subject: A Fresh Look For Your Kitchen [print this page] Making your kitchen the heart of your home is important. There are a lot of ways to do this. You need to make sure that when you are doing all of these updates though, you are watching to make sure you are keeping the kitchen functional and it is serving the purpose that it is supposed to. Also you want the room to flow and be able to move around while cooking and hanging out with family and friends.
Wall color is often what most people see first when they walk into a room. The right color can enhance the dimensions of a room, while the wrong color can make the room feel almost claustrophobic. Since the kitchen is a room where a lot of activity takes place, such as cooking and washing up dishes, a brighter color will energize the space and make the room feel light and airy, which is a great quality in a room that is so heavily used. Darker colors like navy blue and hunter green act as appetite suppressants, and while that is great for the waistline, it does not do much for a family meal or dinner party. Colors in the red and yellow families encourage appetites, which may be why "Kitchen Yellow" is such a popular color for this room. More neutral colors such as pale greens and beiges are great to create an airy space that can be dressed up with colorful accessories.
Your kitchen accessories have to be ready to use but also sleek and stylish enough to be seen out everyday. Smaller appliances like toasters, blenders, and microwaves and so on should all be the same color or in the same family at least if they stay on the counters all the time. If you have a stainless steel fridge, oven, and/or dishwasher, it is nice to carry the silver tones over to your smaller kitchen items as well. Keeping everything (big and small) matching is great and will make your kitchen look fresh.
Making your kitchen look put together and also welcoming can be hard but linens can help you to do the trick. Making them the same color may sound like the answer but it isn't. You need to find two or three colors that go together and decorate that way.
The smallest touches can make your kitchen feel more welcome and add a little bit more warmth. Candles and even pictures in your home and kitchen can make it less cold and people will want to hang out in there with you while you are cooking and baking and having a great time.