Arguably the most important room in the house to keep clean and clutter-free is the kitchen. This is where you spend a large amount of time, providing home-cooked meals for the ones you love.
The last thing you need is for your kitchen to be dull and uninviting. Since you spend hours here, you want the style and feel of it to reflect you perfectly.
Regardless of the size of your space, or if you have a peninsula or even an island, you can let your style and personality shine with the use of specific decor.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to make good use of your space here, especially if you’re working with a small area. Using functional pieces that you’ll use to assist with your cooking can make this a functional and stylish space.
Using the rule of three can help you make efficient use of your space. Group three items together, such as a cookbook, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a candle to create one specific area to draw your attention and keep the rest of the counter free for preparation and cooking.
Now that you’ve taken a look at the space you have to work with, here are some practical ways to incorporate beautiful decor into your space.
10 Ways to Decorate Your Kitchen Counter
1. Show-Off Fresh Plants or Flowers
The perfect addition to any kitchen is fresh plants or fresh flowers. Using a vase to hold flowers from your garden is a personal touch that will take this space to the next level.
If you don’t have a green thumb, you can use plants that only need watering a few times a week to focus on your delicious recipes but still have a beautiful addition to your space.
Depending on your style, you can switch up the vase you use, making it more elegant or casual.
Even keeping it real simple by using a glass mason jar can add a ton of character to your space without breaking the bank, making this a great option.
2. Use a Bowl of Fresh Fruit
You can never have enough fruit handy, especially if you’re accommodating a growing family.
Whether you use a stand for your bananas, a bowel for your apples, or keep fresh kiwis in a pile, having your fruit accessible is convenient and adds color to your space.
It’s a great way to bring in a pop of color without overwhelming the space or creating a distracting centerpiece.
You’ll have to store the fruit somewhere close anyway, so keeping them on display can accommodate your functional and style needs in one!
3. Light Some Candles
Another great way to add inexpensive style and taste to your space is with candles. They look great in any room of the house and can turn a bland space into an intimate and welcoming area.
The best part about using a candle on your island is it can be used functionally to eliminate smells from cooking.
If you love to cook fish, but hate the lingering smell after you cook, light a lemon or fresh-scent candle to eliminate the odor without spraying Febreze or other perfume-smelling scents.
Candles are functional, and they come in every shape, size, and color you can think of, which means you can find the perfect one for your space!
4. Incorporate Seasonal Decor
Adding seasonal decor to your island is a great way to prepare for the holidays. Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, or Christmas, using small accents and fun pieces in your kitchen will excite the whole family.
It’s a great space for smaller decor pieces such as specific candles, knick-knacks, and ceramic figurines.
Using glass pumpkins around Thanksgiving is the perfect way to bring holiday colors into your house without overwhelming this space.
You can use as much or as little as you’d like in this area, depending on how much counter space you have to work with.
5. Use a Cake Stand
If you love to bake, keeping a cake stand on your island is the perfect way to blend functionality and style.
Keeping a cake stand on the island will allow you to display your beautiful and delicious creations, making your space feel warm and welcoming.
You work hard to bake delicious treats for your family, which should be displayed for all to see.
Even when you don’t have fresh treats prepared, you can use the cake stand to hold items such as a candle or a small vase with plants. Simply take the top off, and you can use the stand to hold any seasonal or decorative item you want!
6. Utilize a Wooden Tray
When you use the rule of three for your island, sometimes it can be difficult to keep things together. Using a wooden or decorative tray helps you keep your items together and feel cohesive.
It’s also convenient because when you need extra prep or cooking space, all you have to do is lift the tray, and everything moves with it.
You can clean easily by sliding the tray out of the way, and your items will have a designated space, which adds a personal touch to your style.
Use a wooden tray for a farmhouse or rustic-style home or a metal tray for a contemporary or industrial-style home.
7. Incorporate a Multi-Tier Stand
If you have an extra multi-tier stand that you’re not currently using to display your delicious creations, place it on the island for a fun way to incorporate various items.
You can use the multi-tier stand to hold candles on the top and fresh fruit on the bottom. Show off your fresh flowers from this year’s garden by adding a small flower pot to the stand.
Using the multi-tier stand allows you to group items with the rule of three and keep them together in one specific location. Of course, don’t forget to add your delicious cupcakes and cookies to the stand too!
The extra level adds a fun element to this space and keeps things interesting!
8. Add a Wooden or Wicker Bowl
When you have a large family, the kitchen can become a room to serve many purposes. It’s a place to gather and share meals together, but it can also serve as a place to kick off your shoes and settle in after a long day of work.
Keeping a wooden or wicker basket on the counter to hold your wallet and keys can become an important addition to your space, especially if that;s the first room you get too after coming inside.
Having a designated space to keep your important items saves you time in the morning when you’re rushing off to work and keeps everything in a central location.
Using a cute basket to hide the items will make this a logical addition to your space while adding to your specific style!
9. Use a Bread Box
An under-utilized element in the kitchen that doubles as a gorgeous accent and a functional tool is a bread box.
They’re great for holding bread and bagels, but they also look great. You can find one that matches your particular style and use it to enhance this space.
It keeps your bread together in one space and hidden from plain sight, while adding a pop or color or a personal touch.
If you’re not one for bread, you can even use the bread box to hold other items that you want accessible but out of plain view!
10. Pick The Right Bar Stools
Although it’s not exactly an item you can place on top of the counter, choosing the right bar stools for your island or peninsula can make a huge difference.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure they’re comfortable and functional for your space, but choosing some that will fit the aesthetic of your space can completely transform the room.
Keep your style in mind when choosing the bar stools, using wooden stools for a farmhouse or rustic home, elegant chairs for a traditional home, and unique glass or metal chairs for a contemporary or industrial-style home.
