Accessorizing a Kitchen

Do you “Pin” scores of kitchen pictures from Pinterest?  Especially, with photos highlighting tips for accessorizing a kitchen?  I know I sure do!  The kitchen is the heart of the home, and is the center of all family activity! Not sure where to begin accessorizing?  Below are my 7 tips to accessorizing a kitchen along with some cool kitchen decor ideas.

This is a photo of my kitchen.  We have lived in our home for over 20 years.  My kitchen isn’t large, but I think it is charming and homey.  I keep my accessories to a minimum.  It looks better, and makes cleaning a ton easier!

Tip 1#

If you have read any of my other accessorizing posts, you are probably saying, “Good grief, is that always her first tip?”  Any my answer is “yes”.  You cannot decorate around clutter.  I am not a neat freak.  In fact, when I “spring clean”, which will include de-cluttering, I realize how many things I leave lying around for weeks at a time.  My mother always said, “A place for everything, and everything in it’s place”.

So, take an hour or two, and de-clutter your counter tops.  Remove decor items that are out-dated and ready to be replaced.  Limit appliances on your counter tops.

Tip 2#

Turn Functional Items Into Decor

Do you have ugly soap bottles by your sink?  Purchase attractive soap and lotion bottles.  Pretty bottles make for pretty decor.

Do you eat a lot of fruit?  How about a bowl full of brightly colored oranges?

If you don’t want to leave fresh fruit out, then place artificial fruit in a bowl.  I always shop for faux fruit that makes people question whether they are real or not.  What about the pears above?  Real, or not?

 

Bring the outdoors in, with a bowl full of acorns. I love this antique divided tray full of acorns!  This would also make a great fall decoration.

Tip 3#

Dingy Dishtowels Are Not Attractive

Take a look at your dish towels.  Are they old and dingy?  Then replace them with attractive towels!  Functionality and a pretty design go a long way in my book!

Tip 4#

Choosing Attractive Kitchen Decor

When I decorate a client’s kitchen, I will place either a pretty ceramic cooking pot, or a beautiful tea pot on their stove top to be kept out daily.

 Kitchen Canisters With Style

Time to let your style and personality shine!  Find kitchen canisters that make you happy just to look at them!

These are my kitchen canisters.  They are an amber colored glass with a hammered metal lid.  Love them.

I have two of these canisters sitting inside a metal tray.  They hold my Keurig cups and my sweetener.  The tray sits next to my coffee maker.

Tip 5#

Good Lighting = Good Design

Lighting makes all the difference in any room!  The kitchen is no exception!  Our older home did not have under counter lights.  My husband installed several under counter lights.  And, as you can tell from the photo above, it made quite a difference.

We purchased our under counter lights from our local home improvement store.

If you have the space, an alternative to under counter lighting would be a lamp.

Tip 6#

Decorating a Cabinet With a Glass Door

One of the top mistakes I see clients make when decorating a cabinet with a glass door, is decorating with items that don’t show up.  Either a cabinet full of glasses, or white dishes in a white cabinet.  You want to make things stand out and show up.

I actually change my cabinet decor with the seasons.  Make sure that you have a few decor items that are tall and really stand out.

Tip 7#

Decorate in Groupings

Decorating in groupings looks less cluttered than having decor items lined up all in a row.  You want to gather three or four things together in a grouping.

Here is a grouping that works well together.  They have a common theme!

This was a fun grouping.  I purchased a mirrored tray, a small glass jar that I filled with coffee beans, a small topiary, and a glass hurricane filled with faux lemons.  Pretty, colorful, and easy to move out of the way if extra counter space is needed.

In Conclusion:

7 Tips to Accessorizing a Kitchen

~ De-cluttering is always the first priority

~ Turn functional items into interesting decor

~ Dingy dishtowels are not attractive

~ Choose pretty and stylish canisters

~ Remember lighting is important

~When decorating a glass cabinet, use items that will show

~ Decorate in groupings

A clean kitchen is the beginning of a well decorated kitchen.  I read an article years ago about a woman who never went to bed with a messy kitchen.  I adopted that philosophy years ago, and have never looked back.  I love walking into a clean kitchen early in the morning, and having my first cup of coffee surrounded by order.