An apartment kitchen are more than a location where you can find yourself boiling pasta for dinner. An apartment kitchen can be the location where the tone for your entire life is established. When the apartment kitchen are cramped or dated, it can give individuals a sense of irritation with every meal they prepare.
However, if you choose the decor for your apartment kitchen wise, it can become a place that you enjoy being in the most. The differences between an apartment kitchen and a more spacious kitchen do not typically come from spending more money in the kitchen. The differences typically come from the fact that there is less square footage in the kitchen in which the apartment décor have to work.
There are three distinct problem that an apartment kitchen has to overcome. Firstly, the kitchen may have limited space for countertops. Secondly, there may be a need to not make any changes to the apartment structure.
Finally, the décor has to be some that is personal and individual to the individual who owns that apartment. The ideas listed below can solve each of these three problems. Each solution will be presented with a discussion of the reasons for its inclusion in this list, the time when it works best for the apartment kitchen, and the tradeoffs that must be made when selecting this decor idea for its kitchen.
Smart Ways To Decorate Your Apartment Kitchen
1. Open Shelving
Using open shelving instead of upper kitchen cabinets will change the personality of an apartment kitchen with dated or small kitchens. By painting the brackets that support the shelves to the same color as the walls of the kitchen, the shelves will appear as if they are floating into the kitchen. This will make the apartment kitchen feel taller.
Use this décor for the dishes that you already own in matching sets. Using matching sets will make the decor look intentional in the kitchen. The tradeoff for using open shelving is that the shelves must be dust.
However, simply wiping the counters weekly will be enough to ensure that the countertops of the kitchen remain sparklingly clean. Another of the most popular décor choices for an apartment kitchen is to use a backsplash. Backsplashes can be done with peel and stick tiles in a classic subway tile pattern to provide the look of a kitchen renovation without any changes to the apartment.
2. Peel and Stick Backsplash
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/40884309112498663/
Additionally, darker colored backsplash tiles will help to highlight the color of the countertops. For example, matte black or deep emerald green backsplash tiles will highlight the countertops if they are white. However, if the kitchen windows faces the north side of the apartment, then the glossy white backsplash will help to brighten the area of the kitchen.
The backsplash will be durable to kitchen splatters but will come off the wall when the tenant move out of the apartment. This is why a backsplash is one of the top choice for apartment kitchen décor. Swapping the standard lighting in an apartment kitchen will make it feel less sterile and more welcoming.
3. Pendant Lighting
Instead of using the standard ceiling lights, a pendant light with a fabric shade can be placed into the kitchen. Position the pendant light so that it lights the counter but does not come into contact with your head when you are in the kitchen. The soft light will make chopping onions a less irritating chore.
If ceiling hooks are not allowed in the apartment, then using a tall cordless desk lamp will provide the same lighting for the counter without any installation. Using a runner rug in the kitchen will not only define the kitchen’s main workspace but also provide some acoustic benefit for the small kitchen. A flat weave rug with a pattern that hides crumbs will do best in the kitchen.
4. Runner Rugs
Geometric designs or stripes will make the kitchen look less cluttered. The rug will allow the individual to visually focus on each corner of the kitchen instead of each of the room’s corner. Additionally, the rug can be machine washed to survive spills from wine and other kitchen liquids.
By simply rolling the rug up, the individual can vacuum it without too much effort. Using removable wallpaper on the kitchen cabinets will add a touch of personality to the apartment that does not require any changes to the tenant’s structure. Additionally, using wallpaper that has a solid grass cloth texture will adhere to the doors and be removable without leaving any residue behind.
5. Removable Wallpaper
Deep navy and terracotta colors will appear to be more expensive in the small kitchen. By leaving the remaining walls in the kitchen as a bright white or light gray color, the kitchen will focus on the cabinets instead of the walls. Using this décor for the lower portion of the kitchen cabinets will work best and allow the upper cabinets to remain in their neutral colors to allow the kitchen to not look too overwhelming to the individual.
For an apartment kitchen where every inch is on display, the styling of the countertops is essential. Use odd number of items for each counter island or table. Use trays to separate the items on the countertops.
6. Countertop Styling
For example, placing a wooden cutting board, a ceramic utensil holder, and a herb plant will create a visual of a well-styled kitchen. Use clear glass jars for items like rice and beans to allow the individual to see the contents of the kitchen. The clear glass will not add to the visual noise of the kitchen.
Using vertical storage in the kitchen will allow the individual to make the most of their kitchen real estate. For example, using a magnetic strip for kitchen knives will keep the knives off of the countertops while also allowing them to be within reach when they are needed. Using floating shelves next to the refrigerator will allow room for cookbooks to stay on the countertop.
7. Vertical Storage Solutions
Additionally, using over-the-door racks on the pantry doors will allow room to organize spices so that the individual will not have to purchase duplicate of the kitchen spices. Using mirrors in the kitchen will provide the same benefits as placing mirrors in a restaurant. For example, placing a slim-framed mirror opposite one of the windows will allow the individual to reflect the light from the window into the kitchen.
8. Mirrors
This will make the kitchen appear almost twice as wide. Additionally, the reflective quality of the mirror will allow the individual to double the visual impact of greenery or other colorful dishes on the opposite counter. This mirror will be especially helpful for individuals who live in studio apartments with small kitchens.
One way to add life to the apartment kitchen without using much of the kitchen’s space is to add plants. Using hanging planters for succulents or other herbs in the kitchen will allow the individual to use the space above the sink. Additionally, succulents and pothos are herbs that will thrive in the typical humidity and light of the kitchen.
9. Plants
The herbs will add life and scent to the kitchen. However, some plant varieties will require more water than others. Therefore, the individual should consider which kitchen plants require less water before adding them to the apartment.
Using art that matches the size of the apartment will allow the individual to avoid the temptation to purchase a large piece of art that will make the kitchen appear even smaller. For example, three small prints can be used on the wall above the sink or one long vertical art print can be hung on one of the narrow kitchen walls beside the fridge. Additionally, abstract art will not compete too much with the remainder of the kitchen’s décor.
10. Art
Finally, using art in the kitchen will make it feel like a collected space instead of a decorated space. This is one of the differences between the best kitchens and those that merely appear nice to the individual who enters the kitchen. Using layers of different textures in the kitchen will give the individual a more dimensional kitchen even with the basic finishes of the kitchen’s appliances.
11. Textured Accents
Using a woven kitchen basket or a wooden fruit bowl will add both visual and tactile interest to the kitchen. Additionally, these items will help to absorb the sound reflections from the kitchen that are typically created by the refrigerator. Given how quiet an apartment kitchen can be, sound absorption will be a helpful benefit to the tenant.
The combination of textures will give the kitchen a deeper dimension than either of the textures alone. Finally, the level of organization within the kitchen will determine whether the décor choices for an apartment kitchen will survive the individual’s use of the kitchen. For example, using clear bins and drawer organizers will help to keep each kitchen tool in its proper place so that the counters in the kitchen will not become cluttered.
12. Organization Tools
When the kitchen is organized, the individual will be able to properly use the open shelves and backsplash in the kitchen. This level of invisible organization is what allows the individual to focus on decorating the kitchen. An apartment kitchen does not have to be large to include all of these décor choices.
However, an apartment kitchen does have to be considered with each of these solutions. Two or three of these ideas will help to solve the individual’s specific problems with the apartment kitchen. As the individual gradually incorporates these ideas into their kitchen, they will find that it has developed into a place where their friends gather.
The best kitchens, regardless of size, are those where the individual who lives in the kitchen cares enough to make each moment in the kitchen feel more nicer than it would otherwise be. Start with these ideas for the kitchen décor for your apartment, and the remainder of the kitchen will naturally follow.
