Kitchens play a vitally important role in our daily lives, not just in terms of food preparation but also as a place for social gatherings, so the least we can do is make them look their best.
Thankfully, what works wonders in other parts of the home, say the living room or bedroom, often delivers amazing results for the kitchen too!
Find out how to decorate your kitchen in simple yet effective ways that will stand the test of time and make it the location of choice when hanging out in your home.
Use baskets as decor
You’re probably more familiar with baskets that are used to store and transport all kinds of goods, but it turns out they can be used as showpieces in their own right, and the results are truly homey.
Grab some wicker baskets of varying sizes, display one on its side and the rest laid flat as normal, and see for yourself how much more warm and homey the room becomes.
Casually lean your artwork
When dealing with large swathes of wall, we naturally turn to large-scale pieces like artwork and the kitchen can be a great place for an art exhibition of sorts.
But before you grab the hammer and a few nails, consider the impact of leaning art against the wall vs hanging it.
The latter approach is regarded as quite formal, so if you’re all about a relaxed kitchen atmosphere then leaning art is definitely the way to go.
Layer your cutting boards
Are you a big advocate for creating decor out of purposeful kitchen pieces? If so, the humble cutting board is about to become your best friend.
We say this because cutting boards can be artistically placed to leave you with beautifully styled countertops.
Picture this: wooden cutting boards in varying sizes and wood tones leaning against the wall and layered, creating a textured feast for the eyes. That’s precisely how you use regular utensils to create a liveable look.
Showcase a slick wall panel
Decorating the kitchen walls with tiles is somewhat predictable. Wallpaper could make for an interesting design twist but this space can get very humid and steamy which doesn’t mix well with wallpapered surfaces.
Wall paneling overcomes both of these challenges with ease, and if you deploy it selectively and minimally, such as where a peninsular meets the wall, it will leave you with a super stylish feature that raises the aesthetics of the kitchen through the roof.
Put up a sign
It could be a single word that you like or maybe it’s a funny phrase that resonates with your lifestyle and daily habits, either way there’s no question that signs and plaques make wonderful decor and a nice reminder of the things that are really important to your sense of happiness.
Wooden signs are a particularly good choice if you’re after that farmhouse vibe.
Add decorative mirrors
Mirrors can only reflect what you put in front of them, so how interesting the mirror surface is depends on your decorating efforts in the rest of the kitchen.
However, mirror frames have heaps of decorative potential and it’s really not that hard to find designs with frames that steal the limelight and become the talking piece of the whole space.
Decant dried goods into canisters
While it’s true that streamlined work surfaces are more practical to keep clean, leave them completely clear and you run the risk of creating an aesthetic that’s sparse and soulless.
Speaking of practical, if you make the wise decision to decant dry foods into glass jars or canisters, you will save on storage space in the pantry, give your countertop a decorative voice, and have ingredients at your fingertips, all in one fell swoop.
Splash out on greenery
Kitchens which carry a white or neutral color scheme are practically screaming out for accent colors here and there, so as to prevent the space from feeling flat and one-dimensional.
This is why houseplants are about to become your best friend – they ooze with organic texture and offer pops of vivid color, and if you don’t want the hassle of caring for a living organism then simply go with their faux counterparts instead.
Squeeze in some open shelving
If you’ve been resisting open shelving because the thought of leaving your clutter exposed to the world terrifies you, fret not.
It’s about taking a measured approach to shelving, whereby it’s only used in a limited way to supplement your cabinets and create a layered aesthetic.
This means taking down some cabinets to make way for open shelving if there’s no available wall space, or you could be a little more inventive and simply remove a few doors from your existing wall cabinets.
As always, your shelf display items should be kept minimal and look at ways to color-coordinate them to score mega points for style.
Light up the kitchen island
The kitchen island is a task area and therefore requires high quality illumination to help you do your best food prep.
Functionality aside, your kitchen island lighting also has the chance to make a stylish statement with low-hanging pendants, so choose your fixture wisely.
You’ll be pleased to know that your choice of decorative island lighting is endless, so you’re bound to find something which fits perfectly into the vision you dreamed up.
Whether it’s a chandelier, linear pendants or architectural globes, just remember to be imaginative enough to draw eyes to what is potentially the centerpiece of the room.
Maximize every square inch
While a minimalist or streamlined kitchen environment is highly desirable to most, not everyone has the luxury of space to pull it off.
Fortunately, small kitchens that are absolutely rammed with necessary clutter can take advantage of some clever storage solutions to make the walls stand out.
By mounting a utensil rack to your kitchen wall, not only will you benefit from somewhere to store stuff that would have taken up valuable space elsewhere, it’s an opportunity to introduce an accent piece via the hardware itself.
Remember, you’ll earn extra praise if you can color coordinate with other hardware in the kitchen such as the cabinet handles and faucets.
Hang plates on the wall
What’s the point of having beautiful dishes if they’re hidden away in your cabinets?
If you’re a dish lover then you are particularly well placed to implement this decorating tip and make your kitchen aesthetic the envy of the local neighbourhood.
Whether you showcase contrasting colors or keep it cohesive, a row of beautiful plates on the wall is going to boost your mood like nothing else.
Show off your favorite cookbooks
Seasoned interior designers don’t reach for books when styling a space just for the fun of it – stacking books in a thoughtful manner can have considerable visual impact.
Like any room in the home, kitchen styling involves careful curation of the items you want to display as well as choosing the best placement.
With this in mind, grab a bunch of your prettiest hardcover cookbooks and stack them stylishly on your counter or use a stand, and just like that you’ve created visual interest.
Lay down a rug
Too many people view the kitchen floor as the last piece of the decorating puzzle, or worse, give it no consideration whatsoever.
This surface is probably the hardest working out of all the surfaces in your home as it needs to perform on many levels – durability, ease of cleaning, safety – and there’s no reason why it can’t look pretty, too!
Lay down a nice rug over that hard floor and you’ll thank yourself on those cold mornings when you’re walking around barefoot.
Build a wall niche
Spaces that are on the small side are prone to clutter and if that’s true of your kitchen then consider unlocking additional storage as well as demonstrating an eye for good design by building a shallow niche in the wall.
You can also go one step further by painting the back of the niche in a contrasting color or illuminate them.
Go with a bold backsplash
Your choice of backsplash is a critical one because it will make an instant impression. With the stakes so high it’s understandable that loads of homeowners stick with something neutral, boring and safe.
If your tolerance for risk is high and you want a truly unique kitchen design then be bold with your backsplash.
Anything goes when it comes to the kitchen backsplash, and the range of textures, colors and patterns are beyond measure, so have something in mind before delving in.
If you’re a high-energy individual then consider a canvas that brings an unexpected twist and contrasting colors to energize the space.
Style with wall hangings
Apart from floor rugs and tea towels, your options for decorating the kitchen with fabrics are few and far between, which is why you should grab the opportunity with both hands when it arises.
Maybe there’s a blank wall in your kitchen and you want to style it with something other than framed artwork, in which case we recommend hanging up a tapestry as they offer color, texture and pattern in abundance.