Looking for ways to make your kitchen more inviting? With the busy lives most people lead these days, there isn’t as much time to actually go in the kitchen, let alone prepare a meal in there. So, maybe a few small kitchen makeovers will give you the motivation to spend a little more time in the kitchen. From small cabinet changes to tile replacement to simply changing out your appliances, there are a number of ways to make sure that your kitchen is one of your favorite places to be.

Change your color scheme.

If you’ve had one color or a combination of colors in your kitchen for a while, it may be time to change up your color scheme a little. After a few months of neutral colors, like beiges or browns, why not spruce your kitchen up by adding green, red, or blue accents? You can do this by repainting the paneling on the kitchen walls, buying small appliances (i.e. blenders, microwaves) that will fit into your new color scheme, or even by purchasing kitchen towels, washcloths, or floor mats. You can even buy new silverware and cooking utensils to go with your new kitchen décor. These small changes will give your kitchen a new, refreshed look, and are fairly inexpensive. For the greatest effect, it may be best to make two or three color changes at the same time, i.e. changing the washcloths, buying new appliances, and purchasing new floor mats. This way, your new kitchen items won’t look so out of place.

Switch out larger appliances.

Bigger appliances, like refrigerators, dishwashers, and stoves will definitely change the look of your kitchen. Changing the colors of the largest appliances in the kitchen will draw attention to the pieces, and you can continue decorating with cheaper accents to compliment these rather expensive kitchen changes. Try choosing colors that are fairly uncommon in the kitchen; tan and white appliances are very common in kitchens, and may not give you the desired change. Black appliances are becoming more of the norm, but you can really do a lot with these—color combinations like black and red look wonderful in kitchens, and you can use other bright colors like yellow to give your kitchen great color contrast.

Give your kitchen a paint job.

Of course, a new coat of paint can really give your kitchen the new look you want. You may choose to paint only one wall, or you can even paint a mural or another design on a wall in the kitchen. If you’re repainting all the walls in your kitchen, you may want to use a different color for the paneling. Be sure to choose colors that you can find plenty of appliances and accents for; this way, you can continue to change out small appliances and floor mats and give your kitchen a different look every few weeks.

Keep your new kitchen clean.

Now that you’ve remodeled your kitchen, be sure to keep it as clean as possible. This will also motivate you to step into the kitchen more often—after all, who wants to go into a kitchen full of dirty dishes? Make sure that you let your family know that the new kitchen should be kept clean, so that the new appliances will look great for a long time. Besides, you can’t see what a fabulous job you’ve done decorating your kitchen if there’s too much clutter. The more organized and colorful you keep your kitchen; the more likely you are to spend time preparing meals and entertaining. Happy decorating!