Kitchens have come a long way from the gloomy smoke-filled places that men of the house and guests generally stayed away from. Today, kitchens have become style statements for women and sometimes men to show off. Kitchens are no longer the sole territory of women. They also serve as lively spots at home for family bonding and display of little gestures of romance.

More and more studies have come to show that the aesthetics of the kitchen will improve the mood of the person working there in pronounced ways, which in turn will improve the focus and enthusiasm with which food is cooked. The prospect sounds delicious, doesn’t it.

So how do we make our kitchens conducive to this homely feel and at the same time keep it fashionable and cool. Here are given 7 ways to add that colorful vibe to your kitchens.

1. Revamp The Kitchen Design

Most kitchens in older households will have cupboards and other accessories that are large and somewhat damaged while simplicity and ease of use are the trends of the day. Most of these old structures can be revamped with very little effort and cost to look and feel brand new. Modern kitchen design concepts focus on providing the maximum storage facilities while occupying minimum possible space.

Foldable cupboards and accessories made of lightweight materials are smart additions to your kitchen. Many of them are designed keeping in mind the constraints of space in modern homes and can be customized to fit well with the available space. As these additions are mostly lightweight, easy to fit and cost-efficient, they help us in giving a new feel to the kitchen space without having to make major and expensive structural changes.

2. Let in more natural light

A good idea to improve the look and feel of your kitchen space will be to modify your kitchen openings to let in more natural light. While modifying windows, often it is found that adding an inch here or tweaking a panel there will considerably improve the brightness of your kitchens. It is no news that kitchens require sufficient openings to let out the smoke and heat from the stoves. These existing openings can be modified to let in more natural light. Simple steps such as replacing old opaque window panels and doors with those made of glass will improve the natural lighting as well as the aesthetics of your kitchen

3. Add some bright natural colors

The brightness and beauty of your kitchen can be instantaneously improved by changing the wall color or easier and less messy; the splashback with colorful acrylic sheets. Lighter shades reflect more light and add to the glow of your kitchen. Walls can be made brighter and lighter based on your choice of colors. Changing the wall colors to light natural shades is often found to improve occupants’ moods by huge margins.

4. Interior landscape design

If giving natural colors to your kitchen isn’t enough for you, how about adding a few leaves? Artificial topiaries and plants bring an entirely new aura to the kitchen environment. Studies have proved that simply looking at greenery can improve our moods and reduce stress. There are interior landscaping companies that provide some of the most realistic artificial plants for your kitchens. Interior landscaping need not be limited to small plants. You could even do cool experiments by putting up artificial trees at spots around your kitchen. Small trees such as replicas of sugar maple trees will more than do justice to the aura you want to bring about. If you have reservations for bringing large artificial trees indoor, there is always the option of small artificial bonsai trees. Artificial trees require little to no maintenance.

5. Pantries are no brainers

Adding a pantry door to the inner walls of the kitchen may sound extravagant and unnecessary to people with conservative ideas about their homes. But there are several advantages to adding one or more pantry doors to the kitchen. Apart from avoiding the direct walk into the dining area every time carrying a tray full of dishes, pantries also serve as ways for those in the kitchen to interact better with the rest of the household or guests visiting your home without having to interrupt the important work going on inside. Addition of a pantry will also help in reducing the feeling of isolation women often experience while working inside kitchens. They will serve as a less expensive and efficient hack to integrate the kitchen with the rest of the household.

6. Furnish them well

Set up enough furniture in the kitchens for the whole family to sit together and have a snack or a cup of coffee once in a while. I know this sounds unnecessary. After all that’s what dining areas are for, aren’t they? But considering the person who cooks at home, who are mostly women, spend more time in the kitchens, having enough furniture there will naturally make the rest of the family join her for the company and often help with her work. These small changes could go a long way in improving the quality time spend together by families and help in better bonding. And once the work is done and if the whole family is there, this little arrangement can help you to avoid the long march to the dining room carrying the food. You can start the party right then and there.

7. Bring in some music and dance

It is not so uncommon to have an additional television or music player in your kitchen in well to do homes. These were added to showcase luxury of the house owner. But additions such as these are more of a must today than a luxury. Having some good comedy or music running in the background will improve the mood of the person making food thereby increasing food taste and quality. Bringing in these little additions will also show that you care for the person who works hard in the kitchen to make sure that your food and thereby your day remains good. Moreover accessories like these can be added in a way by which they give a stunning new look to your kitchen. Fitting a slim TV to one of the kitchen walls or setting up a surround sound system can take the feel of being inside your kitchen to a whole new level.

Hope these tips will help you while making important decisions about redesigning your interiors. But considering that kitchens are more prone to fire and contain utensils and sharp equipment, the safety of kitchens is of paramount importance. Any changes made in kitchens should not compromise safety features such as proper ventilation, proper fire handling systems and proper and hygienic storage of food, utensils and sharp instruments. Modifications shouldn’t come in the way of the safety of the occupants of the kitchen or hinder in any way the primary purpose of the kitchen – bringing to your plates healthy, tasty and soul nourishing food.