Lavender Cottage - KitchenCoastal Kitchen, Devon
End of my kitchen by Torie Jayne
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…Or try a painted finish Sprucing up your units with a lick of paint can be time-consuming, but it’s a budget-savvy way to get a new look for less. “The price for painted MDF doors isn’t necessarily higher than vinyl-wrapped doors,” says Georgiev. “We have a standard-sized painted MDF door range in several different colours and finishes that’s priced really close to our vinyl-wrapped doors.”The surface of MDF is super-smooth and perfect for painting – ideal if you want a custom colour or think you might want to update it in the future. Paint will also prevent moisture getting in through cabinet fronts and sides, so it’s a good choice around sinks.Always wash off dirt and grease before painting, then lightly sand down cabinets to create a ‘key’ for the paint to stick to. Use an appropriate primer and once it’s dry, apply at least two coats of a suitable paint. How to add character to your kitchen using paint
I will keep my flat surfaces clearKeeping flat surfaces clear is the golden rule of organising. Flat surfaces are table tops, worktops, bedside tables and – your biggest flat surface – the floor. ‘Keeping clear’ doesn’t mean devoid of everything, just anything unnecessary – in other words, clutter! Clearing a surface is a great place to start when you’re unsure of where to begin decluttering. A kitchen worktop or bedside table can be quick to tackle and yet give great results. Organising your floor space will give you the biggest feeling of relief. You won’t realise the impact clutter on this large surface subconsciously has on you… until you remove it. Maybe you have one large piece of furniture too many and could remove something? Or maybe you could zone the room better? For instance, make a clear division for toys, or a clear section for DVDs, video games, cables and other multi-media.
Turn utensils into a design featureIf you’re lacking cupboard space for your baking utensils and cake decorations, choose ones that you’d be happy to have out on show. Then you can devise some handy wall storage to keep them neatly off the worktops. Here, the side of a wall unit has been covered with magnetic hooks for hanging small objects, such as biscuit cutters and whisks. A neat shelf on the left is perfect for little jars, and the S-hook bar beneath looks pretty with the collection of mint green utensils hanging off it. The owners have also made a feature of their cake cases by buying ones in different colours and displaying them in tall, clear canisters.
Let one shade dominateAs already mentioned, this is very much your yin and yang kind of partnership, but sometimes it’s good to give one colour a bit of leverage when the right space calls for it. Try a 3:1 ratio of colour, letting one shade be the clear theme, but throwing in a flash of the other to break up and balance the wave of the initial shade. This bright kitchen shines in predominantly spearmint accents, while dainty touches of pink, in the form of plates and a cake stand, top the look off nicely. Again, when using either colour, you needn’t necessarily go all out and drown the space – simple furnishings and accents, such as a tea towel or striking piece of furniture, like the Tolix stool pictured, are more than enough to have you rocking this pastel pair.TELL US…How would you add pink and mint accents to your home? Share your ideas in the Comments below.
Accessorise with retro pastelsPeppermint green, baby blue and sugared-almond pink are feel-good colours that will instil a sense of joy and cheer into a plain white kitchen.This is also a good way to work in pastels swiftly and easily – and it’s perfect if you’re renting, too. Simply choose small appliances, bar stools, storage tins and other kitchen kit in an array of ice-cream shades and let the 1950s retro love flood in.
Pep it up with pastelsThis is a classic kitchen recipe: white units, wooden surfaces, slate floor. It works well in this little kitchen, creating a neutral backdrop, but the addition of pastel china and accessories does so much to lift the scheme from safe to sweet and appealing. The stool invites you to perch while your partner cooks, and shows how even small galley kitchens can function as sociable rooms.Browse a selection of pretty pastel themes
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Photos in Lavender Cottage - Kitchen
Torie Jayne
Torie Jayne