The kitchen is a place of warmth, where loved ones gather around to savor enticing smells, and delightful treats, while basking in the glow of one another’s company. It is the traditional family room, where everyone who wants to eat, comes together to share in this mutual necessity, and are thus, bonded together. That’s why earth tones work so perfectly in this space. They naturally foster a sense of home and hearth that intensifies the communal spirit of the kitchen.
Petroglyphs kitchenware (shown in photo above) accessories available at SantaFeDecor.com.
Earth tones are also really easy to incorporate into a kitchen. Many surfaces such as cabinets and countertops have a tradition of being built from a variety of hardwoods. These can range in tone from dark to light but all share the same earthy brown / tan colors that occur naturally in all hardwoods.
There are also a variety of hardwood accessories which can be purchased, that will match the theme throughout the space. Tables, chairs, barstools, wine racks, and kitchen islands are all large pieces that can be made from oak, ash, pine, cedar, redwood, teak, or any of a hundred other types of wood, and can be stained in a wide variety of earth tone colors. You can even purchase these pieces unfinished and stain them to your desired tone.
If you like the natural earth tone look you can also consider using slate, in backsplashes, flooring, and countertops as another way of incorporating these colors throughout the kitchen. Slate is a type of stone which is available in about 100 different colors. These colors span the entire rainbow of hues found in the various mountains from which they are quarried, but almost all of these variations share an earthen quality which hints at rustic browns and greens, the colors of the earth itself.
If you want to use earth tones in a more contemporary manner, there are a variety of paints or wallpapers that can be used. Resurfacing cabinets is a relatively painless way to makeover the look of the entire space using whatever colors you desire. You can also consider painting molding and trim, to create contrasting accents against a lighter colored wall. Colors such as sage, camel, rust, or tan are all very soft, soothing tones that can relax the energy of the space.
Wall accessories are another good way to spread the warm hearth earth tones throughout the space. Your walls are a canvas for a variety of items, from clocks, to prints, to novelty kitsch signs. Decorative items made from whicker or straw are a traditional country style way of adding these elements. Curtains are another easy way to add a splash of earthy color to the space.
Earth tones can provide you with a wonderful palette of colors to use when decorating your kitchen. The warm and hearty comfort that they elicit flows naturally with the purpose and function of the space. In fact, they can actually enhance the communal properties of your kitchen, by creating an atmosphere of safety and love which will register on the subconscious mind of anyone who enters.
This piece was written by Joey Pebble, a stone artist and designer, who specializes in rustic stone home furnishings made from a variety of natural stone materials including slate, sandstone, travertine and marble.
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