Plenty of colors, unusual designs, and a bit of DIY – that’s the way to quirky, but great kitchens. If you are willing to think out of the box, redesigning or renovating your kitchen it can be a fun-filled ride, and without much financial strain. Don’t be bound by a catalog; be bold for a true-to-your-style cooking space. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Make it a color riot

Okay, you don’t have to necessarily make it a color riot but you definitely need to think beyond the usual colors one picks for their rooms, especially for the kitchens. What is so great about white and brown? Paint the floor blue, the walls yellow, the chairs green, and the cooking range pink if it makes you happy. Colors are the fastest way to change the appearance of a kitchen. They are also the first thing people notice, and have been proven to have an energizing effect.

Give the kitchen a theme

Giving your kitchen a theme is the best way to give it a character. Consider themes such as farmhouse, country, retro, modern, vintage, bohemian, floral, minimalist and so on. If none of these appeal to you, create a theme of your own. Work with your partner and/or children for this. What do they love the most? Look to your favorite stories for inspiration. Like the kitchen from your last trip to William & Sonoma? Go for it. Was there ever a kitchen cabinet in your Barbie doll set that you coveted as a girl? Get one made. Make it personal, make it delightful.

Repaint old furniture in new colors and designs

Don’t throw away your old cupboard because it looks worn. Fix it, repaint it, and add a design or two.  A boring wooden center table can be painted white and given a border of red and blue roses. This can be a fun DIY project which will also save you money.

Spice up the shelves

Open shelves are a great way to add storage space as well as spunk to your kitchen. Don’t go for the same old boring flat shelves; look up newer designs. Triangular shelves look beautiful, and so do ladder-shaped ones.

Install a corkboard

A corkboard can be the proud bearer of your family’s collective culinary genius. Put on it all your post-it notes, recipes pulled out from the net, recipes created by your children, the menu for the entire week, general diet inspiration, or suggestions for the Sunday brunch. Encourage your kids to join you with ideas and post them to this headboard.

Have fun with porcelain and cutlery

Have a china set that you seldom take out? A porcelain plate with a faded sky blue border would look great on a plum wall. If the plate is too plain, create your own design on it. Instead of standing your favorite Japanese cutlery set on your dining table, hang it by the wall. If you are not too attached to your cookware, you can take the best of it out and display it proudly. Traditional European kitchens sometimes have their pans and pots hanging from the ceiling. You can do the same with red, orange, and lime green coffee mugs, or with empty wine bottles that can dangle above you in a chandelier-like huddle.

Author Bio: Paul Nach works at 27estore.com, a company focused on offering quality home remodeling products like interior designer doors. In his free time and whenever snow is on the slopes, Paul likes to snowboard – going to the beach is also an alternative.