We spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It’s not simply the room in which we prepare our meals. It can also serve as the space where you can provide your family with home-cooked meals to show them that you love them, socialize with guests during a party or simply get ready for the day by cooking up nutritious meals. Whatever you use your kitchen for, it is undoubtedly a room that is hard to live without. So why not make it a space that makes you actually want to spend time in it.

You don’t have to rearrange and renovate the whole kitchen to give it a completely new look. Simplest room makeovers involve only changing up some accessories and decorations. That’s often enough to give you that ‘new kitchen’ feel without spending a ton of money.

First, you should think about what kind of design you are more interested in. Are you more of a traditional person who loves the warm kitchens that project the homely atmosphere? Or maybe you prefer the modern and sleek designs with vivid (or perhaps monochromatic) colors? There are plenty of styles to choose from and you probably have a favorite one in mind already. Changing the basic overall style of your kitchen can be costly though, but fortunately, you can always start small and go from there.

There are some great kitchen items with universal designs that go well together with just about anything.

Wooden utensils, such as spatulas or cutlery with wooden handles, have more of a traditional image but they also match cool black-and-white kitchens by breaking down the cold interiors. And they’re eco-friendly! Nowadays, you can get full bamboo sets of basic utensils that even include bamboo whisks or tongs. Wooden designs are safe to use with food but they do need to be cleaned very carefully to prevent bacteria from growing.

Another great choice is metal designs. Kitchen items made from metal components are very easy to clean and will also fit most kitchen styles. They are extremely sturdy and are not easily damaged. They are also not limited in the same way as wooden items sometimes are, e.g. cutting boards made from wood can fall apart when put in a dishwasher. A good metal dish rack will look a hundred times better than a cheap plastic one and will last you for years.

No matter the style of the kitchen you’re looking for, make sure to also think about functionality. Are the accessories you want to buy durable? Will that piece of décor you saw at the furniture store the other week be easy to clean if you put it in the vicinity of your stove? Always think your purchases over thoroughly to make sure that the things you buy are not going to be more of a nuisance than a stylish item.

If you like cooking then take time to make your kitchen a space that feels both comfortable and is enjoyable to be in. And even if you are more of a take-out kind of person, having a stylish kitchen will make it more exciting for you to be in there.