14 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid When Picking Kitchen Decor

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Decorating your kitchen can help bring it to life. It not only will allow you to create a welcoming environment when entertaining guests, but will also make the space more enjoyable for yourself and the others in your home. And, when you consider how much time you spend cooking meals, washing dishes, and cleaning, it is easy to see why you should want to have a kitchen that makes you happy.

However, while decorating your kitchen is something you should do, the task isn't as easy or straightforward as you may think. Unfortunately, there are several mistakes that people commonly make when picking decor for their kitchens. And, these mistakes can have devastating consequences. The wrong pieces can make the space look cluttered or even chaotic. They may also fail to help you achieve a cohesive look. And, if you're not careful, your decor choices could even impact the flow or overall functionality of the room. To help you avoid such catastrophes, we've put together a list of some of the biggest mistakes people make when choosing kitchen decor. Reading through these common errors should help you learn what to avoid to ensure that your kitchen's decor is on point and helps you achieve the look you desire.

One of the biggest mistakes you'll want to avoid when decorating your kitchen is making the countertops feel overly cluttered. While you may find several pieces that you love — and that even coordinate well and match your design vision — if they add too much clutter to the countertops, they won't end up actually supporting your goals. While you can certainly use your countertops to display a few decor pieces, it is essential to remember that you also need to keep the space accessible for preparing meals, laying out lunches, and drying dishes.

Overly cluttered countertops can also make your kitchen look chaotic and disorganized. Moreover, when you need to clean the countertops — which should be a frequent task in the room where you cook food — you'll have even more items to move out of the way. Instead, limit the number of decorative pieces you place on your countertops. You should also avoid adding any decor items that are so bulky that they'll consume a large portion of the space.

When choosing decor accents for your kitchen, don't make the mistake of choosing anything that is going to be difficult to clean. When you think about all that goes on in a kitchen, you should be prepared for any of your decorations to get splattered by spaghetti sauce or hot oil, dusted with flour or powdered sugar, or wet from spilled milk, water, or juice. If the items you choose are not made from materials that are easy to clean, you're only setting yourself up for frustration. Imagine trying to get splattered spaghetti sauce off of a piece of white lace or trying to remove powdered sugar from a wicker basket. You'll either spend too much of your time doing a detailed cleaning job or end up throwing in the towel and getting rid of the piece.

Instead, look for decor pieces that have a smooth surface or that could be cleaned in the dishwasher or washing machine if they get dirty. This will be especially important for the items you choose to place on the countertops near your stove or where you regularly slice, dice, and chop ingredients.

While it is nice to have a well-decorated kitchen, having one that functions properly is essential. As you're choosing the decorations for the space, it is essential to avoid choosing anything that will have a negative impact on the overall functionality of the space. You need to be able to prepare foods on the countertops, move freely between the stove, sink, and refrigerator, and easily access the pantry, cabinets, and drawers to get at the ingredients or kitchen tools that you need.

For this reason, you must be careful to choose items that will get in your way as you complete necessary tasks in the kitchen. For example, pass on that tall flower arrangement that you'll need to slide out of the way anytime you need to open the cabinet behind it. Similarly, make sure that your decorations aren't consuming needed storage space. Adding a few small accessories to the open shelves in your kitchen can be a good idea, but unless you have an overabundance of cabinet space, you will need to reserve some of the shelving to hold dinnerware, mugs, or other functional pieces.

As you're choosing kitchen decor, don't make the mistake of assuming that the pieces you select can't also be functional. While some items will be purely decorative, there are plenty of options out there that will enhance the aesthetics of your kitchen while also serving a purpose. If all of your selections are solely decorative, you'll likely end up dedicating too much countertop space to them, leaving you with less room to work. However, if you work in some beautiful counter decorations that are actually useful, your kitchen will still look great, but you won't be giving up so much of that precious prep space.

There are many types of functional decor pieces to consider. For example, you could add a patterned dish drying mat next to your sink. Choosing a pattern that matches the overall style of your kitchen will help pull the design together, while still providing you with a spot to dry plates, silverware, and cups. Upgrading your utensil holder is another way that you can add some visual interest to your countertops without adding too much extra clutter. Options such as the Le Tauci Ceramic Kitchen Utensil Holder or Koov Kitchen Utensil Holder could both help you achieve this goal, for example. If you're a regular tea drinker, you could also consider a decorative tea kettle, like the Milvbusiss Cast Iron Teapot, or even an attractive electric model, such as the Evoloop Electric Kettle.

When you're shopping for decorative accents for your kitchen, you shouldn't buy something solely because you like it. If you don't consider the other colors in the kitchen, you could end up creating a serious eyesore. For example, if most of the decor items in your kitchen radiate warmth with their yellow and orange colors, sticking a random blue vase in the middle of them (no matter how much you love it), isn't going to be a good idea. Just as mismatched appliances are a design flaw you might want to fix before selling your home, too many colors or patterns may also bring down the look of the space.

Instead, it is essential to choose pieces that will coordinate with the colors and tones that are already in your kitchen. And, don't forget, the decorative accents you choose aren't the only colors you'll need to consider. You'll also want to avoid clashing with your countertops, backsplash tiles, and even the knobs and pulls on the cabinets and drawers. To avoid creating an overly chaotic look, try to limit the number of colors you integrate into the design to three or four (or even fewer for smaller spaces).

While you don't want to go overboard with tons of different colors in your kitchen, you also don't want to go to the other extreme and decorate with only one color. By choosing to decorate with a single color, your kitchen is likely to look bland, boring, and uninviting. The space will lack visual interest, leaving guests without anywhere to focus their attention.

So, it is essential to strike the right balance when choosing your kitchen decor. Aim to incorporate at least two different colors into the space to help your personality shine through. If you're worried about overdoing it, now is also the time to remember that the more permanent fixtures in the kitchen — such as the countertops and cabinets — also contribute color to the space. Consider choosing one of those colors — such as the blue or silver specks in your countertops — and looking for decor elements that will coordinate with that. For example, you might choose some blue vases or silver candles that match the little flecks in the granite.

If you don't work some trays or baskets into your kitchen decor, you might be making a mistake that you'll end up regretting. Trays and baskets play a crucial role in creating a neat and organized look. Without them, smaller items, including decorative ones like candles and more practical ones like the sponge for the sink, can make the countertops look sloppy and disorganized. Moreover, when you need to clean the counters or move decor out of the way to gain more space when meal prepping or serving food, you have tons of small items to move individually.

When you style with trays and baskets, you solve all of these problems. Grouping the smaller items on the tray helps the layout look more purposeful and less chaotic. Plus, when you do need to clear the counters, you can simply move the entire basket or tray instead of trying to juggle several small pieces. In addition to using long trays and baskets, integrating a few lazy Susans into the layout can also be beneficial. A wooden lazy Susan, such as the Auam 10-Inch Acacia Wood Lazy Susan, is not only an attractive piece, but it can also help corral spices and other smaller cooking supplies, while ensuring that you can easily access them by simply rotating the tray.

As you choose the pieces you want to use to decorate your kitchen countertops, there is one mistake that's easy to make — selecting items that are all around the same height. You might want to add a few candles, bowls, or even decorative vases, but if they are about the same height, it's unlikely that you're going to be satisfied with the result. The problem is that this can make your countertops feel flat and boring. There's nothing that's really going to add some visual interest or catch a person's eye.

Instead, be intentional as you shop and look for a mix of shorter and taller accessories. Doing so will create a more interesting space. It will also help pull the eye up, giving the illusion of a larger space than you actually have.

Just as it will be a mistake to choose decorative accents that all have the same color or height, it will also be a mistake to choose pieces that all have the same texture. When everything in your kitchen has the same texture, the space can feel cold and drab. If you think about it, the bones of the kitchen — the cabinets, countertops, floors, and appliances — all have a relatively similar texture. These materials are often pretty smooth and sleek.

So, integrating texture through your decor choices can go a long way towards breathing some life into the space. Consider wood or woven materials (such as cutting boards, baskets, or trays) as one way to break up that ultra-smooth look. You can also work texture into the space through your window covering selections. Opt for shades that have some character instead of smooth, white vertical blinds.

There are certain elements you'll find in practically every kitchen, such as a faucet, cabinet pulls, and drawer knobs. However, just because these items are integral to the functionality of the space, it doesn't mean that they can't also play a crucial role in helping you achieve your design visions. In fact, overlooking the existing colors and finishes of these components can lead you to creating a less cohesive design.

You have a few choices. If you're happy with your current hardware and fixtures (or don't have the budget to replace them with one of the best kitchen faucets or some new cabinet pulls), work them into your design. Consider their color and finish as you choose other decorative elements. For example, if you have a brushed nickel faucet, you could stick with more cool-toned colors, such as blues and grays for a more coordinated look.

Alternatively, if you have the budget, you might consider swapping out fixtures and hardware to better match your overall design vision. A faucet like the WeWe Kitchen Faucet With Pull-Down Sprayer, for example, could be a good choice for a farmhouse kitchen, while cabinet pulls, such as Ravinte Champagne Bronze 5-inch Square Cabinet Handles, could help you create a more modern space.

Whether you're designing a retro kitchen or an ultra-modern one, the lighting choices you make can either add to — or detract from — the overall look. First, it is essential to consider the overall style and finish of the fixtures to make sure that they complement your design goals. For example, while a crystal chandelier may work in a more formal kitchen, it will seem out of place in a farmhouse style one.

Beyond the style of the fixtures you choose, you will also want to pay attention to the type of lighting you work into the space. Gone are the days when a single overhead light fixture was considered sufficient for a kitchen. With just one fixture, you're more likely to have shadows throughout the space, along with areas where there simply isn't sufficient lighting. Neither of these will benefit the overall design, as you want good lighting to show off your decor selections (beyond obviously needing it to see clearly when prepping food). Instead, opt for a layered approach with a mix of ambient lighting (those overhead fixtures), accent lighting (such as wall sconces and other decorative pieces), and task lighting (under-cabinet lighting to help you see as you work).

While vases, baskets, and candles can certainly help elevate the space of your kitchen, if you stick solely to man-made items, you'll be making a mistake. Don't overlook the benefits of working some natural decor — flowers and plants — into the space. Flowers and plants offer the perfect way to bring the outdoors in, helping to refresh the kitchen.

Introducing greenery to your kitchen, particularly potted plants, will do more than just make the space look nicer. Because they let off oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide from the air, plants can help improve the air quality in your kitchen — a true benefit when you consider all the different food odors and chemicals that are in the space. Moreover, when you incorporate some greenery into the space, you may notice that it has a more calming effect. This is because of the connection between plants and lower levels of stress. To choose the best plants for your kitchen, you'll want to consider how much sunlight is available, where you'll be able to place them, and how much time you're going to realistically have to water and care for them. Succulents and other plants that have minimal watering needs may be a good choice.

There are many kitchen design mistakes to avoid. One that you'll want to be careful to avoid falling victim to is overlooking the open wall space and leaving it blank. Instead, carefully select artwork, decorative accents, or even functional hooks or baskets to put these areas to work towards achieving your design goals. A few of the many ways to take advantage of the wall space are to use it to display a painted canvas, mount a few decorative plates, hang a few decorative mirrors, or even put up a personalized neon sign.

There's one more idea that you'll want to consider. In fact, it is one of Joanna Gaines' decor tricks to make a small kitchen feel way bigger than it actually is. Gaines recommends creating an accent wall by covering it with a graphic wallpaper (you could even try peel-and-stick wallpaper). With an intriguing pattern on a wall, the eye will be tricked into perceiving the space as larger than it really is.

Centering your entire design around a trend (that could be out of style tomorrow) isn't always the best choice. Similarly, if you want to decorate your kitchen for Easter, the Fourth of July, or Christmas, you probably don't want the pieces you choose to stay up all year long. For this reason, it is crucial to consider some temporary decor solutions that can help you keep up with current trends or decorate for a favorite holiday or season without locking yourself into a certain design.

Temporary solutions are precisely what they sound like — decor accents that are easy to change without upending the entire kitchen. For example, you could keep a vase with fresh (or even artificial) flowers and simply rotate the selections to match the season (for example, some tulips for the spring or sunflowers during fall). You can also easily work in trends and the changing seasons through your kitchen towel or dish drying mat solutions. As a final option, consider using peel-and-stick wallpaper to work current design trends into your space. This way, if you either get tired of the look or trends change, you can easily remove it and replace it with something new.