Kitchen Refresh: Bring in the Spring
During the winter, the kitchen is a hub of family activity and warm meals. Many people spend more time in the kitchen during cold months stirring up hot cocoa and warm snacks. This can leave your kitchen cozy, but also winter-cluttered. As the weather warms up and each day brings more hours of sunlight, it's time to refresh your kitchen for that bright, clean springtime energy.
Completely Clear the Counters & Clutter
Sweep and clear the counters. Remove absolutely everything so your counters are clear to the backsplashes and your kitchen is pristinely uncluttered. You may need to clutter the dining table for this maneuver, but often, you will realize that many winter items were simply left out of their place in the pantry or cabinets and can be easily put away.
Give yourself a clean slate to redesign your kitchen for spring by starting with clear surfaces. Don't just clear the counters, also clear your island, floating shelves, and any storage hooks in the open.
Let the Light In
Winter is a time for closed curtains and a warm internal glow. When the sun comes back in the spring, you'll want it streaming through your kitchen windows. where daylight can't reach and during the night, electric light can give your kitchen its warm glow. Overhead ceiling lights are a great place to start with kitchens and many enjoy a pendant or small chandelier above the island.
Take down your kitchen curtains for a wash and rethink them for an elegant always-open look. Consider a mirror opposite your window to reflect more light - or a reflective light fixture to bounce sunlight through the room. Change any dim bulbs in your light fixtures and even consider a few hidden strip-lights under your cabinets for a well-illuminated prep space where the sunlight and overhead lights can't reach.
Breathe new energy into your kitchen with clear, uplifting illumination.
Clean & Brighten Every Available Surface
Tackle your cleared kitchen with surface cleaner and truly refresh the place. Remove all oil around the stove and every scrap of grit in the corners. Polish your pots until they gleam. Scrub your stove hood and sink until they are mirror-bright. Polish your stove and even take the time to soak and clean your burners and drip trays - or treat your glass cooktop.
This is your chance to make your entire kitchen look fresh and new with just an hour or two of elbow grease.
Rethink Your Countertop Accessories
What really belongs on your countertop? In the winter, your toaster oven and kettle may have been always in use and therefore got regular space on the counter, but your patterns and at-hand items change in the spring. Perhaps it's time for the coffee pot to gain a place of honor, or you'd rather keep all small appliances tucked away to prioritize counter space to cut fresh fruit and salads for light springtime meals.
One of the most fun ways to use your countertop is to make service stations. You might create an entire station just to make coffee and tea, as is not uncommon in today's workplaces. Or you can make a baking workstation for all your daily, weekly, and monthly baking projects.
Decorate the Corners to Brighten & Prevent Corner Clutter
One clever trick we've learned is to decorate your corners - instead of letting them gather clutter. A few decorative pitchers, a potted plant, or a few elegant (and useful) ingredient canisters might do just the trick to make your kitchen look bright, homey, and organized all at once.
Our favorite corner design is the sculptural spice rack. A stack of little shelves and drawers to keep your spices at-hand while also occupying the corner of your countertop in a decorative way.
Place a Few Living Plants and Flowers (Real or Faux)
Freshen up your springtime kitchen with real and fake greenery. Cut flowers wilt and drop petals, so your best options are on the far ends of the same spectrum. Living potted plants bring real springtime life to the kitchen bursting with leaves and blossoming flowers. You can choose energetic greenery, bright flowers, or even cute little succulent cacti to liven up the kitchen.
If you want floral arrangements, go with fresh or choose a realistic faux style. You can choose from silk flowers all the way to truly elegant folded-metal blooms. There is nothing so springtime steampunk as a vase of brass, bronze, and silver roses in the center of your island.
Bring out the Spring Fruit Bowl
Spring is also when we start swinging by the fruit section and our local farmers markets for tasty fresh fruit treats. Whether your family eats cherries by the bushel or just can't get enough kiwis and oranges, fresh fruit arranged in a bowl makes for beautiful decoration and quick healthy snacks. Choose a bright, beautiful bowl that is decorative all on its own and keep it stocked with weekly fresh fruits.
Hang Bright, Cheerful Kitchen Linens
Your kitchen linens can also reflect the joy of springtime with bright colors and cheerful designs. Swap out your winter hand towels in strong primary colors for white linens with colorful stitching instead. Hand towels, napkins, table runners, curtains, and tablecloths are all opportunities to refresh your kitchen for spring. Get festive with your linens and use them as place setting accents.
Infuse with Fresh Spring Aromas
Finally, make your kitchen smell like springtime. Cut a few lemons, diffuse fresh herbal essential oils, or even grow a little lemongrass in the kitchen to give your space that crisp, fresh smell of budding spring. You can make your entire kitchen simply smell like a new season just with a little aroma therapy. Lemon and other citrus ingredients boost your alertness and even your mood and optimism when you smell them. The smell of fresh flowers can also enhance the sense of springtime in your kitchen.
Looking for more wonderful kitchen lighting design ideas for every season? Contact us today or explore online to discover more.
