15 Ways to Decorate your Kitchen Counters

Making room for both aesthetics and purpose on your kitchen countertops is one of those sticky wickets. Appliances you use every day (hello espresso machine!) usually take up prized space over decorative objects. But that doesn't mean you need to skimp on stylish things guaranteed to brighten up your cooking space with pops of color, natural textures, and even extra function. There are plenty of ways you can strike a balance between pretty and practical. The following ideas share how to make your kitchen more drool-worthy with beautifully-styled countertops.

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Make a Splash With a Statement Object

Kristen Nix Interiors

If you love the look of clean and uncluttered kitchen countertops, consider accessorizing with a single, statement-making object. Here, Kristen Nix Interiors punched up this honed quartz countertop in bright white with a bold, bronze star sculpture. It lends a pop of dark, dramatic contrast to the crisp, white cooking space.

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Sprinkle Color Throughout Your Kitchen

Alison Kandler

Interior designer, Alison Kandler is a master at creating colorful kitchens inspired by vintage cooking spaces from the 1920s and 1930s. Note how she uses bright objects to draw your eyes around the room. For example, the red fruit bowl on the counter throws focus to the red knobs on the range and the KitchenAid mixer. The avocado vase with sunflowers does the same with the yellow pantry door and turquoise cookie jar. White space plays an important role here too. All of the white elements from the walls to the cabinets give the eyes a place to rest.

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Add Warmth and Style With Natural Textures

Heidi Caillier Design

Woodsy texture can lend warmth to a stark white kitchen. Branches placed in a glass vase unites all the warm features spotted in this kitchen by Heidi Caillier Design, including the rustic bar stools and brass light fixtures. Helping to balance the space is the flowering plant on the far side of the cooking space.

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Create a Farmhouse-Inspired Countertop Vignette

Old Salt Farm

Nothing says farmhouse style like vintage kitchen accessories as shown on this counter styled by Kierste, the decor blogger behind Old Salt Farm. The wooden spoon holder is a repurposed lantern, the food scale is a score from a local flea market, and the fresh-baked pie sign was a DIY project. All three elements together create a cozy and rustic aesthetic.

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Warm Up a Cool Kitchen With Patterned Accents

Homepolish

A cherry picked selection of accessories adds loads of visual interest to this countertop spotted on Homepolish. A stack of cookbooks gives the kitchen a lived in feeling while keeping favorite recipes handy. Blending a mix of new and old objects like the copper watering can against the pretty patterned backsplash, really warms up the mostly white cooking space.

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Dress up Your Counters With Kitchen Staples

Studio McGee

Studio McGee dressed up this countertop with a nice mix of kitchen staples that are all aesthetically pleasing. One of their tricks is to make everyday items like the bottled soap and lotion set, and scrub brush look more presentable by placing in small white caddies. And for a dose of room-warming color, there's an intentionally-placed black dish filled with yellow peppers and a selection of leafy branches from the yard. Next to the oven is a thin tray. It cleverly creates a designated spot for salt and pepper and a variety of cooking oils all within each reach for frying and sautéing. Of course, we love a delicious loaf of artisanal bread. Here a lovely whole grain sample tops off a wooden cutting board

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Enliven a Kitchen With Green Elements

Kate Coughlin Interiors

Pretty topiary balls are certainly an unexpected but pretty touch in this kitchen by Kate Coughlin Interiors. The glass vase filled with green apples balance the striking box plants.

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Countertops Where Function Comes First

Aidan Design

These countertops are reserved for hardworking kitchen items. When the team at Aidan Design was working on this remodeling project, they kept function top of mind. There are four outlets to accommodate the appliances on the countertop. There is also a handy pot filler faucet for extra functionality.

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Curate Everyday Items on Kitchen Counters

Elegantsi

A classic herringbone-tiled backsplash is the perfect backdrop to incorporate lots of wood elements like cutting boards, bowls, and utensils according to the decorating experts at Elegantsi. All-white canisters create spots to keep everyday necessities for cooking and eating. Incorporating fresh florals into the mix is a great way to make the heart of the home feel full of life.

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Create a Sophisticated Kitchen With Sculptural Accents

Alicia Weaver Design

Keri Feeney of Alicia Weaver Design says her staples for decorating kitchen countertops are large bowls of produce and fresh flowers in decorative vases. In this kitchen for instance, she added sculptural items to her display. The result is a sophisticated cooking space that beautifully blends with the main living area in this open concept home.

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Decorative Dispensers Add Personality

Alicia Weaver Design

In an ideal world, countertops should be clutter-free because less is more after all according to interior designer Keri Feeney of Alicia Weaver Design. However, a few well-chosen decorative items will compliment your kitchen. Fresh picked flowers and greenery perk up this cooking space. Another great trick worth stealing is decorative soap dispensers like the one pictured with an apt message.

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Brighten Up a Kitchen With Touches of Greenery

Park and Oak

Adding touches of greenery can make all of the difference in a kitchen. Interior design firm Park and Oak plays with texture, height, and color, in this cooking space by strategically placing unique stems and plants.

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Elevate Your Countertop Decor

Park and Oak Interior Design

Quite literally elevate your countertop decor by bringing it higher onto open shelving. It is a great idea, especially for small kitchens, say the experts at Park and Oak Interior Design. Open shelving creates a similar effect to beautiful countertop decor but gives more opportunities to utilize counter space.

Kitchens With Open Shelving Pictures and Advice

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Decorate a Small Cooking Space

Homepolish

Never be afraid to go bold in small spaces. Attractive ceramics for utensils, wood cutting boards, and bunches of flowers and plants make this tiny Brooklyn kitchen spotted on Homepolish feel extra homey.

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Consider Purposeful Kitchen Pieces

Park & Oak Interior Design

Park & Oak Interior Design creates a livable look by creating decor out of purposeful kitchen pieces. By investing in beautiful pots, cutting boards, and other kitchen tools, items like these can provide a dual purpose of adding beauty and functionality.