Kitchen Decor Ideas (Top 10) | Cabinets & Table Decorating Tips

Kitchen decor ideas abound. It’s very easy to get excited about a big kitchen renovation. However, kitchen updates impact all of the “physicals” of the house; the gas, water, and electricity lines all run through the kitchen.

If you’re not sure how you will manage those systems, don’t renovate until you’re absolutely certain it’s worth the work.

Suggested Cabinet Updates

One of the most transformative decorating ideas for the kitchen is painting the cabinets. This can actually be done in stages, as you’ll need to pull the doors to clean, sand, then prime/paint them.

If you only have small bits of time for the project, get good at the cabinet door cleanup process on the insides of the doors. Once you have the technique perfected, you’ll speed up the process.

Crisp – Clean, or Dark – Brooding?

Clean white cabinets are a nice method of brightening a small kitchen. They go with almost any wall color. The work especially well in the farmhouse style. Once you have white cabinets, you can easily add a decorative basket or rustic bin that has a fabric liner that you can change out for Christmas, Halloween or Easter. Thematic linen tips can be found for every holiday.

Black cabinets add elegance as well as formality in your kitchen. If you love the idea of granite and gloss, then a black cabinet paint job may be just what your space is calling for. Take care; decorating tips encourage the choice of a wall color that isn’t too saturated or one may create a cave-like feeling. Finally, use a washable paint.

No matter the color you choose, once the cabinet doors are down consider swapping out the hardware. A hardware update can be done even in an apartment; save the old hardware. Put it back before moving out. New knobs are a great method of personalizing your apartment kitchen.

Space Above the Cabinets

Ideas for decorating the space above your cabinets run the gamut. You can add holiday features up there, from a tiny Christmas tree to a ceramic Halloween ghost. When setting up your display on top of the cabinets, remember that kitchens are havens for moisture, grease and dust. Adding a detailed display, or including anything that contains a lot of surface area such as a garland, will mean a lot of space that may catch dust that will cling.

Make taking everything down and cleaning it part of your seasonal cleanup work. Many items can just be put in the dishwasher. Once clean, place them back up above the cabinets. If your decorating style includes country themed baskets or fabrics, you may want them on your table or island instead of above your cupboards.

Create Flexibility for Your Transition

Your table is a spot for transitioning between the kitchen and the rest of your home. If your space is open, consider adding fresh flowers with plenty of green leaves so you can incorporate many different colors effectively. Bright white kitchen cabinets with jewel tone knobs in a variety of shades will add charm as well.

Create a Mood With Your Table

If your kitchen is stark modern or laid-back country farmhouse, add a bump of elegance with a pretty cut glass bowl on the table. Add a blue cloth, some yellow lemons and a tin pitcher of ice water or tea so the table is welcoming as well as functional.

Working out how one can keep a working kitchen both decorative as well as functional means that a decorator can rely on a table that can be easily changed up. Luckily, the tools that add flexibility on a table are easily folded, rolled and compressed.

Invest in seasonal tablecloths, preferably in solid colors. A burgundy tablecloth will serve both for fall as well as for Thanksgiving dinner if you change out the napkin holders/rings. A red tablecloth can serve on February 14th, the 4th of July and Christmas once the heart-shaped platter, the miniature flags or the Santa mugs are located.

Display Your Treasures

If you’re fresh in your apartment and aren’t sure about decorating, food themed items always work. If you’ve been given pretty holiday plates, put a shelf with a lip on the wall so your seasonal pieces can shine. After the holiday, swap out pictures of family, travel or food. They can be both attractive as well as a dinner party conversation starter, especially if they have history in your family.

Small frames of a uniform color can be used displaying images of fresh veggies in a pattern on the bare wall behind your table. If the space is more modern, open or stark, considering adding a screen where you can store the same images; decorate the dining space with a mobile wall.

Focus on your fascination. If soups are your thing, go a little Warhol. One of the most effective decoration tips is that a decorator should not have anything in their home that they do not find beautiful or purposeful. If someone gives you a great knickknack, but it’s just not your style, pay it forward or swap it for something that catches your eye.

Lighting

Make sure that your working counter space is open as well as very well lit. A designer cooking space is nice, but if the cook can’t see what they’re doing with a sharp knife, it’s not a work friendly room. Undercabinet lighting is more about safety than decor.

At the dining table, consider adding a dimmable light switch. LED lights as well as some fluorescent bars can be lowered; create a mood by lowering the lights. Make sure that one of the walls near your table offers mirrors for bouncing light around. If you’ve got the shelf space, place a candle in front of a mirror. These light glow techniques can add intimacy in a small dining space, especially if there’s not room on the table for candles.

On a Budget?

Decor ideas as well as accessories shouldn’t be expensive. Like the decorating tricks like using solid table cloths idea above, one can set up a very flexible decorating scheme that will stand the test of time. Buy out of season. Create one space for all your dining soft goods so everything is visible when you open the drawer or crate.

In a small apartment, one of the terrific decorating tips includes using storage ottomans. If you’ve got a trunk that you can use as a window seat in your main living area, put your linens in there. Include cedar chips in small bags. Consider adding a fabric liner so nothing gets snagged. Finally, never put away any linens without laundering; you’ll avoid pests this way.

Thrift Shop Treasure Hunting

Pinterest worthy tips can be found in single remaining pieces from old sets of dishes, serving platters as well as large bowls. Use a single ceramic bowl of fresh, crisp apples as a centerpiece.

Put herb seedlings in an old teacup, then set it in the window over the sink for living art. On nicer days, open the screen, then set it out so the local bee population can help you out. Cut fresh herbs into your next dish so your inner chef can celebrate the aroma of well-prepared food.

Don’t Forget Beverages

If you’re a wine drinker, incorporate vino ideas into your decor. Hang your bar glasses, or mount a wine rack on the wall. Use your trusty DIY stud finder so you know it’s secure; wine bottles are heavy. Set a decanter on a tray. Make sure to add pretty crystal glasses as a centerpiece for a dinner. One of the saddest mistakes of kitchen decor is shutting away your nicest things.

Decor and decorating motivation are all around you. Any discount or thrift store will probably have one pretty plate or bowl, et voila, your collection is begun. Simple hacks for building your kitchen collection include hitting yard sales as well as helping people move; many folks have these things but no longer use them.