The kitchen is often called the heart of the home, yet as a working room it is easily overlooked as a place for pictures. A little art brings it warmth and personality.
Kitchen art has to be practical as well as good-looking. It must suit the design of the room, and it must stand up to moisture, heat and cooking smells. Paintings, prints, ceramics and small sculptures can all work. Choose pieces that say something about you.
The kitchen as a place for art
Kitchens are no longer purely functional, and that has made room for art. The difficulty is wall space, most of which is taken by cupboards and appliances. Smaller pieces, or a set of related ones, make the best use of what is left.
Choose things that will last. Steam, heat and splashes are part of kitchen life. Ceramics and glass are untroubled by them, and framed pictures should be behind glass. Keep everything a safe distance from the hob, the sink and the kettle.
There are four good places to look:
- A feature wall. Give one wall, away from the cooking, to your pictures. It becomes the focal point of the room.
- Open shelves. Stand a framed print or two among the jars and crockery.
- The spaces between. A narrow strip of wall between cupboards or appliances will take a small picture.
- Above the cupboards. This space is usually empty. A larger piece there adds height and depth, if there is room for it to be seen.
Choosing the artwork
Style
Choose a style that goes with the kitchen you have. Think about what you are drawn to, whether paintings, prints, photographs or a mixture, and look for pieces with character that do not clash with the room.
Scale and symmetry
Work with the size of the room. A large kitchen may suit one big piece, perhaps a small picture in an oversized mount, as a centrepiece. A small one may be better with a neat symmetrical set or a carefully arranged group.
Colour and texture
Look at the colours and surfaces already in the kitchen. Graphic prints and bold contemporary art add spots of colour that draw the eye and tie the room together. Different textures add depth.
Theme
A theme helps you choose and gives a polished result. It might be a subject, such as food, herbs or the countryside, or a style, such as abstracts or black and white photographs.
A kitchen gallery wall
Plan it
Decide which pictures to include, and the size and orientation of each. Think about where the wall is seen from, and build the arrangement around a central piece or theme. Try the layout on the floor or with paper templates before you commit.
Choose the frames and mounts
Matching frames look neat and ordered. Mixed styles and colours add personality. An oversized mount gives a small picture importance. Use good materials that will protect the art.
Try a cluster
As an alternative to a straight row, group pictures closely to make a single focal point. A cluster lets you mix sizes, and mix photographs with paintings and graphic prints. Balance the colours so that no part dominates, and leave enough space between pieces for each to be seen. Make sure the group sits comfortably with the furniture and fittings around it.
Other artistic touches
- A chalkboard wall. Somewhere for notes, shopping lists and recipes, and for drawing. It is practical and full of charm.
- A view. A picture window or glazed doors make the garden part of the decoration, and bring in light.
- A mixed display. Framed photographs, prints and an original painting or two, hung together, reflect your taste and give visitors something to talk about.
Art near appliances
Art near the fridge, the oven or the dishwasher makes cooking more enjoyable, but it needs care.
- Keep clear of heat. Do not hang pictures above or beside the hob, where heat, steam and grease are worst, or anywhere they could be a hazard while you cook.
- Choose wipeable pieces. Anything near the cooking should be easy to clean.
- Suit the size of the kitchen. In a small kitchen, choose small pieces. Magnetic frames on the fridge door are a neat answer.
- Use the bigger walls. In a large kitchen, a wall near the appliances can carry display shelves or a gallery wall.
Have fun with it, and make the kitchen a room that reflects you.
EasyFrame offers a wide range of made-to-measure frames, and with long experience we can advise on the perfect frame for your artwork. Call us on 01234 856 501 or email sales@easyframe.co.uk. We are always happy to talk, whether or not you want to buy.