After our big kitchen renovation we were left with a nice polished looking room, but the space still felt so bare and devoid of warmth and personality… and we just didn’t know where to start.
Slowly we amassed some great items that gave our new kitchen a lot more character and charm. Whew. So we’re here to share a few simple (and cheap) ways to up the ante in your kitch with eye-pleasing and functional additions that will look good while providing convenience and usability to boot.
1. Jars for cereal. We got ours for $6.97 each at Walmart last October and we love that we can easily pour our cheerios or granola (which they keep nice and fresh).
2. A chic olive oil jar from Williams-Sonoma. This is a one time purchase that might run you a bit of money the first time, but it’s totally an investment since it looks so lovely and can be refilled with cheap ol’ store bought olive oil when you run out of the good stuff (which feels oh so decadent while it lasts). And placing a collection of a few charming olive oil containers – or other bottled cooking ingredients – on a regular old plate on the counter is an easy way to protect it from oil stains while everything looks tied together and neatly corralled. Oh and you could also opt to take the store-your-oil-in-a-chic-glass-bottle approach. That trick can also look very swanky indeed.
3. A cake stand. You can grab one from TJ Maxx (like we did) or at Marshall’s, Target, and Home Goods on the cheap. It can be used to display anything from cupcakes or pound cake to ceramic fruit or even ornaments for a seasonal effect.
4. And upgraded fruit bowl. Be it a faux clam shell from Z Gallerie (like ours) or a nice wood, metal, or ceramic bowl, sprucing up your countertop fruit situation can really make all the difference. Ikea has this great metal option and we’ve seen great rustic varieties, like a trio of wooden bowls online and at thrift stores, so you definitely don’t have to break the bank for this easy upgrade.
5. Glass canisters for flour, sugar, salt, and beyond. Heck you can even use them to store oatmeal, cous cous or rice if you use those ingredients most often (ours are currently to the left of our stove and full of flour, sugar and rice since those seem to be common cooking necessities for us). Of course it’s handy to have them at arm’s reach instead of tucked away in the cabinet (just like our cereal jars) and they look so charming and kitchen-appropriate that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them once you snatch them up. Ours were gifts from West Elm but they can be found everywhere from Home Goods and Marshalls to TJ Maxx, Walmart, and Target. Note: learn more about that cabinet full of decorating items that we love to keep corralled here.
6. A nice soap and lotion pump by the sink. It just feels luxe to have lotion on hand after all that dish washing, and our $32 Anthropologie set (which came with an awesome ceramic caddy) has paid for itself a million times over since we love refilling it with cheaper soap and lotion without losing the high-end look. It’s up there with our fancy olive oil container- which we also refill- when it comes to feeling like we live the pampered life (without dishing out cash for such indulgences on a monthly basis). Oh and just as we mentioned the glass bottles with a spout as a chic way to store your oil, many people love using those bottles to store soap next to the sink for a chic effect as well- so that’s another affordable (and DIYable) option.
7. A swanky cutting board. Ours hails from TJ Maxx and we just love the layered tones of wood that pick up everything from our rich mocha floors to the lighter honey colors in our striped jute rug. Definitely think beyond the plastic or the basic wood cutting board (you can spend the same amount at a discount store like Home Goods or Marshall’s for something a lot more expensive looking to give your kitchen some added oomph). And of course you can still keep a plastic one tucked away in a cabinet for cutting chicken if you’d like.
8. An area rug. It just makes our kitchen feel homey. You can easily see the difference the $34 addition made to our space, and the striped jute pattern that we picked hides tons of crumbs and can easily be vacuumed or shaken out in the backyard when it catches a few too many spilled substances. After over a year of use ours still looks great (think of jute like the bristles of a straw broom- it repels wet stains so they can’t soak in). So as long as you choose something durable for a high traffic area, not only can it add interest and be super easy to care for, it can even offer up a softer surface to stand on (your knees and back will thank you after a marathon cooking sesh).
9. A ceramic caddy for utensils. This is such an easy item to place next to your cooktop to store all of your wooden spoons and metal spatulas so they’re functional and charming in one fell swoop. Ours was just $4 at Marshall’s and we love how easy it makes unloading the dishwasher (we just gather all the long spoons and ladles and stick them right in the caddy). We really appreciate that we don’t have to sift through drawers or cabinets to find the items that can instead be within reach while we cook. Oh and don’t mind that it’s pictured next to my vintage V-day gift for John below- the utensil caddy is much more functional now that it’s next to the stove).
10. A cute stainless blender and toaster for the counter. If you’re like us and you use these items frequently, there’s nothing more functional than choosing to store them right on the counter at arm’s reach. Of course this means that investing in some nice stainless versions will upgrade the look of your entire kitchen (and tie in with your appliances if they’re also of the stainless variety) so think about splurging just a bit (we especially love our Oster beehive blender, which actually gets complements for sitting out on the counter). And it was oh so worth it since they perform amazingly well and we never have to bother with pulling them in and out of a cabinet.
Extra credit: Charming patterned Ikea glasses and cute decorative Target bowls. Both stores make great options with tons of color, interest, pattern and texture so they can really add a lot to your kitchen. Whether it’s just stacking four bowls from Target and filling the top one with fresh strawberries or grabbing a few brightly colored ceramic dishes and using them to store pistachios next to your fruit bowl, there’s not enough we can say about a few pops of color and interest in the form of affordable glasses and bowls.
So there you have ten- well, eleven- ways to add warmth and personality (along with lots of affordable function) to your kitchen. Do you guys have other tips to share with anyone who’s looking to spice up their blah cooking space? What’s your favorite countertop item in your kitch? Do tell.
K.J. says
We display a number of mason jars on the counter by the window. Even though they’re empty, the way the light filters through the glass is just lovely! We also have mason jars filled with rice, flax seed meal and nuts, which serve the dual purposes of form and function.
And thanks for the tip about putting cereal in glass jars … we don’t do that, but I’ve adapted your suggestion into one of my own: coffee beans in a glass jar!
Speaking of glass jar obsession, we’re going to turn some of our mason jars into lights sometime soon. So excited!
mandi says
Love the post! Do not love the unsolicited and unnecessary criticism of the post, but what are you going to do.
I really do appreciate the one-stop list of all the little touches you’ve used to make your kitchen functional and warm; that’s one of the last rooms left for me to actually ~decorate. I’ve hung paintable wallpaper, and painted my pantry door with chalkboard paint–which my 3y/o loves to scribble on–and tried to keep (the front, at least) of my fridge clear of clutter, but the room was lacking a little luster, if you know what I mean. Now I have a helpful, illustrated guide to help me add some warmth. I especially like the cereal jar idea! Between my cereal preferences and my toddler’s, I’m sure we’ll have quite a festive little display.
sarah says
Thanks for the tips. We just finished our kitchen renovation, and I am slowly bringing things back into the kitchen. Your ideas are great.
Beth @ bethcooks says
Ahhh….a post on my favorite room!
I love my large fruit/veggie bowl from Sur La Table. It’s huge, but it stays on the island where it’s out of the way (or can be moved easily if I’m rolling out dough or something else space-consuming).
I also can’t live without my red Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I’m one of those crazy people that uses it weekly, so it stays on the countertop, right where I like it :)
Ginger says
Do you remember the name of the granite you used? It looks a lot like mine, Ivory Cream.
YoungHouseLove says
It was called Pashmina through our dealer but we’ve heard that it goes by many names… so it could very well be the same as yours!
xo,
s
Melissa says
Hello! I have really been wanting one of those jute rugs. You say they repel stains? Because when I read about them, I hear other people say they soak up every stain imaginable and it’s impossible to clean without ruining the rug? Also, aren’t they scratchy? I really want one for the living room, but I have a new baby that is about to start crawling! What do you think?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re available in varying softnesses (the braided one we have in our den is much softer than the more firm and tightly woven kitchen one). We recommend checking out the rug in person when possible to feel it for yourself. As for stains, we’re clutzy and we’ve had it for over a year in our kitchen and it has zero stains. And we’ve spilled a lot! Even pasta sauce and blueberry smoothies! Just flood it with water (or leave an ice cube to melt on the spot) and it seems to do the trick. The fibers aren’t porous at all, they really are like straw.
xo,
s
Judy says
PLEASE please tell us where you got the striped kitchen rug…..
A.L. says
where did you get the jute rug from?
YoungHouseLove says
Judy & A.L.
We got the rug from The Company Store!
xo,
s
Kelly says
I wish I had the problem of too clean looking countertops! :) Every inch of mine have something tucked along the backsplash already. I guess that means it looks homey already?? haha :)
Dana @ House*Tweaking says
What about textiles? Such as colorful kitchen towels at the sink or hung from hooks on the side of a cabinet. I also like a printed fabric shade or curtain on a kitchen window to warm/fun it up…especially when its done modestly and doesn’t obscure your view to the outside. Not meant to be prescriptive, just another thought that your post conjured up.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Heck yeah! Textiles in the kitchen can make all the difference. In fact Monday’s giveaway can help with that. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Rhiannon says
I just love your kitchen! I plan on redoing my cabinets just like yours. They are so fresh! I also love the cake stand idea! It’s so much better for displaying things as opposed to leaving it sitting in the cabinet for most of the year! Just a note, I think your soap and lotion is from William Sonoma. I have the ones from Anthropologie and they are in clear glass bottles, in a wire holder. Both are fabulous products though.
YoungHouseLove says
Anthro sells them too! Cucina is a high end line that’s sold in both places. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachael says
Actually, if you store your olive oil on the countertop, it will go rancid much more quickly–it should be placed somewhere dark and cool.
YoungHouseLove says
Happily we go through oil like it’s water so it never has a chance to go rancid – but it’s definitely a good tip for the less oily cookers among us!
xo,
s
erica says
I agree about the cake stand — I just got a CUTE one from Marshalls. I keep some fresh fruit on it. Looks adorable.. and functional
Ashli Malinek says
I don’t usually post too many comments but I just had to tell you how much I love today’s post!
Keep up the good work!!
~Ashli
http://www.maillardvillemanor.com
niki sander says
Love this post on the kitchen! I absolutely LOVE your vintage metal card catalog! We have an old vintage scale on our countertop that I am pretty sure I will never part with!
Erin Cook says
I just did a post on “kitchen details” yesterday- too funny. In my case I added little decorative items to the walls (backsplash area). Not too much – like you I don’t like an abundance of stuff but a few little plaques in the backsplash area and some colorful canisters did the trick for me. We also remodeled with white cabinets and wanted to add a touch of color and a cheerful vibe. :)
Kim says
I love all the personal touches, and I love that someone felt the need to comment that this wasn’t their favorite post. Crazy.
Anyway, while I also agree that you have to keep most counters clutter-free so you’ll have space to cook in that beautiful kitchen a lot of these things you’d have out anyway. You guys just make them prettier. Who doesn’t have olive oil or fruit out? Who doesn’t have spatulas out etc.? I try to keep my counters clutter free since I am cooking in there all day long, but I still need stuff at arms length.
My question is – how do you fit all your spices in that? I have easily 30 spices that I use regularly…how many fit in there? I do love the look of it.
YoungHouseLove says
Alas, our spices quickly outgrew that cute box (which we now use as a bread box for two loaves, which fit perfectly). We now keep spices in our cabinet on one of those tiered racks that looks like stairs so we can see them all. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
foodandfarm says
my kitchen is so old and needs serious revamping, i seriously have no idea what to do, it’s an old house and we are on a budget. we have yellow walls yek.
Mary says
How did I miss that post last year about your ‘decor store’?! I just read it and I must say, it’s genius!! I have decor items stuffed and stored in all sorts of random places, it’s ridiculous!! You have totally motivated me to go home and create my own ‘decor store’! Thanks for inspiring me :)
Kacey says
Great ideas – I love your blog! I just came across it about a month ago right around when we bought our house (also a 50s ranch style). We have big plans and I’m sure a lot of inspiration will come from you guys :)
carolyn says
Love this post! You have inspired me in so many ways over the past months. You guys ROCK! Keep it up.
I’m with some previous commenters with the (almost) zero extra counter space dilemma. We keep our white toaster, some stainless steel canisters, a white pedestal bowl for fruit and two small plants on the countertop and that works for us. Even though we’re short on storage space, we try to minimize the number of small appliances we own (and therefore have to store) to avoid having them cluttering the counters.
Kacey says
Awesome ideas! I’ve added several to my idea file. Thanks!
Melinda says
The measuring spoons in photo 7 were the favors at my wedding shower!
Jessica says
Im surprised there were actually so many people that dont mind having stuff on the counters. Im really not a clutter person so we keep ours clean with the exception of the knife set, the blender and the coffee maker all of which get daily use. Any reason why you didnt do a tiled backsplash in the kitchen?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jessica,
Good question! We were tempted to tile the backsplash but we loooove the wall color and realized it would have been almost nonexistent if we added a backsplash. We also love the granite and didn’t want anything to compete with it. And the cost of using paint we already had (instead of springing for tile and grout) was pretty seductive too. But that’s not to say that a backsplash is out of the question for the future. You know we love a project!
xo,
s
Carolyn says
I love your kitchen! wish we had that kind of space, and an actual separate room for cooking in. My best accessory for a small kitchen counter in an open plan living area? nothing! We’re renting a townhouse, so all we have to work with is an island bench with a double sink in the middle. Even though it’s frustrating, not having a lot of space has helped me evaluate what we actually use and need. It’s nice to walk in to our kitchen area and see a clear bench ready to prepare food. It makes me feel so good, rather than it being all cluttered up with kitchen equipment.
beebea says
I inherited my mom’s everyday dishes and my grandma’s china, so I didn’t have much to register for when I got married! I did ask for 3 Fiestaware canisters and I use them for flour, sugar and brown sugar everyday.
Rosanne says
I also like everything corralled in trays. I have a coffee station, which is a wooden tray that holds the coffee pot, a sugar bowl, creamer and coffee canister. I also have one by the stove that holds olive oil and salt & pepper pots and a couple spice jars I use regularly.
Alicia (Atypical Type A) says
We have a small kitchen so I try not to keep much clutter on the benches, but it would look too stark and boring without anything. So, like you, I mostly stick to functional items that also look good.
stephanie says
Hi Guys,
Love your site…so much…you probably answered this question a thousand times already…where did u purchase your cabinets?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re KraftMaid cabinets from Home Depot! We love them and we especially appreciate that we got to work with a certified kitchen designer (for free!) who helped us totally transform our kitch and squeeze as much function as humanly possible into our tiny 12 x 13″ room.
xo,
s
Bridget says
I liked reading this post! As a renter who has an interest in design and overall home-coziness (if there is such a word?), I am always looking for things to do around the house that don’t require massive overhauling since the house we live in is not our own. Would you consider doing some posts geared towards renters? Maybe you’ve done things like this in the past and I haven’t read them. I’m relatively new to the blog.
Oh, and since I’m commenting, I have to say I love your blog! I’m a former Richmonder and I’ve told all my Richmond friends about your site. My sister loved your wedding pics since she’s planning an upcoming budget wedding. Also a mom to a little one so I can appreciate all the baby stuff too! Thanks for all the good reads and eye candy!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Bridget,
We definitely keep renters in mind when we brainstorm posts and projects! In fact you can check out a ton of rent-friendly ideas on our How To page (see that tab under the header?). Especially in the Artsy Ideas and the Quick & Easy DIY categories. Happy hunting!
xo,
s
Melissa says
Ooh! I’ve got that exact toaster and it is the BEST. Churning out perfectly toasted bread and bagels everytime.
Megan says
I loved your post. Your bottle options (for soap and oils) remind me of my aunt’s house (and mine, kind of). My aunt has had a clear fish bottle where the mouth is the spout. She bought a liquor top for it and stores her liquid soap in it. I did it too but need to replace the stopper with a better one. Mine isn’t as cool as her’s, but it’s close. She also uses different bottles for her oils and corrals all of them (she has all of her liquid spices/oils out in her kitchen that don’t need refrigerated), on the side of her stove in a cute tray. If you lived near central Missouri, you should totally house crash my aunt’s house! :)
Bobbi says
Sherry & John,
After sneaking to read this post via my blackberry at work, I had to head straight to TJ Maxx to pick up a cute rug & things that I saw a few days ago!!
Love the large glass containers (cereal), have some from Target for snack items for my son. I have some chocolate brown Le Creuset ceramic canisters (love them) from TJ Maxx – 2 large ones for sugar & flour, 2 small ones for coffee & tea. Now if I just had your counter tops……
Thanks for posting the pic of your decor cabinet again, I hadn’t seen it before and it is inspiring. Finally all the things I love, that feel stale and a bit like clutter, can go away to the hall cabinet for awhile and come out at a later day in a fresh way!
Happy Summer!
Bobbi
Stacy @ "The House on Route 66" says
Love this post! We’re in the middle of a huge kitchen remodel, and I cannot WAIT until we get to the decorating/personalizing stage. Keeps me motivated to keep moving forward on all the renovations! :)
Mary-Grace says
I so wish I could find a little filing cabinet like yours!
Cristina says
Hi Sherry,
sorry if I go out of topic..
My sister-in-law is due on sunday, me and my husband would like to give her a very nice gift, something really useful for the baby, or something nice, anyway something that can really help when the baby is born, so I thought about asking you, at what you could not renounce in these baby-days?
Grazie, ciao.
Cristina :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christina,
Here’s a post all about our top baby must haves: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/06/something-free-five-lifesavers/
We (and Clara) have also been loving children’s books (like The Pigeon Finds A Hot Dog and Baby Boo). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tammy says
I’ve been reading your blog for several years and never get bored from any of your posts. I love when you remind me that I can get a new look with things I already have! Thanks for making this miserable, hot day (I’m in Richmond too) a little more bearable!
Cristina says
Thanks Sherry,
some nice and intellingent ideas there!!
:-)
Amanda says
My favorite thing (I think-I haven’t ACTUALLY gotten to use it just yet, it’s for a house I move into on Wednesday (get excited, I know we are)) are the wall mountable metal strips from IKEA-I bought one to hang my olive oil on, and I bought two that hold all my spices and seasonings right up on the wall above the stove. And they were really cheap! I kind of wish I could buy a magnetic one for my knives, but I’m just not so sure that’s a great idea with a baby on the way.
jja says
Great tipps!
Except for rug. No rug in my kitchen, never. Kitchen and bathroom needs a quick wipe every single day and to move rug all the time…when I bake some meet all those fatty spots on the floor..I would not be very relaxed knowing this rug is hiding some crumbs and stains under it.
Snickrsnack Katie says
You guys are amazing – I just LOVE the ideas you give me! I have been wondering about ways to store spices in a discreet way without having them in a cupboard or in one of those clunky spice rack holders. I love the card catalog idea and am hunting for one online to use! I love the vintage look!
I also love the clam shell fruit bowl – I see it is available at Z Gallerie for only $49! Not too shabby!
Also, LOVE the idea of a decoration cabinet. I get bored with the way things look pretty fast but usually don’t know how to switch it up fast. Thanks for the tips!
jja says
I also forgot, every german has something like this on his counter and I love my professional knife set:
http://www.24stunden-einkaufen.de/images/gross/Messerblock%20Strato%20gross.jpg
betty in munich says
I love it when a kitchen looks homey. In my kitchen, I have a little white lamp on the counter. During the long winters it casts a really cozy light in the evenings while I am making dinner. We put up shelves so I could keep all tea supplies, teapot, sugar & creamer on hand. At the windowsill I have potted herbs. I just change them out every few weeks when they start to look raggedy. I have an oriental rug (on ebay for only 50€!) which gives the kitchen a nice feel and the dark color and pattern hides the spills. I submitted pictures to the small cool kitchen contest a month or so here they are:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/small-cool-kitchens-2010/bettys-bistro-kitchen-in-munich-small-cool-kitchens-2010-international-division-117848
Rebecca says
So where did you get the rug?
Jennifer says
Where did you get the area rug from?
YoungHouseLove says
The Company Store!
xo,
s
Anna says
I love using vintage tea towels around the kitchen. They’re fun to shop for, they’re cute, and they add a lot of character and charm!
katie @ k+b adventures in renovating says
I LOVE the idea of using cute things to store your everyday stuff like cereal, pastas etc. Good looking storage is a must in my book… nice work!
Jessica says
Still loving the blog – I’m so glad you introduced me to Home Goods and I’ll definitely be copying the soap dispenser idea :)
Does anyone have any ideas on how to hide/disguise our toaster oven? It’s not all that attractive having a black box on the counter but since it’s so big and we use it so much it doesn’t make sense to store it away in the pantry/cabinets.
Cristina,
If I may jump in, I have an eleven month old, and the best present I could have gotten from someone close to me, would have been them detail cleaning/sanitizing the house while we were in the hospital.
As far as wrap-able presents, the thing that she/we have used the longest so far is her Angel Dear blankie. It’s not useful in the conventional sense, but she LOVES it. She snuggles with it every night, plays peek-a-boo with it, puts it in her mouth and crawls around, etc. Given the number of 5 star reviews they get on Amazon, I think every child ends up equally addicted to them – they’re super soft, lighter weight than any other lovey I’ve seen, handle washing extremely well and have ears/horns that the babies love to chew on/fiddle with. If I were going to a baby shower, I’d get the pair and a spare gift set (we just had to buy two more after losing the first one.)
The truly useful things seemed to change every 4 months as she reached a different stage and it’s going to depend on your sister-in-law’s parenting style (co-sleep/crib, cloth/disposable, breast/bottle, etc.)
Heather S says
Where do you keep your knives? My big honkin’ knife block is so awkward on my counter, but I don’t know what else to do with it. I’ve seen those inserts to hold the knives in place inside a drawer. Just wondering what you do with ’em – or John, since he’s the resident chef!
My one fave item in my kitchen are 3 glass canisters (w/stainless steel lids) from Pier One Imports, holding our pasta addictions. : ) Love your cereal jars! Never thought of displaying my husband’s shredded wheat on the counter!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! We actually got two long bamboo boxes that house our knives in a kitchen drawer under the cutting board (sort of like how a utensil cubby holds spoons and forks and butter knives). Hope it helps!
xo.,
s
Nik says
I’ve been reading for awhile but this is my first comment!
I enjoyed this and I actually ordered a Cucina Caddy for myself :)
I have a pretty modest kitchen and counter area but like you I found that I needed to have things in my kitchen to make it more personal and cozy. I’m not a fan of clutter and I still have room to use my counters but a few personal touches here and there really make all the difference.