If yours is a home with regular home-cooked meals, then the kitchen is perhaps one of those high-traffic zones, with lots of storage requirements, and easily prone to clutter. Not surprisingly, therefore, kitchen often pose the biggest challenge to decor and design.
Today’s modular kitchens do provide you with wall-to-wall, ceiling-high cabinets with tons of storage, but this might still not suit everyone’s taste. For example, you might want more light and movement in your kitchen. You might find the cabinets too opaque or boxy, making your kitchen look boring and bland.
The stiff challenge is when you want all the storage space, but without the boring look of most modular kitchens. Consider some of these ideas, and see what might work in your kitchen.
Open shelves We are not suggesting that you do away with cabinets altogether, but you would do well to consider a nice balance between covered cabinets and open shelves. Perhaps just a few, to display some pretty cookware, or to place frequently used ones for easy reach. Open shelves also make the kitchen look more open and bright.
Glass panes for cabinets Replace opaque doors with glass doors on your cabinets. The interior could be painted a bright, contrasting color to make it interesting. A few cabinets could even have pot lights installed inside, making them both practical and pretty. Very small kitchens will also do well to have mirror-finish doors on the cabinets for a roomier appearance.
Sideboards If space allows it, sideboards are great addition to your dining area, even if this is only a corner in your kitchen. Get a classic, retro sideboard for your crockery, add a touch of class to your kitchen while finding more storage space. Sideboards change the entire look of your kitchen and can change the boring kitchen into a
While planning the cabinets below the counter-top, ensure corners don’t go waste corner cabinets are a must if you want to do justice to the space afforded by your kitchen. Also, some of your pots and pans don’t really need to be hidden in shelves. Consider creating a hanging-display over the island or the counter-top. Especially if you have old-style copper cookware, this arrangement can lend a charming look to your kitchen, while opening up tons of shelf space for other items.
Whatever you do, remember that the countertop is not storage space. However constrained you are for space in the kitchen, you will do well to remember that classy, well-kept kitchen have clean, bare countertops. Nothing screams clutter like appliances lined up on the countertop.
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3 essential features every smartwatch should have
Read moreSmartwatches are all the rage these days. Traditional watches only tell you the time, but smartwatches present the world at your fingertips. From fitness tracking to navigation and GPS, they come with unique features you just can’t imagine. But since there are so many options available, picking the right one can get tricky. To help you in your search, we’ve put together some essential features you must have in your new smartwatch.
Alerts and notifications
This is the most basic feature to look for. You should be able to check notifications without accessing your phone. Many smartwatches vibrate when you receive an email, have an upcoming meeting, or when there’s something that needs your attention. This feature will not only keep you updated but also fetch you a great deal if you resell your smartwatch on sites like Trademore in the future.Calling and texting
The call and text feature allows you to use the watch to respond to incoming calls and messages. It’s a great feature to have when you’re in an important meeting and just need to know who the caller is and hang up with an automatic “I’ll call you back later” note. Some smartwatches even have built-in cellular connectivity.Smart navigation
You no longer need to stare at your phone or tablet to view maps. Some smartwatches use vibrations to tell you where you need to turn or stop, making navigation easier. However, such features can demand a hefty price. So, if you’re on a budget, don’t forget to check out the smartwatch collection at Trademore.If you can’t decide, here are some top models with the best features to consider:
Fitbit Sense
Fitbit is one of the leading brands in smartwatches. They have different models, each offering unique features. One model that stands out is the Fitbit Sense. It’s a sleek and attractive smartwatch that comes with comprehensive fitness features. It also boasts a massive battery life that can last for six days. The watch has GPS and is entirely waterproof.Apple Watch Series 6
Apple offers some of the most coveted smartwatches in the market. The Apple Watch Series 6 has a colorful look and comes with smart charging. It also offers innovative health tech, such as oxygen and heart rate monitoring. You can get a second-hand piece for a discounted rate on Trademore. -
Benefits of using a fitness tracker to track your fitness
Read moreFitness and activity trackers have become quite popular, thanks to the increasing number of people choosing to keep a close watch on their fitness goals and progress. Wearers can track important information like steps taken, sleep, heart rate, calorie intake, pace, and distance traveled, etc. Though some consider them as a needless investment, a fitness tracker offers more than a few benefits for those who already work out regularly or are planning to start working out religiously.
Offers personal accountabilityFace it! Deciding to work out daily is one thing, but sticking to the regimen and goals is a whole other ball game. For those who are about to start working out, even a little bit of encouragement goes a long way. In this regard, your fitness tracker acts like your very own personal motivator. It encourages you to compete with yourself, urging you to run a little more distance than the day before, to take a few more steps every day, and to sustain a peak heart rate for just a little longer every day. Studies have proven that wearing a fitness tracker has been so psychologically rewarding for individuals that it helped increase their fitness levels by at least 30%.
Does all the monitoring for you
One of the pitfalls of traditional forms of exercising is how one had to stop at several intervals in between to track, monitor and measure fitness. A fitness tracker can do all of that for you, allowing you to focus on exercising. The device does the job of monitoring and measuring your fitness levels. Better yet, it will offer you notifications of the same on a constant basis before, during and even after exercising.Allows you to set tailored goals
One of the good things about fitness trackers is that they act as your own personal fitness trainer. They allow you to set fitness goals tailored to suit your body. In addition to helping you set realistic goals, they also provide you with tips to start exercising from scratch, gradually helping you meet your fitness goals without any discomfort and with as much ease as possible.Helps you work out in groups without actually doing so
In addition to transforming you into your best competitor, these fitness and activity trackers allow you to join exercise groups with the same focus via links that connect fitness trackers in the same area. This way, you can post your achievements via messages and photos, workout in virtual groups, challenge others to compete with you, and vice versa, thus keeping you motivated to continue exercising.Monitors your fitness levels while you sleep
No more sleeping inside a lab with tons of wires hooked to your body to determine your sleep patterns. The new age fitness and activity trackers can monitor your breathing patterns and the way your body moves, while you sleep in order to determine the quality of your sleep. These trackers also offer guidelines on how to improve the quality of your sleep based on your health and lifestyle habits.