Freshen up the decor in your kitchen with colour

Colourful accents add brightness and warmth to your kitchen without having to make expensive, permanent changes.

Think about spots in your kitchen that can benefit from texture and colour. Curtains decorate the windows, but there are other places you haven't considered. Hang a curtain to cover open storage or replace a glass cabinet inset with a colourful curtain. Other ways to incorporate textiles into the kitchen include placing area rugs or mats on the floor and hanging patterned dish towels near the sink. You can easily create custom dish towels by stamping graphic images with rubber stamps and fabric ink.

Display your colourful plates, bowls and cups on open shelving or in cabinets with glass insets. Hang colourful coffee mugs from hooks installed under the cabinets.

It's easy to find place mats and tablecloths in an array of colours and patterns, but don't stop there. Set the table with colourful dishes, or use flatware and serving utensils with colourful handles. Arrange seasonal flowers into a centrepiece. Also, don't forget that the chairs are part of the table setting. Place colourful cushions on chairs, or paint older chairs to complement other colours in your kitchen.

Nothing adds colour and freshness to a kitchen quite like green plants growing in a sunny window. Find or make colourfully decorated planters and fill them with potted herbs.

If you don't want to paint or paper the walls, fill them with art. One fun idea is to frame pretty paper napkins in plain white frames and hang them on the wall for a colourful graphic design feature.

The sky's the limit here since there's an almost endless supply of colourful counter top appliances and accessories for decorating the kitchen. Kitchen appliances like blenders, stand mixers, coffee pots and juicers often come in bright, fun colours. Leave them out on your counter even when you're not using them. Also, add colour with coloured canisters or clear glass jars filled with colourful candy or cereal. Candles come in a rainbow of colours and they also bring warmth and pleasing aromas into the kitchen.

Don't neglect the insides of your cabinets and drawers. Shelf liner not only protects the surfaces, but it also brightens the appearance of cabinetry.

If you're not ready to commit to a permanent change in your kitchen, but you'd like to brighten it up with some colour, consider some of these easy decorating ideas.