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Images courtesy of Diane Berry Kitchens
The humble kitchen is without a doubt the hub of the household, the room in which daily exploits are planned and often ended.
It is therefore somewhat frustrating when this space is much smaller than needed.
Without having to contemplate house renovations and extensions, there are very simple ways to breathe life into your kitchen making it feel brand new.
Here are a few introductory tips which are hugely effective:
SCALE DOWN
The kitchen most importantly must be viewed as a functional living space. Creating a visual dream kitchen is of no worth or help if it is impractical and awkward to work in.
Consider scaling things down a little.
Clear out those things you may have never used or no longer need and think about having smaller appliances.
Going back to basics will help to realise what is genuinely essential and highlight what you can live without in the kitchen.
OPEN THINGS UP
When the space you have is already full to bursting and you don’t have room to tidy away things neatly, it’s time to think outside the box…..or the kitchen units.
Using open storage not only solves a practical problem, it also adds decoration and character. Be smart when choosing items such as ceiling racks for pots and pans, magnetic knife holders and a good variety of shelves etc etc.
This not only allows your kitchen to be decorative but also fabulously functional!!
NEGATIVE SPACE
This term “negative space” is used regularly by designers. It refers to how one can create a sense of enhanced spaciousness by simply incorporating glass and plastic.
Because these materials can be seen through they add an illusion of space and brightness. For example, glass panels in cupboard doors or a glass top table. This doesn’t require a large degree of effort or indeed the need to change the space but the benefits are marvellous and the end result is a kitchen with added brightness and sparkle.
LIGHT IT UP
When lighting your kitchen, it is key to follow to the same guidelines as you would for other interior living spaces.
For the more petite sized kitchen, an installation of additional task and feature lighting would bring about the most immediate and effective changes. This would light the areas of the room which are dark or affected by shadows.
Additionally, consider the colour of lighting used in your kitchen. There is such a huge difference between the effect of a fluorescent strip bulb to that of a coloured LED bulb.
Explore the different choices you have and why not try something different?
GET COLOURFUL
Finally, you must recognise that the colour of everything in your kitchen impacts the way it looks and feels.
If you want to make your kitchen look and feel more spacious then you definitely need to use bright colours.
Potentially bright colours can help even the smallest of spaces feel larger than they are, so keep your kitchen as light and airy as possible.
To find out more about getting the most from your lighting, download our Definitive Guide To Lighting HERE. It's incredibly user friendly and includes lots of top tips, basics of indoor and outdoor lighting, all the technical stuff explained and our unique printable Walk Through Guide!