The kitchen is the heart of the home. Not only is it a place to prep your meals but it’s somewhere you can hangout with your friends, enjoy a relaxing cup of tea in the morning and of course, get work done. I also love recording videos for my YT channel in my kitchen, you’ll see one going live later this week.
With most of our time being spent in the kitchen it’s important for us to create a comfortable yet practical space. Phil and I are keen to switch out the cabinets but it’s not a project we’ll be taking on at the moment. Instead we’ll be making smaller changes. I wanted to take some time to share a few ways in which we’ve started to refresh our kitchen alongside ideas we’ll be implementing over the summer months.
I want to thank Direct Blinds for sponsoring this post. They’re a brand from my hometown of Huddersfield. They offer a wide selection of blinds with free samples as well as free UK delivery. What I like most about the brand is that they use all UK based factories with a local workforce. I love being able to support and highlight local businesses where possible.
Crack out your paintbrush
An obvious place to start is with a fresh lick of paint. It might not be the easiest tip from my list to implement but it’s one that’s going to make a huge difference.
A fresh coat of paint in the kitchen will instantly brighten the room. You could stick with the same colour and still see a difference. Our kitchen is currently an off white but we plan to go over it with a classic brilliant white this summer. I love crisp white walls because it brings extra light into the room and makes it feel more spacious. I then like to bring some warmth and colour back into the room with plants, mirrors or prints.
New blinds
New blinds will totally transform a room. If you’ve never changed the blinds in your home you’ll be surprised at what a difference picking out your own style and colour can make. They can be that thing that changes your house to a home.
When it comes to deciding what type of blinds to go for in the kitchen it’s truly subjective. However, I’d say that it’s important to avoid having too much extra fabric, especially as the windows tend to be by the sink. We currently have aluminium venetian blinds which are handy for adjusting how much light comes into the kitchen. I think I’d like to change them to roman blinds or a roller blind to make the room a little more cosy.
Prints
I’m really looking forward to adding prints into our kitchen. After we’ve refreshed the paint we’ll be putting up our prints and I can’t wait. Hanging framed prints (protect them from water or food) in your kitchen helps to bring colour and personality into the room. If like me, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen then I think it’s important to have something to make you smile on the walls.
Tablecloths
I love a tablecloth. I think they’re underrated and it’s only once you start using them that you realise what a difference they make to a room. I like to use them to bring colour and warmth into my kitchen. They make the room look pretty and feel homely.
There’s a lot of grey tones in my kitchen so I’m currently using a combination of blue, pink and yellow tablecloths. They take just a second to throw over your table and give the room a fresh feeling.
Plants and flowers
I’m really getting into plants at the moment. I’m still learning how to care for different types but my current favourite is my orchid. It was a gift from my grandma and makes me smile every time I see it sitting on the kitchen table. I sometimes move it across to the window for extra light.
You could also go for an artificial tree. I wrote about how useful they are in this post about bringing the outdoors into your home. I have an artificial Japanese Fruticosa Tree which now lives in my kitchen. People always think it’s real and it brings a nice pop of green into the room. It’s easy to move around too.
Which of these tips are you most like to implement in your kitchen?