Your kitchen can be both beautiful and functional at the same time.
You should have plenty of room for cooking and cleaning in a pretty space.
Here are some tips on mixing beauty with function in the kitchen.
photo courtesy of Brent Eckley flickr.com/photos/96831183@N08/23081722242/Ban the non-kitchen clutter
The kitchen countertop is not a place for mail, keys, backpacks, loose change, your purse, newspaper or any other clutter.
Make sure those items have a home. Keep only necessary items in the kitchen.
Light your kitchen properly
Do you have under cabinet lighting?
Lighting on your countertop is important since upper cabinets create shadows on your work space.
Above cabinet lighting is a nice dramatic effect.
You can add decorative light fixtures such as a chandelier.
Wall sconces are also a nice touch as well as picture lights on any artwork.
Only functional accessories
Put away the fake plants, canisters of cooking utencils that are rarely used, decorative platters you will never use for serving food, dish washing accessories that are not used every day, hanging pots that nearly hit your head, the tea kettle sitting on your stove that you never use, the cookbook holder that gets used twice a year, any small appliance that is not used daily, and any other cluttery items.
Replace them with clear glass jars for your flour, sugar, pasta, dry cereal, rice, beans, and other items that you will actually use.
The only things on your countertop should be things that are used daily, or at least once a week.
If you do use an appliance daily, make sure it is a high quality decorative appliance.
Purge duplicates and unnecessary items
Do you have multiple ice cream scoops, pizza cutters, can openers, or any other utensil?
What about small appliances that you never use collecting dust in your cabinets - a fondue set, salad spinner, ice cream maker, or vacuum sealer?
Get rid of anything taking up valuable kitchen space.
Organize your items logically
Are your pots and pot holders by the stove?
Are your cookie sheets by the oven?
When you use the last of the cereal, do you have a convenient place within your kitchen to write that item on your grocery list?
Organize with quality storage containers
When organizing your cabinets, refrigerator, and pantry, invest in quality storage containers that are perfect for your specific needs.
Avoid cheap storage containers that do not showcase your items in a beautiful way.
Use groupings of matching storage containers instead of having all different containers that look messy. You will most likely need several different types or sizes of containers, but try to use multiple matching containers as much as possible to make the space feel unified.
Be thoughtful about the containers, their size, and their quantity. Spend time measuring your storage areas and select the most functional containers for that space.
Make sure to consider how often you will access certain items because you might want to use open containers for items accessed at least once a day, but closed containers on items used less frequently.
Also consider the pros and cons of the storage container material. Glass is a popular choice, however it is heavy and might not be the best option in households with small children since it can break easily.
Be thoughtful with the artwork on the walls of your kitchen
Consider a large chalkboard to write your grocery list or the dinner menu.
Since lighting is so important, a large mirror to reflect light around the room would also be nice.
Artwork with many color will create a cheerful room.
Do not attach anything to the front of your refrigerator. If you must, put a few essential items only on the least visible side of your refrigerator.
Remove items from on top of your upper cabinets
Consider removing the items from on top of the upper cabinets in your kitchen.
Those items collect dust.
Cabinets with nothing on them look better than those with fake plants.
Add cabinet hardware to the cabinets in your kitchen
Cabinet knobs and pulls are not only jewelry for the room, they also protects the cabinets from abrasion.
If you have stainless steel appliances or a stainless steel sink, consider adding stainless steel knobs and pulls (not shiny chrome).
Mix up hardware by using cabinet knobs on the doors and pulls on the drawers.
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For more kitchen design ideas, see the video below:
