Kitchen Decorating Tips | How I Style My Countertop with Usable Kitchen Items!

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Hey, home decor lovers! I am so excited to share my new blog series, How I Style, with you. My detailed step-by-step guide will give you all the steps necessary to create a beautiful space in your home. Today we decorate the kitchen counter with essential utensils while keeping it stylish. Interested? Let’s get into it..

I am a huge fan of kitchen decor. It is one of my favorite nooks to decorate every once in a while and if you’re like me someone who works in the kitchen most of the time — cooking(I don’t do that, but I hear it’s done here), preparing meals, organizing, cleaning, homework, making to do lists, you name it. Then you know how difficult it is to keep your kitchen counter looking sleek and stylish like the kitchens you see on Pinterest. I mean, it’s the kitchen! It’s where you chop things, wash dishes, roll dough, etc. There’s a lot that goes on in the kitchen and in reality, it’s quite challenging to decorate a small countertop and maintain that HGTV kitchen-counter look without sacrificing space.

So, how did I do it?

First, I visualize the theme.

Visualizing how you would want your counter space to look like should be the first thing you need to tick off the checklist. Sometimes, decorating can be overwhelming especially when there are a lot of décor items to choose from. You don’t want to get yourself stuck in an analysis paralysis situation! Trust me, I’ve been there. I have been designing and decorating for a very long time and coming up with ideas on how to style a certain space somewhat comes naturally. But if you’re new to decorating, browsing inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram will help you to decide on a theme.

I tend to stick to neutral colors.

There are a lot of reasons why I love to stick to neutrals. Neutral colors are versatile. They’re not distracting to the eye and they can easily be styled no matter the season. Also, kitchens appear cleaner and fresh with a neutral backdrop. For this particular kitchen décor, I accessorized my granite countertop with earth-toned items. It’s easy to incorporate pops of color with a calm neutral backdrop. The countertop stands out here and I balanced it with a mix of earthy and neutral colors to create a lovely visual drama. 

Pick essential items to display.

Now, for the fun part! I start with a platform where I can place the usable items. If the items are just on the counter, they might look cluttered and unorganized. This Wylde Marble that sits on a Mango Wood Tray is such a great find. The platform is like a stage that highlights the overall composition. Its size is perfect and the subtle color just blends effortlessly with the counter. 

Next, I chose a beigey off-white utensil holder and put in my wooden utensils, and added a cruet of oil. You can also add a cruet of vinegar or balsamic if you use it quite often.Then, I added the spices. For the salt and pepper, I chose a ceramic pepper shaker handcrafted from black terra cotta and dipped in a white finish. It gives off that organic yet elegant appeal. These spices are a must but you can place any spices of your choice as long as you put them in an appropriate container. Adobo and sazón can be left out so I leave those hidden in the cabinet. The only other spice I use consistently is crushed red so I added some in this cool stone bowl.

Also, adding a hand towel is a great idea because you often need to wipe your hands when cooking so it’s convenient to keep one nearby.

Spruce it up with an interesting décor piece.

Of course! To make the composition look a lot more interesting, I found this really cool handheld broom perfect to add texture. While I love the added touch it’s not necessary and if you have three or four different spices you can skip this step.

I use different heights, textures, and colors to create a motivating setup.

Balance, proportion, and visual coherence are very important when it comes to accessorizing. As you can see, I carefully pick the colors that will blend with the rest of my kitchen. The difference in container sizes and height adds strength to the concept and the variety in texture creates visual weight.

And there you have it!

Styling kitchen counters is simple and fun. All you really have to keep in mind is to style it in a way that works for you. If you have a small counter, keep the decors to a bare minimum and make it simple yet significant. Place your kitchen essentials at arm’s length for convenience, and don’t forget to style it the way you like it!

If you want to see more inspiration and keep updated with my design tips, head over to my Instagram and embark on a home decorating journey with me. See you there! Adios!