How to Make a Beautiful Kitchen

The kitchen is often the heartbeat of a home. Of all the rooms in our lives, the kitchen can feed the soul and become the comforting place to be at any time of the day. Even when size and financial constraints are an issue, it’s easy to make a beautiful kitchen. By focusing on the aesthetic and sensuous elements of your kitchen, along with remaining practical and organized, you’ll make the process of meal preparation and presentation more satisfying.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Indoor plants
• Oversized clock
• Lithograph pictures and paintings
• Various types of baskets
• Wooden utensils and serving bowls
• Odd-shaped, mismatched china or plateware
• Copper, stainless steel and brass cooking vessels

1. One of the best ways to make a beautiful kitchen is to grow plants there. If you have the space for it, build a ledge under you kitchen window. A 12-inch deep ledge can hold geraniums, edible flowers and pots of cooking herbs.
2. An oversized clock in a kitchen is very nice. It can be seen from anywhere to be sure that your baked apple pie is pulled just right from the oven, and that your children get off to school on time. A large wooden and brass ship’s wheel clock can be very charming, made even better when it has a proper second hand for quick timed recipes.
3. Hang lithographs and paintings on your walls to make your kitchen beautiful and more unique. Select pictures that represent your own personal style and tastes for the culinary arts. Whether it’s a picture of upturned pasta over a toddler’ s head or a photographed vegetable bouquet with cheese and wine, you’ll have the subtle inspiration needed to prepare your meals.
4. In between the pictures on the walls you can hang various sizes and shapes of baskets. These are very useful for food presentation too. Large, square-shaped baskets work well for tossed salads or for serving hors d’oeuvres, while rounder deep ones work well for warm biscuits or dinner rolls wrapped with white or colored linen. Clean up is no problem with hot water and mild soap, letting them air dry in the dish rack.
5. A variety of different sized wooden bowls set onto your counter tops will not only accentuate your beautiful kitchen, but they’re handy when you want to use them as a mixing or service bowl. A collection of wooden utensils are also outstanding in the kitchen for decor and usage, they’re inexpensive and pleasing to the eye. Standing them up in a ceramic or ironware crock makes for easy access while giving your kitchen the warmth and charm of a country home.
6. Mix and match the silver and gold colored metals of bronze, copper and stainless steel pots and pans. Hang these on your walls or on racks above your oven and counter tops. Some of these can be used as proper cooking tools, or you can find some inexpensive show pieces that will accent your kitchen nicely.
7. Variety of china and plate ware will elevate ordinary routines into special moments and really make your kitchen beautiful. Don’t worry about getting the complete serving set of sixty-odd pieces in the same pattern. For inspiration, it’s best to have an assortment of plates and dishes in varying styles so you can choose the one that best suits the dish you are serving.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan your kitchen as though it were the galley of a boat--all functional gear is stowed away when not in use. Clear your counter tops off of those appliances not being used and any unattractive clutter, storing them away in cabinets whenever possible.
• The attractive way you set your table creates the tone for your beautiful kitchen by conveying affection, warmth and caring.
• Sense stimulation helps to keep cooking creative, and subconsciously influences the way your kitchen looks and feels. Good smells coming from the kitchen, like roasted coffee or freshly-baked cookies, send a message of love and comfort.