Although our kitchens are predominantly functional spaces, they’re also a wonderful place to showcase artwork that you can enjoy every day.
Choosing art for your kitchen is a relatively new phenomenon, but we think that it’s the perfect place to display beloved work. After all, the kitchen is the beating heart of your home and somewhere that we all spending time cooking, eating and socialising. The art that suits your kitchen will be as personal as the family that inhabits it, but we have some kitchen artwork ideas to help you along the way.
How do I choose kitchen art?
Photo curiosity of My Scandinavian Kitchen
Many of us haven’t considered art for t he kitchen beyond displaying our children’s most prized designs on the front of the fridge. But art in the kitchen can bring fun, personality and a splash of colour to an otherwise utilitarian space with the added bonus of them being seen and enjoyed on a daily basis. Kitchen walls seem an obvious place to display images that reflect the function of the room, such as fruit and vegetable pictures.
Vintage advertisements and packaging make engaging display pieces and work really well in period kitchens. You may not wish to subject the originals to the elements in your kitchen, but you can purchase reproductions and vintage-inspired prints from Etsy.
Art can be used to distinguish between the cooking and dining areas of your kitchen. Inspiration can be found everywhere; why not book a trip to your favourite restaurant in the name of research?
To create a truly personalised kitchen, you may opt to frame and display family heirlooms in your kitchen and dining area. We loved seeing framed handwritten family recipes or pictures of sauce-splattered toddlers overlooking the kitchen counters. We understand that these items may be precious and irreplaceable, so it’s important to make sure they are framed properly and kept out of the way of splashes and spills.
Positioning your kitchen artwork
Photo curiosity of Local Milk
Kitchen wall space is usually prioritised for storage, so you may not have as much space to work with as in other rooms if you want large pictures for kitchen walls. Ideally, pictures are hung so that the middle of the frame is 145cm from the floor, but you may have to be a bit more flexible if you find that space is at a premium. As well as displaying pictures on the walls, you can also add smaller framed prints to open shelving or propped against the tiles on your countertop.
Paintings and prints are sensitive to light, heat and moisture, so bear this in mind when choosing a place for your artwork. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause fading and sun damage. Be careful not to hang work above a hob, radiator, toaster or kettle — or any device which emits heat, or steam, particularly if they are not protected by glass.
If you’re in the early stages of your bespoke kitchen design, it’s an ideal time to discuss layout and the possibility of incorporating art. If you need some guidance in the process, why not contact the team at our Buckingham showroom for a quick chat?