Kitchens are where holiday memories are often made; create one that serves up joy

Around the holidays, there’s one room in the home where the tantalizing aromas of good food and the chatter of good folk converge: the kitchen.

More than mere culinary spaces, kitchens tend to embody the heart of a home. There’s the messiness and mayhem of communal meal making. Perhaps some pre-bedtime snacks. It’s a place where many holiday memories are made.

Yet if you’ve scanned the pages of decor magazines and websites in recent years, you’ll have noted that the prime aspirational kitchen leans toward a serious and sleek vibe — pro-level equipment; a super-functional layout; lots of neutral colors and clean lines.

Sophie Donelson, author of “Uncommon Kitchens,” displays a small pantry decorated with a vintage petite table lamp.

(Patrick Biller via The Associated Press)

“We’ve officially reached peak kitchen design. We know exactly how to make a beautiful, luxurious cooking space,” Sophie Donelson writes in her new book, “Uncommon Kitchens” (Abrams, 2023).

“Many of us find ourselves reminiscing about a family kitchen from growing up; not a perfect one, not a new or luxurious one, but one in which conversations happened, food was made, life unfolded,” she notes.

Donelson and other design experts say that with a measure of color, pattern and/or décor elements, we can all have a kitchen that serves up happy. A few ideas to sip and savor:

All the feels

Whether our ideal kitchen is kitted out like Martha Stewart’s or hasn’t much more than a humble cooktop, toaster oven and melange of mugs, it’s a space with many functions and moods.

Be mindful of lighting and, above all, how you use your kitchen, Donelson says.

“Lighting that feels good in the morning while you’re making coffee or preparing lunches for the day is different than how you might want to feel while you’re making a late-night mug of ice cream or on a relaxed Sunday evening preparing dinner with a loved one,” she says.

Have a variety — an overhead light; warm-toned, under-the-counter LED task strips.

“And I always make the case for adding a petite table lamp at the counter,” Donelson says. “Mine’s vintage, sits next to the toaster, doesn’t take much room. But it’s charming and cheerful, and it’s the first thing I click on in the morning, the last to be turned off.”

Researching her book, Donelson learned that many renovators were opting to add or restore windows when possible in place of tile backsplashes.

Two views of a kitchen designed by Cortney Bishop outside of New York that was inspired by the owner’s visit to Sullivan Island in South Carolina. The distinctive patterned tile is from Exquisite Surface’s Commune collection.

(Cortney Bishop via The Associated Press)

(Cortney Bishop via The Associated Press)

Room to let loose

“Many, many people mentioned dancing in the kitchen by themselves or with their family. It’s fun, and a great way to exercise!” Donelson says.

Shift tables or even islands…