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Baby Steps Toward a Better Kitchen
There’s no doubt that
the kitchen was once the center of family life.
While that isn’t usually the case in today’s hectic
world, many people spend more time in the kitchen
than they’d like. Making the room practical,
functional and attractive can minimize the time you
have to spend working in the kitchen and maximize
your enjoyment of that time. Take a look at some of
baby steps toward a better kitchen.
Removing the clutter – Clutter is the bane of many
rooms and the kitchen is no exception. If you limit
the amount of clutter piled up around your kitchen,
you’ll also be limiting the amount of time it takes
to perform tasks, including clean up time. Start by
throwing away (or at least putting away) all that
useless “stuff.” If the bread machine has been
sitting unused on the countertop for more than a
couple of months, find somewhere to put it away. And
if you’re just never going to bake bread, this would
be a good time to donate that monster to a local
charity or put it in a garage sale.
Maximizing the space – You may be overlooking some
important chances to make the most of your space. If
you have a corner cabinet, consider adding a Lazy
Susan (a circular shelf that rotates). Those are
nifty little gadgets that let you use the entire
space without losing everything that falls to the
back corner of the cabinet.
If you have cabinets with tall shelves (or no
shelves at all), add some. You’ll likely find what
you need at a local hardware store or lumber supply.
You’ll likely find shelves that will fit right into
your cabinet and many have holes already drilled for
shelf supports. If you’re using raw lumber, you can
even ask someone at the hardware store to cut the
boards to the size you need.
Add a touch of something – Whether it’s “pretty,”
“elegance” or “class,” adding some special touches
will bring warmth to your kitchen. Curtains, rugs
and even some new dishtowels will perk up your room.
Change something – It may be time for a makeover.
New cabinets, sink, faucets, countertops and
appliances may be in order. On the other hand, if
everything is still working well, you may find that
changing some of the smaller points of the room will
help. One relatively inexpensive way to change the
look of your kitchen is with new handles for your
cabinets. Choose something bright or pick a finish
to match your faucet. An antique look may be better
suited for your kitchen. Whatever you select, a
small detail like new handles can jazz up the entire
room.
Add some light – Light can change the entire look of
a room. Consider a new ceiling fan/light combo or
even a fancy new shade for your existing light. Just
because it’s a kitchen doesn’t mean that lamps
aren’t possible, and you can even use light to
create a focal point – on that new wine rack, for
example.
By Charles Kassotis
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