The kitchen is the heart of the home, meaning that it always deserves a bit of extra love. When it comes to kitchen decor ideas, don’t be afraid to get personal. “Try to consider the style of your home and your family when adding small touches,” says Erika Jayne Chaudhuri of Erika Jayne Design Build in Bethesda, Maryland. Whether you’re looking to add an element of surprise to an otherwise simple white kitchen, plan to go bold with kitchen lighting, or are eager to incorporate an unexpected pop of color, there are many decor approaches that you can take to make your cooking space appear more custom and unique. Below, you’ll find 31 of our favorite kitchen decor ideas, many of which can be replicated in small spaces and sizable kitchens alike. There’s no need to take on a remodel to make your space shine—with a few pro-approved styling tricks, you’ll feel as though you have a brand new kitchen.
Robin Gannon of Robin Gannon Interiors incorporated a gilded mirror into this black, white, and gold kitchen in a Woburn, Massachusetts, home. “In a perfect world, when you design a kitchen, you often want to try to put a sink in front of a window,” the designer (based in Lexington, Massachusetts) explains. “Placing a mirror here gives the sense of that, and it’s also opposite the window in the dining room.” Gannon thought carefully about the exact type of mirror she wished to hang, settling on a La Barge piece. “I wanted the mirror to be a little vintage, a little Victorian-esque, to pair with some of the more modern details in the kitchen,” she says. “I liked that it wasn’t square or rectilinear, because everything else in the space is so square.”
Clara Jung’s San Carlos, California, clients craved a statement-worthy kitchen. “We landed on a magical color combination of robin’s egg blue, gray, and a dose of green,” shares the designer behind Banner Day Interiors in Berkeley. The gray and white backsplash tile is from Fireclay.
Jeff Andrews of Jeff Andrews Design in Los Angeles fully remodeled this Beverly Hills kitchen, incorporating counters, kitchen islands, and a backsplash made from panda quartzite. A range and hood by La Cornue also make a sophisticated statement. “The homeowner wanted a functionally beautiful, modern kitchen that felt like a dramatic showpiece,” Andrews says.
Linda Hayslett of LH.Designs in Los Angeles opted to style commonly used kitchen accessories—including a cutting board, pitcher, cake stand, and more—on open shelving in this Brentwood, California, space. “I like items that, when not in use, can also be displayed as nice visuals,” she says. She chose to incorporate open shelving in between the taller kitchen cabinets so that the kitchen would appear a bit more airy and welcoming.
In a Beverly Hills kitchen, Hayslett incorporated a chalkboard mural by local artist Derrick Thomas. If you’re feeling crafty, you could DIY something similar in your own space. “Normally, people think of chalkboard walls as a place to just scribble scrabble and put random things on, but I wanted the wall to be a piece of art, as well as allow the kids to scribble scrabble if they wanted to,” the designer shares.
By no means are kitchens solely for cafe curtains—go ahead and get creative with your window treatments. In this Bergen County home in New Jersey, Kristina Phillips of Kristina Phillips Interior Design in Ridgewood, New Jersey, hung a roman shade made from Serena Dugan fabric above the sink.
What decorations to put in the kitchen?
Kitchen decorations are oftentimes similar to those you might showcase in other rooms of the home. Wall decor is certainly fair game when it comes to kitchen decorations. Cindy Eyl of Jefferson Street Designs in Arlington, Virginia, likes to lean small pieces of artwork on easels if she isn’t hanging them. “If you have open shelves, add decorative pieces—vases, bowls, etcetera—that you have collected or are meaningful to you,” she adds. There are many other kitchen accessories that are equal parts decorative and functional. For example, if your kitchen lacks an abundance of natural light, why not try a table lamp on the counter top or kitchen island? “It serves as a sculptural element and creates a cozier environment,” says Erin Myers of Erin Myers Design in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Eyl created the backsplash in this Alexandria, Virginia, kitchen using two different-colored zellige tiles—graphite and skylight—from Zia Tile. “Our clients lived in Morocco and wanted to use zellige tiles that reminded them of their time there,” she says. “Zellige tiles are inherently interesting in their texture and irregularity, but the client wanted even more visual interest on the backsplash,” she adds, noting that she ordered the colors in a ratio of three to one and then tag teamed with Alexandria-based Convene Architecture “to create a pattern that looked random, which is surprisingly difficult to do!”
Don’t be afraid to go big in the kitchen with artful pendant lights, like these rattan conical ones by Soane Britain that Abby Hetherington of Abby Hetherington Interiors in Bozeman, Montana, incorporated into a kitchen in Boca Grande, Florida.
Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors in Louisville, Kentucky, cozied up this 1920s kitchen with accents one might normally associate with the living room, including a duo of sheepskin throws and a towering rubber plant. Originally, the kitchen was U-shaped, but Adams removed the wall between the prep area and the breakfast nook, creating a significantly more spacious layout and allowing access to both of the windows in the space. A freestanding kitchen island from Crate & Barrel serves as the breakfast bar. “It keeps the cozy space from feeling too blocky and crowded,” Adams says.
Bring the magic of a library-style rolling ladder into the kitchen. “We had an amazingly tall ceiling height to work with, so a library ladder became a key design element from the start,” says Kate Donahue of Four Brothers Design + Build in Washington, D.C. The walnut ladder pops against the custom cabinets that have been coated with eye-catching Benjamin Moore Hunter Green.
A sweet curved oak and brass sconce by Lostine Home illuminates the area above the sink in this Los Angeles home designed by Jaimee Longo of LA’s The Layered House. On the kitchen countertop, greenery sits in a handmade vase from The Nopo. “I love finding a permanent place for fresh flowers or herbs,” Longo says.
Myers styled a runner from MD Home in this Fredericksburg, Virginia, kitchen. “I fell in love with the simplicity of the colors—you can’t go wrong with blue and neutrals—and the geometric motif,” Myer says. She notes that the kitchen connects to various rooms within the main living area, in which color is abundant. “It felt important to have the kitchen be able to stand up to that, but also be neutral,” the designer adds.
How can I decorate my kitchen in a simple way?
It’s important to practice moderation when decorating the kitchen; do your best to take a minimalist approach. “Less is more,” Chaudhuri says. “Much like accessorizing an outfit, moderation is key. The more decorations on shelves and kitchen countertops, the less functional space you’ll have to work and the smaller the space will feel.” On that note, be sure to leave some empty counter space available, the designer adds.
Pots, pans, and beautiful plates shine in this Churchville, Maryland, kitchen. It was designed by Tanya Smith-Shiflett of Unique Kitchens and Baths, who worked in partnership with Winsome Interior Design in Lutherville, Maryland. “The open display shelves were very important to our design,” Smith-Shiflett says, noting that the client longed for a place to display her china collection. “The finishes that we used are meant to age and patina over time, lending to the ‘lived in’ aesthetic while also being functional,” the designer adds. “Because of that, we also wanted the decor to have the same feel.”
When designing a kitchen in her home city of Austin, Shannon Eddings of Shannon Eddings Interiors chose to utilize the wall space above the oven to showcase an antique pair of prints that originally came from her client’s grandparents’ home. She sourced the nearby brass pendant lights from Currey & Company.
In Dallas, Eddings incorporated beadboard backing into the kitchen to make the space better reflect the age of the Tudor-style home. “We strived to give the kitchen a cottage-esque aesthetic that was simple and colorful,” Eddings says, noting that she supplemented this design with a number of vintage and antique kitchen accessories.
This kitchen plant shelf perfectly marries form and function: It serves to provide a hidden drop zone for shoes and other gear while also hiding the entry to the garage, but it’s also a spot in which to display a variety of green friends. The green hue is carried over into the main portion of the kitchen, which features a subway tile backsplash made from Heath Ceramics’s Ogawa Green tiles. “The clients wanted color, but not too much color,” Chaudhuri notes.
Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox in Los Angeles incorporated a Calcutta Monet coffee bar into his remodeled kitchen. “I took what was considered a butler’s pantry, removed the cabinet doors, and created shelving,” he explains. After setting up his espresso machine, Scott filled the surrounding shelves with his favorite accessories. “Before you even start decorating, make sure your functional items are in place, because that is what you will be utilizing daily,” advises Scott, who is a proponent of incorporating traditional decorative accents in the kitchen. “Artwork looks great within built-ins; you can layer a few pieces alongside a stack of books!”
How to decorate your kitchen with accessories?
While thinking of kitchen decor ideas, you will want to keep function top of mind, designers say. “Use items that appeal to your aesthetic while also being utilitarian,” Donahue suggests. Eyl adds, “Rugs, cutting boards, herbs in pots, and cruets are functional but can also reflect the client’s style and create different moods.”
David Iatesta light fixtures add a dose of charm to this Upper East Side kitchen, which opens into a living room and which was designed by Lilse McKenna, who operates an eponymous firm in New Canaan, Connecticut. “The hanging fixtures with gathered shades help to marry the two spaces, giving a softness to the kitchen so that the solid cabinetry can work well with the upholstery and patterns of the living space,” McKenna shares.
Take a cue from Olivia Wahler of Hearth Homes Interiors in Santa Barbara, California, and strategically group together your kitchen items to create a stunning display. “We love incorporating items that create a cohesive color palette and that vary in texture,” Wahler explains. “Using natural earth-toned ceramics, neutral plates and bowls, and clear glassware creates dimension.”
New York City designer Sarah Lederman of Sarah Lederman Interiors is all about displaying art in the kitchen. One example of this is the Matilda Goad frame that she hung in an Upper West Side space. She shares: “Believe it or not, the silhouette actually came with the frame, and we liked it so much we kept it!”
Inspired by the late Bunny Mellon’s use of baskets as decor, Richmond, Virginia, designer Ashley Hanley chose to honor the look in a local home. The wicker material adds welcome warmth and texture to the home and is perfect for any country kitchen.
Chauncey Boothby of Chauncey Boothby Interiors in Norwalk, Connecticut, chose to jazz up standard white cabinetry with Muriel Brandolini fabric in this Connecticut estate. “I like the look of adding fabric panels behind glass (or in this case, wire) cabinet doors to provide a little softness to a space,” she says. “I do love a crisp clean kitchen, but sometimes the addition of small elements like fabric panels keep the room from feeling too cold and clinical.”
In this Palm Beach kitchen, Gillian Segal of Gillian Segal Design in Vancouver installed a Trueing light fixture; each link is a piece of handmade glass. “We were looking to bring more of a sense of play into the kitchen, which was otherwise a quite clean and rectilinear space,” Segal shares. “We knew we found the perfect piece with this more organic and flexible shape.”
Custom bar stools by Thomas Hayes add warmth to this Hamptons kitchen drenched in neutrals and designed by Hilary Matt of Hilary Matt Interiors in New York City. “The shearling not only makes the chair comfortable, but it also makes it a focal point without relying on a ‘pop of color’ to do so,” Matt says.
What is a good kitchen theme?
Designers agree that there is no one-size-fits-all kitchen theme, and they instead base their kitchen decor ideas on the client’s specific lifestyle preferences. “We focus instead on how the client is going to use the space and how they want it to feel,” Eyl says. On a similar note, Chaudhuri urges individuals to cater their kitchen to their personality. She says: “The best kitchen theme is you! Following a strict theme can make a space feel contrived or, worse yet, cheap. Fill your space with items and artworks that bring you joy.”
Transform a sizable, blank kitchen wall with sculptural artwork that will add major cool factor to your cooking space. Nicole Hirsch of Nicole Hirsch Interiors in Wellesley, Massachusetts, worked with fine artist Alexandra Squire to design a resin piece of wall art for this kitchen in Dover, Massachusetts. “We wanted to keep all the tones very neutral and serene—nothing too jarring,” Hirsch says. “We loved how she helped us carry the brass from the hood into the art.”
This North Carolina kitchen serves as both an everyday space for family meals as well as a catering kitchen during gatherings. Designer Layton Campbell of J Layton Interiors in Charlotte therefore chose to incorporate custom suspended metal shelving to house glassware, making it easy for a bartender to access various vessels throughout the course of an evening.
If you’re a minimalist, you may want to look the other way—but if you’re eager to go bold with a pop of color, this is certainly the small kitchen for you. Matthew Boland of MMB Studio embraced orange—Sherwin Williams Energetic Orange, to be exact—in this Palm Beach kitchen. “Bold color is one way to grow a space that may physically have a small footprint,” says the Scottsdale, Arizona, designer. “In this guest house, the kitchen is compact, so I wanted to make it a star.”
Ansley Majit and Stephanie Waskins of Lark + Palm in Sausalito, California, wanted this Larkspur, California, kitchen to appear “relaxed yet sophisticated.” As such, they styled a 1960s oil painting sourced via Chairish alongside vintage finds, artful looking bowls, and plenty of cookbooks. “Ultimately, we wanted the space to feel thoughtful and well-curated, but not designed, per se—which is a practice we implement a lot in our design process,” Majit says.
Think beyond just the walls when displaying art. Andrea May of Andrea May Interiors incorporated plein air paintings by her friend and artist, Deborah Carnick, in this kitchen in May’s hometown of La Jolla, California. “We placed them on the ledge because they convey the homeowners’ love of nature in all forms—oceans, mountains, plants and more—in a casual way that allows for fluid curation as they want to add or shift pieces,” May explains.
Dress up a neutral kitchen with plenty of pattern. Oakland, California, architecture firm Ike Baker Velten made a splash with Dzek terrazzo tile in this New York City kitchen. The end result couldn’t be more eye-catching.
A collection of petite decorative chairs and woven baskets add whimsy and a touch of farmhouse-style to this Harbor Springs, Michigan, kitchen by Chicago-based Tom Stringer Design Partners. Zanger mini brick backsplash tiles add further life and movement to the space.
