Large Kitchen Wall Decor Ideas
Decorating the walls of a spacious kitchen can be an exciting yet daunting task. The expansive empty space seems to beg for some stylish adornment to serve both form and function. Fortunately, there are endless options to infuse character into large kitchen walls. Displaying beautiful gallery walls, installing floating shelves, and experimenting with chic textures such as wallpaper or tile will elevate your cooking space to both a showcase and a highly functional workspace.
By incorporating wall décor trends like metal signs, artwork collages, removable papers, and mounted storage, you can create a kitchen that reflects your tastes and organizational needs. Planning your design with care will ensure your décor choices complement each other and suit the existing architecture and cabinetry. Read on for inspiring tips to decorate those large kitchen walls with style.
Gallery Walls To Showcase Your Style
Gallery walls continue to top the list of effortless ways to decorate expansive empty walls. A carefully curated collage of framed prints and photos brings life to barren kitchen walls and infuses personalized flair. To artfully pull off a gallery wall that captivates, keep these tips in mind.
Mix Up Frame Sizes and Orientations
The secret to an eye-catching gallery wall is to include a dynamic mix of art frame sizes and orientations. Square frames mixed with horizontal rectangles and vertical portraits layered together adds serious visual interest. Go for an asymmetrical arrangement with larger accent pieces surrounded by smaller supporting frames.
Hang a central oval or circle frame to break up the geometry. Combining different frame finishes like matte black, natural wood, metallics, and painted white also brings depth.
Cohesive Color Palette Creates Harmony
While your frame sizes, shapes, and textures may vary wildly, choose printable art, photos, canvases, and prints that share a cohesive color story. Matching the hues in your gallery wall art to your existing kitchen color scheme ensures visual harmony. analogous tones or a subtle color gradient gives a soothing effect.
Keep it crisp with black and white prints, or go bold with varying shades of green if that is prevalent in your kitchen design. The overall palette should enhance the space, not compete with it.
Mind the Spacing
Laying out your gallery wall art like pieces of a puzzle involves carefully plotting the spacing between each frame. Measure and pencil in light marks for your hanging points, maintaining 2-4 inches between pieces. This negative space prevents a cluttered look.
Step back between hangings to ensure your frames fill the wall evenly. The final gallery collage should look balanced, not randomly scattered. Aim for pieces to align at the edges as you build visual rows and columns.
Open Shelving for Display and Storage
Floating open shelving introduces another layer of function and flair to a sizable kitchen wall. For durable shelves that serve storage and décor needs, focus on solid materials that can handle the weight of cookbooks, heavy platters, and kitchen tools.
Wood or Metal for Durability
Handsome shelves crafted from hardwoods like walnut or oak add natural warmth. Wire brushed metal and iron piping lend an industrial edge, while sleek powder-coated steel offers modern appeal. Evaluate your existing cabinetry and appliances when selecting a shelf finish.
Measure the wall area carefully to determine ideal shelf dimensions. Wider shelves around 16 inches suit larger items like rolling pins and vases. Depths of 8-12 inches provide ample space for decorative objects in addition to books and boxes.
Install Wall-Mounted Floating Shelves
A floating illusion takes open shelving from basic to striking. Opt for wall mounted shelves secured directly into studs. This hides brackets behind the shelf for a streamlined look. Place shelves at varying heights for better ergonomics and visual dynamism.
Keep the floating shelf finish cohesive. Iron pipe shelves coordinate well with stainless steel appliances, for example. Reclaimed wood makes a rustic statement. Paint shelves the wall color for them to blend seamlessly into the background.
Style with Plants, Baskets, and Books
Now comes the fun part of decorating your open shelves! Add lush potted herbs, trailing ivy, and flowering plants to bring nature indoors. Incorporate some handwoven baskets for rustic texture. Stack vintage cookbooks with colorful bindings to inject color.
Display your best china, seasonal fruits like pomegranates and lemons, and glassware. Coil up your vibrant vintage dishtowels for an artful touch. Keep things tidy and dust-free by limiting small accessories. Change out objects seasonally to keep your shelves fresh.
Wallpaper and Tiles Add Pizzazz
For more permanent kitchen wall décor, both removable wallpaper and backsplash tile infuse color, shape, and texture. Avoid busyness by limiting wallpaper and tile to a single accent wall or backsplash area. Consider the architectural details before committing to these features.
Consider Size and Layout
Measure the dimensions of your focal wall or backsplash space carefully. This will determine print scale for wallpaper and tile sizing needs. Oversized statement tiles like 12×24 inch rectangles make a dramatic impact. Play with layout options like a brickwork pattern or horizontal stripes.
For walls, medium-scale wallpaper prints keep the focus on your cabinets and counters. Look for removable options to allow for changes down the road. Include extra paper for cutting errors and wall space pattern matching.
Complement the Kitchen Design
Select wallpaper prints and tile shapes that integrate well with your existing kitchen motif. Play up colors already found in your cabinetry and countertops. For a more modern space, graphic black and white prints or solid marble-look tile keeps it sleek.
Rustic farmhouse kitchens charm with floral papers and handmade Moroccan tiles. Terracotta subway tile and fruit-themed removable papers enhance country kitchens. Your wall décor should complement, not compete, with the overall design.
Opt for Removable Wallpaper
For a lower commitment statement wall, select removable wallpaper over permanent options. Self-adhesive, peel-and-stick papers allow you to easily swap out prints down the road with minimal mess or damage to paint.
Many feature textured finishes like grasscloth and faux woodgrain for added dimension. Removable wallpapers also help preserve your security deposit in rented homes. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions for smooth application and easy removal.
Floating Shelves for Versatile Display
Floating shelves mounted a few inches from your kitchen walls create clever display space and promote your stylish organizational ethos. Ideal for stowing cooking essentials and displaying cherished dishware, floating shelves feel lighter and airier than traditional built-ins.
Sturdy Materials Support Items
When choosing materials for floating shelves, durability matters. Shelves crafted from solid maple, teak, walnut, or oak have natural strength to hold heavier objects without sagging or cracking. Iron, aluminum, or powder-coated steel offer budget-friendly alternatives.
Standard bracketless shelf depths around 10-14 inches allow you to store sizable cookware and serving platters attractively. Avoid overwhelming the space with too many narrow floating shelves cluttered with accessories.
Conceal Brackets for Seamless Look
Hanging floating shelves with concealed mounting hardware enhances the illusion that they are magically suspended in midair. Position L-brackets against the wall, then place the shelves over them to hide. Or opt for floating shelf brackets with low-profile hidden designs.
Space your wall-mounted shelves at least 4-6 inches apart vertically for a lightweight look. Continuity in shelf finish and mounting height also emphasizes the floating effect. Let your wall color peek through to keep the focus on your beautiful objects, not bulky shelves.
Embrace the streamlined nature of floating shelves by styling them minimally. Display a short stack of rustic ceramic plates or rolled up kitchen towels over one end. Trailing ivy, a glass cloche terrarium, or tiny potted succulent bring organic interest.
A pair of wooden cutting boards stood upright make charming bookends. Metal and woven baskets corral fruits and vegetables or rolls of utensils. Curating a few special objects on each shelf prevents clutter while highlighting your finds.
Inspiring your inner interior decorator starts with your expansive kitchen walls. With an articulated plan to adorn these empty canvases and a dose of creativity, you can infuse serious style into your cooking space. Display meaningful collections, create increased storage, or simply add layers of visual interest with wall décor that reflects your personal tastes.