DECORATE BY ROOM

• Bathroom Decorating
• Bedroom Decorating
• Hallway Decor
• Kids Rooms
• Kitchen Decorating
• Living Room Decorating

DECORATING A KITCHEN

Whether the kitchen in your rental is large or small, it can always be enhanced by selecting complimentary kitchen accessories such as accents.

The key to making your kitchen accessory work for you instead of against you will be in deciding the quantity and overall theme of your space. Knowing your decorating style will help you in selecting the specific type of accessories to be placed on counters and walls. Refer to your folder of magazine clippings to help you decide. Don't limit yourself to the ordinary take the time to be creative. Some of the most pleasing kitchen designs are sometimes the most unusual!

Start with a clean palette

To begin, clear off the counters, walls and refrigerator, leaving yourself a clean visual palette. Living a couple of days in a stark kitchen can help you to notice your living habits and which spaces you use most often. Have NOTHING on your counter smaller than a microwave and NOTHING on your floors. This will help you to see things clearly when it's time to re-place your accessories.

The selection table

You probably have a good idea of the types of features your style incorporates. Put all your accessories together and group them on a table (if they are larger than the table just have them in the same general area). Be sure you categorize them by color, size or style. This will give you a birds-eye view of your choices to see how they work together. You may find that objects you thought worked great - really don't ! This can also give you an idea of what you may still need to purchase.

Putting it all together

Since you have lived in your space without kitchen accessories for a few days, you will notice every addition you make to your walls, floors and counters. Start with the largest pieces first. After placing an accessory, step back and look. You may want to walk out of the room and re-enter to get your initial reaction. How does it feel ? Is it at the right eye level ? Will it be in the way when I cook ? How does the color match ? If you are not satisfied, try moving the piece to another place. Keep doing this until you have found the right place for it or if you have decided not to include it in your kitchen. Do this process with each item working from largest to smallest.

Don't Over Do!

One of the biggest mistakes people make is over accessorizing. More is not always better, sometimes it's just more. Start sparingly and work up, being prepared to stop at anytime. Don't feel that all the accessory choices you have on your selection table must be used in your kitchen ( or any other room for that matter).

When you have finished placing your accessories you will be amazed at how much you enjoy working in your kitchen. It will become a special place of warmth and enjoyment because you took the time to create it !

Quick Kitchen Fixes

1. In the shade. For a colorful window treatment, paint a plain basswood shade a bright hue. For an aged look, use a semidry brush, and apply the paint haphazardly.

2. Aging gracefully. If you admire the character that comes with age, you can create an old-world illusion with paint. In the kitchen shown at right, the walls got a coat of sunny yellow, then a deeper yellow, a peach tone, and terra-cotta applied to the edges. Each color is mixed with glazing liquid and wiped down with a cloth between coats for an antiqued effect.

3. Cabinet makers. Give old cabinets the once-over with several layers of paint, applied with a dry brush. Press self-adhesive car pinstriping tape just under the molding for a snappy accent. For only a few dollars a roll at car-repair shops, the tape is a style steal.