Make Your Kitchen Comfortable

I love to cook, but I love it even more when dinner party guests stand around me and chat while I'm mixing, dicing or sauteing. (I get to pretend I'm Giada – now if only I could get that hair!) But even when I'm not throwing a dinner party, I spend more time in my kitchen than I do in any other room in my apartment, besides my bedroom.

Don't we all? The kitchen is the hub of any household. Kids do their homework there; husbands and wives catch up while sipping a glass of wine. Even dogs love the space, often napping underfoot.

In other words, kitchens are the new family rooms. So why not make yours as comfy as the rest of the house?

In the debut issue of Fresh Home magazine, the editors have come up with 13 Ways to Add Personal and Creative Touches to any kitchen. (I actually like this new mag, which feels a bit like a better version of the shuttered Blueprint. It's filled with lots of down-to-earth design tips.)

According to the article, kitchens today tend to have a very professional look – stainless steel appliances, monochromatic color schemes. "You see people being creative with the food they make, but they view the kitchen -- the room itself -- as little more than a workspace," says Susan Serra, certified kitchen design and author of the Kitchen Designer blog, who is quoted in the article.

The Fresh Home editors encourage folks to personalize their kitchens. After all, there's more to kitchen decor than sugar and tea canisters. With a few simple tweaks, they say, you can turn any kitchen into a cozy space.

Since the ideas were so fun, I thought that I'd share my 8 favorites:

-Add a surprising piece of furniture. My aunt's house has an overstuffed couch in the "eat-in" area of her kitchen, and it couldn't be better placed. At a recent party, it was easy for guests to get comfortable, while staying close to the snacks. If you have a smaller kitchen, try adding a settee reupholstered in a pretty fabric or spruce up a boring rolling work island with a coat of white or bright-colored paint. Or how about a bookshelf? It can make a nice focal point, especially if you line up your favorite cookbooks and mix in some well-chosen accents.

-Find linens you love. Have fun with fabrics and patterns that might not fit in with the rest of your decor. Experiment with rich textures and pretty pops of color. They suggest changing out placemats, tablecloths, dish towels and pot holders weekly to suit your mood.
-Go green by adding lots of plants in your kitchen. It's wonderful to be able to pull fresh herbs straight from a window garden -- and it will make your kitchen smell wonderful. Tip: Keep an aloe plant by the stove. If you burn yourself, break off a tip and squeeze the gel on your burn for instant relief.


-Mix and match your dinnerware. Who says dishware has to be all matchy-match? A mix of styles and colors makes for a fun look and adds instant charm. Keep colors or motifs -- you still want the pieces to look good together -- but think outside the box.

-Offer extra seating. If there's no room for a breakfast bar or eat-in table, keep stools or chairs nearby to encourage family and friends to hang out while you work.

-Add heirlooms. We often display keepsakes on our dressers or living room shelves, but what if your grandmother passed on her baking supplies? Find creative ways to display kitchen heirloom pieces. You'll be reminded of warm memories whenever one catches your eye.

-Remove or repaint cabinet doors. You can make your kitchen feel more homey if you take off the cabinet doors and display a pretty set of dishes on the shelves. (Just don't take too many doors off. Your kitchen will begin to look more cluttered than comfy!)

-Turn your backsplash into art. It's easier than you think, say Fresh Home editors. Head to a kitchen and bath store for prefabricated panels. Then you only need to cut to fit and glue it in place.