7 Simple Swaps to Transform Your Kitchen

The kitchen is often called the heart of the home, and if you've ever hosted a gathering, you'll know why. Whether you're spending hours chopping and cooking an unforgettable meal for your family or catching up with an old friend over a glass of bubbly, so many of our fond memories take place in the kitchen — so why not make the space as stylish and welcoming as possible? 

But when is the best time to upgrade some of those older, out-of-date kitchen basics? How do you know what to look for in new products? With our help, you can make 7 simple swaps to transform your kitchen into a space you love and that will be guest-ready, even when the doorbell unexpectedly rings.

Why Should You Curate Your Kitchen?

Curating your kitchen essentials is vital to creating a space that reflects your home décor and personal style. From serving platters to table linens and more, there are endless opportunities for adding small details that make all the difference. It doesn’t matter if you prefer sleek and modern design elements or rustic and eclectic accents — decorating your kitchen to suit your tastes creates a cohesive style and inviting atmosphere for your guests. 

A curated kitchen helps to enhance the functionality of your space. Choosing each item with purpose promotes efficiency and organization when cooking, setting the table, plating, and more. By carefully selecting and arranging stylish cookware, utensils, and accessories, you can optimize your kitchen to suit your cooking and dining preferences, making hosting easy. 

The kitchen is also one of the most visited rooms in a home, so why shouldn't you spend time and effort making it look and feel beautiful? When it comes to hosting, there's always a chance that your loved ones congregate around the kitchen counters. Making an effort to beautify and organize the space enures it’s guest-ready and a space to be proud of, allowing. your guests to mingle and linger as long as they wish without you feeling tempted to "shoo" them out!

 

When to Upgrade Your Kitchenware

 

If you're searching for a simple and sophisticated way to refresh your home, it's time to buy new dishes for your kitchen. With a few easy switches, you can give your kitchen a whole new look whenever inspiration strikes. Consider buying fresh essentials for your kitchen during occasions like these:

• Moving into a new home
• Registering for your wedding
• Preparing for a new baby
• Switching up styles seasonally
• Redecorating for each holiday

Refreshing Your Kitchen Essentials

As you grow your curated collection of kitchenware, you want each item to be both beautiful and functional. When shopping, remember that the items out on display in your kitchen should be: 

1. Versatile and Useful

Making the effort to maximize your kitchen makes cooking, cleaning, and hosting easier. The best way to make sure every event goes smoothly is by curating a collection of dinnerware, serveware, tabletop accessories, and more that are designed with versatility in mind. That way, you can be prepared for any occasion.

As you build your collection, think of all the ways the design could be used or shown off in your space. Serving bowls, for instance, can often double as mixing bowls while baking or hold fruit on the countertop. The more uses, the more ways you'll be able to showcase the striking design in your day-to-day life. 

2. Various Shapes and Sizes

Whether you host weekly game nights for your friends or are looking for ways to spruce up your everyday place settings, it's important to buy kitchenware in multiple shapes and sizes so you can ensure you have the most functional piece on hand for all your prep, cooking, baking, serving, and dining needs. As you shop for dinner plates, appetizer bowls, table linens, serving platters, and more, make sure you buy a wide variety of shapes to experiment with unique silhouettes on your table. 

3. Stylish, Timeless, and Decorative

When it comes to curating your kitchen, choosing designs that speak to you and your aesthetic allows for complete customization. Every item you add to your cabinets and countertops should reflect your style, making setting a table for any occasion easy and inspiring. While registering, focus on finding patterns, colors, and collections that you'll love for years to come to achieve that timeless and effortless look.

 

Refresh Your Kitchen with these Essential Designs

 

Whether you’re registering for your first home or looking for small ways to make your kitchen feel more like your own, upgrading everyday kitchen essentials will make a big impact. In our family, we make sure that every design, whether it’s in our cabinets or on display, reflects our aesthetic so that every moment spent in the kitchen can be celebrated—and you can, too. Switch out your basics for these essentials and watch your day-to-day transform:

Collect Stylish Tabletop Must-Haves

Typical dinnerware designs, such as dinner plates and salad bowls, are likely the most used items in your kitchen cabinet—so pick styles you'll love to use time and time again, and that coordinate with most other items in your collection to create an abundance of different looks. Make every table setting feel extra special by choosing one or two everyday collections you love. When you have go-to dinnerware sets, setting the table becomes effortless. 

Stock Up on Functional Countertop Accessories 

The secret to making your kitchen feel put-together and personalized is finding the perfect countertop and table accessories. Once you find a collection you love, upgrade everyday tabletop items, such as salt and pepper shakers, butter dishes, and pitchers, to enhance the overall ambiance of your kitchen. 

Store dry pasta next to the stovetop in a canister or fill your pitcher with fresh-cut flowers — the list goes on. Let your creativity flow and mix and match for a curated look that lives on your counters 24/7.

Discover Colorful and Eclectic Drinkware

As you sign up for your wedding registry or new home wish list, make sure to include a wide variety of drinkware options. These glass pieces are one of the smallest and most effective ways to elevate the overall look of your kitchen space. 

When your favorite design aren’t in use, they double as effortless décor within your cabinets or home bar. We love using the colored glasses by Estelle, as well as the vibrant Anthropologie drinkware for any and all occasions.

Essential Types of Glassware:

• Water goblets
• Wine glasses {red and white}
• Champagne flutes
• Cocktail glasses {martinis, rocks, margarita glasses, and more}
• Pitchers {for batch-made drinks}

Buy Functional Serving Utensils

Whether you keep them tucked away in a drawer or out in a stylish jar, curating a collection of beautiful serving utensils is a must for any home. If you're looking for one simple switch to help make serving feel luxurious, investing in stylish and high-quality serving utensils is key. 

Choose Versatile Oven-to-Table Bakeware

It doesn't matter if you're the go-to pie maker of the family or only dabble in the occasional quiche — every kitchen should have a collection of stylish and multi-functional bakeware. With our oven-to-table designs, you can skip replating and use the same sophisticated dish to bake,  present, and serve your delicious treats to guests. We recommend investing in a few stylish cookware and bakeware designs, such as these best-sellers:

• Iris Blue ruffle pie dish
• Red stripe loaf pan
• Signature White casserole dish

Invest in Mix-and-Match Serveware

We believe every moment, big or small, should be celebrated, so why not bring out beautiful wood boards, serving platters, and bowls to serve your everyday meals? All gatherings, from your typical weeknight family dinners to an over-the-top charcuterie board for a game night, can be elevated with a few special serveware designs. 

Serving dishes can also double as functional décor in the kitchen. Let your favorite design tie the space together when you use a mango wood bowl to hold farm-fresh fruits and veggies after a trip to the farmers market or a serving platter to corral your favorite cookbooks on the counter.  

Find Flatware with Flair

There's no reason for your everyday flatware to be basic. Buying one or two sets of unique flatware can help elevate any place setting, whether you're setting a formal plated meal or hosting a spontaneous soiree. Find utensils that speak to your style, from timeless gold forks and knives to intricately designed silver sets and more. We personally love the assortment of Sabre's timeless utensils for all gatherings, from gold cake servers at formal celebrations to serving spoons for everyday dining.  

How Many Sets of Flatware Should You Own?

 

In general, it's a good idea to have enough flatware to accommodate twice the number of people in your household for everyday use. By doing so, you ensure that there are always enough utensils available should someone require a replacement or when a set is being washed. 

It can also be fun to have a set {or two} of fancy or colorful flatware to add a fun and festive flair to your table settings for special events or holidays. When you have a large guest list, you may even consider mixing the sets when setting the table to have enough utensil sets for everyone in attendance. 

Bright and Beautiful Kitchen Linens

From hand towels hanging off the oven door to cloth placemats set at the breakfast nook, kitchen linens are a simple way to transform the space. Choose a seasonal design that suits your aesthetic and have these pieces out, even when no one is sitting at the table {if that’s your thing!}, to create a lived-in and curated look. When shopping, buy a few different sets of napkins, placemats, and towels so you can switch them out for endless styling.  

Pro tip: to carry the décor throughout your home, hang matching hand towels in your powder room. While it may seem like a miniscule detail, this decorative touch can make a world of difference in making your guests feel welcome. 

How to Switch Out Kitchen Décor for the Seasons

 

If you're hosting for a special occasion such as Christmas, for example, swap out your everyday kitchen accessories, cookware, bakeware, and serveware to match the season. These simple swaps help transform your space, turning your kitchen into a wonderland for any festive gathering. Many of our products are designed for oven-to-table style, so once you've baked up a fruit cake in a loaf pan, you can leave it out on display for all to enjoy. 

Don't forget about the countertop essentials that can stay out.  Store a jolly Balsam and Berry domed butter dish on the table for spreadable butter, use a whimsically illustrated Santa platter for small bites before a meal, or set a nativity-themed trivet underneath your pots and pans — the options for seasonal kitchen décor are endless.

5 General Tips for Personalizing Your Kitchen to Your Style 

 

Decorating the kitchen to your liking is the key to creating a welcoming space for all your loved ones, whether you’re baking cookies with your grandchildren or enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend. You don't need to complete a demolition and renovation to create a space you love that's guest-ready at any moment. When in doubt, try one of our simple and quick go-to tips for making your kitchen your own: 

1. Keep your disheswithin arm's reach and make hosting easy by displaying your favorite decorative plates and platters on the wall or on open shelving. This way, your dishes effortlessly double as home décor. 
2. Showcase other products, such as rolled-up cloth napkins or fresh fruit that stores well on the counter in larger bowls for stylish and accessible storage.  
3. Hang your favorite set of hand towels on the oven handle and on a towel holder next to the sink.
4. Use canisters to hide and corral any grouped item, from dry baking ingredients to tea bags and more. 
5. Buy different serving dishes, bakeware, utensils, etc., from the same or coordinating collections so mixing and matching for unique tablescapes is always easy.

When you walk into the kitchen, you want to feel comfortable and your guests to feel right at home — and that starts with your dishes and décor. From a set of utensils to everyday serveware designs and more, each basic item can be upgraded to reflect you and your style. Start curating a collection of pieces, patterns, colors, materials and shapes you love, and get inspired to host since your kitchen will be guest-ready always!