Nice Home Live

When you look at your kitchen, you are oftentimes dismayed on how drab it looks. All you see are outdated cabinets, faded countertops, stained floors and tired appliances. But we all know that a kitchen make-over can be very expensive. The good news is that, to give your kitchen a facelift, you can just replace your countertops especially of you do not have the budget.

Your countertop is the most visible source of color in the kitchen. New countertops can help give the kitchen a new look and feel. It can revitalize an older kitchen and make it look brand new. For decorative purposes, granite and marble countertops can be your best options as they are incredibly durable. However, marble is not a good option if you intend to use it as food preparation as it easily gets stained. Your budget also plays a big part in the decision-making process since most of them can be a bit pricey. You also need to look for a good contractor who can help you with the installation. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you thinking of having a new kitchen fitted or sprucing up the kitchen you already have with a bit of a makeover? If you are looking for kitchen design and style ideas, then the traditional English kitchen is a fantastic choice.

This style of kitchen is all about a welcoming atmosphere and cosy interior. If you want your kitchen to exude homeliness and rustic style, then a traditional English kitchen is the design of choice for you.

To create the traditional English kitchen look, you can either purchase a fully fitted kitchen in this style from a quality kitchen stockist or maybe traditional kitchens, or you can buy kitchen accessories, furniture and fittings separately. You can find kitchen furniture and accessories at online stores such as Wren Kitchens for very reasonable prices.

For this style of kitchen, hunt down kitchen accessories and furniture with the traditional English look. Although you want your kitchen to boast that classic, vintage style, it will of course need to be fully functioning with modern appliances. A good tip to create a traditional vibe is to mix authentic second-hand finds from vintage stores, markets and jumble sales, with imitation pieces from department stores and online kitchen shops that reflect the traditional style.

When looking for appliances, furniture and accessories for your traditional English kitchen, think rustic, homely, traditional and nostalgic. And you don’t have to do it all in one go. Once you have got the most important features of your kitchen in place, you can always be on the lookout for extra bits and pieces to give your kitchen that additional traditional edge. Simply keep an eye out for fabulous finds at vintage flea markets, charity shops and even car boot sales. You’ll be amazed at what you can pick up when you keep your eyes peeled!

Most of us like to keep our homes clean and tidy, but it can sometimes be a real chore. No sooner have you cleaned your kitchen worktops than they are full of crumbs again. It can be easy to just let it all build up and then you’ve got a really cleaning mission on your hands.

Follow these simple tips for keeping your kitchen sparkling and clean and it won’t feel like so much of a chore any more. The first and most obvious tip is to clean as you go. And of course, this applies to the rest of the house just as much as the kitchen. It can be so tempting to leave all the cleaning until you just can’t bare the mess and dirt any more, but then you’ll be left with lots of hard work.

Clean crumbs and wipe spillages in the kitchen as they happen. If you clean as you go it will seem like much less hard work keeping your kitchen in tip-top condition. Make sure you don’t leave the dishwasher full so that you build up dirty dishes elsewhere; empty it regularly. If you don’t have dishwasher, don’t let the washing-up pile up. If you do it on a daily basis it will be much easier to tackle.

A good tip for cleaning burns from pans is to boil up soapy water in the pan and then leave to cool; the burn will be much easier to clean off after this. If your kitchen suffers from limescale around the sink, wrap vinegar-soaked kitchen roll around the taps and leave for a while. Buff with a dry kitchen roll and your taps will look super shiny and as good as new! You can also use this tip in the bathroom for the basin and bath taps.

Don’t let bad smells build up in your fridge as a result of old food and drink. Every fortnight, give the fridge a good clearout, throwing out anything past its use-by date, and clean with warm soapy water.

If your kitchen fittings and accessories are beyond cleaning and simply past their best, it would be wise to invest in some new fittings from Wrenkitchens.com, which you now know how to keep clean in future!

An efficient kitchen is basically one where it is easy to move around and when you cook a meal everything is within easy reach, and you don’t find yourself having to walk from one end of the kitchen constantly to get things done.  You should be able to manoeuvre from your Westinghouse fridge to the bench and to your stove in a few steps.  Always be careful when cooking as many house fires start in the kitchen.  Always make sure your home insurance is up to date.

Photo: yvestown

The basic triangle
You should have your kitchen designed so that it is in a basic triangle.  This means that you should have the fridge, the stove and the main bench area all situated at one of the points of a triangle, so you can simply turn around and take a step or two and everything is easily at hand when you get your food, prepare the meal and cook it. Read the rest of this entry »