13 Kitchen Counter Decor Ideas You Should Totally Copy ...

Enter: kitchen counter decor . An oft-forgotten element to designing your home&#;s hardest working room, the right kitchen counter decor ideas will help transform the space from a function-first work zone to a warm and welcoming extension of your family home. To help kick off your decorating efforts in style, we&#;re rounding up 13 kitchen counter decor ideas below that suit any style. From a collection of cookbooks to artfully displayed groceries, these accessories and thought-starters will add the extra layer of personalization your kitchen is craving&#;and maybe even up its functionality in the process.

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At their core, kitchens are utilitarian spaces, and a lot of attention is paid to the design elements that make them function. If you&#;re in the midst of a kitchen remodel (or design upgrade), you&#;re probably spending a lot of your time focusing on the type of tile backsplash you&#;re installing, the kitchen countertops you&#;ll be prepping on, and the appliances that will help you get dinner on the table. Still, while those elements are vital to an effective kitchen, they&#;re not the only things that will make your space beautiful and liveable.

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Add Light With a Mirror

There&#;s not a single room we can think of that can&#;t benefit from a well-placed mirror, including your kitchen. While it may seem a bit quirky to include a looking glass near the same place you slice and dice onions each evening, mirrors can actually work wonders in a kitchen. Not only will they add visual interest, but when placed in the right spot they can maximize light and make the entire space feel more open and airy.

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Layer Cutting Boards

Wooden cutting boards represent the best of both worlds when it comes to kitchen counter decor. Not only are they a great way to add visual interest and organic texture to your space, but they&#;re actually practical, providing an easy way to serve up snacks or prep dinner ingredients on the fly. The best part? They&#;re typically an easy vintage find, making it super simple to deck out your countertops without blowing your budget.

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Fill a Standout Vase

Almost every kitchen has a quirky countertop corner that can&#;t quite fit an appliance but still could benefit from a bit of added visual interest. A great solution? An oversized vase filled with a sprawling selection of stems. This well-worn vintage piece in the kitchen of Lone Fox Home&#;s Drew Michael Scott has the perfect amount of patina to anchor the heavily veined marble countertops and fill an empty corner.

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Set Out a Snack Spread

Entertaining guests is when you&#;re most conscious about how your kitchen decor looks&#;but it&#;s also the time when decking out your countertops is the easiest. Forgo the fancy accessories for a welcoming and oh-so-edible snack spread that will have guests clamoring to your island upon arrival. This stunning space by Susan Hayward Interiors is made even more inviting by a bountiful cheeseboard (and a bottle of wine, of course).

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Fill Up a Bowl of Fruit

A fruity display atop your counters is often a great way to add a zesty bit of color to your space&#;and encourage a bit of healthy snacking. Here, the team behind Hearth Home Interiors filled a vintage bread bowl with several dozen lemons for a vibrant and eye-catching countertop focal point.  

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Stack Up Extra Dishware

The best kitchen counter decor ideas are as functional as they are stylish, helping you exist better in your space while also beautifying it. For a display that pulls double duty, look no further than this countertop decor idea from Becky Shea Design. She filled extra space with a stack of dishware, making it easy to grab a bowl on the fly the next time an ice cream craving hits.

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Add a Mini Bar

Looking for a way to stay party-ready at a moment&#;s notice? Look no further than this clever countertop decor idea from Boxwood Avenue. Designer Chloe Mackintosh filled a few empty square feet with all the makings of a mini wet bar, including cocktail books, a shaker, rocks glasses, and a few bottles of specialty booze. 

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Set Up a Perma-Prep Station

Make getting dinner on the table during the week a breeze by styling up your countertop with a ready-to-go prep station that basically acts as a sous chef. Here, designer Corine Maggio of CM Natural Designs placed necessities like a cutting board, cooking utensils, and copper cookware within reach for an easier way to whip up weeknight chicken and rice.

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Style a Bowl of Blooms

A vase of blooms is great&#;but a bowl is even better. This unique floral arrangement, seen here in a moody space by Becky Shea Design, works to take up even more real estate than a traditional vase, making it a great option if you have a big swath of countertop to fill. You&#;ll want to choose a fluffy and full bloom for this treatment, like dried or fresh hydrangea, which will hold their shape when placed on their side.

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Create a Collection of Vintage Finds

Just like a bookshelf or cabinet of curiosities, your kitchen countertops can be a great place to display a collection of vintage treasures that are begging for their moment in the spotlight. In this home by Hearth Home Interiors, an assortment of unique finds&#;including a bread bowl, ceramic vessel, primitive wood mashers, and antique hand broom&#;get the attention they deserve.

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Display Farmer&#;s Market Finds

Ever walk around a farmer&#;s market and realize just how enticing the displays of produce are? Bottle that same fresh-from-the-farm feeling in your own home by styling vibrant veggies atop your counter, like the scene here designed by Mendelson Group. Colorful picks like tomatoes, carrots, beets, and peppers don&#;t require refrigeration and make for a beautiful (and vibrant) display. 

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Pay Tribute to a Delicious Hobby

At the end of the day, the design of your kitchen (and any room in your home) should pay tribute to your unique tastes and hobbies&#;and said hobbies are a great jumping-off point when dreaming up how to style your kitchen countertops. In this Mendelson Group project, a duo of workhorse islands is decked out with extras any home baker would appreciate, including an assortment of wooden rolling pins and an oversized basket of baguettes (we&#;ll take two!).

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Lean Into Your Artsy Side

While your kitchen may not be the first place you think to place a beloved piece of art, it&#;s a room that could benefit the most from that type of decorative touch. Instead of worrying about drilling holes into your artfully arranged tile backsplash, skip the nails altogether in favor of leaning a painting or sketch atop your counter. Bonus: No nails make it easier to swap out (or clean off splatters of sauce).

Remember that this space can quickly become cluttered, so keep your vision clear and concise. Here, we've gathered our best ideas for kitchen counter decor.

If you've never thought much about your kitchen counter decor, we're here to change that. Choosing the correct elements &#;whether handy, decorative, or a combination&#;can add some much-needed personality to the space that arguably is the most used in your home . It's where friends and family gather, where morning conversations are had, and midnight snacks are enjoyed, but it can also be a place to showcase your personality.

Corral a Collection

Adam Albright

Use your countertops to house your culinary collections&#;whether cookbooks, cutting boards, or platters leaned against the backsplash for display. Handed-down wooden spoons, a stack of collected dishes, and etched drinking glasses on a small tray can also provide a moment of interest or conversation when guests gather in the kitchen. Refer to the less-is-more mentality so your kitchen counter decor doesn't add clutter.

Bring Nature In

Consider adding a dose of the great outdoors in a space where we spend so much time. Go with cut branches or dried flowers if you want all the glory and (almost) none of the work of a bouquet. They'll last far longer than their flowery counterparts. Tall branches make a statement on an island, but shorter stems can be just as pretty if used as kitchen counter decor below open shelving or cabinetry.

Limit Your Color Palette

Edmund Barr

Keep the palette to two or three colors to ensure a small kitchen doesn't get too busy. If kitchen counter decor creates a monotone effect, it will keep the space from looking fussy or chaotic. Group similar-hued items together for an even tidier look. Here, a pop of green works as a secondary color, adding just a splash of color this kitchen needs to make a statement.

Make It Minimal

Varying countertop surfaces provide visual interest and can warm up a kitchen in a flash&#;no preheating needed. When mixing countertop materials, keeping the rest of the kitchen counter decor minimal will keep the focus from getting lost or hidden behind the little details. The same can be said if you have one countertop material throughout your space but prefer for it to be the statement maker. Thinking about where you want the eye to fall when entering the kitchen can help inform your countertop decor.

Create a Coffee Station

Shaun Sullivan

Make your countertops more efficient with a coffee or beverage station. With your essentials at the ready, your mornings will be a breeze. To keep cups or mugs from looking haphazard, corral them on a small tray so the arrangement looks intentional. Add a sugar bowl, a small box of tea bags, or other accouterments if space allows. If not, place them in a cabinet just above the countertop for easy grab-and-go access without taking up valuable countertop real estate.

Decorate Above Countertops

James Nathan Schroder

Keeping your countertops clean isn't just about a nightly tidy-up&#;it's about utilizing what's above and below, too, because we all know there's no such thing as too much storage in the kitchen. If you have open shelves, be sure the arrangements are well thought-out. Arrange section by section, stepping back between each vignette to check that they work well together and aren't too busy. Ensure your countertops have thoughtful decor to prevent the space from looking too packed.

Bring in Color

Kim Cornelison

If your kitchen color palette features neutral or earth-tone shades, use kitchen counter decor to bring in a burst of color. Flowers, fruit, and autumnal branches all fit the bill and are easy to swap out should you decide to play up another color.

Earth-Tone Paint Colors Recommended by the Pros

Indulge Your Green Thumb

Kritsada Panichgul

A kitchen herb garden plays double duty. It brings a lively bit of green into the space while keeping these essential ingredients right where you want them&#;front and center. As long as you have adequate light and keep up with their care, there's no reason you can't have a countertop herb garden that thrives all year long. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for that glorious porch container of basil that positively withered away at the first sign of frost.

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