The complete kitchen

What Exactly Is It That Your Kitchen Lacks?  For me, it's ventilation, natural light, and counter space.  Since I rent however, there isn't too much I can to to fix these issues.  When your kitchen has everything it needs, it just works.  Cooking is a more streamlined process, and entertaining is more pleasurable than stressful.

A Table/Island If your kitchen is big enough to fit it in an island/breakfast bar is a great idea. By doing this you immediately turn it into a dining room and gathering place. Even if it is a relatively small surface you can still use the kitchen as a cosy place to have meals. I think it would be especially useful in the mornings when you are sitting the family down to breakfast and going over everyone's plans for the day. If you have enough room for something bigger then full scale parties and dinner parties become a very real possibility.

 via Pinterest via BHG

via HomeLife.com.au

via BHG

More LightA common problem in many kitchens is a lack of light. This can lead to a horribly dark and old fashioned look, even if the rest of the room is perfectly acceptable. Luckily options abound when it comes to options for extra kitchen lighting, my favorite being pendants and under cabinet lights.

Not only functional, these pendants over the counter are STUNNING.
via Clerkship Scramble

via Kitchenmaking.com

FlowA danger is any kitchen is that it can feel cut off from the rest of the house. If you are still in the process of designing the place then arches, breakfast bars, French doors and conservatories are all clever ways to maintain the contact with other parts of the house. If the house is already finished then it might be more difficult to do this, but keeping the door open and encouraging more use of the kitchen can help it feel more a part of the home.  It sounds small, but I rent and have a galley kitchen, so to "open" it up, I keep the door open, and have a framed picture and open shelves in the kitchen that you can see from living room, thus visually inviting you into the kitchen.

The floor graphic in the kitchen is also in the dining room, creating a visual continuity which helps combine the otherwise separate areas.

Excellent lighting, a runner, and an intriguing graphic keep this kitchen from looking like an after thought and more like a well considered, frequently used space.

2 above via blogbuilddirect.com

Smart AppliancesA well equipped kitchen is a joy to work in or to eat in. It can be pricey to start from scratch, but if you already have great bones in the kitchen, a few finishing touches might be all you need. Thankfully, there are plenty of smart, inexpensive appliances and gadgets around from websites such as the popular Lakeland one. If you have all of the basic kitchen appliances already then maybe something exciting like a food processor, a juicer (I've been wanting one for a while!) or one from the modern range of coffee machines could give you the little extra something that you are looking for.

What is your kitchen missing?

This article is written in association with Lakeland home shopping pioneers.