Get my foolproof formula for kitchen counter decor, plus 10+ items that combine function and beauty so your kitchen feels like it belongs in a magazine!
Once I finished my kitchen makeover and shared 7 Ways to Refresh a Kitchen, I kept tinkering with the counters. I'm always tweaking every room, but my kitchen still seemed to be missing a few finishing details to feel just right.
So I set out to research what was missing. Was it art, trays, or decor?
I've put together more than 10 items you may not have thought of for your kitchen. Once you add them all, your kitchen will work better and you'll feel like you're living in a magazine spread!
The Foolproof Kitchen Counter Decorating Formula
The secret to decorating a kitchen is finding beautiful objects that you actually need in the room.
Here is the formula I've found works best for a kitchen that is both beautiful and functional:
- Choose Functional Items that are Beautiful
- A Few Beautiful Items that Don't Create Clutter
- A Beautiful and Functional Kitchen that You LOVE!
For things like salt and pepper shakers, cookbooks, soap, and trays, choose one that's lovely to look at. Then add a little decor that won't take up much room or create clutter. I enjoy adding art or a lamp to a kitchen, but I don't want clutter, so I look for an empty corner or hang something on the backsplash!
Kitchen Counter Decor Ideas
Okay, let's dive in and look at some ideas for decorating kitchen countertops!
1. Display an Open Cookbook on a Stand
For years I simply set my cookbooks on the counter, surrounded by my ingredients. Then one day it dawned on me that I could buy a cookbook stand and lift the book off the counter. Duh!!
A cookbook stand creates a pleasing moment in a corner and also holds your recipes. Win-win!
Even without a stand, you can leave a beautiful cookbook open on the counter for a lived-in look. It's like a coffee table book for your kitchen.
I love keeping a favorite, beautiful cookbook on the stand. When I'm cooking from one of my family recipes in my 3-ring binder, I just set that recipe in front of the cookbook. Function and beauty together is always the goal!
2. Tray for Corralling Larger Items
A tray is wonderful for gathering a bunch of small items so they look deliberate!
The corner of my kitchen counter has been home to my knife block since we moved in. I just dropped the block in the corner and lined everything else along the back of the counter.
When I added a tray to that corner, the space suddenly felt far more intentional, and it looks much more visually interesting now!
The tray now holds my utensil canister, knife block, plant, oil cruet, salt & pepper grinders, and butter keeper, all in one spot. Everything is handy for cooking at the island, too!
If you have plenty of room, try a lazy Susan tray so you can turn it and reach things in the back.
3. Oil & Vinegar Cruets
If you cook often, you probably use oil or vinegar in most dishes. Wouldn't it be nice to keep them within reach on the counter in a pretty cruet?
I use olive oil in nearly every dish, so I used to keep it in the pantry and fetch it each time I cooked. Now it sits right behind me, so I can grab it and drizzle.
4. Artwork
Art in the kitchen may sound odd at first, but it lifts the room and makes it feel lived in, like the rest of the home.
I've written about kitchen artwork before, on my walls and on my desk. Recently I added some interest above the backsplash with framed printable pear art. (See the photo above.) Mine isn't actually on the countertop, but it could be!
You can place art almost anywhere: on a shelf, in a tray, on a desk, on the wall, or leaning against the wall on the counter. Botanicals, nature, and animals all make good kitchen art!
SHOP KITCHEN ART
5. Fruit Bowl
What better way to encourage healthy snacking than keeping a bowl of fruit on the counter? This is where we keep our bananas, apples, and any other fresh fruit from the store that doesn't need refrigeration.
It's handy, and it looks pretty too!
SHOP FRUIT BOWLS
6. Herbs or a Plant
Real plants and herbs bring real life to a kitchen! They're convenient because they sit near the water source. No more dead plants stranded in random corners of the house.
I had a black thumb until I bought a couple of plants in 2020, and little by little I learned to love them and keep them alive!
I wanted something green and full to fill the awkward space behind my kitchen sink. This easy-care pothos was the perfect answer! It has grown so big that I'm now rooting some cuttings so I can start more plants elsewhere.
Whether it's herbs or any other plant, a living green plant is a perfect accent for a kitchen counter.
7. Pretty Lotion & Soap Dispensers
Pretty soap and lotion dispensers beside the kitchen sink can make an everyday moment feel special. While I was gathering kitchen ideas for my makeover, I noticed that every single well-styled home had attractive dispensers.
So I found some I loved and simply refill them whenever they run low!
SHOP SOAP & LOTION
8. Cutting Boards
A beautiful wooden cutting board does more than chop. It doubles as a serving tray for charcuterie. It's a practical and attractive kitchen counter accent!
Lean them against the wall or hang them up. Either way, they're a lovely and useful part of your countertop display.
9. Candle on a Pedestal
I like having a candle in the kitchen to offset strong cooking smells. My favorite kitchen scents are cheerful food notes like sweet lemon, grapefruit, country pear, or freshly roasted coffee.
I also adore the charming little wooden pedestal it sits on! It keeps the candle raised and looking lovely on my counter.
10. Salt & Pepper Shakers or Grinders
Every cook needs their staples close at hand, so what better way to keep salt and pepper nearby than with gorgeous shakers or grinders?
I recently bought a pair of beautiful beechwood salt and pepper grinders with an adjustable grind system, so you can pick the grind size you like. They're very well made, a pleasure to use while cooking, and lovely to look at!
11. Butter Bell
Did you know you can leave butter out on the counter in a dish that keeps it soft? Grab a butter bell or butter keeper, fill the bell with butter and the base with a little water, and you're ready for toast! It's not only handy for buttering rolls at dinner, it looks pretty sitting on the countertop too!
12. Lamp
Few things feel cozier than a lamp glowing in the kitchen after the dinner dishes are done. That's why I've always been a fan of lamps in the kitchen!
It creates a calm evening feeling that makes a home feel nostalgic. So next time you need to fill a corner in the kitchen, think about a lamp!
Plug it into a smart plug so it switches on by itself at dusk every night!
SHOP LAMPS
I love that my lamp looks like a jug or water vessel, so it feels right at home by the kitchen sink.
Honorable Mentions
If your kitchen is small, you may need to leave some appliances out on the counter. My favorite ones to display are beautiful KitchenAid stand mixers, a pretty coffee maker, and cast iron cookware.
Other things you could leave out include a spoon rest, a vase, a basket for napkins, or a cute cookie jar. Those would look lovely on display too!
Final Thoughts
Because my counters are reserved only for useful, beautiful decor, they're much easier to keep clean and clear! It's such a pleasure to finish tidying the kitchen at night and look around at only lovely things on the countertops.
BONUS: DIY Cafe Curtains
You may have noticed the cafe curtains I made to hide our "appliance garage," which is the open cabinets near our ovens. I think they used to have doors, but they were gone when we bought the house.
I got tired of staring at the microwave, toaster oven, and Vitamix, so I decided to cover them in the simplest way I could. Sometimes hiding a few items on the counter is a smart move, right?!
The photo above shows the previous view, with the microwave in plain sight and a cookbook covering the toaster oven and Vitamix.
So I used leftover fabric from recovering my chairs, picked up a tension rod and cafe curtain clips at Walmart, and made little curtains. They're a temporary, low-cost fix, and they're pretty cute!
I like that they add another texture and pattern to the room. They also tie in some of the pattern and color from the dining room, since it's the same fabric used on the chair seat cushions.
I don't know if we'll ever renovate the kitchen completely, so these curtains will probably stay up until then!
To make the curtains, I simply used hem tape to finish all the sides. I love an easy, no-sew project!
I hope my kitchen counter ideas inspire you. As always, I'd love to see your countertops, so feel free to tag me on Instagram at @turquoisehome.
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