The kitchen is an integral part of any home. You want this space to be functional, while also allowing you the freedom to be inspired to make your own meals.
You’ll be most comfortable if your kitchen fits in nicely with your personality, but how do you do that? It might seem tricky but, if you take this advice on board, you’ll be able to tailor this all-important room to suit your needs…
Ease of Use
Every kitchen has to be easy to use. If you’re a snacker rather than a full gourmet meal chef, you’ll still need to access the fridge, the chopping board and the microwave with ease. However, chances are you will need more than that and the very best kitchen appliances can help to cut down the amount of time that you spend in the room and assist you with tricky, or at times consuming, functions. Many of these items also serve to brighten up the décor.
If you have a small kitchen, there’s no need to cut down on the amount of appliances that you use, just invest in specialised space saving devices. Design your kitchen to meet your needs and then think of the colours and lighting later.
Decorating Your Kitchen
The magazine House and Gardens has some other great ideas for those who use their kitchens on a regular basis. If you’re an avid collector of cookbooks, and many people are, make sure that you have a glass-fronted cabinet in which to store your books so that they look nice and tiday.
Alternatively, if you’re a compulsive gadget collector, your kitchen units should have deep drawers in which to store these items. Should you find that you rarely use an item, throw it away and clear space for things that you will use. If items are easy to get you will put them to use and allow your personal flair to come to the fore. If you need to wade through clutter after a long day at work then you’re likely to give in.
Lack of Space Needn’t Be an Obstacle
Small kitchens can be frustrating, but lack of space shouldn’t mean that you can’t stamp your own identity on this room. Many cooks incorporate fresh herbs in their meals, and a small kitchen means that you can actually make a design feature from these plants. The magazine House Beautiful suggests that you can either place individual herb pots on a draining board or window sill or you can hang your herbs from your existing units. As long as your plants have plenty of sun they’ll thrive in your kitchen.
Painting The Walls
Colour is always the perfect way to express your identity, but take care before you splash out. Remember that kitchens have to be kept clean, so choose paint that can be easily rubbed down in order to preserve the room’s hygienic environment. Small rooms work better with light colours and large rooms – especially those with a dining area – can be split up into different colours, to denote your kitchen’s many uses. If you have a young family, you may well want to incorporate your kid’s artistic endeavours into your overall kitchen design. You can either frame your junior Picasso’s offerings and hang these on the wall, or have a specially designated area on the wall where you can hang a board and then affix their most recent paintings to this surface. Just a small area like this can inject a splash of fun into the room.
Floors Are Important Too
You’ll need to install a floor that’s easy to clean. There’s a huge array of laminates on the market, which will match your décor. If you have the budget for stone or natural floor coverings, these surfaces can complete your kitchen design.
The hardest thing about tailoring your kitchen to your personality is actually working out what your strengths, weaknesses and tastes are. Maybe keep a diary of a week or month in your kitchen before you start so that you know which habits you have. Design a room that makes it as easy as possible to do the things you enjoy, as the more effort it takes, the less likely you are to actually express your personality in the kitchen.
POSTED BY 
