Simplicity Kitchen Reno Tips

We all strive to be healthy… right?

Well what if I told you that it’s not all about what your eat and how you move your body but also what elements you choose to have in your kitchen and how you organize the space you cook in? As do most family’s, we live in our kitchen so when my husband and I decided to renovate our space we knew it needed two things: pure simplicity and the help of designer Lisa Canning to help pull it all together.

Our old kitchen was what we could afford and fit us at the time but over the years of children, cooking classes and turning our home into the set for my show Simplicity TV the energy had shifted and now the space needed to as well. It was dark and dreary with poor lighting and little life. I was craving white, bright, airy and clean simple lines and features to kick my kitchen and my recipe creations into high-gear.

If you’re craving more simplicity in your kitchen, here are a few easy ways to achieve it:

1. Organized, soft-close drawers have been a game-changer in my home. Cupboards that slam with an ear-piercing bang, drawers that constantly jam or close too quickly, and lazy cabinet doors that won’t stay open are now a thing of the past in my kitchen! We installed GRASS hardware systems, which are perfectly engineered for the highest performance while providing gorgeous design options. No matter how hard my children slam the drawers you hear nothing. When I am up in the wee hours of the morning prepping food you hear nothing. It’s only a matter of time before I change over our bathroom doors and drawers as well…I love them that much.
2. Installing a Dishwasher that is extremely energy efficient and makes virtually no sound what so ever! We chose the Whirlpool Goldseries dishwasher and couldn’t be happier. I use organic, natural detergents which some dishwasher don’t work well with. Not this machine, it’s fantastic and the best part if I can run it at night when the kids are sleeping and no one even knows I pressed start.
3. Add in beautiful and rustic natural materials that will stand the test of time in your home, even if you live with little ones running around. I am simply in love with this gorgeous table and chair set (pictured below), and hammered metal pendant lights from Artemano. Made from scratch from artisans sourced from all over the world, it’s the handmade touch that makes this trend so popular. Stepping into their store is like being whisked away on a holiday. The music, the ambience, the buddha’s, decorative art pieces and wooden trays like the one seen here on my table. Perfect for serving appetizers or holding your fresh produce; it’s the little things that inspire us most.
4. Between feeding my family and constantly creating new recipes for my books and online courses, I must wash my hands 50 times in a day! When Lisa suggested we switch out our current kitchen faucet with her favourite Delta Trinsic faucet and matching soap dispenser, which boasts touch, activated technology— I was a little sceptical as to how this would simplify my life? WOW! This faucet is incredible. A little elbow tap here and fist nudge there and voila, running water without ever having to dirty up the handle. Goodbye to fumbling with the faucet when my hands are covered in kitchen mess.
5. Change up your flooring. Our old flooring was way too yellow for our home, but it took 11 years of “the busy years” of raising kids to get to a place where we ready to make the change. We turned to a more rustic looking, hand-scraped, engineered hardwood from Torly’s and absolutely love the depth and warmth it has added to the overall look and feel of our new kitchen.
6. Add a fresh coat of paint. We went with a soft neutral colour Calbot Trail from Benjamin Moore to lighten the overall feel and brighten the kitchen but I also craved a few hits of colour. It’s like building a great meal; you start with a base/foundation and build colour and life from there. We added pops of orange and teal in accessories, as well as a mix of various cutting boards, bowls and decorative pieces from HomeSense. The orange toaster is one my favourite new additions to my kitchen, it makes me joyful just to look at.
7. Change up your backsplash. Our new backsplash from Erthcoverings is more like a piece of full wall artwork than kitchen décor. It is the first thing you notice when you walk into our home and look straight through our open concept living to see this masterpiece starring back at you.

The next time you feel uninspired in the kitchen and think it’s because you aren’t the best cook or don’t know where to begin, take a moment to stand back and ask yourself, “does your kitchen space inspire you to create beautiful nourishing meals?” If the answer is no, perhaps this is where you begin…with a green smoothie in tow of course!