Kitchens today are the family rooms of yesterday. Many have keeping rooms with fireplaces, and cozy nooks for reading, television viewing, and sharing a cup of coffee. Make the most of the heart of your home with some of the tips and suggestions here.

Brighten the backsplash! Tile is the most often selected material for durability and maintenance, but you can also use mirror, stainless steel, and even just paint. If you have old unattractive tile, you can even paint over it.

Tidy the clutter! Consider using baskets as easy storage solutions for those piles of mail, bills, and coupons. Be sure to get a bulletin board for trading family notes and posting the latest pictures.

Expand your space! Hang a pot rack. Most kitchens never seem to have quite enough storage. Expand yours by adding a pot rack over the stove. Yes, you will have to be more vigilant in cleaning both the insides and outsides of pans, but it is also a great excuse to invest in some new cookware.

Accessorize with function! Towels, pot holders, mitts, even canister sets now all come in such a myriad of patterns and colors, they are a wonderful and fast way to add interest and flavor to your kitchen. Be sure to keep extras on hand for display. There is nothing less appealing than grungy towels on the oven door handle, or a crusty mitt on that hook on the refrigerator.

Be bold

Dress the cabinets! If you've got that typical 12"-18" gap above your upper cabinets, dress it with a collection and some silk greenery. Make it practical, think of plates and pitcher, glass bottles, colorful ceramics, and such. Be sure to add rope lighting as a cost-effective way to make it all glow.

Add some glass! Is your kitchen feeling too dark, a bit heavy with so much wood? Consider adding some glass insets to selected cabinets, removing the wood panels. If you don't want to showcase the contents, make it frosted or patterned. There are a host of options available today adding interest and lightening it up.

© 2005 Melissa Galt

Melissa Galt, Lifestyle Designer, Speaker, & Author, is the owner of Melissa Galt, Inc., a full service interior design firm based in Atlanta. She has been decorating clients’ homes all over the Southeast for more than a decade, making their interior visions come true. She speaks to audiences nationally , on how to use design as the catalyst for “creating the life you’ve always dreamed of”. Melissa is the creator of Design Destinations, a free monthly guide to designing your signature life. To sign up for her FREE monthly newsletter, visit http://www.melissagalt.com/

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