kitchen
5. Create inventive wall storage Clever open storage can bring lots of welcome detail to a kitchen, and while simple white shelves look minimal, if you want to channel a more relaxed Scandi look, get creative with your storage. Choose wooden shelves to bring that dash of natural wood and combine with rails, hooks and hanging racks for an eclectic effect that is practical too.
12. Use old cans as planters Hold off throwing used cans into the recycling bin as they make excellent planters. Smaller ones are a great holder for seedlings or for striking plants. Larger cans (such as those that hold litres of olive oil) can be used as long-term planters as long as you punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Leaving the labels on the cans (particularly if they look cute!) can add a bit more colour and personality to your garden as well.
8. Repurpose household ladders for storage and display An old wooden ladder attached to the kitchen ceiling is a great place to hang cumbersome pots and pans. By hanging larger kitchen wares overhead on S-hooks means that everything is in reaching distance and you can enjoy the benefit of having more kitchen storage below. Hanging a few pot plants provides an attractive touch.
Black and white wallpaper The intricate, artistic pattern looks crisp in black and white, and pulls together the glossy white cabinetry and dark flooring in this contemporary kitchen. To protect wallpaper in a splashback, cover it with tempered glass. In the future, you can remove the glass, replace the wallpaper, and put the glass back, all for far less than the cost of new tile.
A branch becomes a display piece or additional storage Choose a fallen branch that is relatively thick but still thin enough to be comfortably held in your hand. Sand it back slightly so the bark doesn’t drop, and suspend it across shelving brackets or hooks. Combine with butcher’s hooks bought from any hardware store and use it to hang items such as the kitchen utensils seen here. An alternative is to use old rope suspended from hooks in the ceiling and loop each side around the branch for an organic clothes rack. In any case, both styles of display will look earthy and inviting.
THE RULE OF THREE In general, it’s safest to stick to a maximum of just three timber tones in a space. This allows each to be distinct. By using a pale tone for the floor, a dark tone for major furnishings, such as cabinets, and a mid-tone for accents, you can keep the space structured. Love the chairs
10. Try a fresh, airy palette… Sure, a crisp white palette can make a spatially challenged apartment feel airy and open, but all-white schemes can sometimes feel cold and lifeless. Rather than dressing your space in this classic tone from ceiling to floor, introduce muted shades like soft pastels or light neutrals that achieve the same space-maximising effect but offer character and visual interest as well. This compact culinary zone features a calming colour combo of fresh mint and white that makes the room feel more spacious and infuses it with a relaxed vibe and personality.
distressed wood (not the overall effect of the kitchen)
14. Go boho Persian rug: check. Yellow wall: check. Multi-coloured chandelier: check. Thrift shop artworks: check. The owners of this kitchen aren’t scared to express themselves and show their arty side or use colour. The result is a friendly room that feels like a family hangout rather than somewhere to just ping the microwave.
Boil water in a flash They say a watched kettle never boils, but that’s not an issue with an instant boiling-water tap. Fitted beside the main kitchen tap, you can make a cuppa or fill up your pans for pasta at the touch of a button.
Splash back colour
3. Location: Paris, France Why we love it: Running dramatic feature tiles from floor to wall draws the eye the full length of this kitchen and distracts from the room’s narrowness. Gold detailing in the tiles adds an unexpected touch of glamour – perfectly fitting for a kitchen in the fashion capital of the world.
Q