spending much can try new accessories for the kitchen like rugs. Kitchen rugs are affordable and they can easily change the overall design and make up of an otherwise drab kitchen.

Choosing Granite Counters

Granite countertops look great in the kitchen, but if you are choosing granite for your kitchen remake beware that not all granite is created equal.

Granite is a blend of micah feldspar and quartz and is found all over the world. It’s not as porous as marble but by nature includes fizzures and tiny pits which will need regular sealing. Some grainte pieces have more pits and are more porous than others - something to keep in mind when choosing a slab for your counters.

Granite comes in a wide variety of colors. You can get your basic black or a tan-ish color and even a variety that has gorgeous blue crystals embedded into it. Along with the colors, there is an array of patterns some granite is flecked, some fairly solid and color and some swirly.

While granite is a rather expensive countertop material, it’s very easy to work with, easy to keep clean and maintains its beautiful appearance for many years. There are different grades or qualities of granite and therefore are different prices can be paid for your granite countertop. If you want a basic color you’ll pay less than if you get something more exotic and rare. In addition, the thicker you countertop the more you will pay and also if you’re getting curvy edges that will add to the cost.

When choosing granite countertops you want to consider the source you’re buying it from. Are they experts in the installing granite countertops? You don’t want someone doing a substandard job with your expensive counters. Also you must beware of the quality of the Granite. Some less scrupulous suppliers have been known to die and oil the granite so that it appears darker. The problem is that this dark color will wear over time and leave you with dull looking counters. Always test your granite by rubbing it with a clean rag that has a little bit of nail polish remover on it - if color comes off, the granite is probably died and it’s best to avoid it. You also want to test your Granite to see how porous It is. You can do this by dropping a few drops of lemon juice on it and seeing how long it takes to soak in and if it leaves a stain.

Installing granite countertops is certainly a decision you will not regret if the granite is chosen carefully. Just remember to be sure to get instructions from the supplier as to how to maintain the beauty of your granite. These countertops are virtually indestructible and add beauty to almost any room. Granite is timeless and not likely to go out of style so you won’t have to worry that you’ll want to change out your counters in five years because the granite makes it look dated. Just be sure to get a color that is somewhat neutral so that It will always look good no matter what style of kitchen decor you might choose to redo your kitchen in.

How Kitchen Counter Tops Can Improve The Look Of Your Kitchen

Your kitchen counter tops are a major element of your kitchen and just making the simple change of replacing your counter tops can make a huge difference in the way you kitchen looks.

Take a good look at you kitchen one of the major things that pop out at you? The cabinets - the appliances - and the counter tops. Making changes to all three will certainly change the look of the kitchen, but even changing as the counters can make a big difference.

Kitchen counter tops can be made out of a variety of materials. On the lower end is Formica and up on the higher-end is granite. Somewhere in between is Crain, concrete, stainless steel, tile, and even marble. These days with counters your imagination is the only limit and I recently even saw counters made out of the beautiful on ex-that will let from underneath it was sensational!

If you like the look of granite (and who doesn’t?), but you lack the funds you might try Corian which is a man-made material that mimics the look of granite but is a lot less expensive. You can get Corian counter tops in a variety of different colors and patterns and some even come with the anti-microbial coating to make them resistant to bacteria.

Tile can make for interesting kitchen counter especially if you have a southwestern kitchen design. you can get a lot of interesting colors and designs in the tile but beware that cleaning grout can be a real pain. In particular, make sure you do not use white grout as this will stain easily and you’ll find yourself constantly scrubbing it to keep it clean looking.

If you want to keep your kitchen counter tops as germ-free is possible that you might want to try stainless steel. These are pretty easy to keep clean but you may have to watch out for scratching.

For an elegant look you might want to try marble but be careful that you have it sealed properly as marble does stain.

Granite is a timelesss option for kitchen counters and gives your kitchen a really upscale look. You don’t ever have to worry about Granite going out of style and it’s pretty easy to take care of two. You do want to make sure that it’s sealed correctly as it Is porous and can stain.

When choosing new kitchen countertops be sure you match them to the overall style of your kitchen. If your kitchen is very casual, that marble may not be a good choice. if your kitchen has an industrial look than stainless steel might be perfect.

Always remember that your countertops and the functional purpose and you want to consider ease of use and cleaning when choosing a material for them.