Sponsored Post: 10 Accessories That Will Transform Your Kitchen

Alexandre Duval is a blogger for Simons, a company based in Quebec, Canada which sells home décor accessories.  Here they discuss how to jazz up your kitchen using the art of accessorising...

10 Accessories That Will Transform Your Kitchen

If you like cooking and having guests coming to your house, having a functional and practical kitchen space is absolutely essential. Otherwise, cooking could rapidly go from hobby to nightmare! Luckily, many companies have been launching evermore-interesting products that enhance both the well-designed character of your kitchen and its visual aspect. Here is a list of 10 must-have accessories that will transform your kitchen’s look and practical side.

1. Ceiling-mounted pan rack

Pan Racks

Making pans and saucers fit in cupboards or in the oven’s bottom drawer sometimes feels like playing Tetris. And it is annoying! If your kitchen space is big enough, investing in a ceiling-mounted pan rack will prove very handy as it will save you from having to bend over and have a good rummage in the cupboard every time you need to find the right pan: they all will be at hand, hanging from the ceiling just above the central cooking island. What’s more, racks made of stainless steel are very elegant and add a modern touch to your kitchen’s décor.

2. Glass cupboard doors

Glass Doors

Since the inside of kitchen cupboards and drawers often is messy, people prefer to hide their content behind wooden doors. Still, having one or two cupboards with glass doors gives your kitchen a classy look and creates the illusion that the kitchen’s space is deeper while allowing you to showcase your swankiest, most precious dining set pieces. Glass-doored cupboards are the perfect place to put your nicest glass wines, for instance.

3. Under cupboard lighting

Cupboards undoubtedly are a kitchen’s most obvious piece of furniture; if they look bad, chances are that your kitchen as a whole will look bad too. However, replacing cupboards is a very costly project and it may take some time before you feel like you are financially comfortable enough to undertake such renovations. Therefore, little improvements to your cupboards ought to be considered. One of them is under cupboard lighting: such an improvement will provide you with the option to dim the kitchen lighting at night, which can greatly enhance the atmosphere during a reception with guests… while keeping their attention away from the fact that your cupboards need to be replaced!

4. Kitchen wall tiles

Lovely Tiles

If they were looked down on until fairly recently due to their vintage look that was reminding people of the ugliest days of decoration in the 1960s and in the 1970s, kitchen wall tiles are back! Avoiding disgraceful patterns and shocking colors, today’s kitchen wall tiles are much more sober and simply add a touch of warmth and modernity to your kitchen décor. Putting them in place on the wall strip that lies between your counter and the bottom of your cupboards is neither hard nor costly and will totally change the general atmosphere of your cooking space… especially if you combine this improvement with under cupboard lighting!

5. Stainless steel salt and pepper mills

As sad as it may sound, salt and pepper shakers, no matter how original they are and no matter on which of your trips abroad they were bought, are not the best possible accessories when you are making dinner for your guests. They lack the elegance of salt and pepper mills and they do not provide your guests with the same feeling either: grinding your own salt grains and peppercorns is much more enjoyable! Moreover, modern stainless steel salt and pepper mills are real, stylish decoration accessories!

6. Jars

Jars

Brown sugar. Flour. Sugar. Why do you store them in plastic bags in the cupboards? Don’t you use them often enough to justify putting them directly on the counter? Of course, if you decide to do that, you ought to let go of the plastic bags. But this is what jars are for! Buying three or four stylish jars, whether they are made of ceramic, wood or steel, will not only keep essential ingredients at hand, but it will also force you to keep your kitchen counter free of superficial accessories as you will want to proudly showcase your beautiful jars.

7. Two-in-one coffee machine

Although I personally am an unconditional fan of espresso, I do understand that some people prefer drip coffee. For that very reason, it is important to bear in mind that some of your guests may not like espresso and therefore would enjoy being served a mug full of drip coffee. In order to avoid owning two machines and have them take half of your counter space, you ought to consider purchasing a two-in-one coffee machine: some models have a very nice design and make both quality espresso and drip coffee!

8. Olive oil jar or bottle

Just like it is the case for sugar and flour, keeping olive oil on your kitchen counter is not only practical: it is also beautiful! In effect, olive oil reminds us of warm climates located all around the Mediterranean Sea; showcasing that noble matter in an elegant glass jar that is sealed with a cork lid, for instance, adds an exotic touch to your kitchen. Leave tin containers and price tags in the recycling bin!

9. Carafe

Gorgeous Carafe available from Butterfly Lane

Here is another must-have accessory! A carafe of wine is absolutely essential in any kitchen, especially those where receptions and dinners are often held with. Not only is this accessory completely chic, but it is also the best way to bring out the wine’s rich aromas. Indeed, a carafe lets the liquid breathe for some time before it is actually served to your guests. This is definitely one of those accessories you should store in your glass-doored cupboards…

10. Coffee cup hangers

If you own nice coffee mugs and cups, whether it is for espresso or drip coffee, why not show them? If it is the case, you should definitely consider buying and installing coffee cup hangers under your cupboards or on your wall. Those made of wood will provide your kitchen with a warm atmosphere that will remind you of a cottage while those made of stainless steel will give you the impression that your kitchen is a trendy downtown restaurant. In any case, you will love getting up in the morning and seeing those mugs that have been waiting just for you all night…

Thank you Alexandre for some top tips!