Simple Ways To Decorate Kitchens

By Amy Stevens

A few simple additions to your kitchen can create a room that will be welcoming to guests and make you feel more at home while there. Kitchens are very basic rooms so a little goes a long way in sprucing them up.

First add a little color to the windows. For a window over the kitchen sink, look into fabrics that are sheer and light colored. You want your kitchen to be bright and these fabrics will let in more sunlight. Unobtrusive prints are nice. You may want a cute kitchen them like little cooking utensils or hand held appliances. Or you can go with something that suits your personal taste like cows or a gingham print. Again, try not to use something too dark.

Other windows can also be accented with drapes. Check into very thin Venetian blinds for other windows, like a window by a dinette set. Then you can add decorative curtains to the sides. You don't need functioning drapes, just something to add color to the area. They can be tied at the center with a matching tie. If your kitchen has both a sink window and another window, use the same material on both.

Then get a set of towels that matches the curtains as well as the paint or wallpaper. Get a couple of towels that will be solely for show. Hang one or two across the oven door. Most kitchen towels will come with matching potholders. Get a couple of those which will also be just for decoration. You may want to hang one with the towels or attach it to a wall nearby. Keep these unused so they will always be in good shape. Use a different set of towels and potholders that you keep away in a drawer.

As for floor mats, be careful not to put down something that is too big. The color will swallow up the sunlight. A small one in front of the stove and a matching one by the sink will suffice. Or, if you haven't the room for two, just get a medium sized one and put it in the center of the room.

Add little touches as you go. Magnets on the refrigerator are good. Try not to overdo them, or it will just look cluttered. If there is space on a wall, hang up an inexpensive calendar or a whiteboard. A fruit basket or plant is a nice touch. Set them out someplace where they will be seen but not get in your way.

The most important thing to keep nice-looking kitchens is getting rid of clutter. Counter tops should not be storage areas. Put things away and keep the counters clear. If you have several things that really don't have anywhere to go, set aside one drawer as the junk drawer. Extra bottle openers, bag clips, pencils and pens and recipes can all go in this drawer. You want to fill empty space with decorations but keep it all neat and tidy. - 32406

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