The kitchen plays a big role in your household’s life so it makes sense that the way it looks and functions affects the way you feel. From color and lighting, to timeless design choices and personalized details – your kitchen design can improve your mood.
7 Tips For an Uplifting Kitchen Design
Here are 7 tips to design a kitchen that is just right for you, and how could a kitchen feel any better than that?
- Choose the right colors. Paying attention to trends is a good thing – to a point. It’s not okay if it tempts you to make selections that you wouldn’t ever choose on your own. Don’t choose colors that other people or a designer prefers. Choose the ones you like, that look good in your home, and that you’ll want to look at rain or shine, every day of the week. Neutral colors may be your best bet because they are timeless, and you will be able to add brighter or seasonal colors via accent pieces.
- Create a timeless design. Speaking of timeless, designing for today’s trends may not yield a kitchen you’ll be happy with in a year, or two or five. There’s nothing that ruins a mood like spending tens of thousands of dollars on a kitchen design that you want to re-do in just a few years.
- Eliminate clutter. There are countless psychological studies done on the effects of clutter on mental well-being. The bottom line is: Clutter = Yuck. If cabinets are disorganized and countertops are covered with stuff, you’ll feel more stressed and out of control of your life. Make “clutter elimination” part of your re-design. From getting rid of kitchenware and countertop appliances you never use, to building cabinets to the ceiling, reorganizing cabinets according to contents and taking advantage of innovative storage solutions – you can make kitchen clutter a thing of the past.
- Make it all about you. Design a kitchen that is all about you – not what some fancy design magazine says works best. Kitchen function is a first-priority. Talk in-depth with your kitchen design-builder about how you and your family use the kitchen, each day, from morning until night. This will yield a personalized design with intentional choices about what goes where.
- Think about usability, efficiency and long-term use. When the kitchen timer goes off and you’re standing at the stovetop, is it easily in reach? Can you prepare a meal using only a step or two in any one direction? Do you see yourself able to maneuver comfortably in your kitchen in 10 to 15 years? What about an in-law, parent or a wheelchair-bound friend? Designing a livable and accessible kitchen will make everybody more comfortable and happy in the kitchen space.
- Turn on the right light. Put extra time into designing a kitchen lighting plan that has a little of everything you need. Adequately place task lighting for food prep and cooking, use daylighting for a cheerful daytime mood, safety lighting via undercabinet/toekick option, and consider ambient lighting options for a cozy, intimate or romantic glow.
- Prioritize an eco-friendly design. Your health – both physically and financial – have a significant impact on your mood. By designing an eco-friendly and energy-efficient kitchen you’ll improve interior air quality, reduce the demands on the planet’s resources, and lower your annual utility expenses. That’s something to feel great about.