this week i transformed my kitchen into the aesthetic, pinterest kitchen of my dreams! i’m going to share some of my fav interior finds, decor tips, and organizational items that you can use to create a cute & cohesive kitchen space of your own. oh yeah, and this is all renter-friendly. so my apartment dwellers, don’t worry about your security deposit!
where to begin…
the kitchen can be a difficult room to decorate. you have to account for large appliances like the oven and fridge, which likely can’t be moved, and focus on decorating around them, all without hindering your ability to actually cook in the space. it’s a delicate balance of appearance vs. functionality. i’ve broken this blogpost down into a few sections to make the task a little less daunting.
overview:
- Choosing an aesthetic & gathering inspo
- Cabinet organization tips
- My favorite kitchen gadget finds
- Filling it in with the finer details
choosing an aesthetic
deciding on a theme or aesthetic upfront is the best way to ensure your decor is cohesive. it helps you narrow down what decor to buy as you won’t be jumping at any and every cute kitchen item you see, because trust me, there is a LOT of cute kitchen decor in this world (rip my wallet). narrowing it down to a few colors, or patterns to incorporate will keep you on track.
once you decide upon your theme, i would highly recommend looking at inspiration! i have a pinterest board with all my kitchen inspo here if you want to take a look! i have a lot of wood interior and apartment kitchens saved there. i tried to find photos of similar kitchen layouts to my own to give me organization ideas.
if you’ve seen the rest of my apartment, it’s no surprise i went with pink and warm wood for my main color and pattern. since my kitchen is white, it was easy to stick with one color that would pop against the backdrop. i used wooden furniture items as accent pieces to break up the sterile white and make it more cozy.
cabinet organization tips
before i could decorate the exterior (countertops), i had to focus on the interior (cabinets). my apartment has a lot of kitchen storage, but i have a lot of kitchen items, so this was going to be quite the task.
i’m a visual person, meaning, i only have what i can see. that pasta shoved to the back of the drawer may as well be invisible because i will go to the store to buy the exact same box and have no idea it’s a duplicate. deep cabinets are my enemy. luckily i found these drawers to remedy the situation!
Amazon has a bunch of these cabinet organizers available, but a lot of them require drilling, which is an automatic “no” for me. i was able to find a drawer that uses a sticker-like adhesive to attach the drawer to the cabinet instead! i was definitely weary of how strong the adhesive would be, but the description says it’s strong enough to hold pots and pans so i decided to take my chances. i’ve had them installed for 2+ weeks now and it’s held up to that claim! i also like how it can be expanded to nearly 20 inches wide!
for the upper cabinets, i use mini shelves and dish racks to organize all my cups and dishware. i got the wooden ones on Amazon as well, but i’ve also seen wire shelves at Homgoods and Daiso for lower prices.
extra storage with kitchen island shelf
i’ve been looking for a place to storing my ginormous Breville the Smart Oven. (backstory: my dad got this for his place but sent it to me after he couldn’t find counter space for it. thanks dad 😅) i’m happy to say, i found a solution!
i found this Kitchen Island Table on Amazon and it has been the perfect addition to my kitchen. the wood top adds a nice contrast on the side of my white counter, and i DIYed a little curtain for the bottom shelf to hide extra storage. i’m so obsessed with how it looks. there’s even a charging port on the side so you don’t have to reach behind it to plug your devices in!
my fav kitchen gadget finds
i get so many questions about where i get various pink kitchen gadgets. here are some of my favorites/most requested!
KitchenAid K400 Variable Speed Blender
cannot wait to use this for summer smoothies. “excited” is an understatement.
filling it in with the finer details
once you have everything organized INSIDE, it’s time for the fun part: decorating the OUTSIDE.
here are some of my favorite items to fill in the rest of the space with:
- wall storage – need a way to fill in all that blank, empty space? shelves! hooks! these are the only answers when you’re indecisive af about art
- fake plants – or real ones. i can’t keep them alive for the life of me, so these are helpful options.
- hook magnets – hanging things on your fridge is a great way to add dimension to typical flat-lay types of decor!
- bow keychains + clips – i’m just a girl, in my girly pink apartment
- miscellaneous items
Hi Annika,
I love the transformation, the kitchen looks so cute! Where did you get your utensil holder on your countertop from? I love it! Greetings from the Netherlands 💗
hi Liza, i think this is the one you are referring to! https://amzn.to/3KIjg1V <3
hi Stephanie! i got them on aliexpress over a year ago, so i don’t have the link anymore unfortunately 🙁 so sorry!
hi Morgan! yessss pink girlies unite <3
hi Katie, omg so excited for you!! i’m sure your solo trip will be a lot of fun. there’s so much in japan that caters to solo experiences too! <3
aww thank you Jocelyn! <3