Eat-in Central! (My Kitchen tour)

The definition of the word "kitchen" has evolved with the modern day needs and lifestyle. It has matured into a versatile space that functions as the epi-center of the family’s activities. It’s not only a place where family and friends gather to cook, share, connect and eat but also serves as a mirror, reflecting how families live today. 

Day’s activities are planned here, bills get paid, homework gets done, playtime and crafting happens here and happy delicious memories get created along with a big batch of fresh chocolate-chip cookies. My kitchen is no different! It is constantly bustling with activity and works hard to nourish my family's mind, body and soul. 

While looking to buy a new home, one of the requirements on our list of must-haves was an open floor plan kitchen with an abundance of sunlight flooding the space. We loved the fact that this kitchen had all this and more. It was beautifully integrated with the sunroom and the informal dining. An advantage when your entertaining and need to keep a watchful eye on the playful eight-year- old mischief-maker.

Informal dining room

Sunroom

Since the building was in its nascent stage, we were lucky enough to work with the builder and get exactly what we wanted. And that means we got to choose the options such as the cabinets, counter tops, appliance and flooring. We kept things simple and went for warm wood tones, dark granite for the counter-tops and a light colored back splash to brighten things up. When it came to the decision about floors, we finalized on hard wood floors for visual continuity and to keep things cohesive with the rest of the space. Boy am I glad! Firstly, it is great in winter as it’s not as cold on the feet as the tile floors. Second, it adds an instant factor of warmth and looks great!

We made sure of the fact that the areas for prepping, cooking, cleanup as well as storage flowed gracefully from one to the other i.e. keeping in sync with the "work triangle" rule. The island being the visual centerpiece, double duty’s as my prep surface, on-the-go breakfast stop and a welcoming perch for family and friends with the addition of the vintage style metal bar stools. 

With the basics in place, we then tackled the fun part - accessorizing the kitchen. As fun as it is I personally think that decorating a kitchen is one of the most difficult tasks. I first started with narrowing down on the colors to use in the space. Since it is an open floor plan, we had to pick our color cues from the sunroom and informal dining space. That way, color is the unifying factor that seamlessly blends the different zones. Shades of orange, green and a touch of teal make their presence felt in the kitchen.  

Sharing a few tips and tricks that I used for accessorizing my kitchen:

• Display a few favorite pieces from your collection of colorful tea cups, crockery and cookware.
• A touch of whimsy is never out of place like the teapot shaped chalk board. I love writing happy messages on it or for letting my hubby know what teabags we have in stock:)  

• Put your favorite cook books out where you can see them. When in doubt what to serve for dinner next time, you know help is within arms reach.
• Colorful Indian spice boxes are not only functional but also help bring in color and pattern to the kitchen decor. 

• Flowers and potted herbs/plants help bring the place alive. 
• Use nature’s bounty such as seasonal fruits and vegetables to your advantage. 

• Floor Runners that echo the color scheme can not only add texture but have the added benefit of swapping them out often as per seasons or moods and creating a whole new look every single time.
• Bring in inexpensive artwork like this "Put the Kettle On" print that I scored at a yard sale. 
• Use bright and cheerful kitchen/dish towels (Drying off dishes is a task that cannot be avoided, so why not do it in style?).
• Make creative use of patterns to add an element of visual appeal - shop for teacups, tea storage containers, spice boxes etc that mimic the color scheme of your kitchen with interesting pattern-play on them.
• DIY skills can also come to your rescue. For instance, take the ceramic containers with a few indoor plants adorning my window sill. Simple Oradd ceramic plant pots from IKEA, were jazzed up with some chevron patterned scrap booking paper and modge-podge to match the chevron pattern on my rug. 

Another important factor to make your kitchen work efficiently is "Organisation". It is imperative that you have all your things organized. Here is a peek into my not so large pantry. However, I make it work as I have everything that I need labelled and use color coded storage containers and baskets to help me stay on track.   

Finally, I can safely claim that I’ve tackled the three main elements of kitchen design being function, efficiency and style with panache. I'd love to hear what you have to say, so don't forget to drop me a line....

You have a great day and stay inspired! 

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.