The Art of Kitchen Artwork
You don’t often think of artwork when you plan a kitchen makeover, particularly when you have bigger fish to fry – like deciding whether to replace cabinetry, deciding on flooring and picking a paint color. Make artwork in your kitchen part of your planning process when laying out your decorating scheme.
The Basics
Obviously artwork chosen for the kitchen needs to withstand a high traffic room and grease spits from the bacon. So the Van Gogh painting is out, a print or painting under glass is in. Make sure your wall art won’t be ruined in the room, it’s going to need protection. I love antique still life paintings in a country kitchen, but they need to be hung away from the eating and cooking areas in the room. Again, a print may be more suitable – try an antique advertisement for a fruit or vegetable – old canning labels make a wonderful collage under glass also.
Suitability
Save the nude portrait for another room – like hidden away in your husband’s den. The kitchen doesn’t have to have food or eating related art, it just can’t be unappetizing, like a print of David slaying Goliath. Avoid dark or provocative themes in artwork when choosing art for eating areas. You’re photography skills may come in handy when working within a tight budget. Photograph bowls of fruit or even an ice cream cone to create a photograph grouping suitable for the kitchen – choose an easy to maintain frame and matt under glass.
Cleaning
Because of the dirt and grease in the kitchen, you’ll need easy to maintain pieces and clean them regularly. Anything displayed will need a protective coating of some type so it can easily be wiped down. Dried flower wreaths are beautiful in the kitchen, but they can shed and get dusty. Make sure they have a protective coating on them to help keep them fresh and clean over time.
What About…
Wall decals – we’re not talking 1960’s stick on flowers anymore – these come in every shape, size and color and are perfect for adding accent colors, creating a ‘mural’ look or creating a wallpaper without the mess.
Decorative tile accents – with the range of styles and materials for tile, your backsplash can become a work of art in and of itself.
Collections – There’s no place better to display your collection of antique coffee grinders than in the kitchen – create a grouping to serve as a display on top of your counters or on a shelf.
Make art a part of your kitchen, with the amount of time spent in this room you’ll be glad you did.