8 clever kitchen ideas to steal

Spring is in the air and Easter is on the horizon so why not give your kitchen a freshen up for the season ahead? It doesn't have to be a full-scale refit. Simple touches like adding hooks to your shelves or a lick of paint can make all the difference.

Take a look at the gallery above for some simple and classic ideas that will give your kitchen the spruce that it needs.

In traditional spaces allow plenty of room around your central table and chairs. This 'Wessex' table (from £3,875), 'Plain Leg' settle (from £1,195) and 'Windsor Stickback' side chairs (from £335) are by I & JL Brown.

A bespoke walk-in larder, such as this organised pantry by Artichoke, gives you extra tucked-away storage space.

Update tired cabinetry by with a lick of paint. Try Annie Sloan's no-fuss chalk paints (£18.95 per I) and protect with a layer of soft wax (£8.95 per 500ml).

This sleek kitchen was designed by Owen Pacey. A 19th century bust of an unknown woman beautifully contrasts with the modern units.

Henriette von Stockhausen has added interest into her Magnet kitchen, incorporating an antique floral tray formerly belonging to her grandmother and reclaimed Spanish tiles from the Reclaimed Tile Company.

Even if you have lots, take pride in your mugs and dishes as collector Peter Hone does, by having them on display and maximising shelf space with hooks.

Get into the swing of spring by adding splashes of pastel blues and yellow, as Gigi Eligoff's does in her delightful kitchen.

Go back in time as at Cothelstone Manor and combine rustic cupboards with contemporary surfaces and cabinets.

Words: Katy Layton