How To Decorate Kitchen Counters – Best Ideas and Tips

Do you struggle with how to decorate kitchen counters without cluttering the room? Here’s my best ideas and tips to decorating kitchen counters!

Kitchen counters are fun to decorate! But at the same time, can be challenging. Space is often limited and sometimes those decorative items are just in the way causing more clutter than beauty.

So how does one go about decorating those kitchen countertops? I have a bunch of tips and ideas to help you add stylish decor to your kitchen counters while still keeping the area functional and tidy.

First things first, let’s talk about my best kitchen counter decorating tips and then I’ll show you some great decor ideas that I use in my own kitchen.

A few tips when it comes to decorating kitchen counters.

Consider Neutral Colors

When it comes to kitchen decor, keeping a neutral color scheme will help this area feel more open and cohesive. Obviously I love my grays but other great neutrals are white, black and natural elements.

Adding simple texture to the space with warm natural items like wood bowels, wood utensils or woven trays is another way to add subtle, neutral color without making the kitchen feel busy and cluttered.

Now, I’m not saying to make your kitchen dull and completely lacking of color. Not at all! Rather, I suggest to be intentional by incorporating a pop of color with fresh fruit or fresh flowers. A colorful floral bouquet is the perfect kitchen island decor!

Keep in Mind Storage Space

If you have a smaller kitchen and don’t have much counter space, then you may be doubting whether you should decorate your counters. But I feel there are ways for everyone to add some style to their kitchen without giving up valuable counter space.

The trick is to make all your decor items multi-functional. This actually leads to my next tip which is a smart way to think when it comes to decorating those counters.

Best Stylish and Practical Decorative Items

Now that I’ve shared my tips on selecting your decorative kitchen counter items, let’s talk about the best practical items to display in your kitchen.

Cutting Boards

Every kitchen needs several cutting boards. So why not gather a few of the most stylish ones to put on display. A wooden cutting board can add texture, color and create a stunning display when stacked together next to a kitchen backsplash.

Cake Stands

A white cake stand is great way to serve cake – no doubt. 🙂 But it can also display or elevate kitchen necessities like hand soaps. Or you could even place one next to the stove for organizing your olive oil, salt and pepper grinders.

Canisters

Clear glass canisters are one of my favorite kitchen functional items. They are super useful by keeping kitchen staples like flour and sugar within easy reach. But they can also add some striking details to a kitchen counter as well, like these ones below with the black metal lids.

Towels

If you’re wanting to add some softness to the kitchen decor, displaying kitchen towels is a great idea. Many kitchens are filled with hard items like stone and stainless steel. So a towel next the kitchen sink or hanging on a handle adds some beautiful texture to the room.

Can one every have two many tea towels? I don’t think that’s a thing! I have a ton of striped ones and I just ordered more last week. 🙂

Trays

Now this is my top kitchen decor item for sure. I love trays and I absolutely love to use them in my kitchen counter decor. Again, this one item provides multiple functions in my kitchen. Trays can keep items organized and purposefully contained. They also provide some fun detail or design elements to the counters.

And because there are so many beautiful styles of trays, it’s easy to find one to match your organizing needs and decor style at the same time.

Cookbooks

Display your favorite cookbooks for instant decor. Cookbooks are a great way to add a little color and personality to your kitchen. If your family loves Mexican food, show us! You can simply lean a few books in a kitchen corner or maybe stack a couple with a pretty potted plant on top. The best part? When it’s time to cook, the recipes are right there!

Utensil Holder

I’ve had a ton of different utensil holders in my kitchen throughout the years. They are great for keeping cooking tools and wooden spoons right next to the stove for easy access. This concrete utensil holder below adds some texture and a little bit of color to my organized tray and kitchen as well.

Plants or Fresh Flowers

Green is such a beautiful color to add to a kitchen. So I love to decorate our counter with a few live plants. If you don’t have room for a big plant like this maidenhair fern for example, fresh herbs would be a great option. The herbs will give your decor some lively color and you can eat them too!

No green thumb? Go with a faux plant. No one will know. Or forget the plants all together and pick up some fresh flowers while at the grocery store. 🙂

Hand Soap

We need to have soap in the kitchen but no one says it’s can’t be stylin’. So pick up some lovely soap dispensers or find a elegant marble dish soap tray. Both will add some beautiful decor will being functional at the same time.

Coffee Station

Love that morning coffee? Me too! Can’t live without it really. I’m not much for storing appliances on the kitchen counter. But I make an exception when it comes to the coffee maker. I know this will be an item that Chris and I will use multiple times a day. So it makes no sense to hide it away.

Instead I use a tray and a cute canister to help me keep the coffee station area organized and stylin’. Yup, I even added a small little plant in one of my striped stylish pots. Stripes are my thing. 🙂 That’s like three different decor items in one small area.

I hope these ten practical ideas on how to decorate kitchen counters will inspire you to make a few changes to your kitchen decor. Maybe you’ll add a few new things or perhaps hide some more items in the kitchen cabinets. 🙂

Either way, hopefully you’ll end up with a more styling kitchen you love!