With a bit of fun styling, the kitchen can become your happy place

Social media is proof that, in 2020, a lot of people made banana bread. And sourdough bread. And dolgona coffee. And turmeric lattes. And just generally cooked a lot. But for a lot of people, they stepped into kitchens that had never been designed for creative cooking or hanging out. Kitchens that were meant to be purely utilitarian, and often not used by the family of the home at all. If you are one of those people, and feel the time has come for a kitchen upgrade then we have some ideas for you. With guest stylist Nidhi Tiwari, founder of Spaces and stories, we’ve created a happy kitchen that you’ll want to spend time in, even when you don’t have to. 

The Theme

The easiest way to enliven a space is to use bright colours, but without overwhelming the room. Here we took the Colour of the year 2020, Curiosity Blue as the main shade. It is paired with whites and natural shades like wooden brown and green to tone down the vivacity of the blue. There’s a texture on the wall, so that the whites don’t look flat. Since the kitchen is often the scene of spills and splashes, either use wipeable paints or apply a coat of stain-resistant emulsion to the paint you choose. Accents of brass under shelves or on cabinets add a touch of finesse to the setting.