With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's not uncommon to feel stressed or a little burnt out. There are so many avenues in life where stress can pop up, whether it’s our health, our job, or our finances - we all need a safe place to feel calm and relaxed, to achieve a sense of tranquillity, even if it’s simply over breakfast.
That’s why it’s so important to have a space within your home where you can escape for a moment of peace and serenity, and what better place to choose than the heart of your home: the kitchen.
Soften your surroundings
Pointed edges, cooking apparatus, cutlery, and cutting implements, can sometimes make a kitchen feel sharp when all on show. And for many of us, this can induce a sense of over awareness and even anxiety. To soften your surroundings, keep those types of items safely stored away, and instead display the softer elements of your kitchen such as relaxing artwork, vases of flowers, or even the timeless bowls of fruit.
You can introduce these softer touches from the early phases of your kitchen design journey. For example, when choosing your work surface consider what aesthetics really achieve a sense of calm for you. Whether that be a serene white surface to create an aura of purity and mindfulness, or the intricate details of a more natural stone capturing the beautiful textures of the world around us. 1001 Riverlet is a gentle, off-white surface infused with amber capillaries that softly flow through its profile. Its honed finish brings freshness and light into your kitchen and is perfectly paired with light palettes and airy colours as well as pale oak and glazed tiles. Download our Swatch Book for a glimpse at Caesarstone's array of breathtaking work surfaces.
You can also create a softer looking kitchen by adding more natural elements to it like wooden tables and shelves, or even comfy breakfast stools with weaved tops and soft cushions. By encompassing these elements that make you feel safe and calm, you’ll quickly create a space that you and all your family members turn to, to switch off and unwind.
Add in natural elements
Nature has always had a calming, peaceful effect on people. Whether you plan to paint your kitchen with an earthy colour scheme of blues, browns and greens, decorate your room with natural materials like shells, reclaimed wooden pieces and bottles of sand from the beaches you frequent, you’re certain to start feeling more tranquil.
Painting your walls or cabinets a shade of green in your kitchen can bring an air of serenity to your space as soon as you walk in. This colour is proven to provide psychological relaxation and stress alleviation but is also one of the most on-trend colour ideas for any kitchen. You can pick from muddier shades for a more traditional feel or opt for brighter greens for a much livelier look.
If you’re not ready to make larger improvements to your space, you could just start by adding some simple house plants to welcome nature back into your home. They not only look great but also improve the indoor air quality which in turn will free your body and mind… all whilst adding a nice pop of colour.
Cleanse and organise
It can be hard to achieve peace if you’re surrounded by mess and disorganisation, and this goes for the entire house, not just the kitchen. Simply introducing a few extra containers and labels to help clear your mind and the room, can easily add some much-needed coordination.
Equally, having designated spots for your items in the fridge or pantry can make finding things quicker, and much less stressful. Helpful tips like organising your spice rack by your most-used ingredients rather than alphabetical, and putting additional shelves or receptacles into your cupboards for better storage are great ways to keep things easy to clean as well as organised.
Life happens and there will always be a touch of mess, whether it’s from baking cakes and treats with the kids or the aftermath of an evening’s entertainment with friends. But you’re sure to feel calm and collected flying through your kitchen like a professional next time you are cooking or entertaining, knowing exactly where everything is at a glance.
