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The kitchen counter is for two things: food prep and beautiful decor. But you don’t want so much decor that food prep becomes impossible lol. We must ask the question of how to decorate kitchen counters without clutter.
Kitchen countertops should not be your file management system or used for small appliances you use twice a year. Once you find a good home for all of those things, trust me you will feel the weight lift off your shoulders.
Okay, back to the question of how to decorate a kitchen counter, and what do you put on kitchen counters? In this post, I’ll give you 11 tips and ideas for styling kitchen countertops. Then I’ll provide a list of things you can put on your counters to get you started!
1. Accent Your Space With Color
One of the best ways to decorate kitchen counters is by accenting with colors. And that’s why it’s number one on this list! 😊
Whether your kitchen has a light or dark mood, incorporating an accent color is a beautiful way to add interest. Plus, it’ll make your kitchen feel high-end and luxurious.
An accent color that works unbelievably well at achieving an expensive look is copper. When copper doesn’t cut it, brass is a very close second in line.
All you need is one or two items to draw attention and perfectly complement your kitchen. Or if you’re like me, you’ll have about five lol.
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2. Cozy Things Up With a Lamp
Lamps do two things exceptionally well when styling a kitchen countertop. They add that homey, cozy, cottagey feeling in a space that’s all about gathering.
While obvious, but worth pointing out, lamps also provide light, which comes in handy while cooking. Plus, they perfectly light the path to the snack closet halfway through movie night without having to turn on the harsh overhead lights lol.
You’ve probably put the two and two together, but lamps can act as your kitchen countertop accent! So you can achieve two ideas in one. 😉
Leave it to me to buy a lamp that has a coppery look to it!
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3. Keep Clutter to a Minimum
When thinking about how to accessorize a kitchen counter, less is what you should aim for.
The kitchen is the heart of the home – and with this title comes a lot of foot traffic. Until you have a dedicated place for all of the things that find their way onto the counter, those things can pile up and look cluttered.
I’m guilty of bringing in the mail, looking at what is interesting, and throwing the rest into a pile by my coffee maker. I don’t know how this beloved corner has become the catch-all – maybe because our junk drawer is right underneath. 🤣 That’s a story for another post!
But aside from mail, post-it notes, homework, and everything else that’s attracted to kitchen countertops, the worst offender has to be small appliances.
Simple enough, small appliances that do not see daily use need a home elsewhere. When you need the toaster, pull it out of the cabinet. Air fryer…mixer…blender…all of the above.
If you use your coffee maker multiple times a day, keeping it out on the countertop just makes sense. But hiding those other small appliances is the easiest way to declutter a kitchen countertop.
4. Keep It Functional
Closely related to keeping clutter to a minimum, you want to keep your kitchen countertops functional.
Functional means not overloading your counters with decor. While you want your counters to look insanely cute, you still need to be able to use them! So be sure you still have enough space to cook. 😊
Your decor can also be functional. You do A LOT of cooking in the kitchen. Buy yourself a cute kitchen utensil holder and some adorable kitchen utensils, and place them by your stove.
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You’re knocking out two birds with one stone – not only does this count as kitchen countertop decor. This also puts all of the utensils you use daily in a place that makes sense – it’s functional!
Have a coffee maker on your countertop? 🙋🏻♀️ Get an adorable mug tree and buy a set of pretty mugs. Again, this is functional decor. Just another great idea for how to decorate a kitchen counter!
5. Bring The Outdoors Inside With Florals
Adding florals and stems to your kitchen countertops will help bring an organic element to the kitchen.
A great spot to incorporate taller or lush florals is in the center of your kitchen island. For smaller bundles of flowers like hydrangeas, these can easily fit under your upper kitchen cabinets in a beautiful vase.
Flowers and plants are another excellent opportunity to add color to the kitchen!
If real plants aren’t your thing, I get it (it’s allergies for my husband and I). Although I’ll never stop being able to buy real hydrangeas – they’re just SO beautiful.
Faux or dried florals may be a more suitable option for you, plus they’re extremely easy to take care of. 😏 One of the best places to find faux florals, because they look so real, is Afloral.
6. Use Food To Your Advantage
While a can of black beans just isn’t going to fly as kitchen countertop decor, you can display fruit for some fresh, colorful appeal. Did you think food would be on the list of how to decorate a kitchen counter?
I use my adorable ruffle bowl to display apples, bananas, and mandarin oranges. If you go this route, be sure to take any fruit out of the packaging and display them naturally!
Fruit on the counter just makes your kitchen feel fresh and healthy. Just be intentional – utilize a cute bowl or tray, don’t just sit food directly on your countertops. They deserve a cute little home!
Aside from fruit, and this one’s more for baking ingredients, you can buy jars for flour, sugar, salt, etc. Whether you choose to go with glass jars or metal jars, this is a totally acceptable thing to display on your kitchen countertops.
I know, we all get that copper accents are amazing, but that’s exactly what I store in these jars.
7. Wooden Elements Add Warmth
For a warm, organic kitchen feeling, be sure to include wooden elements like cute wooden cutting boards, wooden utensils, and wooden bowls.
One of the easiest ways is to circle back to something we were talking about earlier. Remember the cute kitchen utensil holder? Fill it up with cute wooden cooking utensils! Or the utensil holder itself could be wooden.
And one of my absolute favorites is leaning wooden cutting boards up against your backsplash. On a white backsplash, this is going to pop! On a dark backsplash, this is going to make the vibe even warmer.
You can even layer cutting boards – one leaning horizontally while the other leans vertically behind it. You might have some good luck finding unique cutting boards at HomeGoods.
There are so many other miscellaneous wooden accessories you can incorporate, such as a spaghetti measuring tool! The options are endless.
RELATED POST: 20 Kitchen Counter Decor Ideas You’ll Immediately Want to Add In Your Kitchen
8. Kitchen Sinks Should Ride Solo
This may be your time to rework the surroundings of your sink. The only three items I have out at all times by my sink are paper towels, hand soap, and my scrub brush.
A big, bulky drying rack sitting out on a countertop will negatively impact the crisp and clutter-free look you’re going for.
I own this exact silicone mat for drying dishe,s and I love it! Once you’re done washing dishes, you can dry them with a dish towel and put them away. Then this mat can easily roll up and go in your cabinet.
Since there is so much you do at the kitchen sink, this can be a spot where items can quickly clutter up. Take a good, hard look at the things you need around the kitchen sink and find a nice, yet functional, home for those items you don’t need.
9. Cluster Items Together for a Purposeful Display
For styling kitchen countertops, creating groups (or clusters) of different items makes it look like you know exactly what you are doing.
The grouping will help make your kitchen countertop feel less cluttered since all of your decor is organized in one spot.
You can use a tray, a lazy susan, or a large decorative cutting board as your base. As you’ll hear in the world of decorating over and over again, things look best in odd numbers.
So maybe you’ll choose a cute decorative candle, a small vase with some flowers, and a bottle of olive oil. Again, options are pretty endless here!
Small items in the front, large in the back.
10. Art and Books Are Welcome
Who said you can’t read and cook at the same time? Okay, while maybe we should be keeping an eye on the food, books can absolutely make an appearance in the kitchen.
While a lot of times you’ll hear about coffee table books, this same concept applies in the kitchen – kitchen counter books? 😅
RELATED POST: 61 Best Coffee Table Books – Interior Design Inspired!
But you can also look for cooking books to accomplish this look.
And let’s not forget about art. I recommend that if you’re planning on incorporating art when styling your kitchen countertops, use simple art. That way it doesn’t distract from the rest of your beautiful kitchen!
11. Tastefully Incorporate Technology
Technology is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about how to decorate kitchen countertops. But because it’s so relevant, I figured a good chunk of people could relate here.
A lot of people have a smart speaker or display integrated with Alexa or Google Assistant. I personally have the Google Nest Hub Max and I use it every. single. day. It’s so helpful!
Plus, these kinds of devices are nice in the kitchen. You can look up recipes, ask questions, and my favorite, set timers by just saying commands out loud. Which is great when your hands are full haha.
Technology like this can be grouped together with other pieces of decor. So if you have a tray, large cutting board, or a lazy susan, these can be the perfect home for those devices.
I have mine sitting on my wood and marble lazy susan from Crate & Barrel. Then I always have seasonal decor surrounding it. When you’re wondering how to decorate a kitchen counter corner, this kind of setup could work perfectly for you.
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What to Put on Kitchen Counters
So now that we’ve talked about how to decorate a kitchen counter, let’s take a look at what to put on kitchen counters!
As I mentioned throughout the post, there are SO many options. The best part about styling kitchen counters and picking out kitchen counter decor is that it’s purely up to your taste!
With that being said, here are some kitchen counter decor ideas to help give some inspiration.
Decorate your kitchen counters for a beautiful and fresh-looking kitchen.
These tips for styling kitchen countertops will help make your kitchen look stunning, decorative, and without clutter. Now it’s your job to take all of this and put it into action in your own kitchen!
When you’re looking at what to put on your kitchen counters, the sky is the limit. Allow your style and personality to shine through the items you choose to display on your counters. If you do that, you’re going to love the end result!
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