How to style: a kitchen bench
A minimally, beautifully styled kitchen bench will make all the difference to keeping a calm head while cooking.
Looking to give your kitchen bench a bit of a makeover? Here are some of our best tips for kitchen bench styling that will make you proud to throw a dinner party.
Keep your styling practical
Most kitchen benches aren’t very big so you should strive to be as economical as possible with the space. This isn’t a place to put out ornaments – instead, display aesthetically pleasing and practical objects such as chopping boards, knife sets, tea and coffee canisters, or a French press. Only leave the best-looking utensils out on your kitchen counter, and the rest can be hidden away in drawers and cupboards. The enemy of any kitchen bench is clutter.
Mix and match textures
Don’t feel like you have to stay loyal to a particular aesthetic – there is something so satisfying about an eclectic kitchen bench. You can put together a chic marble countertop, warm wooden boards, woven straw baskets, copper utensils, matte black tapware, and antique cabinetry and it can still look highly coordinated! Just in an effortless, casual sort of way.
Display cookbooks
Books make the stylish decor in any room and the kitchen is certainly no exception. Invest in a collection with beautiful cover art, inspiring photography and recipes you’ll actually want to cook. You can lay cookbooks out on the counter, stack them up beside crockery or display the spines on a shelf.
Arrange a bowl of fake fruit
Yes, fake fruit has a reputation for being a touch on the tacky side, but it truly has come in leaps and bounds since the 70s. In fact, these days you could hardly know the difference between a bowl of real lemons and a bowl of plastic ones unless you were to slice into them! Fresh fruit is always best unless you are staging your home or taking photography – in this case, the fake option will never go off, grow unsightly spots or attract fruit flies.
Make use of potted plants
Greenery adds a pop of freshness to a kitchen, and we highly recommend sprucing up your counter with a potted plant or two. Especially for window-side counters that get plenty of sunlight! Grow herbs such as basil, sage, or mint for a kitchen bench accessory that you can also add to your dinner.