There are many pieces of kitchen furniture that can be added to any kitchen that will improve the functionality and the looks of that room. No matter if you have a large or small kitchen or if yours is a traditional or a modern one, the following are 10 items that you should consider purchasing if you are looking to improve your kitchen space.

1. An Extendable Kitchen Table : This piece of kitchen furniture is very practical and ideal for people that like to have lots of free space. The tops on these tables simply slide out and extend to morph from a small humble kitchen table to a six seat or more dining table, perfect for any dinner parties you may hold.

2. Kitchen Furniture For Small Kitchens : If you have a small and pokey feeling kitchen with not enough room to swing a cat in as they say, there are a few options to be considered. You could install a folding bar style table that is attached to the wall, folding down when needed. Also if you want to create a feeling of more space, choose a white, metallic or glass finish to the work surface.

3. Breakfast Bar : Bringing one of these into the kitchen is a great option, and it will be ideal for having breakfast or to eat any quick snacks you cook throughout the day. Do not forget to add the bar stools as well to finish it all off.

4. Folding Kitchen Chairs : These are brilliant if you often have dinner parties with a large amount of guests invited. These can soon be brought out and put together with ease and speed, leaving you more time to worry about the food!

5. Dining Chairs : However, if you need some extra seating arrangements on a more permanent basis, why not choose some antique style dining chairs, full of character and sturdy enough to last years.

6. Kitchen Sofa : If you are looking to spend more casual and relaxed time in the kitchen, a kitchen sofa is a brilliant piece of kitchen furniture to purchase. This will add a a cosy feel, but make sure it is a colour that will be easy to keep clean.

7. Storage Pieces : Pieces of kitchen furniture that can be used for storage and with a work top as well are good options to consider. A kitchen trolley has these attributes plus it is very mobile.

8. Kitchen Shelving : This can be added to any walls in the kitchen to show off anything you are proud of such as your finest crockery, or anything of sentimental value. It can also be used to provide storage for food or any cooking recipes.

9. Kid’s Kitchen Furniture : The children will love this, their very own private dining table and chairs, totally out of bounds for any grown ups! This will make a great atmosphere within your family.

10. Kitchen Furniture For Pets : Why should you leave your beloved pets out of all the new kitchen items? There are a number of stylish new water bowls or baskets for you dogs and cats for example.

Antique kitchen furniture will give the room a warm and charismatic look that is unique over the latest modern styles, and you can choose what sort of antiqued furniture you want to go for, as it will be you who is doing the work.  There are two methods of accomplising this, distressing and staining.  You can use them individually, or use both depending on your desired results.

Staining Your Kitchen Furniture

Staining to create antique kitchen furniture will work best on pieces that have a light colour of wood or are lightly stained already.  You can achieve the look with just a pot of dark stain, a sponge or paint brush, and lots of cloths or kitchen towels.  Simply start by applying a light layer of stain to one part of the piece with the brush, and then wipe off the stain to the level that you want, the more you wipe off, the lighter and newer it will look.  It may be a good idea to try the stain you have on a not so noticeable area first, just so you know you are happy with the stain you are using.  Also, remember that you want to try and make the piece of antique kitchen furniture as natural as possible, so apply more stain on areas that are more hard wearing such as around handles, on corners and on the edges of tables for example.

Distressing Your Kitchen Furniture

Distressing kitchen furniture only works if the piece is painted, not stained.  The idea is to make the item look old and worn, to make it look like an antique.  If done right, the method will make the item look tens or even hundreds of years old.

All you need to do this is some sandpaper.  You can get a greater, more refined effect by getting yourself different grades of sandpaper to use on the item.  The idea of distressing is to sand off the finish/paint on the worn areas of the piece of furniture.  So for example, if you were distressing a cabinet, you would sand away at the edges of the drawers and around the door until you get down to the wood underneath.  You can take this as far as you want, you can stick to just distressing the edges and certain areas, or you can go crazy and go all over.

For some finishing touches to your antique kitchen furnture, you can add antique knobs and handles to your finished pieces, making it look truly authentic as an antique.

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Consider The Layout

All kitchens are a different size and have different dimensions, so don’t discount that.  The first thing you must look at is the room as it is that you are looking to put furniture in.  Is there enough room to add any items? Do you need to get rid of anything in order to make room? And if you do, will the new furniture work? Be honest with yourself when you are looking at the room in balance with what you want.  Even if the kitchen is very small, it can still be made to look modern, just the choices of furniture will need to be smaller.

Decorate Or Not To Decorate?

How does the kitchen actually look? Does it look modern? Would adding modern kitchen furniture compliment it, or would it stick out like a sore thumb?  There is no point spending the extra money on the items if it doesn’t fit into the style of the room.  Again, think about whether or not it will work.  Consider redecorating the room to bring it up to date, if you need to repaint the walls and ceiling, go for a modern neutral colour such as cream or white, and try to add accessories that are chrome/stainless steel or black for it to keep in the modern style.

The Smaller Details

Things such as the lighting of the room and the floor are both extremely important in creating a modern kitchen, as they provide if you like the header and the footer in your view of the room.  With lighting, whilst making sure it gives you the modern look you desire, also make sure that they light up the room well, as a light room will alway look a lot more fresh and cutting edge than a room that is dull and poorly lit.  With the floor, make sure you choose something that will fit the rest of the room.  Laminate flooring is a popular choice because it works so well, it looks fantastic and is very practical.

The Furniture Itself

As i have already iterated, be sure to choose modern kitchen furniture that fits in with the rest of the room.  There are a wealth of different styles on the marketplace nowadays, so you have plenty of choice.  You can go for a chrome metal and glass table and chairs, however wood still work as long as it looks clean and crisp.  Choosing a lighter shade of wood is a good bet.

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Your first step should be deciding what era of retro you want to go for.  You could go for the clinically clean looking 1930’s, the trendy 1960’s or any era you think will work best.  Next would be to select the colours for the overhaul.  The retro feel will be the easiest to achieve with colours such as blues, oranges, and browns for example, as these are the classic retro colours.  When shopping for your paint, be sure to take the colours you have decided on in the form of paint cards, and don’t be moved or persuaded by anyone! If the colour isn’t on the shelf, a good paint shop will be able to mix the paint for you.

Next you need to think about how any accessories and retro kitchen furniture you plan to buy will look within the room.  Think about the colours you have chosen and if they will fit in with what you have in mind.  You can also have your windows treated or changed to go all the way with the retro style, and even cover them up with some retro curtains or blinds.

Lighting is also an important feature in a kitchen, as a well lit kitchen is a much happier area to cook in.  There are many different sort of styles when it comes to lighting, so take your time looking and you should find what you want.  Make sure it looks retro and has character, but you can choose from overhead lamps, spot lamps or drop lights that cam illuminate the work surface.

However, having said all that, the most important thing to get right to ensure you get the right retro feel for your kitchen, is choosing the right retro kitchen furniture and accessories for the room.  With accessories there a a host of items such as plates, cups, condiment containers, dish towels, spice racks, the list is endless!  There is also a decent amount of retro kitchenware such as food mixers for example that can really make the difference.  Vintages accessories and furniture is often the best way to go, as these can be found easily and inexpensively.  Stuff like tables, chairs, clocks and general bits and bobs that you feel could make a difference can often be found in car boot sales or charity shops.  You could even ask your friends and family if they have any pieces lying around they want to get rid of!  However be careful not to go over the top, as there is a limit with all the retro kitchen furniture you can implement.  Make sure you have all the essential items so that your kitchen functions properly and modernly, but at the same time looks like a retro kitchen!

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