By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-03 11:57:05 | Updated at 2024-10-05 09:24:01
1 day ago
The kitchen is often the heart of the home - a space to cook, eat, relax, work and chat.
Yet precisely because of its multi-functional role, it's easy to put the kitsch into kitchen - turning the whole area into a room which is, to be blunt, quite tacky.
From hanging utensils to gaudy gadgets and the one household item that should never be seen, we've spoken to interior designers and home experts to identify the 14 signs your kitchen is tacky.
Because of its multi-functional role, it's easy to turn the kitchen into a room which is, to be blunt, quite tacky
THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOVE THE DOOR
It should be fairly obvious that a kitchen is, well, a kitchen (the oven, hob or dishwasher is usually a giveaway). So why put a sign saying 'Kitchen' on the door? Even worse if it`s an attempt at humour: 'The only thing to stir in the kitchen is trouble!'; 'More espresso, Less depresso'; 'Let's get ready to crumble'. Room signs are simply gaudy and unnecessary.
OTHER 'HILARIOUS' NOVELTIES
The list of style offenders is endless. `Funny` fridge magnets, tea towels emblazoned with saucy slogans, aprons with faux bras and knickers, wacky gadgets such as rubber egg poachers or ice cube holders in the shape of Nigel Farage's face. Such novelties all scream tacky, tacky, tacky. They need to go.
Novelties such as fridge magnets scream tacky, tacky, tacky. These style offenders need to go
When kitchens lean too heavily into a specific theme it can become overwhelming, says interiors expert Liv Conlon
THE KITCHEN THEME PARK
So you love the peace of a rustic landscape or the tranquillity and colours of a nautical view. But overdoing themes in the kitchen - be it a sea of jaunty sailor-blue designs or forest of fake ferns and pine wood - is a guaranteed fast track to tack.
'When kitchens in particular lean too heavily into a specific theme, it can become overwhelming,' says interiors expert Liv Conlon, who owns the home staging company The Property Stagers. To smarten it up, choose subtle, elegant accents that hint at the theme without going overboard — like a few well-placed textures or colours that complement the rest of the space.
WINE FRIDGE
How you store your wine is another pitfall. The truly smart set will have a cellar to keep their collection of vintage vino at the perfect temperature. But in the absence of such luxury, there may well be a temptation to put a wine fridge in your kitchen. Don't. It's the height of tackiness. The same goes for wine racks. Instead, store your bottles either in a pantry, under the stairs or in a dedicated kitchen cupboard which is cool and dark, and pop any bottles of white in the family fridge a few hours before you plan to open them.
HANGING STEEL UTENSILS
The need for space-saving efficiency in the kitchen may lead to the temptation to hang utensils on the walls. Certainly, it may be convenient to have a nice line of stainless steel slotted spoons and ladles strung up in a row. But, sorry, there's nothing stylish about having servers on display (especially if they`re not wooden).
The same is true for jugs and cups. If you want your kitchen to look less tacky, keep as much as you can out of sight. Same goes for bins. The sight of a bulging liner cradling last night's curry supper and straining out of the flap of a pedal bin is off limits.
There's nothing stylish about having utensils on display (especially if they're not wooden)
Washing machines should have their own nesting place in a utility room, not the kitchen
WASHING MACHINES
Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp believes it's unhygienic to have a washing machine in the kitchen. Regardless of whether that`s the case, it's certainly tacky to have one on show. Is there anything more likely to break the charm of your kitchen than a machine on final spin?
Such appliances should have their own nesting place in a utility room – which should come complete with orderly shelves cradling an interesting selection of jasmine-scented fabric conditioner and organic soap flakes.
TV DINNERS
While you may like the idea of lending half an ear to something lively starring Ant and Dec while peeling carrots, TVs have no aesthetic appeal - especially in the kitchen. For a truly stylish diversion, secrete a small radio in a corner - ideally a vintage Roberts - and tune it to The Archers.
KNICK-KNACKS AND SOUVENIRS
You adore the Greek goddess figurine you bought from a market in Crete. And those decorative plates from the Liverpool Garden Festival you bought in 1984? They have pride of place on your windowsill. Unfortunately a kitchen can quickly look tacky when it's overloaded with clutter and mismatched decor, says Looeeze Grossman, founder and CEO of The Used Kitchen Company.
She says: 'Overcrowding countertops and shelves with knick-knacks or random accessories can make the room feel chaotic and unrefined. Instead of filling open shelves with a jumble of bowls, vases and plates from various places, choose one standout piece like a feature vase or a beautiful bowl to make a statement. This minimalist approach allows each item to shine and creates a more polished, cohesive look.'
BAD LIGHTING
A single fluorescent ceiling light could make an expensive kitchen look cheap and tacky
Lighting can, quite literally, illuminate a stylish kitchen or expose the room for all its gaudy faults.
'For instance, plumping for a single fluorescent ceiling light and standard subway tiles could make an expensive kitchen look cheap and tacky. So will white plastic, such as sockets, handles and light fittings,' says Penelope Jacobs of UK's leading trades matching site MyJobQuote.co.uk.
Swap out old fixtures for trendy pendant lights or LED lighting to brighten up the space and give it a sleek, updated look without a huge investment, suggests Liv Conlon.
BAR STOOLS
Smart kitchens have no place for bar stools, which are an unfortunate hangover from the popularity of the lounge home bar. And with about as much style. The kitchen is not a meeting point for thirsty punters. The only place they look good is down the local.
FEATURE WALLS
Painting one wall in a distinctive contrasting colour might sound stylish, as does using a stray or unusual piece of wallpaper to make just one wall stand out, but feature walls – aka 'accent walls' - have consistently topped many 'most hated interior design feature' surveys conducted in the last decade. Adding a feature wall is only going to give you a less streamlined or calming look.
GAUDY GADGETS
Worktop clutter never looks good. And when that clutter is dominated by cheap, plasticky kettles, toasters and other accessories, your kitchen will unfortunately look a bit tacky, says Penelope Jacobs.
'Try moving toasters and microwaves to the pantry or into a dedicated cupboard so they're not on show,' she says.
Nicolle Whyte, design director of kitchen furniture shop Olive and Barr, agrees and says: 'To keep your kitchen looking stylish and considered, it's best to avoid over-accessorising. Consider a curated display of your most loved tableware and art that complements your kitchen design through colour and texture.'
LINO AND LACE
Once considered a luxury flooring option, linoleum is now something people actively avoid when buying homes. Rip it up and take it to the tip, along with any frilly lace curtains hanging on the kitchen window. Lace is hard to clean, never looks smart and, like lino, dates your kitchen for all the wrong reasons.
SWING DOORS
It's a kitchen, not a saloon in the Wild West. Enough said.
