You can have art in your kitchen, for instance, but probably not large pieces due to the spatter hazards of cooking and the humidity sometimes associated with that space and any art hanging there.

Start with a central theme and colour scheme for your kitchen, and add accents such as the colours of your bar stools, art and decorative accessories for a compositionally harmonious feel.

Bring Nature Into Your Space

There are also plenty of easy ways to incorporate nature into your surroundings. For instance, plants: from the herbs on your windowsill and the lemon or lime trees in pots, to hanging glass terrariums in which you can display plants within the four walls of your home, where you might have limited access to nature otherwise. Plants, ultimately, not only bring beauty, but they also enhance air quality.

If you aren’t ready to move plants into the kitchen, add decor made from natural materials or that focuses on nature subjects such as the outdoors or the earth – as in ceramics modelled to resemble plants or natural patterns, decorative fibre baskets or animal-themed wall art. Photo by Alys TomlinsonAnother easy path to bringing nature in is natural stone on the backsplash.

If you have windowed kitchen walls, landscape artworks, whether views of trees or water, will look great surrounded by curtains and visible through the windows. If you decide to hang supermarket prints in a kitchen, make sure you go for framed works and coordinate the frames for a coherent impression. Anyhow, pay attention to the rule of two: pair prints for a more convincing impression.

Open Shelving

Shelves offer the opportunity to display décor and collectibles as art. Show off vintage Pyrex or an assortment of china plates. India prints and model ships also fit well with the decorative scheme of a kitchen. Display collections of cookbooks or other quirky treasures.

And add pieces of travel-inspired art that personalise the kitchen and provide conversation starters when you have houseguests.

Open shelving, on the other hand, might not be suitable as a principal design feature of a kitchen, because of the high level of upkeep it involves; add this design element on demand only if you feel you are willing to dust and wipe down your kitchen items regularly. Moreover, when you are designing your kitchen, make sure open shelves suit your lifestyle and the way you live everyday with your family.

Statement Wall

The kitchen design can also make space for a splash of colour with an accent wall or larger-scale effects with a painted mural – either should also fit your kitchen’s overriding theme.

Colour grows over a space. It wraps and knits all of the elements of a space together. It plays up texture, line and shape. It creates cohesiveness visually and focuses attention where you want it to go. Some colours, like monochromatic shades, are quiet. Others, like complimentary pairings, are loud. But either way they make a space appear larger or smaller; lighter or darker; brighter or duller.

A demonstration of your personality and mode is another trendy kitchen art ideas to show off you other than hanging dams, unframed prints. The kitchen decorative essentials like hanging decorative chopping boards, decorative spoon stand and utensil holders also make beautiful artwork and go artistic while pretending to serve a purpose too.

Blind Corner Cabinets

Adopting a blind corner cabinet into your kitchen is a great way to make good use of what would otherwise be unusable corner space and to add another element of visual interest that will help define your space. Complimentary to the corner kitchen feature is the now rather basic yet still useful ‘lazy susan’ cabinet, or lazy corner cupboard as they are oftentimes labelled.

One easy way to get into a lazy Susan corner cabinet and make it more wheelchair accessible is to install a sliding drawer as a storage solution; it pulls out like any drawer, and offers an easy way to supplement lazy Susan’s functionality almost instantly.

Installing a cabinet carousel is another fix for blind corners that just don’t work well. They are like a lazy Susan, but with the benefit of a revolving tray on which you can grab your items. You can find the style that suits your kitchen best.

Large Metal Pieces

Introduce some metallic flair to your kitchen by incorporating some sculptural light fixtures or wall hangings – the more metal the better. Mixed metals will add eclectic chic to a room while you play with brushed, hammered or polished finishes.

A piece of abstract art can give a stunning focal point in your kitchen, and add vital colour to your life. Just be careful not to hang it over or near the stove: steam is a notorious enemy of these appliances, and can cause slow damage over time.

Accessorise, or use ornaments, in small doses to personalise your kitchen with artisanal elements – an art piece on the wall, a chair, a ceramic, boutique table or anything that works. You can boost your own sense of individuality and personal taste in the kitchen without breaking the bank, and without needing a giant painting to make a statement.