How
could I round out a series on what we love without including a passion for
food? Food is more than the spice in
life; it can be some inspiration to enhance your living space.
Italian
and French cuisines are two popular décor themes for kitchens. You can easily find a slew of wall art
pieces, figurines, and dishes that showcase European flair where you cook and
eat. If you want to take it a step
further, Italian style kitchens can be accented with stonework countertops or
backsplashes, cooper cookware, and an oversized stove vent that is a focal
point of the room. French style kitchens
often feature wood beam ceilings, off white cabinetry, and plates, molds, and
platters hung directly on the walls.
For
smaller scale décor items, attractive wine bottles, copperware, displayed
platters, and grapevines can create little vignettes on top of upper
cabinets. Footed cake stands and serving
bowls can hold fresh fruit like apples, oranges, and citrus on a countertop or
kitchen island. Fresh herbs like basil,
thyme, rosemary, and mint in small pots can be grouped together in a kitchen
windowsill for live plants you can use in your cooking. Oversized, decorative flatware, pizza peels,
and dishes can be featured as wall hangings.
Foodies can frame the covers of food related magazines and hang them as
a collection. Even nice knife blocks,
storage canisters, and upscale spices on display add to the look of your
cooking space.
Sometimes
setting the table with restaurant practices in mind can be a sweet addition to
a good meal. Cloth napkins do not have
to be reserved for a holiday. Use a
saucer for dipping oil and some dried minced garlic to go with your bread. Pass the salad bowl around instead leaving it
in the kitchen. Light a candle or two in
the center of the table. Buy a couple of
tall, pretty glass bottles, fill with filtered water, and keep them in the
refrigerator to be able to serve cold water at the table during mealtime.
Secretly
or not, most people love food. So why
not let that be shown in our kitchens and around our tables? We can dress up more than our plates with
inspiration from the foods we crave as we really lay out a mouthwatering spread.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 24th.
