As a mom I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, which means most of my day is spent staring at the walls, cabinets, counter space and floor in this one room. But, for some reason, my kitchen was one of the last house projects to be worked on. Perhaps it’s because I frequent this room out of necessity and not by choice – regardless, it needed some personality and updating. It’s not complete and in no way close to my dream kitchen, but I found ways to make it my own and make it a space I’m proud to be in… Forced or not.
Over the past eight years, I’ve had numerous plans and ideas for changing my kitchen. The cabinets are not the color I prefer, the walls were a little too yellow for my liking and the layout is less than ideal for storage and keeping a baby out. But no matter how hard I wish for more storage space (and a new layout), I knew that wasn’t a possibility – at least right now.
So I made small, personal changes.
The wall space in our kitchen is extremely small. A backsplash between the counter space and upper cabinets is pretty much all you see when you walk into the room thanks to the under cabinet lighting that I love so much. I decided to personalize and utilize that space with chalk paint. In a kitchen with light wood cabinets, white tile counters, white appliances and light yellow walls, it needed some contrasting color. Nothing says contrast like black chalk paint. Not only does it bring dimension to the room and portrays my artsy personality, it serves as a perfect spot for reminders and notes for my husband, kids and myself.
The space above the counters houses fake plants and two wooden signs. I’m in love with my “Cuisine” sign because it adds a pop of red and is perfect for the kitchen. The only problem with fake plants is, when they are that high; they gather dust very quickly and are hard to keep clean.
The floors are not my favorite, but the black chalk paint help to pull the focus from the grout that needs to be re-done. The rugs also pull focus in a positive way with the modern pattern and complimentary colors. I went with these rugs, which are actually not kitchen-specific rugs, because of the subtle red color and fall-like pattern.
Because these rugs are not kitchen rugs (with non-slip backing), I used the Rug Gripper tape to keep them in their place and make it safer for my children who like to run through the kitchen and in and out the back door.
The possibilities are endless to make your kitchen (or any room) your own special place.
Have you made a room a your home into a special haven with just a few touches? Please share…
Written by:
Christina Holt, Writer/Teacher- Mommy Loves Coffee
