The kitchen truly is the heart of the home. Not only do we spend time in the space preparing and cooking meals, but the kitchen becomes a place for long conversations over a glass of wine, completing homework at the island bench or a space to dance around to your favourite tunes. Kitchens include a number of hard surfaces such as stone, tiles, laminate and stainless-steel appliances, so it is essential we soften and brighten them up by adding a touch of personality. We find that people are often scared to style a kitchen as there is a fine line between ‘stylishly curated’ and ‘cluttered’. Today we are sharing our top tips for creating a stylish kitchen without going overboard by adding a touch of personality and breathing life into the space.

Benchtop Styling

The benchtop is the perfect space to add personality to the kitchen and display some of your favourite items styled in beautiful vignettes. Try adding a tray to your island bench with a vase of flowers, coasters and a fruit bowl. Not only does this bring colour and life to the space, but it can also hold items that you reach for regularly. Another idea for benchtop styling is to lean a gorgeous timber chopping board against your splashback with some large, decorative salt and pepper grinders in front. If your kitchen is feeling stark and in need of some colour, add a little herb garden with some basil, rosemary and thyme in front of a window or by your stovetop. This will create a beautiful little focal point through adding a pop of greenery and become a handy tool when cooking up your favourite meals in the kitchen! We recommend heading to some of our retailers such as Kitchen Warehouse, Freedom, Provincial Home Living and Early Settler for some beautiful pieces to add to your kitchen benchtops.

Open Shelf Styling

Open shelving is a huge trend in kitchens at the moment and is growing in popularity every day! Opt for a balance of enclosed cupboards and a few open shelves when designing your space, this way you can keep your everyday items tucked away, but also have your favourite items styled and on display to bring you joy each day. We love floating timber shelves or a rustic, brushed brass style to add interest and a feature in the kitchen. Display items such as cookbooks, trailing plants, your favourite mugs and the ‘special occasion’ wine glasses.  Open shelving is a great way to create different themes and update the look of your kitchen as you can switch up the items depending on the season or time of year.

Try Adding A Soft Touch

As we have mentioned above, kitchens include an array of hard finishes from the stone benchtops to the shiny appliances. It can be hard to offset against these surfaces, but with a few simple tricks we can make the kitchen feel like a cosier space! Rugs are a considerably underrated home décor item for the kitchen. Not only do they add colour and texture, but they feel comfortable and soft underfoot. We understand that keeping a rug looking clean and fresh in a kitchen can be hard, but if you opt for a jute or flatweave variety it will stay looking newer for a lot longer. Homemaker The Valley has a few specialty rugs stores such as Decorug and The Rug Establishment, head in store today!

Stylish Pantry Storage

If opening up your pantry gives you a scare and you have no idea what is lurking in the back, then it is time to style and organise the space! With the help of stores such as Howard’s Storage World and TK Maxx, you will find everything you need to feel inspired about your pantry once again! After you have cleaned out your pantry and have only kept the essentials and food that is in-date, it’s time to go shopping! Start by sorting all your pantry goods into ‘like-minded’ categories and pop them all into storage baskets for easy reach. Another trick we recommend is emptying all your cardboard boxes into beautiful glass or plastic jars and labelling them accordingly. This creates a styled and organised pantry and also allows you to easily see when you are running low on items such as pasta, flour, cereals or nuts.

Add A Personal Touch

We spend so much time in our kitchens that it is imperative they reflect the personality of the home. If you have a bright and colourful interior throughout the rest of the house, add some framed colourful artworks or a fun calendar with your favourite images of the family each month. If your home is more of a minimal, Scandinavian vibe, then add some vintage black and white kitchen art or a framed, minimal line drawing. Art shouldn’t be limited to the bedroom, hallways and living room, make sure you include a few pieces that reflect your personality in the kitchen as well.

Our go-to stores at Homemaker The Valley for all your kitchen needs are Kitchen Warehouse, Howard’s Storage World and Tk Maxx. But don’t forget about all our other amazing retailers that you are sure to find a beautiful piece to style up in your kitchen or pantry as well! Spend an afternoon this weekend strolling through Homemaker North and South while sipping on a hot cup of coffee from Café 63. We will see you there!