How to Style Your Kitchen in Unexpected Ways

A backdrop to daily routines, the kitchen deserves to be styled with thoughtful vignettes that make it as beautiful as the moments spent within it. While we’re huge fans of timeless kitchen details like displayed breadboards and oversized branches, there’s always room for a touch of unexpected expression. This can come in the form of shape, color palette, or pattern, all using essential decor elements that, in our opinion, belong in every kitchen. These changes are small but mighty, refreshing the tone of your kitchen without major updates or renovations. Here are some easy kitchen interior design tips to refresh the styling of the most trafficked room in the home.

One of our favorite kitchen interior design tips is to incorporate unexpected lighting. Table lamps go a long way in creating an ambient feeling in the kitchen, especially when on a countertop and the soft glow is reflecting off the cabinets and backsplash. It’s a pleasantly unexpected addition, brightening every corner with warmth and purpose. Lean into this unexpected styling update by choosing a shape and material that complements the finishes of your kitchen. Situate the lamp in pantries or at beverage stations, showcasing the intention behind your styling. You can also style small table lamps within kitchen shelving by using them as a clever bookend to a stack of your favorite cookbooks.

Notice in the corner, stacked on top of a wood riser in our Tahoe Pines project, is a sweet little lamp. Explore the space below.

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Mango Wood Rectangular Pedestal

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Piccolo Table Lamp

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Glazed Stoneware Salt Cellar

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Is there anything dreamier than artwork in the kitchen? In our opinion it’s one of the best ways to add charm to the space, acting as a natural transition from living spaces to the more utilitarian places in the home. One of our favorite interior design tips is to lean small pieces in the pantry, style them alongside your favorite serveware, or add medium-sized pieces into kitchen shelving vignettes.

A lot of our Studio McGee-designed kitchens have this design tip but one of our favorites is how it’s styled in our Houston Estate project. A sweet still life sits behind, you guessed it, a tiny countertop lamp.

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Whitmore Stoneware Crock

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Manderine Still Life

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Fordham Board

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By far our favorite interior design tip for unexpected pops in a kitchen is to use a lengthy pot rack to run the expanse of backsplash behind your stove. Do what’s best for your kitchen, of course, but we love it in an unlacquered brass so it patinas over time for a worn-in look. Our Water’s Edge project is a great example of this interior design tip. We love the rustic artwork paired with the brass rod, and lots of textural moments (like woven trivets) to break up the length.  

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Metal Pot Rack

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Olney Measuring Cups

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Cordero Cutting Board

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