Summer is in full swing! This year has flown in, so there is no doubt some of us didn’t have time to refresh our kitchens for Summer. We all know that Northern Ireland isn’t blessed with perfect weather throughout the season, but there are many ways we can refresh our kitchen spaces to make sure we’re ready for the sun – whenever it may appear.
Should you be refreshing your Northern Ireland kitchen for different seasons?
The short answer to this question is yes. Typically, interior designers encourage us to update our kitchen throughout the different seasons. Typically, this falls into 2 categories:
- Spring to Summer
- Autumn to Winter
We’re all familiar with the running of the seasons. However, some people (particularly families) find their ‘seasonal’ calendar coincides with the running of the school year. Therefore, as the school year comes to a close in Northern Ireland, you might be interested in giving your kitchen an update – ready for 2 months of madness!
Updating your kitchen to coincide with the changing seasons can be very beneficial. It has been found that there are psychological benefits to matching your space with the external environment. When your indoor space matches what’s going on outside, there are feelings of complete ease and relaxation. This is because your space is so perfectly designed that it feels seamless when you walk through the door.
So, how do I update my kitchen for Summer?
Our team at Torbitts in Larne have compiled a list of ways to update your Northern Irish kitchen for the Summer season. Our list is not exhaustive, and many of these suggestions are quick fixes. However, these small changes can make a great difference. These quick updates are more effective than a complete redesign or reconfiguration. That way, you will have plenty of time to get out and enjoy the sun!
1. Let the natural light into your kitchen!
Natural light is the key to a bright kitchen in the Summer. Make the most of the brighter days (even if we don’t get that many in Northern Ireland)!
Your space ultimately becomes more dynamic and inviting when you get natural lighting throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be bright, white lighting all the time. By using natural light cleverly, you can layer light sources to adjust the mood throughout the day. We have all heard of the ‘golden hour’, which you can benefit from at the end of the day when the sun is setting. There is no need to spend time and ‘set the mood’ when the great, natural outdoors is doing it all for you.
How do I bring in natural light?
The question now is, how do you bring more natural light into your kitchen for Summer? We recommend removing any decorations that obstruct your windows. By doing this, you have every opportunity to receive extra lighting through the window. It might be as simple as changing up your curtains. Why not opt for a white, sheer curtain in the Summer, as opposed to a darker, warm colour that is suited to the Winter months.
If you are not blessed with big windows in your kitchen, consider how you can implement the lighting from other rooms throughout your home. You might have a conservatory or open-plan dining area. Get clever with your design ideas! Think about what times of the day you receive light from your kitchen window versus the dining room or conservatory, for example. Then, consider whether you will be in the kitchen at these times. This will allow you to focus on one window, and make the best use of its light. That means you will receive maximum benefits from your natural lighting in the kitchen.
In many cases, there isn’t a wide range of windows that you can play with to create perfect natural lighting in the kitchen. Instead, why not create better lighting strategically? To do this, you can add mirrors to the kitchen walls. These will reflect the natural lighting, making it ‘bounce’ around the room. No matter how you choose to create natural lighting in your kitchen, it is always beneficial to your kitchen space.
2. Refresh your colour scheme
Your chosen colour palette impacts the ambience created in your Summer kitchen. For Summer, we suggest brightening up your colour scheme. To do this, opt for neutral, white, and bright colours.
Many of our customers decide to upcycle their dated kitchens to brighten their spaces. To do this, they sand and paint their dark, dull kitchen cabinets to be a brighter colour. Other than this, you can swap out your accessories or accents. For example, if you have dark-coloured curtains, you can swap these out for a lighter colour. You might also consider adding some bright ornaments and decorations on your worktops and table, whilst ensuring you don’t clutter your space.
Neutral colours are on-trend. However, they are not the only colours suited for Summer. We have been loving bright, bold pops of colour throughout our recent kitchen designs in Northern Ireland. Green and blue are trending colours in the interiors industry this year. These are a great addition to your home as these colours have many positive effects on our minds.
Colour psychology dictates that green can bring us peace. As well as this, green has connotations to health and the natural world’. By adding green to your kitchen, you can bring the outdoors elements of your cooking pursuits indoors. On the other hand, you might consider adding blue touches to your Northern Irish kitchen. Blue is extremely beneficial to our state of mind. This is because it establishes feelings of stability and harmony – the perfect addition to any family kitchen this Summer.
3. Update your kitchen accessories
Often when discussing the seasonality of design, it is implied that you should completely overhaul your colour scheme and entire design every time. However, there are many smaller ways to do this. Kitchen accessories can be decorative (flowers, ornaments) or functional (utensils, cookbooks). We recommend balancing the functional and decorative accessories in your kitchen to find the perfect balance between smart storage and beautiful aesthetics.
For Summer specifically, we have several recommendations for accessories that you can switch out easily. An extremely common accessory for the kitchen in Summer is flowers. These can be used throughout the year, bringing in season-specific flowers. For example, you might have had tulips in your kitchen throughout the Spring. Why not refresh your kitchen for the Summer with some geraniums or hibiscus flowers? Adding flowers throughout your space also adds an element of freshness, creating a natural scent alongside a beautiful aesthetic.
What other accessories can I update in my kitchen?
It’s not all about flowers, though. There are many other accessories for your Northern Irish kitchen. You might not have the budget to support the complete overhaul of your wintery leathers, dark woods, and tartan accessories. Studies have proven that these materials and tones are still advantageous in the Summer, especially in Northern Ireland as we aren’t blessed with the sun all Summer! However, this is typically because they still feel cool in the hot weather.
There are various aspects throughout the kitchen. We suggest you also consider the tableware included in your kitchen throughout the Summer. The materials you choose impact the atmosphere created in your home. Tablecloths, plates, and candles are some of the easiest attributes in your dining area that can be changed easily from season to season. For Summer, we suggest incorporating linen or sheer tablecloths for your table, or neutral-coloured cushions for your dining chairs.
Whilst we suggest you refresh your accessories, it is not a good idea to throw the old accessories away completely. In the interest of interior seasonality, we recommend having a hidden stock of accessories suited to each season. Pack up your Autumn and Winter accessories and get ready for Summer, but keep them for next year!
4. Declutter your Summer kitchen
To brighten your Northern Irish kitchen, we suggest decluttering your kitchen and removing some excess clutter. This might be on your worktops, or in your cupboards. Clutter isn’t necessarily seen when you first enter the kitchen. However, by removing some clutter from your cupboards, you will have more room for the storage of things taking up space on your worktop.
We highly recommend decluttering your kitchen space as there are many benefits to having a tidy space. Start by stripping away everything that simply takes up space, and only keeping things you love. Your home should only be full of things that keep you motivated! Who knows, you might even have room afterwards to treat yourself to something new.
A decluttered space is beneficial to brighten your kitchen for Summer, but it also benefits your mental wellbeing. It is easier to cook and unwind in a decluttered kitchen. By investing time in these activities, your mental health will be nurtured when you are at home. Additionally, a decluttered space benefits your physical health, with less contamination in your air from dust and other particles. Look after your health when brightening up your kitchen this Summer!
Where do I start with decluttering?
It can be daunting to know where to begin when you are decluttering your kitchen space, so we have compiled our 3 top tips to help you get started:
- Start small. Why not start with one cabinet or drawer. That way, you won’t feel overwhelmed with the process of decluttering and you will feel motivated to keep going.
- Don’t strive for perfection. If you feel like you’re not getting anywhere with your decluttering, take a break. You don’t have to get it perfect – simple changes are better than none at all.
- Be mindful that there are some things you just can’t part with. You might feel mounting pressure to simply throw out everything you own. This is not the case. Maybe some of your belongings just need a new home in a different room or space.
5. Grow herbs and plants in your Northern Ireland kitchen
We have already discussed the benefits of having greenery throughout the kitchen (link to July 1). It’s time to get started! There is a wide range of herbs that thrive in the Summer months. These include mint, thyme, rosemary, and parsley.
By growing your herbs and showcasing them in your Northern Irish kitchen, you will brighten up your space for the Summer. Not only this, growing your product will help you save money – every penny helps. They also say that there’s no better product than the one you grow yourself, you can let us know if this is true!
Get all of your home-grown produce out and put it on the show. Your fruit, veg, and herbs that you grow from the comfort of your own home can truly brighten up your Northern Irish kitchen. With the addition of brighter colours, you can freshen up the aesthetic. We also suggest that you add a few cookbooks with a Summer vibe to create an effortless, bright appeal in your kitchen space.
6. Keep it cool – update your kitchen appliances
Appliances might appear boring at first, but they are just something you must have in the kitchen. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Having the right appliances in your kitchen can create additional design elements for your Summer kitchen. There are a variety of appliances you might want to bring into your space.
A great appliance that can create an aesthetic appeal in your kitchen is a blender. Blenders can be easily added to your worktop, and with the right choice, they can create a Summer appeal. When people visit your kitchen, they will imagine Summer cocktails and smoothies out in the garden or around the island. Show off the things you work hard to buy on your worktops this Summer!
The other appliances you include throughout your home can affect your Summer kitchen in Northern Ireland. In some instances, appliances are the focal point of your design and should complement your colour scheme and accessory choices. On the other hand, you can opt for built-in appliances or those which blend in with your design. That way, the appliances in your kitchen will take a ‘back seat’, allowing the more important elements of your kitchen design to thrive.
Outdoor kitchen appliances are also a great addition to your space. If you have an open-plan kitchen with access to your garden, consider the appliances you have outdoors. At Torbitts in Northern Ireland, we stock a range of gas barbecues that can be matched to your kitchen design. This creates a seamless flow from the outside to the inside of your home. We are proud to offer a range of Broil King barbecues, visit our website for more information about these.
Now you have all you need to prepare your Northern Ireland kitchen for Summer
With the help of our top tips, you should be ready to brighten your kitchen this Summer in Northern Ireland! Of course, the interior design of your home is important. Therefore, we are on hand to offer our services should you require any additional advice or information on the issues we have discussed, you can contact us via our website.