Kitchen Towels

Heart of the Home
By: Carolina Fernandez

It started with my need for a new mixer. OK. Well maybe not exactly. It probably really started when we bought our home in Connecticut two years ago. The kitchen needed a makeover. Not a complete renovationas some dobut a makeover to be sure. Its footprint was fine as was its size. Windows and doors were good too. But it was dreary. Dark drab and dreary.

But a redono matter the scopewas out of our reach at movein just as it is now. So Ive tried to not think about it too much.

Thats tougher than it sounds. What with me being a visual personenergized by color and proportion and patternand kitchen tours taking up space on every New England towns calendar within the next few weeks its almost impossible to not notice renovated kitchens. Nor to salivate over their inevitable appeal.

Such was the case this past Friday when a friend and I tromped through six fabulous kitchens in an annual little ritual. Carefully calibrated to Mothers Daynot to mention the bursting of daffodils the budding of most trees and the flowering of rhododendronit coincided perfectly with spring fever.

And so it was that my friend Nancy and I enjoyed most of the afternoon together...roaming around gorgeous homes indulging in wonderful treats catered by local restaurateurs and commenting on what both appealedand what didntto our strong aesthetic sensibilities. Nancy is an artist too. And she just finished her own dream kitchen a few months ago. So she has not only a good grasp of the whole kitchen redo thing; she has a similar eye to mine and is highly motivated by strong visuals.

Interestingly we were both struck by exactly the same things. An enormous albeit completelyperfect home didnt do it for either one of us as it did for a friend whom I bumped into while there. Isnt this absolutely incredible my friend exclaimed.

Nancy and I looked at each other.

Its perfect I deadpanned.

Too perfect. Perfectly painted perfectly appointed perfectly accessorized perfectly clean. Was it possible real people really lived there Could anyone have ever actually sauted onions and garlic at its immaculate stainlesssteel Viking range

As we walked to the car Nancy and I reflected on what truly makes a home anyway. And where does one stop In this real estate frenzy of the new millennium where success is measured by capital gains square footage and locationlocationlocation; how much is enough after all Do we really need commercialgrade stainless steel Wolf ranges and double SubZeros Granite countertops and farmhouse sinks with copper faucets Islands with pullouts

Seems like we do. A Harvard University study found that Americans spent $233 billion on remodeling and repair projects in 2003 with kitchen redos topping the list. A stunning 4 million Americans will do a kitchen remodeling project of some type in this year alone!

Staggering in scope it is easily understandable. We have everyone from Home Depot to Pottery Barn to WilliamsSonoma to Target to HGTV to thank. Oh sure. You might not need a kitchen transformation. But seriously do you have enough fortitude to walk out of WilliamsSonoma fiscally unscathed And have you seen the summer plastic ware at Target As if I needed another lime green line item in my home...it was pure willpower that prevented me from grabbing a dozen of the cutest sodafountainstyle tumblers in my favorite color on my weekend outing there.

I read recently that most people do a major kitchen remodel for one simple reason: their friend did it. Oh great. A brilliant tax break We get that. Increasing the value of your real estate. Get that too. But peer pressure

Its easy to see why. I mean a wonderful kitchen is a lovely thing to behold. I totally get it. Want it. But cant yet have it.

So in case youre in the same state (and I have to suppose that many of you are given the success rate of these kitchen tours) here are 5 Strategies for InfusingYourKitchenWithBeautyIfYouDontHaveTheDesignerKitchenYoudReallyLikeToHaveButForWhateverReasonDont:

1) Inject bold bursts of color. Be it via woven placemats at the breakfast table colorful pottery on your countertops or brightlypainted kitchen towels hanging from your oven bar: use generous strokes of color to put your brain on a heightened state of alert. Your cabinets might be dreadfully tired and your outdated appliances might leave you feeling totally uninspired. But take heart: a few brilliantly colored decorative objects can provide just the punch your sleepy kitchen needs.

2) Treat yourself to one new kitchen accoutrement. Seen

Le Creusets latest red Dutch ovens Or Kitchen Aids new apple green mixer How about a shiny chrome coffee grinder If a total kitchen overhaul is out of your reach perhaps one modest indulgence will give your room that little kickinthepants that it needs.

3) Change the lighting. My Country French rooster chandelier ala my latest birthday elevates my eyes upwards...out of the direction of my drivemecrazycabinets and onto something much more beautiful and intriguing. Considering its relatively minor expense it proved a clever way of adding serious visual interest to a space which otherwise drags me down visually. Shop around. While not as cheap as a new box of candles a new lighting fixture is often a great way to go.

4) Change things in stages. Perhaps by giving your cabinets a new paint job you can change the look of the whole room. My girlfriend Leslie contracted with a house painter as well as with a decorative painter to dramatically lift her entire kitchen into a veritable work of art. The decorative painter glazed and then handpainted different floral designs on each cabinet panel elevating the room into one of lightness and pure beauty. The end result is stunning! Maybe by simply replacing a wornout dishwasher you can inject a dash of modernity to an otherwise outdated room. Or perhaps the relatively easy job of changing your countertops will give you more of the look and function that you desire.

5) Enjoy your collections. Not only did my recent trip to Paris cement my affection for le coq; it heightened my awareness of any and all fabulous renditions seen since my return. I can hardly pass by a rooster without checking its craftsmanship size and price tag. Infuse your environment with the things that you love. Be they pictures of friends and family magnetized to your fridge...or cows or pigs or roosters (we really are a silly bunch arent we) dont be afraid to show off your collections to their fullest. When your day is looking particularly gloomy or your hormones are raging; the little things that bring you joy will help to blow both those black clouds away from your precious little head as well as more evenly distribu