The question we are posing is what can I hang on a kitchen wall? We may, however, be better off asking, what can I not hang on a kitchen wall? The options are boundless, and something to get excited about!
A kitchen is the heart of your home. After all, it’s where the magic happens! It’s where meals are prepared, and where family and friends can gather the end of a long day to relax and enjoy spending time together. When it comes to kitchen wall decor ideas, it’s important to find art, pictures, signs, accessories and decorations that really speak to you, and showcase your personality, and what you like to cook. And although most families lean towards functional rather than creative and unique when it comes to decorating the kitchen, the best kitchen wall art decor and designs can take your space to the next level. It’s perhaps thanks to the dominance of kitchen cabinets and tiled backsplashes that many are afraid to add decor to kitchen walls – but fear not, it’s all about finding the right balance. Whether your style is modern, vintage, farmhouse, rustic, country, shabby, chic, DIY, bright and colorful or black and white, these kitchen wall ideas will get you inspired! From cute signs to large canvas art with your favorite sayings or quotes, check out the number of ways you can decorate your kitchen walls.
Hanging things in the kitchen is a great way to make them easily accessible, and showcase them, while freeing up some space in your cabinets and drawers. There are many different ways to hang things in the kitchen, so before looking at all of the implements you can hang, let’s take a look through all of the mechanisms by which you can hang them.
Related: Do Brick Wall Hooks Actually Work?
Ways to Hang Things in the Kitchen
1.Peg Board
Woodworkers and car folks love ’em for a garage, but we think they work even better in the kitchen. Don’t take our word for it, though; none other than the great Julia Child swore by a pegboard for hanging everything from copper pans to whisks. There’s no setup a pegboard can’t handle. A pegboard as a spice rack? Easy! A pegboard as a coffee station? Adorable! The possibilities are endless. They really provide an area that can be adjusted to suit your needs, and is flexible to many different kinds of hanging implements. If set up correctly, they are extremely sturdy, and can hold even heavy cast iron pots and pans. If you’re looking for a wonderful all around storage solution for hanging things in the kitchen, the peg board is a great option. They can also be painted, and stylized to look beautiful too!
2. Hooks or Pegs
As an alternative, installing hooks or pegs directly into the wall is an easy way to set up for just one, or a few items to be hung. In addition, with this option, you can find really beautiful hooks to complement the rest of the decor in your kitchen, or even as a statement piece. Hooks come in handy in many kitchens to keep utilitarian things like pots, pans, and utensils right within reach. They can also serve as a decorative element to turn your best-looking cookware and tools into part of the room’s flare.
But a blank wall is not the only place to hang hooks in your kitchen! Just about any surface will do. Try one of these overlooked places to hang hooks in your kitchen: under cabinets or shelves, on the side of cabinets, or even on the inside of cabinets! You will be able to really optimize storage space, using spaces that would otherwise be untouched. If, however, you want to display the items, hanging them on the kitchen wall or backsplash is a great way to do that.
3. Magnetic Strips
I love a magnetic strip for storage kitchen utensils, not just knives: anything that is metal will be magnetized to it, so feel free to get creative with what you put up there. It’s so easy to put things up and take them down this way, which I just love for when you’re cooking on the go and need to grab something quickly. To solve the pesky problem of where and how to store food processor blades, she hung a magnetic knife rack in the back of the cabinet, popped the blades on there, and presto! An ingenious idea for keeping blades safe and out of the way of fingers was born. If we’re talking about pesky problems in the kitchen, pot-lid storage has got to be near the top of the list. But if you have metal pot lids, this is one of the easiest ways to keep them organized and easily accessible. Finally, the microplane is a perfect tool to hang on the rack, keeping it from getting lost in a drawer of other utensils, forcing you to sift through for minutes.
4. Rod with S Hooks
This way of hanging things in the kitchen is great because it can, like the pegboard, take many different types of hanging tools. From the original bar, you can hang many s hooks, which will hold everything from a pot to a spoon, and a jar to hold elastics or any other little pesky item that can never find a home in your kitchen. I love this solution because it creates distinct storage solutions for so many things that otherwise just get tossed in a drawer to create a mess that piles up over time. On the other hand, hanging pots on this rack will make your kitchen workhorses—your cast-iron skillet, your nonstick skillet, your stainless steel—accessible for cooking, and easy to dry after you’re done doing the dishes. Again, don’t hang all your pots. Stick to your essentials and make them easy to grab and cook from on the fly.
5. Open Shelving
Open shelving is the best idea for any kind of storage because they are airy, light and won’t look bulky even in the smallest space still fulfilling the storage function brilliantly. Buy a couple or make them yourself to fit your space perfectly, whether it’s a small corner or large open shelving along the whole wall. You can make wood or metal shelves, or even attach crates as open storage shelves. In many instances, open shelving surrounds a range hood evenly on both sides so the entire look feels symmetrical and balanced. However, consider switching up your kitchen storage by instead opposing some open shelving with hanging storage.
Any home chef knows the utter frustration of loving their home kitchen, but not having enough room to enjoy cooking in it—let alone store and organize everything. One great, often underutilized option is using vertical space—or those bare kitchen walls—which is usually just a bunch of negative space. With a little creativity, you can find ways to fill those walls with smart storage options.
It may feel like storing items on walls will add to the clutter, rather than minimize it, but this really won’t be the case. Make use of that blank space, and you may be able to avoid the more disappointing alternative: having to toss some of your favorite (but not heavily used) kitchen gear. Making use of that blank space as storage will create less chaos in the rest of your kitchen and add another structure for organizing your stuff. Now let’s get on to the fun part: we get to look at all the wonderful things you can store on the wall in your kitchen.
Things to Hang on the Kitchen Wall
1.Pots and Pans
Forced to keep your pots and pans out in the open due to limited storage space? All the more reason to invest in good cookware that also happens to be pretty. Hanging cookware can be further beautified by contrasting artwork and a beautiful wallpaper. I love thinking of kitchen tools as also works of art, and showing them off. There are so many beautiful types of pots and pans, from cast iron to enamel, to copper. Hang a pots and pans organizer over the kitchen island. You can make one yourself with lengths of copper pipe and S-hooks. Under the island is also a great place to hang them, although they will be less visible. If you want something a little easier to reach, try just installing s-hooks under a hanging cabinet in your kitchen. They can also fit in really beautifully on the pegboard we talked about earlier in the article.
2. Knives
Knives are something you want accessible, as you use them pretty frequently in the kitchen. In addition, they can actually get a lot of wear and tear in a drawer. You want to keep your knives sharp, without have to constantly be sharpening them. So, hanging them is a great way to keep the blade from getting worn down by grinding up against other implements in a full drawer. Try hanging a magnetic knife strip on your backsplash. This is probably the most common way to hang a magnetic knife strip, particularly if you keep a chopping board or butcher block on your countertop. It keeps everything you need for your food prep in one place. On the other hand, you can store the magnetic strip above the sink: If you decide to go for this space, you must be sure that your magnets are really strong and the wood or other material which your rack is made of is protected from humidity. Tucked up and behind the sink, it’s safe and inaccessible to children, but easy to reach when you are putting your knives away after washing and drying.
3. Paintings
While this option does not have to do with utility in the kitchen, adding beautiful art to the walls in your kitchen an add that little extra charm that will take it to the next level. Why shouldn’t it have a little art to liven it up, just like any other space? We’ve rounded up all kinds of examples of art in the kitchen. Maybe they will inspire you to add something that will glam up your space — or just a little piece that will make you smile. This one’s a bit of a no-brainer, but if you have a stretch of wall in your kitchen unoccupied by upper cabinets, this would be a great place to add in some art. One important factor to consider is how valuable the art is, and how much chance there is that it will be splashed on by water or oil. Right above the sink, or the stove are zones where there is a high chance some splashes will get on your pieces. If they’re framed with glass, this may be fine, and you can just wipe them down. If not, you may want to reconsider. If your kitchen is tall enough, above the upper cabinets is a great place for art to go, safely out of reach of water and grime. If you have cabinets that you don’t use super often, or a lightweight piece of art that can be easily secured to the door — why not?
4. Plants
Hanging plants in the kitchen create the beautiful lush atmosphere we all want, at little cost. This is the beauty of plants, they can transform a space without much stress to your budget. It is important to keep in mind that there is no one plant that will thrive in absolutely every kitchen – since every space has its own unique light, humidity, and temperature conditions. However, there are many that should, if you take care of the them properly, thrive in kitchen conditions. Pothos, Phildendron, Spider Plants, Snake plants, and many others like succulents can do very well. It also depends on how much light your kitchen gets! I love using a plant that grows in falling or draping patterns so the leaves can hang down from the ceiling or a shelf on the wall.
5. Wine Glasses
Wine glasses can be infamously delicate, and accumulate dust in a way that will really show. So, hanging them in a rack or on the bottom of a shelf is a great way to protect them from both breakage and dust accumulation. When it comes to rooms in your home that are more geared toward utility rather than relaxing, such as a kitchen, making your design scheme functional as well as aesthetically pleasing can drastically increase the level of enjoyment you get out of your home. A quick project, like building a wine glass hanging rack, can open up cupboard and counter space while displaying one of the most beautiful types of kitchenware people keep in their homes. Although you can purchase premade hanging wine racks, you can just as quickly make your own. If you are proud of your wine glass collection, this is a great way to show it off. Even if not, wine glasses add an extra shimmer to the kitchen, making it look elegant and upscale.
6. Dried Flowers
For the plant lovers out there, dried flowers make such a beautiful kitchen decoration, and depending on the flower, can even add a lovely scent. Dried flower wall hangings are not only pretty but functional too. You can hang flowers upside down or hang herbs upside down, either way the effect is amazing. You can make dried flower art and add anything you want, from wildflowers to herbs from the garden. This can be a really wonderful DIY project, brining out your creative juices to pair colour and texture to make a beautiful bouquet for your kitchen. This option is amazing because it does change over time, but it will also last forever. Dried flowers, unlike fresh, do not wilt but miraculously keep their form from the moment they are dried out.
7. Garlic
If you love to cook, you probably keep a lot of garlic around the kitchen. Garlic can be bought cured and strung up, but you can also buy it and do it yourself. Again, if you enjoy pickling, baking, or fermenting, you’ll probably enjoy a project like this. Curing is the process of letting your garlic dry down in preparation for long-term storage. Curing and storing garlic allows you to enjoy the flavor of your summer harvest well into winter. While they are curing, they can even be displayed hung up in the kitchen, with the stalk and everything. This option is equally beautiful, as you get the full view of the garlic crop on display. This option will create a really earthy and warm atmosphere in the kitchen, evoking a traditional Italian kitchen.
8. Chalk Board
If you love to write down grocery lists, recipes, random ideas, or even draw out menus for guests, a chalk board is a great thing to hang up in your kitchen. A drywall kitchen backsplash doesn’t have to be boring. In just an afternoon you can transform it with chalkboard paint and a little trim. This inexpensive project packs a powerful visual punch and makes any kitchen chore more fun.
9. A Mirror
If you live in a home with a smaller kitchen space, or not a lot of light in the kitchen, using a mirror is a great way to spread light and make the space automatically feel two times bigger. Even though using a mirror in the kitchen isn’t the most practical, because of all these grease and water, it is still a really nice idea to hang it because it’ll make great decorative statement. There are many places where you can hang it in the kitchen, keeping it away from the sink and stove will really help with not getting it dirty. You can hang a mirror on any spare wall space that isn’t occupied by cupboards, but it can also go on the wall across from the kitchen cabinets. If you do choose to put it above the sink, there are gorgeous mirrors that have frames that mimic a window, creating the illusion of one(especially if it reflects a window opposite it).
10. Coffee Cups
Whether you go for a minimalist set of white coffee mugs, or you have an eclectic mix from your travels, displaying your mugs is a great way to add decor while freeing up cabinet space. You can simply screw in hooks on the underside of your kitchen cabinets, which makes the mugs easy to grab, and accessible for guests without having to rummage through your shelves. The hooks can also be placed on the side of a shelf, or just on a wall. Another way to use vertical space (or really, any wall space you want) is to install some small floating shelves. With floating shelves, you can place them wherever makes sense in your kitchen, and you can show off a few different mugs on each shelf.
The walls in your kitchen deserve to be adorned with things you use, and also things you love. They should be useful and beautiful! There are so many things you can hang on the walls in the kitchen, but you need to tailor the choice to your needs. If you’re a big coffee drinker, go with the coffee mugs. If you need extra light and to open up the space, then choose a mirror. On the other hand, if you love adding natural things to your space, and seek the freshness of plants, either add a hanging plant or dried flowers. I have some beautiful hanging lavender in my kitchen and it always brings me joy to walk past it and smell that lush scent. So, I hope this article has left you with plenty of ideas to go forth and start getting creative with the walls in your kitchen! Whether its art or knives, you can find beauty and purpose in it all!
