A new contemporary kitchen is a wonderful thing to behold. Smooth, clean surfaces, gleaming tiles and backsplash… but there is something missing. As beautiful as it may be, if your new kitchen is lacking character, it can feel soulless. Here’s how to add that little extra something to your fabulous new kitchen.
1 Add a plant or two
Any room, from the kitchen to the hallway, is given an immediate uplift when a plant is added. Clearly, in the kitchen, you’ll need to add a variety of plants that enjoy heat, so opt for evergreen plants, such as Aloe Vera (also great for the bathroom). These types of plants flourish without too much fuss and care, apart from the occasional watering. Place one on a reclaimed wood dining table as a centrepiece, or on the windowsill.
2 Layer the kitchen lighting
We often see the kitchen as being only a functional space but in truth, it is an important room with a variety of functions. This is especially true if you have opted for a kitchen/diner.
Layering lighting in the kitchen needs as much considering as it does in any other room. That means as well as bright lights that you can work under, you could choose softer lighting, such kitchen pendant lighting hanging above the kitchen table and chairs, for when you are eating or entertaining. Different light levels can also be important, as the kitchen table is often the place that homework is done and other important work. A rattan pendant light might help to add texture too.
3 Add wood accents with freestanding kitchen furniture
When designing your new kitchen, you may have assumed that the more everything is fitted and streamlined, the better. Whilst in some kitchen spaces this is the better option, if you have a larger kitchen, freestanding furniture can be a workable alternative. Consider reclaimed wood furniture as a contrast to the modern kitchen design.
From a large kitchen sideboard to a wooden kitchen dresser unit, adding freestanding kitchen furniture that complements the overall design will be simply perfect.
4 Make a feature of the dining table
A kitchen/diner is a popular choice and that means the kitchen table becomes the focus of attention with style being the main ingredient. For example, a rustic dining table is not only functional but stylistically dramatic. Team this with functional and equally dramatic rustic styled chairs and you have an immediate focal point.
5 Add pattern and colour
The easiest way to lift any room is to add hints of colour and pattern. Colour brings a homely feel to the space and pattern is perfect for giving it a lift.
Choices of both depend on the style you have chosen for the kitchen. Popular pattern choices can work well with most styles but with some, you need to make careful choices. Choose a neutral and muted palette for the industrial and Scandinavian styles, sticking with natural colours for the farmhouse style. For a modern look, any colour and pattern will work although geometric patterns are on-trend.
Make it YOURS!
An important room, you will spend a lot of your time in the kitchen, cooking and eating with family and friends. In our drive for style, we can sometimes leave out the important things – us. And so those small personal effects, such as photographs and your children’s paintings are never out of place, even in your new contemporary kitchen.
