Use kitchen accessories to add warmth and character to your room

Find new ideas here to give your kitchen a unique flavor and style

A collection of tin cans backed by a rooster weathervane fills an unused kitchen niche

By careful use of decorative kitchen accessories, the kitchen can be as comfortable, welcoming, and as lovely as every other room in the house. Just because the kitchen is the hardest working room in the home, it doesn't have to be only functional and efficient.

Kitchen Accessories can be decorative as well as functional

Let's face it. Kitchen pots and utensils have a design beauty all their own. Wire whisks, metal spatulas, copper pots, and ceramic beanpots are all pleasant to look at.

Any item in a kitchen can be used as a design statement when displayed in creative ways. Ordinary kitchen utensils can look stunning if they are chosen carefully and grouped into a design picture.

Many times utensils work well together as kitchen accessories because they have a common theme. Some of these joining characteristics could be:

• They are all made of natural materials, such as tin, glass, wood, terra cotta
• They serve the same purpose such as, a rolling pin, flour sifter, antique flour can, measuring cups
• They are unified through color even if they are different shapes, such as a glass display of cranberry or carnival glass
• They are a collection, such as butter molds or a group of mortars and pestles
• They are all in proportion to each other

As an exercise in learning how to use kitchen accessories, try arranging some of the common items you have in your kitchen draws and cabinets just to get the feel of creating a design picture with accessories.

Place items on fabric, decorative trays, serving platters or straw mats. Put an item in, take an item out, go wild, have fun, after all, there is no cost involved and you may be pleasantly surprised what you can accomplish with everyday objects.

When you create something you like, be sure and take a photo of it so that you can remember it and recreate it whenever you wish.

Counters are a natural for displaying kitchen accessories

Below is a list of items you could display on your counter or island top:

• An antique book stand or bible stand holding a beautiful cookbook is a stunning accessory
• A collection of wine, vinegar, and Liqueur bottles handy for cooking placed by the stove top
• Herb vinegars or flavored oils in pressed glass bottles placed where they can reflect the light
• A collection of tin can tea containers along with a teapot, tea ball, and one or two teacups
• Antique candlesticks along with a candle snuffer and wick trimmer

If you haven't been in a kitchenware store lately, take a trip to one and look around. You will be amazed at the variety of baskets.

There are straw baskets, ceramic ones, wire baskets, and fabric ones. There are huge "put on the floor baskets", tiny ones for the window sills, hanging baskets you can use as kitchen wall accessories, and any size you could wish for to put on counter tops and tables.

There are all shapes also. Along with the usual square, round, rectangle, there are long ones and flat ones. There are animal shapes, fruit shapes, and bird shapes.

Any shape, size or material you could possibly think of is available as a basket. If you don't find what you want in kitchen stores, check out home furnishings, department stores, plant nurseries and florist shops.

Baskets are useful for holding a variety of items, and lined with a crisply laundered and colorful dishtowel, they can be pressed into use as serving dishes for breads, fruits and cheeses. They can be holders for napkins and utensils, or containers for plant pots.

Food is decoration too

Food can also be considered decorative. Here are some ideas for using food as kitchen accessories:

• Canned fruits, pickles, jams and jellies make an interesting display when grouped together. Cut squares of fabric that coordinate with your kitchen style and colors with pinking shears and tie them over the tops of the jars with ribbon, wire, or twine
• Fill baskets with an arrangement of citrus fruits or vegetables
• Fill a wire basket with decorative wood, glass, or ceramic eggs. If you are feeling really creative, blow some eggs as you would at Easter and paint, decoupage, or stencil them in a manner that matches your kitchen
• Keep an eye out for interesting containers you can fill with pasta, beans, and nuts
• Strings of garlic, onions, and chili peppers are always on hand if you hang them as kitchen accessories
• Look for the wonderful product of baked sculptured goods to create a realistic arrangement for your kitchen table

The kitchen is a natural place for plants and flowers

Because of the proximity of the sink and water, it is easy to use plants and flowers as kitchen accessories.

Herbs are a natural addition to a kitchen. They can be hung in front of the windows, or grown on a window sill.If you love gardening and plant growing, a window greenhouse will be a marvelous display for herbs. If you use pink grow lights, you will also achieve a wonderful ambiance in your kitchen during the evening hours.

Herbs can be grown in any type of container and make a great kitchen accessory. Don't always settle for a terra cotta pot. Here are some suggestions to spark your imagination:

• New plants can be started in mismatched teacups
• Several herbs can be planted in an interesting mixing bowl found at a yard sale for a container garden
• Place plant pots inside old tin containers that contained items like crackers, tea, coffee, etc. If you don't want to see the pot, place a cover of moss over the top of the pot
• Almost any kitchen item can be used as a plant pot, from an enamel pitcher to a copper kettle
• If you have terra cotta pots, they can be faux painted, stenciled, covered with contact paper, or decoupaged to match your kitchen decor

Flowers can easily be arranged in many of the containers you already have in your kitchen. Use florist foam which can be purchased in any craft or florist shop to make arranging easier. If a few of the flower heads fall off while you are arranging them, float them in water in a teacup or ramekin at the dinner table. Lastly, display your favorite china and ceramics

Many of us have collections of fiesta ware, cranberry glass, carnival glass, or other types of glassware. Maybe you inherited your grandmother's hand painted celery dishes, or your uncle's collection of cordial glasses.

If this is the case, and they are stored in the attic or garage, go get them! If you like these items and they are important and have some meaning for you, why are they stored away? Throw out some stuff you've had around forever and mean to get rid of some day. Make some room for your real treasures.

Look around with a fresh eye. What items do you really love, and what is just taking up space because it's just always been there? Time to blow out the cobwebs.

So go ahead, shake up the space, and create an atmosphere that tells the world about the real you. Enjoy, experiment, have fun, discover your creativity, surprise your neighbors, and amaze yourself as you let your imagination loose.

Happy Accessorizing!!

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