Keep your countertop looking pretty.

Whether you have a lot of workspace in your kitchen, or just a little, keeping your countertop neat and organized is paramount. It's just too easy to leave a jar of peanut butter or a bottle of honey out, push it back into the corner, stack up a few cans for a meal you're going to make tomorrow — and before you know it counter creep leaves you with nowhere to work.

I've lived with tiny countertops and large ones, and no matter what, I always corral the things that stay out on the countertop, so it's easy to see what belongs and what should be put away.

What lives out on your countertop all the time? For me, it's salt, pepper, olive oil, sugar, garlic and shallots. I use corral and elevate those ingredients with a footed board and a vintage pastry stand. They keep things out of the way, and make cleaning the counter easier (just nudge the board over a bit to wipe underneath).

Wall tiles that look like bricks

Tiles are ideal for wall and floor finishing. They are functional, easy to clean and elegant. Nowadays, tiles that look like bricks are considered very stylish. They are great for covering a walls near the fireplace or in a kitchen. They make the room more homely and draw attention. Gluing them to walls is also much easier than trying to glue real bricks. Furthermore, they look better, are more aesthetical, their structure can differ and have many finishing types. As such, they give you many possibilities for interior design.

Brick tiles are universal and can be used in classical, retro, modern, industrial and avant-garde designs. They are available in many hues and sizes. They will match almost any material – glass, metal, wood and plastic.

Photo by Susan Serra, CKD

Some great and simple ideas for kitchen details

Below you'll find some great ideas for living up your kitchen a bit. 

 Take note of the splashback on the wall behind kitchen counter - this black and white pattern makes your whole space a lot more interesting.

As you can see, a small kitchen does not automatically mean a less functional and uglier one. Everything is in place!

 

 

Another grat example of splashback, this time for those who like a bit more color. Simple stone worktop and white kitchen cupboards are a great contrast to the colorful wall behind them.

 

An example of a standard modern kitchen with a nice red accent to complement the overall back&white design of the countertops, cupboards, fridge and stove.

Modern kitchen lamps

It might seem that a lamp is an insignificant room detail. On the contrary – if its design is interesting and decorative, it can become an eye-candy which will draw attention and make the space more original and stylish. You will find some uncommon lamp designs which can be bought, or even made by yourself, below.

1. Round lamp made of light bulbs only
2. Wicker or mesh lamp shaped like a globe
3. Wire lamp with pieces of paper on its ends
4. Lamp on a circularly-moving arm
5. Huge flower-shaped lamps made of plastic
6. Lamps with aluminum or metal shades shaped like baskets or tubes
7. Spiral lamps made of metal decorated with flowers
8. Large, long lamps with roll-shaped shades
9. Small metal lamps installed on thin lines
10. Metal lamps with a shade made of cutlery

Photo by Helmuts Guigo

What matches the sky blue colour?

Photo by Pan Pacific

The pastel blue is a colour that is perfect for kitchen applications as a leading theme of the arrangement or as an addition. However, a subtle colour may loose much of its charm if we match it with inappropriate shades. So it is good to know, which colours and accessories will match with it.

A light sky blue will perfectly complement all kinds of pastels, such as rose, beige, lavender, yellow and mint. White is also a very good match. So it is worth choosing furniture or some additions that come in this shade. The colour we mentioned will nicely match all folklore and country accents. If we decide to use elements representing those notions, then we should ensure that all the motives appearing on their surfaces are painted in a light blue colour.

Besides, wooden furniture will present itself nicely on bright blue walls, no matter if it comes in a lighter or darker shade.

Matt or glossy furniture fronts?

Photo by Chalon Handmade

Once we decide to arrange our kitchen, we have to choose the type of furniture. Is the finish going to be matt or glossy? Both product types have their strong and weak sides, so we should take a closer look at this issue.

Furniture with highly-polished fronts seems to present itself as very exclusive, and due to the fact that its surface reflects light, the room is optically bigger. Dark products look much better, however dust and dirt is much more visible on them. One of the biggest problems in scope of this type of kitchen furniture is that it can be easily scratched with all fingerprints left visible, which makes is less aesthetic. So once we buy this furniture we have to regularly clean it.

Furniture with matt and semi-matt finish on the other hand does not look as luxurious, but it is much more practical in everyday use. The biggest advantage of of its surfaces is that dirt is not visible, so we do not have to clean them that often. Although it does not look spectacular, it still gives the interior an elegant look. It will make do in most kitchens.

Hangers for kitchen accessories

When you intend to create a functional and comfortable in use kitchen, then you should certainly think about accessories and additions that will allow us to achieve just the effect. Amongst these, you should certainly include the hangers, on which you could hang various accessories - such as a small hairdryer, pans, strainer etc.

It is best to install them in an easily accessible place, for example - near the kitchen worktops, the stove and sink. All kinds of cavities will also be a great place. Of course, when choosing one of the already mentioned places, you should thoroughly consider, from which materials they were made from. It would be great if it could be a stainless steel, which is resistant to percolation of water and staining, it’s also very easy to clean.

Photo by Tim Crowe

A few ideas to create a cosy eating corner in a small kitchen

In all kitchens of small size, the standard sized tables don’t always fit. Nevertheless, you need to have a specific area that will serve you as the dining room. Therefore, if we want to create a place where the whole family could together eat and drink, we should take take some of these ideas into consideration.

It is always a good idea to install an average sized table, which will slide in and out, when attached to a wall, or mounted on the furniture. If we no longer need it, we could easily get rid of it by hiding it within the furniture, thus it will not unnecessary take up space. Another possibility is to attach it to the underside of a kitchen island, or simply convert one of its components into the table. Also, you could decide that folding tables are a great idea. They are attached to a specific wall and, if necessary, they are hidden. 

Photo by Susan Serra, CKD

Kitchen lighting

The type of lighting used in a room can make a huge difference. When it comes to kitchens it is especially important, because it affects the comfort of cooking. 

Photo by Holland And Green Architectural Design

Since we use a lot of different equipment in this place and we perform many activities throughout various areas, we should decide to install spot lighting. Thanks to this each section of our room will be sufficiently illuminated. The best solution would be to install hanging lamps that can mounted beneath the ceiling and above the table where we will eat our meals. 

Despite all this, we should consider installing LED and halogen bulbs above our work surfaces and the sink. People fond of interesting design styles may also illuminate their floor by installing colourful LED lighting tapes. This idea may prove successful in a kitchen arranged in a modern or avant-garde style.

What is the best strategy in choosing our kitchen equipment?

In order to choose the right kitchen gear we have to pay attention to several important issues. Let’s think for a while about our needs and expectations and let's consider our habits, as it will allow us to select the appropriate range of products.

First of all let's analyze, how often and how much food do we buy during a single visit to a shop. Try to think if you buy and use fresh products or maybe frozen goods – this will give us certainty, when trying to decide whether we need a freezer or a refrigerator. What is more, people that don't like to do their dishes should consider buying a dishwasher. People who like preparing home-made cakes and pastries on the other hand, should invest in a proper and large kitchen oven.

Photo by williamskitchenbath

When gathering our kitchen equipment we should pay attention to the amount of space we have at our disposal, how often we cook and whether we eat at home every single day or do we choose to eat out.

One more thing that makes a huge difference is how often and how much food do we heat up, since it may be that we are going to need a large and sturdy microwave. 

Countertops - types of products

Whether your kitchen just needs sprucing up or you’d like to get it redecorated from scratch, the option you might consider is always the choice of kitchen countertops. The key decision you must take, then, is about the material which would match you kitchen furnishing most.

Photo by Susan Serra, CKD

One of the trends seems to be wooden countertops, but if you get tempted to choose them, you must find out a couple of tips about the way they need to be taken care of. First of all, it is necessary to keep them from getting water stains. Besides the obvious fact of having them sealed with a type of a marine sealer, it is always necessary to remember that they are just pieces of wooden kitchen units. That is why, the habit of keeping your kitchen countertops clean and dry might make it possible for them to be in good condition for years. Secondly, you mustn’t put harmful objects directly on their surface to avoid scratching. Also, it is recommended not to put any hot pans on your tops as well as you should never use them as a cutting board. Finally, their proper maintenance needs a regular reapplication of a sealer every couple of years.

Even if having wooden kitchen worktops requires some extra care, a side benefit could be that they never get pile up with dishes or mess, which you naturally get used to wiling to keep them free of potential harm. Definitely, the choice of indestructible surfaces saves all the trouble, but furnishing your kitchen with wooden countertops for aesthetic reasons guarantees the enjoyment of living in the environment you truly adore.

Find more kitchen ideas at kitchen-solution.dx.am