Health consciousnesses, together with environmental conservation, seem to be the by-words of our times. We spend a large amount of our time, and money, on means and methods, to keep ourselves and our families healthy and to protect our natural environment.

Whereas numerous organizations have banded together to ensure that green stays green and biodiversity flourishes, we ultimately only have ourselves to count on when it come to the health and safety mechanisms in place in our own homes.

We buy organically grown food, take supplemental vitamins and get enough exercise. We make sure our homes are clean with a variety of environment-friendly detergents, anti-microbial liquids for our bathrooms and toilets, and ionizers in our air conditioners. We filter our drinking water.

We swipe down our kitchen counters and mop the kitchen floor to prevent food contamination; and we stop there as far as a healthy kitchen area is concerned.

We forget that even more than the bathroom, our kitchen, especially the floor, has the most potential for supporting a flourishing colony of microbes, not just because of the damp but because of juices that spill from the meats that we process.

It’s a good thing there are now products available for sanitizing our flooring material saving us hours of mopping and disinfecting. These are anti-microbial applications that coat kitchen tiles, some even making the tiles non-slip also, preventing another health hazard at the same time. Better yet are those that are also anti-static, a big help for those who like cooking barefoot in an area with a large concentration of electrical appliances.

I like walking barefoot around the house, even while cooking in our small kitchen.  It used to be a problem because I don’t like walking on cold floors, and our house used to have tile floors. The tiles were beautiful and of very good quality, were easy to clean and water-proof, which was practical especially for the kitchen, but cold to bare feet.

When I saw a sample of laminated bamboo parquet flooring material at a trade show, I knew I had found the right flooring material, not just for our kitchen but also for the rest of the house. Its durability and beautiful warm glow, combined with the water proofing provided by the laminate made it ideal even for the kitchen area.

We still have our area rugs but they are there primarily because they look good against the flooring, and not because my feet need oases of warmth in an expanse of cold tile.

We all dream of a great and beautiful kitchen with appliances up to date and plenty of room for everything. But unfortunately, the reality is often different. Extension or adaptation of the kitchen is one of the most expensive purchases that each owner will have to make. In addition, it is better if we maximize ways to use what we already have.

However, we can always have a great-looking and functional kitchen on a budget. We can start with the floor. You can place an attractive area rug for a change. Choose a washable material such as acrylic and polypropylene. These materials are perfect for your kitchen. A beautiful area rug or carpet in oval blue can add a touch of comfort and even make the floor look a little bigger.

Once you have sorted through your kitchen and have found better opportunities to store your kitchen stuff, follow the principle rule of keeping everything neat and clean as possible. The less clutter you have around, the larger your kitchen looks.

Some nay-sayers on traditional kitchen style often say that kitchens decorated in such style are too rigid and regimented, with no color and pizazz of Mexican, Tuscan or French country decor. However, there are many other baby boomers who remembered their mother’s kitchen and cooking all because of the many traditional kitchen homey touches that they represented.

For starters, traditional kitchen decor displays some shape and decoration to it. Unlike the modern kitchen with metal edges made in bright and bold contrasts, traditional style is gentler. Its color palette includes warm white, cream, taupe, gray, and light green.

In terms of your traditional kitchen flooring and its patterns, a woven basket strip of wood or tile looks very attractive. Another option is to combine light and dark natural stone in irregular patterns. Place acrylic floral area rug on your top flooring. Acrylics are preferred in most traditional kitchens since they withstand any spills better than natural fiber rugs.