Winter is coming - get your kitchen styled for the season.
With the clocks changing, the daylight dimming and the temperature dropping, now is a great time to review your kitchen setup and make a few changes to keep it cosy and welcoming, all through the winter.
From taking control of the temperature to adding accessories that are perfect for snuggling up in, there are plenty of things you can easily do to make your kitchen more suited to the season. Rather than just being a place to cook in, it can become a bright hive of activity or a haven of calm.
Kitchen heating is a great place to start…
If your kitchen is heated by radiators, now’s a good time to check if they’re kicking out as much heat as they should be. If the top area of the radiator is much cooler than the bottom, you probably need to bleed them or get a professional power flush. Kitchens can be difficult spaces to heat consistently, especially if they’re open plan so if your kitchen is more arctic than ambient it might be worth considering transitioning underfloor heating in your new scheme or adding some plinth heaters as a secondary source of heat into your existing scheme?
Alternatively the popularity of Aga and Rayburn range cookers has soared of late - and they can take care of both your heating and cooking requirements (as well as coming in a rainbow of colours). Incorporating a range cooker into your kitchen may require a bit more of an upheaval than you fancy right now, but if you’re considering a kitchen remodel anytime soon one could be easily integrated the new design (and we can help make that happen.)
If you’re just finding that by the time you get home in the evening it takes ages to get your kitchen warm, maybe smart heating would be a good solution for you? There are lots of clever thinking thermostats that you could operate from your mobile, wherever you are, so you can switch on the heating and hot water so it's nice and toasty well before you get back.
When it comes to the content of your kitchen cupboards, a seasonal change calls for a kitchen reshuffle…
Move those wintry gadgets like the slow cooker and the casserole dishes to the forefront so they’re on hand when you fancy something hearty to eat. You might be doing less lettuce spinning and drinking fewer smoothies, so maybe those gadgets could tuck away for now. Have a think about stocking up your kitchen cupboards with winter warmers like hot chocolate - and perhaps batch cooking some soup for the freezer too. Just in case you need to fend off a cold snap or endure a winter lockdown.
Pendant lamps from Leyton Lighting
Get the kitchen lighting right…
Your kitchen lighting layout can make all the difference when it comes to creating a cosy atmosphere. Consider adding a floor lamp or two to light up dingy corners, or add a table lamp so you can dim the overhead lights at the end of the day. Changing stark white or blue-tinged bulbs for warm white can instantly improve things and even just upping the wattage of your bulbs a little can brighten things up enormously. Swapping your summer rattan or glass pendant shades in the kitchen for dark or warm toned fabric shades is a great way to cosy things up too. Incorporating mirrored surfaces, or even just ensuring your gloss kitchen cabinets are as clean and shiny as they can be, will help reflect and disperse the light around the kitchen too.
Add a little seasonal sparkle…
Candle from Seven Seventeen - a range available from our Showroom
Even though Christmas is a way off yet, it’s never too early to add a little bit of twinkle to your kitchen with fairy lights. Filling a glass vase with battery powered lights makes a brilliant instant lighting solution, or cascading them from a kitchen beam or dresser can really cheer things up. If your kitchen has large windows or bifold doors, adding fairy lights or uplighters to the garden can transform the view from dingy to delightful. Candlelight can add a gorgeous glow and a large helping of hygge to a kitchen interior… and if it also wafts a fabulous fragrance around - so much the better. Our current favourite kitchen candles are from Seven Seventeen and you can see the range on our shop page here.
A lick of paint can bring your kitchen to life…
It’s amazing how quickly paint can become dull - particularly white paint. Especially in a hard working area like the kitchen, heat steam and cooking grime can take its toll on your perfect paintwork. Adding an extra coat to freshen your kitchen up is a great idea (and you’ll really notice the difference). Or how about being bold and adding a feature wall in a rich and dark or bright colour to give your kitchen a whole new, cosy look? Easy to do - especially with one of the super-user friendly paint colours from Painthouse or the gorgeously rich Farrow & Ball shades.
And for the finishing touch…
Simply adding a few new, cosy accessories can turn a stark kitchen into a snug one. Cushion pads - or sheepskins will make your kitchen chairs much more enticing to sit on and adding a fabric tablecloth is a nice touch. If you have a kitchen diner, adding a carefully positioned rug can make cold toes in the morning a thing of the past.
Adding a few houseplants (or some hard working herbs in pots) to your kitchen worktop can bring a little bit of the outdoors in.
Herbs create a lovely fragrance inside as well as being handy for cooking, but plants in general are proven mood-boosters so definitely well worth investing in. Or how about adding some fabulous dried hops, evergreen boughs or some seasonal foliage in a vase?
At Blackbrook Kitchens we believe the kitchen is the heart of the home and we can create a kitchen for you that works with your lifestyle and your style preferences.
If you think it’ll take more than a few fairy lights to transform your kitchen into a winter wonderland then why not arrange a no-obligation kitchen design consultation with us? It’s free and a great way to start to bring your kitchen dreams to life.