Bringing calm before the Christmas storm!

Transform your kitchen before Christmas with replacement kitchen doors from DIY Homefit.

Your kitchen is probably the busiest room in the house. It’s where all the action happens. It’s usually the last room you leave and the first you come back to. Which means that every time you leave or enter your home your immediate impression is potentially one of chaos and disorder.

But that can be changed! Read on for our ten tips on how to make your kitchen an oasis of calm.

• Back to nature

Whatever the theme or style of your kitchen it can make a real difference to have some natural elements in there. If you already have any kind of traditional or farmhouse kitchen then you can build on this theme with matching accessories around the kitchen. But even if you have a stunning modern kitchen such as the example below – using Integra replacement kitchen doors in Matt Graphite – you can still blend in some natural items such as the wooden bowls, jars of healthy items and displays of fruit that you can see here.

• Colours for calm

Calm colours in your kitchen are soothing and  can help to create a cosy ambience. Balance the colours carefully with the amount of light in your kitchen, and do consider dark colours if you have a room that is light enough to feature them. Grey, such as pictured above, can be a neutral yet rich colour for a kitchen; and blue is also good for instilling a sense of calm.

• Clear away the clutter

Whatever style of kitchen you have, ensure that you stick to the old guideline of a place for everything and everything in its place. Piles of clutter not only spoil the look of your kitchen but can add to your stress levels as they are a constant reminder of all the things you need to do. Not what you want when you are either going off to work or coming back home again. So make room for everything to be put away, but also consider having some open shelving – such as that pictured above – for items that are special to you and also the things that you need most often in the kitchen.

• Mix and match

Add an eclectic touch to your kitchen by mixing and matching kitchen items such as plates and mugs. Having a collection of different patterns – perhaps including some handmade pieces – can bring warmth and personality into your kitchen. You could use the open shelving to display some of these items to good effect, and become a feature in your kitchen.

• Bring life into your kitchen

Plants or flowers in your kitchen can give it an instant lift and make it feel less clinical. The image below shows our Lincoln replacement kitchen doors in HG White. The striking floral display brings warmth and flair to the minimalistic look. Also bear in mind that plants in your kitchen can help to purify the air as well as being a touch of the outdoors.

• Rest awhile

Make sure your kitchen has somewhere for you to sit and relax. If it is all geared towards kitchen chores then it will not be a restful place. The example above shows how easy it is to fit some seating into the main area of your kitchen. Or if space permits you may be able to create a cosy seating area with either a small sofa or a bench covered in cushions.

• Everyday items

To help make your kitchen a really calm living space, bring in items that you would normally expect to be in a living room or bedroom, such as books and collectible items. Also include some wall art if you have the space for it. These items can lend warmth and character and make your kitchen the place that everyone wants to be.

• Snug as a rug

Whatever type of flooring you have in your kitchen, a colourful rug can really make a difference. If you have floor tiles and want to break up the room a bit, or if it ll feels rather cold and clinical, then a good quality rug with vibrant colours might be just what you need. A rug can also subtly change the acoustics in your kitchen, making the atmosphere a bit more mellow.

• Dim the lights

It is so important to get the right lighting in your kitchen. If it is too bright it can give a sterile operating theatre feel. But too dim and you can’t see what you’re doing. Our recent article Light Up Your Kitchen explored various lighting options for different types of kitchen. We love the subtle lighting pictured below, teamed with Acrylic Supermatt replacement kitchen doors in White & Dust Grey

• Your happy place

Last but not least, one of the best ways to bring calm to your kitchen is to make it a happy place. Fill it with family and friends, love and laughter. Entertaining friends does not have to be stressful and complicated: create simple sharing dishes that you can all enjoy together. The more you associate your kitchen with happy times, the better you will feel about it and it will begin to feel like an oasis of calm without you even having to think about it!

We hope that these tips help you to bring calm to your kitchen and start enjoying it more. Check back here soon for more home and lifestyle tips from DIY Homefit.