Alexandre Duval is a blogger for Simons, a company based in Quebec, Canada which sells home décor accessories. Here they discuss how to jazz up your kitchen using the art of accessorising...
10 Accessories That Will
Transform Your Kitchen
If you like
cooking and having guests coming to your house, having a functional and
practical kitchen space is absolutely essential. Otherwise, cooking could
rapidly go from hobby to nightmare! Luckily, many companies have been launching
evermore-interesting products that enhance both the well-designed character of
your kitchen and its visual aspect. Here is a list of 10 must-have accessories
that will transform your kitchen’s look and practical side.
1. Ceiling-mounted pan rack
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| Pan Racks |
Making pans
and saucers fit in cupboards or in the oven’s bottom drawer sometimes feels
like playing Tetris. And it is annoying! If your kitchen space is big enough,
investing in a ceiling-mounted pan rack will prove very handy as it will save
you from having to bend over and have a good rummage in the cupboard every time
you need to find the right pan: they all will be at hand, hanging from the
ceiling just above the central cooking island. What’s more, racks made of
stainless steel are very elegant and add a modern touch to your kitchen’s
décor.
2. Glass cupboard doors
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| Glass Doors |
Since the
inside of kitchen cupboards and drawers often is messy, people prefer to hide
their content behind wooden doors. Still, having one or two cupboards with glass
doors gives your kitchen a classy look and creates the illusion that the
kitchen’s space is deeper while allowing you to showcase your swankiest, most
precious dining set pieces. Glass-doored cupboards are the perfect place to put
your nicest glass wines, for instance.
3. Under cupboard lighting
Cupboards
undoubtedly are a kitchen’s most obvious piece of furniture; if they look bad,
chances are that your kitchen as a whole will look bad too. However, replacing
cupboards is a very costly project and it may take some time before you feel
like you are financially comfortable enough to undertake such renovations.
Therefore, little improvements to your cupboards ought to be considered. One of
them is under cupboard lighting: such an improvement will provide you with the
option to dim the kitchen lighting at night, which can greatly enhance the
atmosphere during a reception with guests… while keeping their attention away
from the fact that your cupboards need to be replaced!
4. Kitchen wall tiles
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| Lovely Tiles |
If they were
looked down on until fairly recently due to their vintage look that was
reminding people of the ugliest days of decoration in the 1960s and in the
1970s, kitchen wall tiles are back! Avoiding disgraceful patterns and shocking
colors, today’s kitchen wall tiles are much more sober and simply add a touch
of warmth and modernity to your kitchen décor. Putting them in place on the
wall strip that lies between your counter and the bottom of your cupboards is
neither hard nor costly and will totally change the general atmosphere of your
cooking space… especially if you combine this improvement with under cupboard
lighting!
5. Stainless steel salt and pepper mills
As sad as
it may sound, salt and pepper shakers, no matter how original they are and no
matter on which of your trips abroad they were bought, are not the best
possible accessories when you are making dinner for your guests. They lack the
elegance of salt and pepper mills and they do not provide your guests with the
same feeling either: grinding your own salt grains and peppercorns is much more
enjoyable! Moreover, modern stainless steel salt and pepper mills are real, stylish
decoration accessories!
6. Jars
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| Jars |
Brown
sugar. Flour. Sugar. Why do you store them in plastic bags in the cupboards?
Don’t you use them often enough to justify putting them directly on the
counter? Of course, if you decide to do that, you ought to let go of the
plastic bags. But this is what jars are for! Buying three or four stylish jars,
whether they are made of ceramic, wood or steel, will not only keep essential
ingredients at hand, but it will also force you to keep your kitchen counter
free of superficial accessories as you will want to proudly showcase your
beautiful jars.
7. Two-in-one coffee machine
Although I
personally am an unconditional fan of espresso, I do understand that some
people prefer drip coffee. For that very reason, it is important to bear in
mind that some of your guests may not like espresso and therefore would enjoy
being served a mug full of drip coffee. In order to avoid owning two machines
and have them take half of your counter space, you ought to consider purchasing
a two-in-one coffee machine: some models have a very nice design and make both
quality espresso and drip coffee!
8. Olive oil jar or bottle
Just like
it is the case for sugar and flour, keeping olive oil on your kitchen counter
is not only practical: it is also beautiful! In effect, olive oil reminds us of
warm climates located all around the Mediterranean Sea; showcasing that noble
matter in an elegant glass jar that is sealed with a cork lid, for instance,
adds an exotic touch to your kitchen. Leave tin containers and price tags in
the recycling bin!
9. Carafe
Here is
another must-have accessory! A carafe of wine is absolutely essential in any
kitchen, especially those where receptions and dinners are often held with. Not
only is this accessory completely chic, but it is also the best way to bring
out the wine’s rich aromas. Indeed, a carafe lets the liquid breathe for some
time before it is actually served to your guests. This is definitely one of
those accessories you should store in your glass-doored cupboards…
10. Coffee cup hangers
If you own
nice coffee mugs and cups, whether it is for espresso or drip coffee, why not
show them? If it is the case, you should definitely consider buying and
installing coffee cup hangers under your cupboards or on your wall. Those made
of wood will provide your kitchen with a warm atmosphere that will remind you
of a cottage while those made of stainless steel will give you the impression
that your kitchen is a trendy downtown restaurant. In any case, you will love
getting up in the morning and seeing those mugs that have been waiting just for
you all night…
Thank you Alexandre for some top tips!
