Kitchen Wall Art Ideas
Good kitchen wall art is food, drink or colour-led, and hung where it stays clear of steam and splashes. Most kitchens have less free wall than other rooms, so one to three well chosen prints usually do more than a crowded wall.
Below: where to hang art in a kitchen, the pictures that suit it best, how many to use, and prints chosen for the job.
Prints for this look
Where art works best in a kitchen
- Above the kitchen table or breakfast nook. Usually the biggest clear wall, and the one you look at most. Plan art about two thirds the width of the table and leave 15 to 25 cm between any bench or sideboard and the bottom of the frame.
- The end of a run of units. A tall A3 or A2 fills the gap between the last cabinet and the corner.
- Open shelves. Lean an A4 print against the wall behind jars and plants. It is easy to swap when you fancy a change.
- Above a sideboard in a kitchen diner. One A2, or a pair of A3 prints, sits well over most sideboards.
Where there is no furniture below, hang the centre of the print at about 145 to 150 cm from the floor.
Is it OK to hang prints near the cooker? It is best not to. Heat, grease and steam collect behind the hob and around the kettle, so keep paper prints a good arm's length away and choose the far side of the room instead.
What pictures look good in a kitchen
- Food and drink. Coffee, cocktails, pasta, lemons and market fruit are the natural choice and rarely look out of place. Browse our food wall art and coffee prints.
- Colour-led prints. Pick one colour from your splashback, cabinets or crockery and find a print that repeats it. A blue and white kitchen suits blue and white art; warm wood suits ochre, terracotta and olive.
- Typography. A short word or phrase in bold lettering reads well from across the room.
- Botanicals. A herb or leaf print brings in green where there is no room for a plant.
See the full kitchen art collection, or read our post on the best pictures for a kitchen for more ideas.
How many pictures on a kitchen wall?
One print suits a small wall or a busy kitchen with lots of open shelving. Two or three suit a longer wall or the space above a table. On the one clear wall in an open-plan kitchen, a small gallery of five or seven prints can work, as long as they share a theme or a couple of colours.
Odd numbers usually look more relaxed than even ones, and equal gaps of 5 to 8 cm between frames matter more than matching frames. A set of three A4 prints in a row is the easiest way to start.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
Kitchen-friendly framing
Glass or acrylic in the frame lets you wipe off a stray splash, and a simple wooden or black frame is easy to keep clean. Avoid hanging prints unframed with tape in a kitchen, as steam will curl the paper over time.
