Bright, airy kitchens that are colorful and cheerful can do a lot to boost the mood of all who enter. Give your kitchen a facelift and watch transform it from drab and dull to delightfully inviting.

The kitchen is the heart of any home. Ask anyone who’s left home for the first time and you’ll likely hear that the one thing they miss most is the smell of their mother’s cooking. Kitchens are a place for warm, cozy family meals. They offer families the perfect place to catch up with the happenings in each family member’s day over a delicious home-cooked meal. Make your kitchen a place that everyone would love to come and spend time in; not just to eat but also to relax and just absorb the atmosphere of the room.

Get your Lighting Right
Several lights placed in corners and the spaces between cabinets and countertops are far more effective than one centre ceiling light that brightens up the center of the room and leaves the other spaces looking dark and unwelcoming. Use track lighting if you can and direct each bulb advantageously.

Accessorize your Windows
Open windows let in unobstructed light but can also make the room look stark and impersonal. Dressing your windows with light-colored curtains in sheer fabrics will allow the natural light to filter in and also add coziness and charm to your kitchen. ‘Naked windows’, in which you use minimal window coverings, which could be a simple valance at the top and nothing else, can add a certain magic to your kitchen windows without compromising on the light coming in.

Is Light Alright?
Paint your kitchen walls white or any light color. Choose light-colored kitchen cabinets with glass doors and lots of open shelves to give it the appearance of openness. Food splashes can be taken care of by painting your walls in water-proof white and getting cabinets in material that is easily washable.

Add Character to your Kitchen
Bright reds, sunshine yellows and royal blues add a lot of warmth, cheer and personality to any kitchen. It could be a spray of wild flowers or a collection of herbed vinegars placed on the kitchen counter. Bright kitchen towels and pot holders are useful and decorative too. Use one wall of the kitchen as a family scrapbook. Put up a cork board and put up interesting photographs of family and friends.Add a braided area rug to the floor.

Bring Nature Indoors
Create a garden window where you can grow potted plants or herbs. Look after, nourish them and watch them grow. They will infuse new energy into your kitchen and make it come alive! Thrown down a brown bamboo area rug for an earthy feel.

A large bowl of fresh fruits on the countertop will give your kitchen a luscious, inviting look. Oranges, apples, bananas and kiwis in a wicker basket or a glass bowl make a fascinating and delicious decoration. Different kinds of pastas or pulses in an assortment of glass bottles look delightful in any kitchen.

Use Glass
Tiny acrylic block panels can be placed under counter tops. They look gorgeous as a design element and also work to maximize the natural light in the kitchen.

Keep it informal
When buying furniture for your kitchen, choose pieces that are comfortable and inviting, rather than buying stuffy, formal furniture that looks intimidating. If you have an empty corner add a rocking chair or a bean bag for family members to lounge around in while you are pottering around trying to get the evening meal ready.