The kitchen is one of the most lived-in rooms in a home. As such, it deserves special attention when decorating to make it aesthetically pleasing and reflective of your personal style. Artwork is a great way to add visual interest, color, and personality to your kitchen. With so many options – from paintings and prints to three-dimensional pieces and wall decals – the possibilities for kitchen artwork are endless. Read on for creative and inspiring kitchen artwork ideas to give your culinary space a fresh new look.

Vibrant Gallery Walls

One of the most popular kitchen artwork concepts is the gallery wall – gathering multiple pieces and displaying them salon-style on one wall. The kitchen is a great place for a gallery wall showcasing food photography or your favorite art prints. When styling your kitchen gallery, opt for a vibrant color theme, like primary colors or complementary hues. Mix and match canvas prints, metal signs, floating frames and wall shelves to create depth and visual interest. Display bright images of fruits, vegetables, baked goods or cooking scenes for an on-theme kitchen art gallery.

Black & White Photography

For a touch of timeless elegance, adorn your kitchen walls with stunning black and white photography. Stylish black and white images of food, kitchenware or drinkware make refined and classic kitchen art. Go for black and white photos depicting markets, cafes, restaurants or vineyards for a dash of wanderlust. Opt for large-scale prints in simple black frames or canvas prints for bold impact. Group clustered floating frames of varying sizes to build your own black and white photography gallery.

Watercolor Artwork

Delicate, dreamy watercolor artwork brings a soft and soothing aesthetic to the kitchen. Choose tranquil landscapes or floral designs in muted tones to contrast all the hard surfaces in the kitchen. Pick watercolor prints featuring fruits and vegetables for a fitting theme. Another option is to commission a custom watercolor piece depicting your home or family for a personal touch. Display your watercolor kitchen art in thin wood frames or clip frames with white mats for a light and airy look.

Botanical & Floral Prints

Bring the beauty of nature into the heart of your home with floral and botanical artwork. Vintage-inspired botanical prints depicting herbs, vegetables and wildflowers make excellent kitchen wall art. You can also opt for colorful floral designs like wreaths, bouquets or single blooms. For a quaint farmhouse vibe, frame pressed botanicals like leaves, ferns or flowers. Group your botanical and floral prints together in a cohesive display or scatter them randomly across the kitchen walls.

Fruit & Vegetable Prints

Celebrate the colors, shapes and textures of fruits and vegetables through graphic art prints. From pomegranates to artichokes, carrots to watermelons, options for fruit and veggie art are endless. Seek graphic prints with brilliant colors, contours and close-up details to add visual energy to your kitchen walls. For a coordinated display, combine various fruit and vegetable prints in matching frames or with similar color palettes. Play up the bright colors with white frames and mats for added pop.

Wall Decals

For affordable and removable kitchen wall decor, choose wall decals featuring charming iconography. Opt for fruit, vegetable or herb silhouette decals to embellish a blank wall. Dainty decals of cooking tools like rolling pins, tea cups, blenders and stand mixers add cheery personality. For a focal point, install a backsplash decal behind the kitchen sink or stove. When choosing wall decals, consider colors that complement your existing kitchen decor. Install clusters of coordinating vinyl decals to develop a delightful vignette.

Rustic Wood Signs

Impart a warm, welcoming vibe in your kitchen with rustic wood signs bearing charming messages. Select signs made from salvaged barn wood, cedar planks or distressed pine boards. Display short inspirational quotes about food, cooking or family for meaningful decor. Funny food-related quotes and puns also make playful kitchen signs. Paint or stencil your signs with phrases like “Live, Laugh, Love Bread” or “I Knead Coffee”. You can also opt for signs listing the names of your favorite recipes or ingredients.

Vintage Tin Signs

For old-fashioned Americana character, decorate empty kitchen wall spaces with vintage-style tin signs. Opt for reproductions of antique advertisements, food crate labels or soda logos. Display tin signs touting retro brands like Coca Cola, Borden’s Milk or Folgers Coffee. Seek signs with quaint illustrations of pies, eggs, bacon or biscuits for added charm. Mount your vintage tin signs on painted shiplap, weathered barn board or brick backsplashes for rustic appeal.

Cookbook Shelves

Give cookbooks decorative display and easy access by mounting open shelves or book ledges on kitchen walls. Fill your shelving with a stylish array of new and vintage cookbooks. Intersperse your books with bookends, bins and baskets to corral recipe cards, cooking utensils and pantry items. For added visual interest, accessorize shelves with potted herbs, servingware, framed photos or colorful glassware. Cookbook shelves make excellent use of vertical wall space while providing functional kitchen storage and organization.

Wall Mounted Pot Racks

Clear up precious countertop space and highlight your stylish cookware collection with wall mounted pot racks. Choose from a myriad of options including hanging racks, rail systems, multi-level racks and magnetic strips. Opt for materials like antique copper, black wrought iron, industrial steel or natural wood. Mount your pot rack above the stove for quick access while cooking. Coordinate your pot rack finish with existing hardware and fixtures for a cohesive look. Use S-hooks to hang pots, pans and ladles within easy reach.

Open Shelving

Maximize storage and inject sleek style with the installation of open shelving in place of upper cabinets. The breezy, airy look of open shelving fits right in with modern and minimalist kitchen designs. Mix, match and style your open shelves with a combination of baskets, bins, vessels, books and barware. When styling open shelving, maintain a cohesive color theme and edit your displays regularly so they don’t become cluttered. For a lighter look, opt for thin floating shelves mounted at varying heights.

Magnetic Knife Strips

Safely store, display and organize kitchen knives on convenient magnetic knife strips. Mount directly to the wall or attach to existing shelving for easy access near the prep and cook space. Opt for wood, stainless steel, aluminum or acrylic magnetic strips to complement your decor. Arrange knives by size or keep knife sets together for a tidy look. Magnetic strips help prevent damage to blade edges while providing decorative open storage options. For safety, install the strip out of reach of small children.

Framed Sheet Music

Inject musical flair into your kitchen decor with framed sheet music pages. Seek out vintage sheet music covers depicting food illustrations or punny food titles for fitting kitchen art. Frame the front covers of musical scores like “Hot Tomato Rag”, “Kitchen Mechanic’s Daughter” or “Cornsilk & Custard Pie”. For homemade art, frame the sheet music of favorite cooking or dining songs. Arrange matching frames in a row or cluster for an eclectic music collage.

Framed Vintage Recipes

Display slices of culinary history with framed vintage recipes. Source vintage cookbooks, magazines and handwritten recipe cards. Choose recipes that reflect family traditions, heritage cuisines or nostalgic dishes. Frame the recipe with the photograph or illustration for added interest. For personalized art, frame old family recipes written in your grandma’s handwriting. Group similarly themed vintage recipes in matching frames for a sentimental kitchen gallery wall.

Novelty Wall Clocks

Inject extra personality into your kitchen with novelty wall clocks featuring food imagery or funny food-related phrases. Clocks modeled after foods like donuts, cookies, pizza and popcorn make for playful and modern decor. Display retro-style clocks with clever cooking quips like “Time to Wine Down” or “You’re on a Donut Time”. Opt for bright, colorful novelty clocks to contrast neutral kitchen walls. Place clocks high on the wall above eye level so they are visible from anywhere in the kitchen.

Paintings & Original Art

Trade manufactured art for one-of-a-kind paintings and original artwork to give your kitchen a custom look. Support local artists by investing in an original still life painting depicting fruit, flowers or food. Another option is to commission a local artist to create a custom painting capturing your family and home. For budget-friendly original art, frame your kids’ colorful food drawings and paintings. The fridge is also a great “gallery” space to showcase your little ones’ culinary masterpieces!

Chalkboard Paint

Transform a blank kitchen wall into a practical hub for messages, menus and memos with chalkboard paint. Use chalkboard paint to create an entire wall-sized chalkboard or just paint a section for a built-in frame. Keep chalk and an eraser handy so family members can scribble grocery lists, weekly menus or uplifting quotes. Get creative and use liquid chalk pens to draw shapes, patterns or illustrations. Change up your chalkboard art whenever inspiration strikes!

Wall Mosaic

Construct a stunning mosaic on your kitchen wall for an artistic focal point. Utilize recycled materials like broken china, ceramic tiles or glass bottles in shades of white, blue and green for a kitchen-inspired palette. Shape and glue the shards in an abstract design or geometric pattern on a plywood base mounted to the wall. A food-themed mosaic featuring fruits, vegetables or herbs is also a unique option for kitchen wall art. Add glass tile accents and decorative grout lines to finish the installation.

Plate Display

Turn collections of vintage china and porcelain plates into dazzling art installations. Mount plates on the wall creatively using plate hangers. Build geometric patterns by hanging plates in alternating directions. Or, create flowing organic designs by staggering plates at various heights. Group plates by color, pattern or theme for different looks. Accent with plates and saucers in contrasting styles, colors and sizes. Plate displays add both visual interest and nostalgic charm to kitchen walls.

Kitchen Utensil Art

Upcycle old kitchen utensils like spatulas, spoons, whisks and ladles into artsy wall art. Arrange the utensils into geometric patterns, lines or waves using screws or strong adhesive. Spray paint the utensils in coordinating colors like all white, metallic or primary shades. For a rustic vibe, use vintage wood-handled utensils and display in a random pattern. Kitchen utensil art adds personality and one-of-a-kind style using common household items.

Kitchen Artwork Ideas FAQs

What are some budget friendly kitchen wall art ideas?

Some budget-friendly kitchen wall art ideas include:

Frame kids’ art – Display your children’s colorful drawings and paintings of food or your family cooking together. The fridge is also great for showcasing your little ones’ culinary creations.
Wall decals – Vinyl wall decals come in a variety of food themes and are inexpensive plus easy to install. Create a fun vignette clustering related decals.
Tin can art – Reuse old tin cans by spray painting them brightly and using them as vessels for holding utensils on a shelf or wall. Arrange them decoratively for an industrial vibe.
Framed food packaging – Frame colorful labels from tea tins, chocolate bars, soda bottles, etc for a playful pop art feel.
Floating shelves – Add inexpensive floating shelves from IKEA and use them to display pretty cookbooks, vintage kitchenware and potted herbs.

How do you decorate a kitchen wall with no windows?

Some ways to decorate a kitchen wall with no windows include:

Gallery wall – Fill the blank wall with a salon-style gallery display of framed art prints, paintings, photographs or wall shelves holding decorative objects.
Mural – Paint a fun trompe l’oeil mural depicting windows, built-in shelving, trees or whatever matches your kitchen’s style.
Mason jar art – Arrange wire shelving and use it to hold clusters of mason jars filled with dried beans, pasta, herbs and spices to add color and texture.
Wallpaper accent wall – Choose a vibrant, colorful wallpaper print to add visual interest to the windowless wall. Try botanical, floral, fruit or food themes.
Open shelving – Maximize storage and style by removing upper cabinets and adding sleek open shelving to show off decorative dishware.

What type of art is good for a kitchen?

Some best types of art for the kitchen include:

Food photography – Vibrant photos of ingredients, prepared foods and table settings make fitting kitchen art. Try black and white food photos for a classic look.
Botanical and floral – Prints of herbs, vegetables, fruits, flowers and plants bring natural beauty to the kitchen walls.
Watercolor – Delicate, muted watercolor artwork depicts peaceful landscapes and flowers for a serene vibe.
Vintage signs – Replica tin advertisements, crate labels, and retro brand signs provide nostalgic charm.
Framed recipes or sheet music – Sentimental framed recipes, sheet music covers and book jackets relate to cooking and dining.
Original still life paintings – Custom still life paintings and drawings featuring food, flowers, fruit bring a personal touch.
Wall decals – Removable vinyl wall decals in food shapes, cooking tools or motivational quotes allow you to refresh regularly.

How do you decorate the wall behind the kitchen sink?

Some creative ways to decorate the wall behind the kitchen sink include:

Backsplash mural or accent tile – Install colorful mosaic tile, hand-painted tile or metallic tile in the backsplash area for visual impact.
Framed window – Add artwork that mimics a window frame with shutters and a view of a cheery garden scene to make the area feel bright and airy.
Plate display – Hang an artful arrangement of different sized and colored vintage plates.
Floating shelves – Mount floating shelves and style with plants, decorative bottles and kitchen towels.
Paint an accent wall – Paint the wall behind the sink a bold, dramatic color like navy blue, emerald green or tomato red.
Wall mounted pot rack – Install wall mounted racks or rails to hold copper pots and pans within reach above the sink.
Chalkboard wall – Paint a section of the wall with chalkboard paint for scribbling notes and drawings.

What should you not hang in the kitchen?

Some things to avoid hanging in the kitchen include:

Valuable fine art – The humidity, steam, splatters and traffic take a toll, so the kitchen is not ideal for displaying your most prized masterpiece paintings or prints.
Heavy mirrors – Large, heavy mirrors should be avoided above sinks or stoves where heat and steam may cause fogging and damage.
Non-laminated paper – Uncoated artwork and paper prints will deteriorate quickly. Use laminated or framed prints only.
Anything located above the stove – Heat, condensation and splattering oil can damage art hung directly above cooking surfaces.
Small, delicate pieces – The kitchen’s high traffic makes it easy to knock down and break small, fragile wall hangings like sconces or plates.

What colors make a kitchen look bigger?

Some colors that can help make a small kitchen look bigger and brighter include:

White – White reflective surfaces will maximize light and the feeling of openness. Use white on walls, cabinetry, and decor accents.
Soft yellow – Warm, pale yellow tones keep things bright but not overpowering. Adding white trim prevents yellow from feeling too dark.
Light blue – Serene, airy light blues like sky blue or baby blue give the illusion of more space.
Green – Sage green or soft mint green evoke nature and openness. Pair with white for crispness.
Beige – Neutral beige is lighter than tan and can make a small kitchen feel airier.

Conclusion

The kitchen is probably the most used and lived-in room of a home. As the heart of the home, it deserves special attention when decorating and styling. Artwork is an excellent and diverse way to add visual interest, color, warmth and personality to your kitchen walls. Whether you opt for a vibrant gallery wall display, stunning nature-inspired prints, or handmade original art, there are so many possibilities. Use a combination of artwork, shelving, novelty wall clocks, utensil art and more to give your kitchen walls fresh decorative flair. With a little creativity you can take your kitchen from boring to beautiful!

Kitchen Artwork Ideas: Creative & Inspiring Artworks