Make Your Kitchen a Place You Love

Even if you enjoy cooking, there are times when getting dinner on the table still seems like a chore. To make cooking more enjoyable, here are some simple, budget-friendly ideas to make your kitchen the most welcoming room at home.

Sights

• Consider painting a single kitchen wall a bright or soothing color.
• Hang family photos, children’s artwork or pictures of your favorite places to visit.
• Keep clutter, such as gadgets, papers and keys, in cabinets, drawers or baskets.
• Place some brightly-colored, non-slip throw rugs on the kitchen floor.
• Put a bowl of brightly colored fruits on your counter for decoration and snacking.

Scents

• During colder months, simmer a few cinnamon sticks in a pot of water on your stove.
• Drop in lemon, lime or orange rinds to freshen the garbage disposal.
• Plant great-smelling herbs, such as mint, thyme or lavender, in small pots on your sunny windowsill or countertop.
• Use fruit- or spice-scented soaps for washing hands and dishwashing.

Sounds

• Listen to music while you cook.
• Check out audiobooks from the library and listen to novels, biographies or nonfiction during your kitchen time.
• Open a window and enjoy the sounds of nature.
• Turn off everything to enjoy a few minutes of peace.
• Ask your family to join you in the kitchen to tell you about their day.

Comfort

• Add cushions to kitchen bar stools, benches or chairs.
• Place a rubber mat in front of the stove and/or sink to soothe your feet when cooking or washing dishes.
• Rearrange your kitchen drawers so that all the utensils and spices you use most often are easy to reach when cooking. Place items that you don’t use regularly in the backs of cabinets or drawers. (Write yourself notes if you think you may forget where items are stored.)
• Keep hand lotion near the sink to moisturize after washing your hands.