Best Tips for Accessorizing Your Kitchen Design

While the kitchen design is a functional space that requires hardy materials and an efficient layout, it is also the heart of the home that often sets the tone for your interior design style.  The major components of a kitchen like cabinetry and appliances work together with other elements like tile backsplashes and light fixtures to create a cohesive style. On top of this add smaller accessories to finish your room’s design and also add your own personal touch to the space. 

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Once you have established your room’s layout and chosen your big items like kitchen cabinets and countertops, examine your space from floor to ceiling and identify the areas where you can accessorize.  Carefully select items that will enhance your kitchen design without overwhelming it. Here are a few areas to focus on:

Floor

In an efficient kitchen design with plenty of storage and an effective layout, your floor should remain clear and free of trip hazards.  Make sure you build in pull out trash and recycling and even a designated space for a pet feeding station, so nothing gets in the way as you walk around your kitchen.

This also allows your chosen floor material to shine through, whether you have selected deep hardwood, stone, or luxury vinyl tile.  There are still opportunities to add accessories to your kitchen floor, particularly with mats or rugs.  A carefully placed mat near the sink or a rug under a dining table can be a practical addition to keep feet warm and manage moisture-prone areas. They are also a great way to add color, pattern, and texture to your home style. 

Walls

Since your walls sit at eye-level, they are a prime opportunity to draw the eye as soon as you walk into a room.  In a kitchen design, the backsplash is a clear focal point that serves a very practical purpose while also pulling together your style by connecting your upper and lower cabinets as well as the countertop. The pattern, color, and texture of your tiles serve to accent the cabinetry. 

Simple, white subway tiles are a classic choice, but your backsplash becomes a feature if you change the color of the tile or even accent white tiles with a dark grout color.  Today’s tiles come in a wide range of patterns, textures, and colors so you may decide to create a one-of-a-kind style for your backsplash. Or stick to one area for a colorful, patterned tile feature, for example behind the range.

Other wall coverings like paint and wallpaper can bring a unique appeal to your kitchen walls, either throughout the room or on a feature wall.  Select artwork, framed family photos, or a clock to hang on the wall to accent your style.  If you have a favorite piece of artwork this could provide inspiration for your room’s color scheme and accessories.

Windows

Windows bring in natural light and offer a view to the outdoors while you work or eat in the kitchen. They also require a window covering, which is another prime opportunity to accent your room’s style. There are a wide range of window treatments that work in a kitchen design so consider which one will offer the right level of privacy while serving to enhance your style. 

Organic fabrics work well in a kitchen remodel, like linen or raw cotton fabrics. If blinds are your preferred style, pick one that fits your room’s vibe and select a color or pattern to accent your kitchen design.  Shutters give your kitchen an old-world charm and are an ideal moisture resistant option that also won’t absorb kitchen odors. They also fit perfectly in adjacent living areas, giving your open plan a fluid feel. While white is a classic choice, you can install shutters in other colors to create a unique style for your windows.

Storage

Kitchen storage is essential to the smooth functioning of your kitchen design.  Ample, customized storage allows you to keep surfaces clear and clutter-free.  Without sufficient storage, accessorizing a kitchen design is a futile task since your accessories will get lost amidst clutter. Your kitchen storage also provides a chance to enhance your design with accessories.

Kitchen cabinets are the mainstay of storage, offering primarily closed storage behind doors and drawers, though glass front or open cabinets sometimes play a role.  For closed storage, hardware acts like jewelry to your cabinetry. Choose a material and style that complements your kitchen design style and that goes with other metallic accents like faucets. Chrome and nickel are classic choices, but matte black, gold, and brass are updated options that bring sophistication to any kitchen design. 

Open storage is a prime opportunity to increase storage while maintaining an open, airy feel in your kitchen. They require more maintenance and care as you must make sure they don’t become cluttered, and they require regular dusting. If you are willing to take on this extra work, then the trend for open shelving in a kitchen design is a perfect choice to enhance your space. 

Carefully position open shelves to break up rows of upper cabinets or frame a window. The material you choose for your shelves is a design accessory itself.  Metal shelves are ideal for a contemporary or industrial design, while wood can be polished to fit any space or natural for a rustic appeal.  Glass shelves blend with any design and beautifully reflect light in your space.

Next, decide what to place on your shelves, but don’t overdo it or they will easily become cluttered.  Shelves near your cooking area can be useful for items you access regularly but store everything in jars or containers that accent your design. Arrange items by varying heights and grouped according to color, focusing on a chosen accent color that really makes your kitchen design pop. Include items that add personality to your space like a favorite collectible or a small, framed picture.  Candles and plants bring a sense of mindfulness to your kitchen and can help boost your mood while preparing dinner.

Countertops

The first rule of thumb when it comes to countertops is to keep everything as clutter free as possible. If you are starting fresh with a new kitchen remodel you will need to clear out your entire room anyway, so this is a prime opportunity to get rid of anything that is broken or never used. Keep only what you need and of these items carefully select what you want to have on display vs. what should be kept in closed storage. Clear countertops offer more space to work, are easier to keep clean, and allow your new countertop material to take center stage.

Accessories on your countertop should be limited to the few items you really need to have at hand or a small number of decorative items.  The practical and decorative do double duty when you have containers to hold everything that fits the style of your kitchen design. If you intend to keep small appliances on the countertop, stick to those you use regularly, have a place for them that does not interfere with your workspace, and try to coordinate your finishes or colors. This can be a good opportunity to bring a pop of color to your space if you want to include a selection of high-end small appliances in a favorite shade like a Candy Apple Red KitchenAid stand mixer matched to a toaster and blender in the same shade.

Pay close attention to those items you place at your sink. The faucet should be in a style that matches your kitchen design while also enhancing the functionality of your space. Choose a finish for your faucet that goes with the other metallic accessories in your kitchen remodel, like your hardware and light fixtures. Everyday items can be transformed into accessories when you put your hand soap and other essentials into decorative dispensers that continue the theme of your design.  Likewise, towels are another way to add personality and color to your space.

Finish off your countertop accessories with a crystal vase of flowers or a ceramic bowl with fruit on your island. Include a couple of plants to bring an element of nature to your design and improve air quality in your room.

Ceiling

You may not think your ceiling offers opportunities to accessorize your kitchen design, but it does! Ceiling features like exposed beams bring a rustic appeal to any space and turn your plain white ceiling into a charming farmhouse kitchen design. If you have a high ceiling, you could try painting it a different color but be aware that dark ceilings make a room look smaller.

Ceiling mounted light fixtures are an ideal way to add to your multi-layered lighting scheme while dressing up your kitchen design.  From chandeliers to bold pendants, with metallics or lampshades, your chosen light fixtures can become a design focal point or a fluid extension of your room’s accessories.  Position them over key areas in your design such as the island or a dining table. They not only provide necessary lighting but also enhance your kitchen design and help to create distinct zones in your room.

Furniture

Custom cabinetry is the top feature in any new kitchen design, but there is a place for select pieces of standalone furniture that complements your room’s storage and style. An antique hutch is a great way to incorporate a family heirloom into your kitchen. Don’t try to match your cabinetry to it, but instead let it be a standout in your room that contrasts with white or gray cabinets.

Fill a corner space with a unique bar cart that can be used as a beverage bar on the go. Or include a chair near a window that provides the perfect place to sit and relax while you wait for dinner to cook. Use this as an opportunity to bring texture and color to your design with a leather chair or a velvet wingback chair in a pop of color.

Once you have an idea of where you want to focus your efforts to create the biggest impacts with kitchen design accessories, consider these ideas when making your selections.

Materials Matter: Accessories are a chance to bring texture into your kitchen design in everything from woven rugs to metallic pendants, ceramic jugs, or a crystal bowl filled with fruit. Consider selecting items in your accent color in different textures and group them together for a stunning vignette.

Choose Colors Wisely: A kitchen design base color scheme tends to be neutral, so your accessories offer an opportunity to bring contrast to this basic palette. Pick a favorite color and work some accessories around this, for example aqua upholstered barstools with an aqua patterned mat by the sink and accessories arranged on a shelf. 

Location is Everything: Carefully select the items you want to include when accessorizing your kitchen design and limit yourself to only those items that will enhance your space.  Don’t crowd your countertop or open shelves, but instead place items you need in coordinated containers near your sink or cooking space and keep a few personal items in a more out of the way location like a high open shelf.  Also consider how you arrange your accessories and how they will look when grouped together based on their size and color.

Personalize It! This is a chance to make your space your own. If you have a piece of artwork you love or a small statue that makes you happy, create a space to display it in your kitchen design. Use this item as your muse to select other accessories that complement the style and color of this item.  Hang favorite family photos or make space for a vase so you can have fresh flowers to brighten up your space. Decide what makes you happy and speaks to your personality and work it into your kitchen design plans.

Natural Elements: From wood cabinetry to hanging plants and large windows there are many ways to feel connected to nature in your kitchen design.  Consider including an indoor wall-hung herb garden to have herbs at your fingertips while you cook. Rustic reclaimed barn wood makes a stunning sliding barn door or floating shelves and brings natural textures to your kitchen design.

Everyday Items: Take your functional accessories from blah to beautiful by selecting items that enhance your room’s style.  From colorful towels to a stylish soap dispenser and coordinated canisters, find ways to make your room more attractive with everyday items.

There are many ways to enhance your new kitchen design with accessories. After you’ve cleared everything up, decide which items you want to include in your room, find an accent color you love, and then carefully arrange your chosen items in your room. Get more ideas for accessorizing in our kitchen remodeling gallery, then contact us to start planning your design.