The kitchen really is the heart of our homes. Meals that anchor family time begin and end here, dough is patted, vegetables grilled and seasoned, celebrations planned, and ice cream scooped between these corners of our homes. It seems inevitable that even if there is ample seating and room to cozy up elsewhere, my entire family ends up in the kitchen to talk and share and nibble on what's cooking. Its the one room in our home where I know I can hold my kids' attention while they help me cook or peek at whatever is bubbling on the stove, and so its a great place to ask questions, to hear about their day and to tie strings of love with their hearts.

Living in a small apartment in New York City, my kitchen is teeny these days, and I'm often dreaming of how to organize more efficiently and plotting out my ideal space. I love dreaming about how to make my home beautiful and adding in small changes and designer details to make it feel just right. At The Better Mom, we absolutely love our Pinterest community and all of you who join us there to share ideas about making our homes places of life and beauty, and about how to be better moms, together! And we are so excited to announce an exciting partnership with LG Electronics this month as they roll out their new Black Stainless Steel Appliances! You have a chance to win an entire series of appliances, $25,000 and a design consultation with HGTV Design Stars, Emily Henderson or David Bromstad!

I was able to meet with David and Emily and see their own amazing kitchen designs at an event hosted by LG Electronics this week at the One World Trade Center Observatory, where they also shared their best design tips for any kitchen. The one standard seemed to be stainless steel appliances. They are so versatile and work in any style of home or kitchen. And the new Black Stainless series from LG is smudge free! Moms around the world rejoice! Here are a few of my other favorite take aways for kitchen decor from Emily Henderson:

Bring It All Together With Black.. Just like in your wardrobe, black is a timeless and versatile color that should be incorporated in every room to help ground the space while injecting a bold look and feel.

Spruce Up Your Accents. Paint existing cabinets white and buy new hardware. Try brass handles or pulls and swap your lights for updated fixtures and swatch plates for new ones. Also, try adding a rug. Yes, you may add a rug to the kitchen, as it adds yet another layer of texture and color.

Add a Dash of Personality. Your kitchen counter should always be free of clutter and appliances, but don’t be afraid to use decorative accents to dress up your counter top, because the kitchen should feel like the rest of the rooms in your house—lived in with touches of style and personality. Here’s a list of my countertop staples: ceramic utensil holders, vintage salt and pepper shakers, brass or wooden utensils, glass canisters, wooden bowls for fruits and veggies, an enamel teapot, a stack of vintage cookbooks and brass or glass vases filled with beautiful flora. A chalkboard is a fun touch too. Not only handy for writing down grocery lists and reminders, but kids can play on it while mom or dad prepares dinner.

So what are some of your tips for gathering your family in your kitchen? What does your dream kitchen look like? We'd love for you to show us over on Pinterest! We've created a board featuring elements for our own dream kitchen and would love to see yours too!

To give kitchen design enthusiasts across the nation a unique opportunity to showcase their Pinterest skills, LG Electronics invites consumers to take part in the LG Limitless Design Contest and create their own kitchen design Pinterest boards inspired by Black Stainless Steel. The contest, which runs through Jan. 29, 2016, encourages participants to pin elements that inspire and embody the theme each entrant selects (i.e., rustic country, beach house, American classic, retro chic, etc.). Boards will be judged based on creativity, diversity of pins and the contestants’ abilities to deliver on a distinct theme and/or tell a strong story.

Two grand prize winners will be selected and receive a complete kitchen suite of LG Black Stainless Steel Series appliances, $25,000 and a design consultation with Henderson or Bromstad to completely make over their kitchens. Pinterest fans can visit HGTV.com/LGContest to enter.

Don't forget to share your ideas with us in our Pinterest community and check out The Better Mom Pinterest Board, called Limitless Design. We'll be posting ideas for a rustic kitchen until January 8th.

We can't wait to see what you create!

Blessings,

Kristen

This is a sponsored post by LG Electronics. All views and opinions shared are always the author's own. Please see our full disclosure policy for details about how we handle sponsorships, and advertising at The Better Mom.