Cooking in the Kitchen with Hot Accessories

When we say kitchen accessories, we’re not talking kitchen gadgets here.  Your kitchen deserves the same decorating accessories as any other room in your home.  If you planning to redecorate your kitchen, don’t forget the oh-so important kitchen accessories, they may be the perfect budget solution for a kitchen makeover:

  1. Use artwork to coordinate and pull together your accessories and kitchen décor.  Make sure it’s protected to avoid damage to the artwork  – prints under glass are perfect for this task.
     
  2. Decorate the area above your kitchen cabinets – this is the perfect area to display kitchen related collectibles or groupings of larger accessories.  Try a collection of antique coffee grinders, baskets or even old yellowware mixing bowls.
     
  3. Pull together kitchen décor by coordinating, not necessarily matching, the textiles in your kitchen such as the curtains or valances, potholders, dish towels and area rugs.
     
  4. Use accent lighting to highlight accessories for more impact – try recessed lighting to highlight your special collection on top your cabinets.
     
  5. Declutter – get all the junk off your countertops, particularly if you’re going to be selling your home.  One feature important in selling your home is counter space, and you can never have too much of it.  Make the most of your counter space with minimum clutter.
     
  6. Stow sponges and scrubbing pads and other unattractive but necessary kitchen implements under the sink or tucked in to an unobtrusive holder on the side of your sink.  My favorite is a clear plastic holder from the dollar store that stick to the interior of your sink placed on the sink wall closest to you so it’s not easily seen.
     
  7. You’re going to need to keep lotion, hand soap or dish soap out on the counter for quick and easy access, but use nice looking dispensers for them.
     
  8. Short on storage for your pots and pans?  Try a decorative pot rack to turn your pots and pans into decorating accessories rather than taking up valuable cabinet space.  It’s not only good for space saving, but makes them more accessible.
     
  9. Decorative shelving a good method for keeping counters and surfaces clear of clutter.  It’s also a good way to group accessories.  Try a pretty antique shelf to hold cookbooks with one or two kitchen accessories.

Whether you’re just updating your kitchen style or completely remodeling your kitchen, kitchen accessories are for personalizing and enhancing your kitchen, not detracting and cluttering.  Less can be more and proper placement and grouping are oh-so important in the kitchen.