A (small) CHRISTMAS KITCHEN

In our Florida townhome, we had an average sized, all white kitchen with black counter-tops and grey metallic mini-subway tile back-splash. It was open to the great room, with a bar height counter, we frequently ate at, wrote holiday cards, served buffets, hosted get-togethers at, cut coupons and even played poker at. Although we don't have the white & bright kitchen or bar height counter we had in our home in Florida, we have made the best of our small kitchen here in AZ. We actually now use the dining table more (especially me with the laptop!) here in our rental home in Arizona. For holiday, I wanted to add a little holiday feel without adding "decorations" in this (small) kitchen. To add a holiday feel without clutter, I used more color vs the everyday black & white in our grey kitchen. To add the color I switched the B&W photos on the pantry wall to green chalkboard holiday art (I converted from black I got on Pinterest) and I used a green buffalo check runner on the table (actually, it's a repurposed window valance!) Adding a few green pillows to the off-white slip-covered dining chairs also gave the small kitchen space some holiday color without the clutter of too many decorations. More green came from a small wreath in the window, two small arrangements, and garland framing the dining space window. It sounds like a lot, but it's not - Here is my small kitchen for Christmas...

 

A few touches of trim plus color was all that was needed to add a little Christmas feel to our small kitchen, and still keep it functional for everyday - and especially extra holiday tasks like baking cookies, cooking special meals, making arrangements and writing holiday cards...

 

 The dining table (my mom gave us the set as a wedding / house warming gift in Florida) is getting used quite frequently here in the kitchen. I'm usually sitting here blogging, pinning, tweeting and facebooking. Most recently, I used the table and the island for making my holiday arrangements and it is also where we now sit to write out our holiday cards...

 The buffalo check runner - actually a window valance I picked up at Goodwill last year ($4!) gives the table just a touch of holiday and is easy to slide over when needed...

 

I've been drinking a lot of tea lately to stay warm - The fresh pine & red tea bags in the white mugs create just a hint of holiday as the small vignette on a tray (I also picked up at Goodwill last year)

 

Ribbon tied around a mercury glass bottle (I picked up at HomeGoods) dresses up an everyday accessory for holiday...  More tea, plus coffee and sugar and everyday dishes are stacked on the island shelves...

 

These everyday white plates are on the back side, just a turn away from the dishwasher, making it easy to unload. Just a few cedar branches are on the island to give it a touch of holiday...

 

  Keeping the holiday vignette small and on a tray makes it easy to move off the kitchen island to make holiday arrangements or bake cookies... Tea on the island and coffee across the way along with the out-of-sight-catch-all spot tucked in the corner...

 

 

Small white bowls stacked on the counter help brighten the dark kitchen, and they are left empty because we use them everyday - for mixing, for salads, and now with winter: for oatmeal or soup. Tumblers make great small vases more a petite arrangement of holiday greens...

 

 

 

Using this tray basket makes clean-up a cinch!  Pads, notes, pens and laptop all fit in the basket, which goes on the bookcase under the TV in the living-room. All the wires & mouse go into the gold mesh bag, and the table is cleared...

 

 

 I refreshed the small kitchen wall framed B&W photos for holiday chalkboard art printables I found on Pinterest - but I converted to green chalkboard - because there is already enough black in the kitchen everyday. I'll share how I converted the black to green chalkboard art next...

 SO even if your kitchen is small or your living in a rented space, you can create some Christmas charm in your kitchen without going overboard with actual decorations - Just use color and keep it simple.

Thank you for stopping by by Christmas kitchen. Visit my previous post Christmas Kitchen Decorating for additional ideas for yours.

Happy Holiday Decorating!

 

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Christmas Extravaganza - Setting For Four