Kitchen Theme Ideas Decorating Themes for Your Kitchen
Before you start with any decorating project you need to decide on a theme.
It could be a color theme, an era theme, or a style of decorating.
The kitchen is the work center of the home and it needs to be a comfortable, organized and inspiring place to be.
It is a good idea to research some different ideas for decorating a kitchen—look in kitchen stores, home and decorating magazines and kitchen websites online. Whatever style you choose, make sure it coordinates with the rest of the house, particularly the rooms that adjoin the kitchen. Here are some kitchen themes to get you started:
Country or Colonial - this look recreates a farmhouse kitchen. It features lots of timber, open shelving and hanging pot racks. Colors are warm and a little bit country—earth colors, yellows and blue. The style is relaxed and comfortable and has a lived-in feel. There will ornaments and knick-knacks scattered around and pots of herbs on the windowsill. Curtains at the window will be full and maybe checkered, or they could be the popular café curtain style.
Contemporary - this style has clean lines and no clutter. Cabinets are plain and there is little in the way of utensils and cookware on display. The colors used in a contemporary kitchen are generally white or off-white, sometimes with a feature wall painted in a deep cool color. It is practical and sophisticated, almost austere, with an efficient, clean feel. Materials used are aluminum, marble and granite, polyurethane and plastic.
French Country - natural materials, soft colors and chunky furniture are features of this style, reminiscent of rural France. It is warm and romantic, reflecting the importance of the home, family and friends. There is lots of natural light and window dressing is simple, like Roman blinds. Important elements are a wooden table for meal preparation and eating, farmyard animals in wrought iron, pictures and painted on pots and containers, bunches of lavender and herbs and pots (often copper) hanging from a rack or hooks.
Italian - when we think of Italian styling, two styles come to mind. One is sleek and ultra-modern and the other is reminiscent of a farmhouse surrounded by olive groves and grape vines. This is Tuscan and it is a very popular kitchen décor. Similar to the French Country kitchen but with more earthy tones, the Tuscan kitchen features natural materials of wood and terracotta which gives the room that lived-in look. Colors are rich earth tonings with gold as accents. Floors and counter-tops will be slate or stone, or a man-made look-alike. Accessories will include pitchers and pottery bowls, bunches of herbs and grape patterns.
Retro - if you want to go back in time and recreate a kitchen of the 50s, 60s or 70s you will find many items you need in thrift and antique stores. Colors were bold shades of orange and brown, and wallpaper with bold prints was a feature. Chrome was the metal of that era with chairs and tables made using it. Plastic laminate dates from the retro era and it was used in furniture and countertops. Window treatments included café curtains and blinds and fabrics had bold, large designs.
Whatever style you decide for your kitchen renovation, remember the most important things to remember are the functionality and organization of the room. This is a very busy and active room and needs to be well-planned to avoid bottlenecks and traffic jams.
