The trend towards open shelving and open floor plans have turned the kitchen from a functional space to a canvas that you can style and show your design personality in a way that matches the rest of your house. There are plenty of kitchen appliances that will always be better hidden in closed cabinets, but there are also pieces that can turn your shelves and countertops into an Instagram-worthy vignette. Here are a few of my favorite pieces to keep out in the open, and I’d love to hear what you choose to show on display in the comments!
Marble utensil holder – The black marble backsplash in the inspiration photo is a fresh new spin on the marble trend that I think we’ll be seeing more of in 2017. Keeping a utensil holder is a great place to mix wooden spoons with silver, copper and gold spatulas and ladles, plus it’s extra convenient for cooking.
Teapots – If you have open shelving or an open spot above your cabinets that you want to fill, try displaying a teapot collection. I’m not a big collector of things but Kim’s kitchen on desire to inspire has me fully convinced that it’s the prettiest type of collection and as long as you keep them evenly spaced and well edited it won’t look cluttered.
Wooden chopping boards – If you’re stuck with kitchen finishes that you don’t love, wooden chopping boards are an excellent styling tool (and one that you can actually use every day). They bring in the element of raw wood with veins that you don’t get with laminate cabinets, and you can prop them up against your backsplash in a variety of shapes and colors to create a focal point and to help cover up the backsplash if you’re not in love with it.
Fruit bowl – Get out the larger, pretty serverware that only gets used on special occasions and give it an everyday use as a fruit bowl. It looks lived in, brings in a pop of color, and has the added bonus making you eat more fruit.
Wooden veggie brush – If you’ve resolved to eat more greens and fruit this year, treat yourself to a gorgeous veggie brush like this one to make prepping your smoothie, salad or juice really enjoyable. This one would be right at home in an art gallery, so you’ll want to keep it on the counter.
Wooden soap dish – See a pattern here? Wood is what will take your kitchen to Serena Mitnik Miller kitchen status.
Tagine – I’m in love with my tagine because its sloped design is too pretty to hide in a cabinet, plus it makes for the juiciest vegetables and meat because it’s made to trap in moisture. This one is solid but you can also find beautifully hand painted Moroccan designs.
Chemex – I don’t even drink coffee and I’ve been tempted by this beautiful coffee maker. The mix of glass, wood and leather is a formula that hipsters and stylists can’t get enough of.
Cookbook – Cookbook covers are oftentimes frameworthy, especially this one by the chef at Gjelina. If you have the space, a small selection of your favorite cookbooks can look lovely with a utensil holder as your bookend.
*Sources: inspiration photo Studio Muir, utensil holder cb2, Japanese iron teapot Good Life Tea, black ceramic dish 1220CeramicsStudio, serving board Food52, French chopping board Etsy, veggie brush Full Circle, wood soap dish Spartan Shop, tagine Emile Henry, Chemex Erie Coffee Roasters, cookbook Gjelina
