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.

Top Trends in House Lighting

Whether the latest in hand blown glass, fabrics or customized pieces, or whether the newest environmentally friendly LED lighting is for you, the latest trends in house lighting are exciting and innovative and sure to cause a stir. With something for every room and more, lighting has never been so sexy.

Different rooms need different light, that's something we take for granted. However, the latest trends in lighting have taken this basic premise to new levels and with added colours, textures and new materials available, a sophisticated look is within the grasp of everyone.

When considering the right lighting for any particular room there are simple rules that it's well worth following. These make installing the latest trends in lighting far more worthwhile and to better overall effect.

• Take into account what you will use the room for. 
A kitchen is for food preparation, but unless you have a separate dining room or are very formal, eating with the family, children's homework and many other tasks can happen here. Good lighting is paramount in a room with heavy usage like the kitchen. However, you may not want to be under the spotlight in the bedroom.

• Consider color. 
If you have dark coloured walls, then you might want to employ brighter lighting to compensate. Natural light from windows will also have a bearing on how your chosen lighting works so placement is important.

Kitchen lighting has enjoyed something of a renaissance lately. Recessed lighting, once so popular, has become less sought after. However, pendants and spotlights have enjoyed resurgence in popularity with great fabrics such as tweed and ethnic woven fabrics being used for pendant shades. Also a long time favorite, glass, including colorful hand blown murano type shades, is a good choice for pendants.

Two very traditional chandeliers adds a lot of glam to this small kitchen

A modern twist on the traditional glass pendant or chandelier is a lot of fun in the kitchen

via Country Living, via Rue Mag

Little LED spotlights make a big difference in glass front cabinets

via House of Fifty

Spotlights in busier areas are ideal and with the latest environmentally LED lights you can rest assured that you are making the ethical choice. Green lighting (the actual color – not eco), a huge trend a couple of years ago is out and more muted shades such as teal and smoke are popular. However, these shades are harder to work with in areas that need good illumination so perhaps stick to good uplighters and spotlights with dimmers for your pendants over eating areas to give the right ambience. Remember to use different lighting in different areas, lamps provide great task lighting and can be themed to fit in with your other lighting. 

Teal, smoke, and lavender colors are ideal in bedrooms though. Again glass is a popular choice for shades and the chandelier is as big as ever. However, the latest chandeliers use quirky materials and there are some really great designers to choose from. Recycled materials are again a top trend with the environmentally conscious and chandeliers and pendants are an ideal way to channel this fashion in lighting.


For your main living areas, lighting can be one of the most exciting ways to bring a room to life. From the very large, think huge ceiling lights in everything from warm colored metals such as bronze or pewter to eco-chic pieces in layers of cheesecloth or woven fabrics, to the very small such as tiny LED's around a wall mirror are top trends at the moment. Lamps can be used to provide a talking point, with unusual one off pieces, perhaps steampunk influenced, which can be placed strategically to enhance the overall ambience of the room. With spotlights taking over from recessed lighting in a big way and color playing an important part, don't forget to make the very most of textures and materials. A colorful glass pendant or globe will cast a rainbow over the room, but choose carefully as you want it to enhance, not clash with, your decor. Small lamps with clear or white or environmentally friendly LED lighting can be used in areas where you read, sew or generally just want to have higher illumination. The dimmer switch is again, a must have. It really is enjoying a comeback and is so useful in creating depth and atmosphere.

I am completely in love with this shell pendant light. IN LOVE.

2 first via Vampdecor.com, via Country Living


Don't forget the bathroom, where a top trend this year is eco-chic. Muslin, cheesecloth and ethnic/romantic shades work best on pendant fittings. Colored LED again is huge and pink and lavender provide the most flattering of hues. Hallways and passages and landings and stairs, all need to be lit well enough to enable them to be used safely, LED again or lamps in recessed areas have great possibilities.

 via Homethangs.com

And finally, don't forget the outside of your home. LED and solar lighting are both here to stay and provide you with the latest looks to compliment your interior lighting.