Kitchen Lighting

When we think of decorating our kitchens, one thing that we more often forget is the kitchen lighting. Since, we people spend quite a lot of time cooking in the kitchen, good lighting becomes requisite. When it comes to kitchen lighting design, it is vital to ensure that, it goes well to suit the architectural details and decoration theme of the kitchen. People usually commit the mistake of lighting the whole kitchen, but, that is not a very good idea, as the light fixture tends to dominate the kitchen visually. As bad is excessive lighting, equally harmful is recessive lighting.

Kitchen Lighting Ideas

Task lighting
This kind of lighting works best for performing a task in the kitchen. The task lighting throws adequate light, thus enabling you to cut the vegetables and read recipes in the magazine clearly. The best place for fixing this light is between the actual work place and the person's head.

Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting lends a pleasant glow to your kitchen, thus giving a warm welcome to the people entering into the kitchen.

Accent Lighting
More commonly, people fix accent lighting fixture inside a glass cabinet, which aids in illuminating the china bowls, glassware and other articles kept inside the cabinet.

Decorative Lighting
This type of lighting is basically used for adding sparkling effects to the kitchen.

Kitchen Curtains

When it comes to kitchen décor, curtains play a major role in accentuating the kitchen. Thus, the selection of kitchen curtains is of utmost importance. When you go about shopping curtains for kitchen, there are lots of things that demand your attention, like the texture, motif, color, design and of course practicality of the curtain. Don't just get fascinated by the styling or designing, but also check out if the curtain that you want to buy can be easily cleaned or if it requires lot of attention and time to be spent on its maintenance.

Amidst all, you also need to bear in mind, the theme of your kitchen, so as to ensure the harmonious look. Buying what seems attractive is not enough, it is also vital to ensure that each and every piece of decoration or furnishing that you choose to adorn your kitchen with, goes well with the theme of the kitchen. Not to forget that, mismatching can mar the whole look. If you have decorated your kitchen in the country style, don't pick up new age design curtains from the market. Read to know about the kitchen curtain ideas.

If you want to let the sunlight enter your kitchen, but at the same time, block the glare, then go in for a white color or else a curtain in a very light shade. Blue curtains give a very soothing and cozy feel. The drawback of light shade curtains is that, the dust particles and the stains on them are clearly visible. If you are not very fond of sunlight and like to give your room a relaxed look that is just apt to enjoy your sleep, then you should go in for dark color curtains.

Well, it's not just about the color, but the material is of equal importance. If you want to obstruct the way for sunlight, then it is preferable to go in for dark heavy material curtain. The negative thing about these curtains is that, they make the kitchen appear smaller. On the other hand, light curtains make the kitchen appear more spacious. Also, it is pretty easy to wash the light material curtains, as they don't have much of weight. So, after assessing your need, make the right choice of kitchen curtains.

Country Kitchen

If you want to lend a warm pleasant feeling to your kitchen, it is best to decorate your kitchen in the country style. Based on the concept of simplicity, the country kitchen is great to look and easy to maintain. In the contemporary times, more and more people are resorting to country style kitchen design, as the feeling associated with it is very welcoming. There is an element of warmth attached to it. Read on to know more about the country kitchen décor.

Here are given some tips for decorating the kitchen as per country style:

* The most apt colors for adorning the country kitchen are the subtle shades of green, blue, pink, brown and white.
* To get the feel and look of a country kitchen, add some accents. To name a few, we have the gorgeous flowers, lush green plants, fresh fruits and vegetables.
* Incorporate wicker furniture as in the furniture made from natural wood or fiber in your country style kitchen and upholster them. If you don't want to replace your existing furniture, then check out some new slip covers in floral motifs.
* As far as the flooring of country style kitchen is concerned, the best options are natural wood, flagstone and tiles. You can also go in for laminate flooring.
* When it comes to country kitchen décor, accessories help a great deal in enhancing the charm of your kitchen. A great idea to add a personal touch to your kitchen is to put some family pictures in the wooden photo frame and place it on the kitchen cabinet. Embellish your kitchen windows with the silky lace curtains.

Designer Kitchen

The term designer kitchen is often perceived differently by different people. For some, it is the privilege of the elite class, who can hire the services of the experts from the interior decorating world. The second category of people consider a designer kitchen to be nothing original but a replica of the kitchens that have been adorning the houses of celebrities. For others, designer kitchen means a kitchen that you design for your own sweet home, beginning from the scratch level.

Well, the concept of designer kitchen is not just about creating a kitchen, the designing of which is line with the trend, but it is also about a kitchen that reflects your personality, a kitchen in the decoration of which you've virtually put your heart and soul. Planning a designer kitchen is indeed a daunting task and requires everything to be planned very carefully. You need to lay emphasis on each and every small detail. Designer kitchen is one that aims at achieving perfection in almost every aspect of kitchen décor.

There can be various designer kitchen ideas, but the best idea is the one that creates a kitchen, the look of which is welcoming. If your kitchen resembles a museum or an art gallery, where one can find a fabulous collection of all the magnificent creations, then it won't give you that comfort feeling. Decorate your kitchen in a manner that depicts your style statement as well as your personal taste. So, go ahead and design the kitchen of your dreams that exhibits your creativity and talent.

Kitchen Remodeling

Planning, remodeling and designing a kitchen includes taking a few decisions that will help you to get a better deal where you can be comfortable while cooking in the future. Here are the things that you must decide beforehand:

* You may choose from fitted kitchens that occupy less space and have more storage space or a freestanding kitchen that can be moved easily and taken to any place with you.
* Lifestyle of the family - A single person that cooks rarely will prefer a minimalist's kitchen while a kitchen for a large family that is used quite often throughout the day needs a lot of storage space, groceries, cutlery and crockery and all the kitchen tools, equipments and appliances along with the sitting area for the family dinner gatherings.
* Seating area - A small kitchen may accommodate a small breakfast table while a big kitchen may have the dinner table set to cater to the whole family. You may also use a part of your dining/living room as the kitchen to make more space for the seating arrangement.
* Placing of refrigerator - Fridge should never be placed near the cooking hob as the appliances may not work properly. The ideal placement of refrigerator is between the entrance of the kitchen and the cooking area where all the members of the house can easily access it.
* Kitchen Shapes - Efficient kitchen is one that allows easy movement and enough space for sink; counter for food preparation, cutting and chopping; and cooking area. The most popular shapes are galley kitchens, two-way galley kitchens, L-shaped kitchens and U-shaped kitchens.
* Galley kitchens are the ones where all working areas are next to each other, have less storage space and require lot of movement.
* Two-way galley kitchens provides for storage space below the worktop, cupboards are placed on the opposite wall for easy access to minimize walking movements, is more compact and must have enough between the two galleys to avoid bumping.
* L-shaped kitchens provide more workspace and storage area, walking distance is minimized and corners of the kitchen can serve as the dining area.
* U-shaped kitchens have the most workspace and storage area, has less floor area and are not for claustrophobics. In case, your kitchen seems too small, you may use one of the legs as a breakfast bar or provide for an island counter instead.
* Decide on the kitchen layout, starting with the placement of sink, preparation area and hob, the placement of fridge and the service points for water, electricity and gas.
Ventilation points and daylight should be kept in mind too.

Kitchen Furniture n Accessories

Kitchen Furniture and Accessories

Right accessories and furniture can entirely transform your kitchen into the most pleasurable area of your home. The quantity, size and theme of the kitchen accessories must match with you overall home décor theme and space available. Here are some tips for you:

* Once you have decided on the color of your walls, placing of your refrigerator, counters and cabinets, categorize all your accessories by color, size or style and then choose them according the scale and visual balance.
* Install the largest accessories first, keeping the aesthetic balance, right eye level, distance to the cooking area and then move on to the smaller ones.
* Wall clock is a must in the kitchen, whether you are a student, working person or a housewife, so that you can get done with cooking on time. It also helps to monitor your cooking better.
Designer range hoods do not only look trendy but are also quite functional when it comes to get rid of smoke and vapors.
* Kitchen carts & worktables come in quite handy for a variety of things and can be moved or folded and slipped under the counter after use.
* Pot racks and baker's racks are for those with advanced culinary skills.
* Covered trashcans are a must in the kitchen to discard all those soda bottles and boxes.
* Cabinet accessories, designer sinks, faucets, knobs and pulls lend a sophisticated look to the kitchen.
* Stools and chairs that can be stacked on top of the other can be used and then stacked in the corner in a small kitchen.
* Chopping blocks and countertops are a must but you may also opt for wine racks.
* Decorate your appliances too with beautiful decorative panels.
* Stainless steel wall shelves and backsplash accessories are the latest trend in kitchen décor.

Kitchen Colors

Creative use of colors can result in a budget-friendly kitchen décor that can stimulate your hunger and funk-up your surroundings. Here are some hit tips for you:

* Painting the kitchen cabinet in most innovative ways can add splash of colors to the kitchen.
* Installing new tiles in trendy designs and deep tones all over the kitchen or above the kitchen counters can make cleaning and wiping the area easier and make kitchen look quite beautiful too.
* A monochromatic color scheme with matching cabinet, countertop and wall colors can be funked up by creating a focal point in the kitchen in bold contrasting colors and stenciled motifs.
* Installing curtains that easily washable in decorative patterns and colors can also make your kitchen look much prettier.
* Do not overlook the fact that colors look different in different lighting systems and fluorescent or incandescent lighting may affect the hue of your kitchen entirely in a different fashion.
* These days, recessed and cabinet lighting plan in the kitchen rather than the uniform lighting plan.
* You may add a dramatic touch to your kitchen décor by using light and shadows to compliment the kitchen colors and a spotlight above your cooking area and dining area may actually look like a studio kitchen.
* Besides the cabinetry, ceiling, floor and window coverings, moldings and trim, there are other design elements too such as chandeliers and designer lights, knobs and pulls, hanging plates and pot racks.
* Hand painted furnishings and accessories can also be used for the kitchen décor.

Kitchen Cabinet

When you enter into someone's kitchen, the first thing that grabs your attention is undoubtedly the kitchen cabinet. It is the most prominent piece of furnishing in the kitchen. On one hand, where it acts as a great storage, on the other hand, it acts as means to adorn your kitchen and give it a livelier look.
If you go about hunting the markets, you'll be amazed to see the wide array of cabinets for kitchen. Coming up in different shapes and sizes, these kitchen cabinets are selling like hot cakes. There are plenty of places where you can look out for different kinds of kitchen cabinets like the cabinet showrooms, lumberyards and home improvement centers.

Talking about the kitchen cabinet style, there is a large diversity available for you, ranging from the basic wooden cabinets to the advanced modular ones. You can either purchase them from the furniture stores or else get it customized by hiring the services of a professional cabinetmaker.

Measure the layout of your kitchen and accordingly decide what size would the best for your cabinet. The markets are stocked with cabinets of different sizes. In terms of width, you can find the cabinetry ranging from 9 inches to 48 inches, at an increment of 3 inches. In terms of finish and style, the cabinet stores offer a vast range.

Keeping in mind the theme of your kitchen, you can choose to go in for contemporary laminated ones or the traditional hardwood style. Even in wood, you can find various kinds of material, differing in quality. There are mainly two types of kitchen cabinets, namely, the face frame and the frameless.

In the United States, it is the face framed cabinets that are in demand. They are usually made from hardwood. Frameless cabinets have a panel finish on both the sides and their edges are laminated. It is not at all cumbersome to install the kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen Décor Idea

Kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home. Top-class modular kitchens, architectural elements that add lavishness to the kitchens such as crown moldings, latest appliances and stylish hardware and fixtures become the highlights of today's kitchen. Kitchen décor has many aspects such as kitchen shapes and layout, storage space and color schemes that have to be paid attention to. Here are some practical tips for kitchen décor that you must follow:

* Classical kitchen décor uses oak wood.
* Fine-grained woods such as cherry and maple are used for contemporary kitchen décor.
Mix and match wood finishes and different textures in countertops look interesting and add depth to the room.
* Kitchens can be made traditionally as utilitarian workspaces or as open spaces that are a part of dining rooms or living room.
* While most preferred, shape for a kitchen is U-shape to allow the person to make best use of the 'work-triangle' of the space; other popular shapes are L-shaped kitchens, Galley-shaped kitchens and island kitchens.
* Stainless steel appliances with pewter finish are most commonly used in kitchens while silver or gold dinnerware is undoubtedly for grand and lavish dining.
* Glass cabinets to show off your best china and wooden panels to hide the rest are quite popular.
* Space should be reserved to accommodate cooking range, ovens, dishwashers and sinks.
* Make sure that kitchen counters are durable, look beautiful and are easy to clean. Most common are granite, slate and marble slabs and tile mosaics are fast catching up to lend a unique look to the kitchen.
* Kitchen needs the most storage space with lots of hidden storage areas too and you can mix and match rollout shelves, vertical tray dividers and pullouts and drawer inserts. You will also need recycling bins and appliance garages.
* Floors
* It's important to choose flooring material consistent with the rest of the home. Tile is distinctive, but it can be cold if not heated underneath and its hard surface may require an area rug in work areas where prolonged standing occurs.
* Kitchen flooring in bold colors are vibrant and energetic but expensive too. Neutral colors are the traditional choices and more budget-friendly too.
* Recessed adjustable lighting and decorative lighting fixtures spotlighting your kitchen island or dining area can add a dramatic effect to your kitchen decor.