7 ways to make your kitchen look cosier

Lindsay Whitney Lindsay Whitney
projecte virreina, degoma degoma Modern dining room
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The kitchen: that place you must go, you must keep clean and which is the centre of the home's universe. It is also one of the most difficult rooms to get completely right, design-wise, because so many functional things must fit inside, which require all sorts of nooks and hooks and plugs. 

So how to make it as cosy as the rest of the home? Because there is a desire to live more time in the kitchen, isn't there? Well yes, so homify has put together a list of seven tips for making any kitchen cosier, beginning with mixing and matching. 

1. Mix 'n' match

One of today's top kitchen design trends happens to be a classic tactic for warming up any space: mix 'n' match. Maybe you had an auntie or grandpa whose house was all a mishmash of one particular item, and you always felt so comfortable and, well, maybe that mishmash was one reason why. 

When everything matches perfectly, it just feels less human, too perfect, so relaxing is more difficult. That's why our number one tip for creating a cosier kitchen is to choose one thing, like chairs, and make sure they are not matching. Go wild!

2. Make a spot to sit

Our living rooms and bedrooms are naturally comfy because they have soft places to rest your derriere. So, after testing this tip, we can confidently recommend bringing in some soft spots to sit in that are not your usual, cushioned dining chairs. 

In this picture, a wicker lounge chair has been chosen, but you can choose anything: a normal armchair, an elevated beanbag, a soft swing (for larger kitchens) or a plush bench. Having this extra area will make room for people to chat to whoever's cooking or relax and watch the news while waiting for dinner to finish baking.

3. Ditch the stark lighting

You may have guessed that lighting would feature somewhere on this list. But seriously, it is essential. Another unfortunate reality of a lot of kitchens is there lack of lighting so we recommend buying a couple lamps – ideally hanging lamps as they cast a larger glow – and peppering your soon-to-be-less-impoverished-kitchen with them. 

This tip also affords you a bit of fun because the range of lamps on the market is so huge with so many fun designs to choose from! It will look like an interior designer has transformed your space…

4. Introduce weird kooky items

Weird decor and knick knacks have wrongly been given a bad reputation over the years and we are here to fight against it: weird things you love or find cute totally add personal touch and home-appeal to any room – especially the kitchen because there are so many strange kitchen knick knacks available out there it seems. This is the tip to have the most fun with!

5. Colourful cabinets

Yep. So you have been itching to pick up a paintbrush and now you have a target: the kitchen cabinets. While this is one of the more tedious tip-tasks to complete, it is also definitely worth the labour or money investment. 

Colourful cupboards add instant cosiness no matter what else from this list you have ticked off. Have a look at some paint swatches and consider it.

6. Warm materials

Warm materials like woods or this textured mat ceiling warm up a kitchen's atmosphere. Since the bare bones of kitchens usually include antiseptic appliances, tiles or smooth surfaces that must constantly be kept clean, you have to squeeze the snugness – existing more naturally in other rooms--in by ensuring that the materials that do not need to be cold, aren't. 

Materials like wood, mat and even cloth are great to use copiously in kitchens – so go for it!

7. Put in a rug

Putting a durable yet soft rug in your kitchen can do wonders to make it feel homey because it softens what are typically hard, cold floors. It is paramount though that, when choosing a rug, you pick one that is not too thick and plush that will simply absorb any liquid spills, mould and become gross. Instead choose and scratchy-soft material that is easily washed in the washing machine. If you do this, you will not regret it.

We hope these tips were helpful to you. If you would like to read more about kitchen design, we suggest this article  about ten of the most adorably cosy kitchens.

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