COSY KITCHENS ADDING THOSE CREATURE COMFORTS
When it comes to kitchen design, it’s all too easy to focus on layout, cabinetry combinations, appliance integration, work surface space and so on. All things utility. You might home in on handle choice, the colour of your cabinets and what light fixtures to pick. All things aesthetic. But what about touches that you can apply to your kitchen that add atmosphere, that create a particular feeling?
KITCHENS Kitchens are said to be the main living space of the whole home, so, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner and perhaps a romantic dinner on the horizon, the experts at Neptune share their tips to help us make them a cosy contender for sitting rooms and snugs alike.
TEXTURE A need for every room. Texture isn’t just about visual interest, in terms of cosiness, it’s a way to bring in all sorts of warming touches. Exposed stone on walls and timber flooring will make a room feel snug (especially with underfloor heating!) because we associate both materials with keeping us safe and sheltered. Take it to the ceiling and consider cladding in wooden panelling. Your kitchen will be as good as a cocoon.
COLOUR Unsurprisingly, paint has a big role to play. In the kitchen, you’ve got both walls and cabinetry to play with. If you’re unsure of what shade to choose, speak to an expert like a Neptune home specialists, because not all dark shades have a warm base and light shades don’t have to be all about freshness.
LIGHTING Two of Neptune’s absolute musts in a kitchen are table lamps and dimmer switches. Table lamps, because they’re associated with sitting rooms and bedrooms and so, as soon as they’re brought into the kitchen, it immediately makes the room feel softer. Plus, they’re perfect at providing a dim, soothing glow. Dimmers on all other light fixtures – from pendants and spotlights to wall lights – will give you complete flexibility to reduce light intensity and, in turn, boost the cosy factor so it becomes less like task lighting and more about ambience.
RUGS AND THROWS If you’re worried about the practicality of a rug in a kitchen, put one close to the entrance so you walk into and onto softness, but it’s away from cooking areas. You could go for a natural fibre like seagrass or sisal for more practicality. Or, if you have a kitchen table, place a rug underneath so the edges peep out and make their presence felt, and your feet are somewhere snug while you’re sitting down. Throws or sheepskin rugs over the back of dining chairs or on a dining bench are cosy on the eye, never mind when you sit down or lean back into them.
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
FURNITURE Furniture isn’t just a practical thing. It makes a statement about how you’re going to use a room. Having a table in the kitchen invites people in. Picture a table with a pendant over it (dimly lit of course) with a centrepiece display (be it an inviting fruit bowl or bowl of scented pine cones) and those dining chairs grouped around (with your blanket or sheepskin over the back). It’s an open invitation to get comfy and stay close to where a cup of tea and a bite to eat is sure to follow. The same applies for an armchair in a kitchen with a small side table next to it, a dresser or console table. Furniture like this is another way to make your kitchen feel like a living space and not simply a place to cook, ergo making it more welcoming and cosy.
FIRESIDE If you’re having a kitchen redesign or an extension built, why not consider having a fireplace or logburner built into the room. Wherever there’s a fireside, there’s warmth, there’s comfort, there’s cosiness.
LITTLE TOUCHES The presence of comforting things like cookbooks (perhaps one could even be left open to show use and love), teapots and mugs on shelving, family photos and ornaments, clusters of lit candles with matches to hand so it’s clear they’re not just for show, and artwork with scenes of people or food in them will all contribute to your kitchen’s cosseting atmosphere. Consider what would make you enjoy spending time in a room and wish to stay there for longer. Remember, cosiness isn’t all about being warm and snug (though that’s a lot to do with it), it’s about what people find comforting.
CURTAINS AND SHUTTERS Window treatments in a kitchen are an overlooked way to bring in one last dose of cosy. If your room is on the large side, and you have windows further away from the stove and hob, a pair of fully-lined curtains is such a homely addition and will keep the warmth in beautifully. Just be sure to air your kitchen as often as you can and look into having your curtains cleaned more regularly to keep them fresh. Roman blinds are another option; it’s a case of bringing fabric into the kitchen that can help it feel cosier. Shutters, if your window allows them, are a way to avoid having fabric if you’re not so keen though. Going for solid panels over slatted if you can, because when they’re shut tight, it’s as good as feeling all tucked in.
Combine a few of these elements, or the whole lot, and your kitchen will quickly become the busiest spot in your whole home in the coming months…
For help with creating a characterful kitchen, you can book a free initial consultation with a Neptune home designer.
Neptune Edgbaston, 16-18 Harborne Road, Birmingham, B15 3AA
www.neptune.com/our-stores/uk/edgbaston
89
HOME S & INTERIORS L IGHT ING AS A T EXTURE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124
