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Chalkboard wallThere is something oddly comforting about most coffee houses and re-creating this look in your own home is easy. Paint the walls a marigold yellow or subtle terra cotta color to warm up the room and the incoming natural light. Paint a wall in the sitting area or a narrow dividing wall with chalkboard paint so that you can write the daily specials, your grocery list or love notes to your family in colored chalk right on the wall.
Buy a tall kitchen table in a warm wood color such as a cherry stain with matching chairs to get that coffee shop seating you enjoy. Buy an artful colored glass lamp to hang over the table to provide intimate lighting.
Dress the rest of the kitchen in warm tones and rustic accessories like pottery to hold coffees and spices and red kitchen towels. Use an old whiskey barrel for a garbage can and install under-the-counter lighting to give you a warm ambiance throughout the room. -
Stainless steel tilesStainless steel is a popular choice in appliances but it can be utilized throughout the kitchen to create a cool look. Use stainless steel tiles as a backsplash, below cabinets and behind the stove to reflect the cool tones in your granite countertops. Use a stainless steel top for an island as well to carry the theme in the room. Attach stainless steel sheeting to a wall behind your eating area and attach light cords in a red or blue to run down the wall space in an organic wavy pattern for interest. The neon-like look of the light tubes will create a nostalgic yet artistic focal point in the room. Use accessories to match your light color choice including red or blue towels and glassware. Update your existing kitchen table by painting the table top to match your granite countertops' main color and applying a stainless steel paint to the legs to give it a modern look. -
Concrete countertops with stainless steel accentsAlthough most people consider concrete a utilitarian element, it can be used in a kitchen setting to provide functional beauty for a moderate to high price tag. Replace your current countertops with a poured concrete top. You can select a colored concrete or a natural concrete and once it has hardened and been oiled it has a rich, warm, custom look. Glass chips, metal shavings, leaves, shells or anything else your imagination can come up with can be incorporated into the concrete to create your personal touch on the project.
Carry the theme into other elements of your kitchen as well with a stained concrete floor complete with the kids' hand prints if you wish. Match it with light-colored wood cabinets and kitchen furniture to complete the unexpected look.
