Note: this is a partnered post and consideration was received for its publication. CC-licensed image by Susan Serra, CKD.

They say that good food is often a product of love—love for family, love for service, or love for cooking. However, without a conducive environment, this love may not translate into scrumptious meals. A conducive environment in this regard means a kitchen that you love, one that you’re completely comfortable in. If you feel that yours could use a bit of an overhaul, do so—you won’t want to compromise the place where all the magic happens, after all. With that said, there are tons of ways you can improve your kitchen. Below are some examples of how you can transform your kitchen into the perfect venue for cooking.

Paint everything white.

White somehow gives off the illusion of a more spacious environment. Hence, painting everything white—the walls, the cabinets, and the cupboards—can make your kitchen feel larger than it really is. For smaller kitchens, this is a very practical option since this can eliminate that cramped feeling.

Improve the lighting.

Dim lights should be switched out for the brighter variety. Excellent lighting goes well with the white motif of your kitchen and goes a long way in improving the atmosphere even more. And you need not spend a fortune to enhance your kitchen lighting. All that’s necessary is a lighting fixture (or a few) that can adequately illuminate the room. Also consider affixing lights under the shelves if you find these areas to be insufficiently illuminated. Beacon Lighting offers a wide selection, so you might want to check out their site.

Add an instant boiled/chilled tap water supply.

This is one of the finer additions that your kitchen can receive. A tap that can readily provide filtered water that’s chilled or boiled is clearly a huge convenience—both for cooking and drinking purposes. Now, you have various options for this, but your best bet would be The Water People.

More storage couldn’t hurt.

If you find that a lot of your kitchenware is just lying about, then you should consider adding more shelves. Build these up high so that they won’t get in your way. You can also attach under-shelf baskets to these if you require even more storage.

Install drawer and shelf liners.

Drawer and shelf liners are a must-have for your kitchen. For one, it protects your drawers and shelves from spills and the like. Liners with cushions can also help in safeguarding fragile kitchenware. On top of those, they’re just pretty—choose liner designs that complement the colors of your kitchen. If your kitchen is already equipped with liners, then just remember to replace them periodically. Stick with non-stick liners, though, so that changing them won’t be much of a hassle.