Winter Kitchen Syndrome – 5 inspiring ideas to brighten up your kitchen

Brightening up a living room can be easy! Our Room Hero often gets asked to help out with adding oomph to a lounge or bedroom – a cityscape wallpaper mural or tropical wallpaper can make such a difference – and a new chair, lamp or rug can change the mood and lift the feel.

But when it comes to brightening up a dark or small kitchen, sometimes you need to look at more creative options.

Below we’ll look at 5 design ideas that can add a colourful sparkle to your kitchen.

• Worktops – big decision can lead to a big impact
• Cabinets – change of finish for a completely new look
• Splashbacks – add shine and sparkle behind the oven
• Feature tiles – new and innovative way to change the feel
• Floorcovering – reinventing your floor space

Worktops

By utilising your existing cupboards and their frames, it’s not too difficult to remove the old worktops and update with something a little more modern.

There is a multitude of options in laminate, solid wood and granite and a clever design choice can completely change the feel and look of your kitchen. Many places offer a cut from template option on any substrate including glass or granite so it is possible for an installer to lift one out and replace simply with new.

Choose something contemporary and bright – perhaps a country kitchen feel or a more modern design – for a total kitchen refresh.

John Lewis has this info for different material options and their unique characteristics:

Cabinets and cupboards

Another option and again one that keeps the original cupboard frames, the doors can be replaced with something a touch more modern or stylish.

We’ve seen some beautiful creams and pastel shades available which can lift a dark kitchen away into something a lot more uplifting and warm. There is also a myriad of colours available in the acrylic ranges including cool on-trend blues and relaxing greens.

For an ultra modern approach, there’s also the option for glass cupboard fronts and when lit from inside, the impact can be truly breathtaking.

Replacing kitchen cabinet doors is a sure fire way to transform any dark kitchen and by moving away from white to a bolder colour, it can be a relatively simple way to change the whole aura of the room.

There’s also the choice of having the existing kitchen cabinet and cupboard doors vinyl wrapped. This is a relatively new process where the existing doors are fully covered with a special sticky vinyl. This vinyl is applied to the door and conformed to ensure it adheres to any curve or crevice – it can even cover ornate trims or façade details.

By using the original kitchen layout and worktops and applying a fresh new colour or stylish texture to the doors, the end result can completely redefine the space!

Below is an image from Facebook to show the difference – same room, same cupboards, the only difference is the vinyl wrap over the doors and new handles.

Kitchen Splashbacks

Now we love an elegant and contemporary printed kitchen splashback and by picking something bright and bold, any dark kitchen space can be instantly lifted to something a lot more inspirational. We think it’s down to the mirror-like shine of the specially sourced glass finish coupled with the way the pattern is crafted on the reverse of the glass splashback so the design is viewed through the glass that really makes it illuminate and sparkle!

From bold geometric glass splashback designs to the contemporary forest and tropical patterns, the luxurious appeal these exude can lead to increased neighbour envy!

They add drama and punch behind any oven and are simple to install. We think this idea is a DIY kitchen project that in an afternoon can reinvigorate the room and banish the blues.

Feature Tiles

These kitchen feature glass tiles are brand new and again the exclusive designs are crafted on the reverse for superb clarity and impact. We’ve seen a horizontal row of them breaking up a white tiled area above and below, and also single feature tiles within a larger tile install, and they always add the wow factor simply and effectively.

Pick a colour that sets off another object in the room – Room Hero is great to help with this – and wait for the compliments! From a dark kitchen to the dinner party venue you always craved!

Floorcovering

This could be a major change but gosh, what a change and what impact! Upgrading to a new wood, laminate or vinyl floor covering will totally change the kitchen and if you’re moving from a dark lino or wood to something lighter and brighter then prepare for the room to be completely transformed.

Modern vinyl floor coverings are simple to install using either adhesives or tape and with a multitude of printed flooring options, the usual wood look or plain finishes can be crossed off your list. Why not indulge your creative side with a much more expressive and inspirational style?

From the American Diner appeal of the bold stripe to the bright geometric appeal of our Hex, the makeover will be nothing less than super impressive.

It’s a bigger change than adding a couple of tiles or towels, but sometimes a real statement is exactly what’s needed and from a change like this, a whole new room theme can grow.

We hope this little list helps with ideas and inspiration for brightening up a dark or small kitchen and we look forward to seeing your kitchen design ideas and images on our social media.

Remember, to make Britain’s homes more beautiful, we’re all in this together!

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